Torontos Blue Jays suffer another bullpen collapse in the 8th inning, losing to the Los Angeles Angels
Chatting with Baseball Guru Mike Wilner
Join Mike as he dissects the Blue Jays' disheartening 8-3 loss to the LA Angels, their third straight defeat. Here's the lowdown:
Anthony Santander smashes his fifth homer, putting the Jays ahead 3-2 in the top of the 8th, but that proved to be a brief lead. The bullpen, normally a strength, faltered spectacularly.
Yimi Garcia and Jeff Hoffman, both aces in their respective roles, were unable to close the game out. Garcia started the 8th by walking Zach Neto who immediately stole second. Nolan Schanuel followed with a bunt, but the throw to third was off-target, allowing the tying run to score.
Hoffman entered the game with the game still tied but surrendered a go-ahead RBI single to Logan O'Hoppe, a three-run homer to Yoan Moncada, and a solo shot to Jo Adell.
Moncada's 107.9 mph bomb in the 8th inning capped off a 5-run explosion for the Angels, effectively ending the game for the Jays.
Clean-up Act
Each team's clean-up hitter excelled in the first inning, with George Springer for the Jays and Taylor Ward for the Angels both launching two-run homers. Springer's homer was his season's fourth, tantalizingly hinting at power that could help a team that's lagging behind in the majors for home runs.
Ward's round-tripper was his seventh of the season.
No Foolish Moments
With runners at first and second and two outs in the 6th, rookie Mason Fluharty came in to face Moncada and managed to get him to hit a lazy fly ball to center, ending the inning. Fluharty showed his mettle again in the 7th, retiring Luis Rengifo and Jo Adell before handing things over to Dillon Tate. Tate, a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, has an interesting stat: not one of the 25 right-handed hitters he's faced in his Major League career has gotten a hit.
Jose Urena, signed as a free agent on Sunday, made his Jays debut as Tuesday's starting pitcher. Despite giving up a first-inning homer to Ward, Urena shut down the Angels for the rest of his outing, pitching into the 5th and allowing only a pair of singles along the way.
What's the Plan with Barger and Roden?
lagolfer112 asked in the mailbag section: "How do the Jays expect guys like Barger and Roden to make it at the MLB level if they don't get regular playing time?" While Barger's power is intriguing, he's yet to make much of an impact, reaching base just once over his five-game starting streak. Alan Roden, currently in a 0-for-27 slump, is almost at the tipping point, and the Jays need to find a way to get him going or let him play regularly in Triple-A Buffalo.
- Mike Wilner, following the Blue Jays' 8-3 loss to the LA Angels, expressed his opinion on the faltering bullpen, a once reliable strength, during his sports discussion.
- The media is buzzing about Anthony Santander's fifth homer, which brought the Jays ahead in half the 8th inning, but the lead was short-lived.
- In Toronto's news, the Blue Jays are lagging behind in the majors for home runs, with George Springer's fourth season homer hinting at potential power that could help turn the tide.
- The arts of baseball strategy were on display in the 6th and 7th innings, as rookie Mason Fluharty showed his mettle in getting outs and holding the Angels at bay.
- In a shift of events, Jose Urena, signed as a free agent, made his Jays debut as Tuesday's starting pitcher, showing promise with a solid outing.
- The question of playing time for Barger and Roden in the majors has been raised, as both are yet to make significant impacts, with Barger reaching base only once in his recent five-game streak and Roden in a 0-for-27 slump.
- As the MLB season continues, WilnerBaseball and other media outlets will continue to dissect the highs and lows of the Blue Jays' sports performances, providing insightful analysis and opinions to baseball fans.
