Blue Jays let another winnable game slip away, drop series to Astros - Sportsnet.ca
The Toronto Blue Jays lost their series against the Houston Astros, with a critical error in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game contributing to a 3-1 defeat. The loss marked the second consecutive close game the Blue Jays dropped late in the series, bringing their season record to 39-41.
On Wednesday, a pickoff attempt by pitcher Jeff Hoffman went past third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, allowing Joey Loperfido to score for the Astros. This play occurred in the top of the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Blue Jays manager John Schneider attributed the incident to a miscommunication between Hoffman and Okamoto, who was not expecting the throw from Hoffman to his side.
Schneider noted that Okamoto might have expected the throw from catcher Alejandro Kirk, which could have contributed to the miscommunication. The manager also acknowledged that holding runners has been a known weakness for Hoffman this season, a point the team has recognized multiple times.
The Blue Jays managed only one run on four hits against Astros starter Mike Burrows and the Houston bullpen. This single run came from a solo home run by Nathan Lukes in the bottom of the first inning. Despite Burrows having a high earned run average among qualified big-league starters entering Wednesday’s game, the Blue Jays’ offence struggled to generate more.
George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both had hitless nights. The Blue Jays had an opportunity to tie the game late, but Luis Urias was doubled off second base on a fly ball hit by Springer, ending the threat. Schneider expressed a desire for the team to generate more offence and grind more in the middle innings.
Starting pitcher Trey Yesavage, making his first career appearance against the Astros, completed 5.2 innings, allowing one run. However, he struggled with command, issuing five walks. This marked the third time Yesavage has walked five or more batters in his last five starts, a trend the team aims to address. Yesavage threw a career-high 105 pitches before being relieved by Tommy Nance with two outs in the sixth inning.
Yesavage generated 13 swinging strikes and recorded five strikeouts, primarily utilizing his slider. Despite the positives in his pitch arsenal, the walks led to an elevated pitch count and prevented him from pitching deeper into the game. Yesavage commented that the two-out walks were particularly detrimental.
Previous Game in the Series
The Blue Jays also faced a late-game defeat on Tuesday against the Astros. In that game, Joey Loperfido hit a tiebreaking home run in the 11th inning off former Toronto teammate Braydon Fisher, securing a 9-7 victory for the Astros. This was Loperfido’s first home run of the season.
The Astros’ offensive surge on Tuesday included three consecutive home runs in the fourth inning by Yainer Diaz, Cam Smith, and Taylor Trammell, all off Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber. This marked the first time the Astros hit three consecutive homers since 2019.
Bieber, activated off the injured list before the game due to elbow inflammation, made his first start of the season. He allowed four runs and nine hits, including the three home runs, in 3 2/3 innings. Okamoto contributed to the Blue Jays’ offence on Tuesday, going 3 for 4 with two walks and driving in three runs, including an RBI single in the ninth inning that briefly put Toronto ahead 6-4.
Daulton Varsho and Luis Urias also hit two-run home runs for the Blue Jays on Tuesday, but these efforts were not enough as the team left 13 runners stranded. The Astros tied the game in the top of the ninth against Blue Jays pitcher Tyler Rogers, who recorded his third blown save. Loperfido drove in a run after a catcher’s interference call with the bases loaded, followed by a sacrifice fly from Cam Smith.
Looking Ahead
Manager Schneider emphasized the need for the team to learn from these games and tighten up in all phases. The Blue Jays’ quest to climb above the .500 mark continues as they prepare to host the Texas Rangers for a four-game series.
The Rangers, with a record of 38-42, are scheduled to visit Toronto next.
Source: sportsnet.ca
