TORONTO — Three weeks in the past, when the Toronto Blue Jays final opened a collection towards the Baltimore Orioles, they had been in a foul spot. They’d misplaced seven of their final 10 video games and a viral sickness left them with solely 9 place gamers wholesome sufficient for the Might 13 opener. Jose Berrios was contact and go to make his begin till his fever broke within the morning, compounding the survival-mode really feel. But regardless of all of it, they delivered one in every of their most impressed efforts of the season, a 3-2, 10-inning win that was a glimpse at what they’re able to towards an elite opponent.
“Each recreation must be that manner,” Isiah Kiner-Falefa mentioned Monday. “We will’t stroll in and count on to roll on anybody. We put ourselves in a troublesome scenario and we now have to place our toes on the fuel pedal each evening. And if we don’t, we’re going to be on the sofa come playoff time. So, it’s simply extra of a actuality test of the place we’re within the standings and the urgency. It’s time to pony up. If we lose video games and we’re competing, it’s what it’s, but when we’re coming in not able to play, that’s a distinct scenario. Since that point, we’ve understood it’s a day-by-day factor at this level.”
The Blue Jays, after a rainout, ended up splitting that collection, dropping the finale 3-2 on Adley Rutschman’s walk-off residence run. They then returned residence to drop two of three to the Tampa Bay Rays and proceeded to go 8-5 over a 13-game comfortable spot within the schedule they actually wanted extra from.
A return engagement with the wild-card main Orioles starting Monday at Rogers Centre provided up a litmus take a look at of the place the Blue Jays are at heading into a tough June wherein the Oakland Athletics are the one sub-.500 opponent on faucet.
The primary of 4 didn’t go nicely, with Kevin Gausman touched up for 3 homers, two by Austin Hays, and 6 runs over 6.1 innings in a 7-2 loss. A run-scoring triple by Daulton Varsho and solo shot by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — his first since Might 23 — accounted for Toronto’s harm towards Grayson Rodriguez, who was pressured however by no means actually threatened.
The Blue Jays, now 28-31, must channel the vitality that they had in Baltimore and quick, as Tuesday they face Corbin Burnes within the first recreation that the injured Alek Manoah’s spot comes up. Whereas supervisor John Schneider mentioned the Blue Jays are TBD for a starter, Bowden Francis is predicted to be activated from the injured listing and be a part of the equation.
The problem for the pitchers Tuesday is greatest underlined by this disparity — heading into Monday’s contest, the Blue Jays had 41 homers of their total batting order, whereas the Orioles had 44 from their high 4 alone.
Gausman and relievers Brendon Little and Ryan Burr did a pleasant job of protecting that group at bay, however the remainder of the Orioles lineup received their knocks in. Anthony Santander’s two-run homer within the second, on an 0-2 fastball above the zone, opened the scoring. Colton Corser’s RBI double made it 3-1 within the third and Hays adopted along with his first homer of the season to increase the benefit.
Guerrero’s sixth of the season got here within the backside of the inning and introduced some life to the group of 23,842, however Hays drilled his second of the sport within the seventh and defensive substitute Ramon Urias added one other within the ninth.
It was a pointy distinction to the video games in Baltimore, the place Schneider mentioned, “We performed rather well. We performed good defence. We pitched rather well. That’s what you must do towards this staff as a result of they’ll rating and so they’ve received some actually gifted gamers.”
Monday’s opener was a reminder of what occurs when all that doesn’t line up.
