Toronto Blue Jays (58-46) @ Minnesota Twins (55-49) - August 4-7

[Randle McMurphy]

I'm assuming Springer can't even build up the strength to play baseball at all two days in a row if he's not hitting for Tapia there. Not sure why he's still on the active roster at this point.

Regardless Kirk should be pinch hitting for Tapia, not Espinal. The constant disrespect on Espinal by these Jays managers. He was an all star ffs

Espinal has been hitting terribly for months now. Worse than Tapia and I hate giving Tapia compliments.

[Mehar]

This play right here is the argument for Tapia not playing regularly in the OF. That ball needed to be caught. Terrible play from Tapia.

[SharoneWright]

Tapia can’t even play left field competently. That’s not an adequate effort or whatever the heck that was.

[Randle McMurphy]

Tapia is an atrocious defensive OF.

Can't hit, can't field, doesn't run much...

Watch on YouTube

Shouldn't be getting much playing time at all now that Merrifield is here tbh

But that probably presumes Springer can actually play baseball more than one time a week.

[Asianiac_24]

I'm assuming Springer can't even build up the strength to play baseball at all two days in a row if he's not hitting for Tapia there. Not sure why he's still on the active roster at this point.

Regardless Kirk should be pinch hitting for Tapia, not Espinal. The constant disrespect on Espinal by these Jays managers. He was an all star ffs

Espinal has been hitting terribly for months now. Worse than Tapia and I hate giving Tapia compliments.

I still prefer to have Espinal hit, especially since he just hit a home run last at bat.

[SharoneWright]

I predict if we get a man on 1st base with 2 outs, in the 9th-inning, we try to steal.

We don’t hope for 3 straight hits against Duran’s 103 mph fastball. Or even Lopez.

[Schad]

Who’s throwing more balls than strikes. 4mph means nothing in a steal.

It's also harder to steal on a ball, for what it's worth. Worst pitch to run on is a hard fastball outside to a RHH, which Duran throws plenty of.

OK. You were banking on a ball. Outside.

I don’t think that’s how you manage.

Who cares about the jump, the wind up, the catcher, the situation…

Anyway it was a ball in the dirt – – – – outside!

It's just pretty risky when failure means that you take the bat out of Vlad Guerrero's hands, when he's the go-ahead run.

[SharoneWright]

It's also harder to steal on a ball, for what it's worth. Worst pitch to run on is a hard fastball outside to a RHH, which Duran throws plenty of.

OK. You were banking on a ball. Outside.

I don’t think that’s how you manage.

Who cares about the jump, the wind up, the catcher, the situation…

Anyway it was a ball in the dirt – – – – outside!

It's just pretty risky when failure means that you take the bat out of Vlad Guerrero's hands, when he's the go-ahead run.

OK. I feel you.

For me personally, I never count on a home run.

[Randle McMurphy]

Vlad hitting a HR in that AB last inning was almost certainly our best chance of winning this game the way he's hitting right now. Had no real issue with not risking it.

[Randle McMurphy]

Now if Bichette wants to steal here, go right ahead.

[SharoneWright]

Vlad hitting a HR in that AB last inning was almost certainly our best chance of winning this game the way he's hitting right now. Had no real issue with not risking it.

He’s hit like 22 home runs all year in how many at bats…. Five times as many hits…

You NEED a tie! Our odds are way down the way it stands. Worst case scenario his potential “home run“ sends us to extra innings in the 9th. The runner to tie the game is what matters the most at that stage. You can literally forget about the next run until we get that first guy home.

[wazabifuzz]

This bullpen is just throwing gas

[Randle McMurphy]

Vlad hitting a HR in that AB last inning was almost certainly our best chance of winning this game the way he's hitting right now. Had no real issue with not risking it.

He’s hit like 22 home runs all year in how many at bats…. Five times as many hits…

You NEED a tie! Our odds are way down the way it stands. Worst case scenario his potential “home run“ send us the extra innings in the 9th. The runner to tie the game is what matters the most at that stage. You can literally forget about the next run until we get that first guy home.

We don't need a tie on the road, we need a lead. This Twins bullpen is nasty at the end of these games now.

[SharoneWright]

Vlad hitting a HR in that AB last inning was almost certainly our best chance of winning this game the way he's hitting right now. Had no real issue with not risking it.

He’s hit like 22 home runs all year in how many at bats…. Five times as many hits…

You NEED a tie! Our odds are way down the way it stands. Worst case scenario his potential “home run“ send us the extra innings in the 9th. The runner to tie the game is what matters the most at that stage. You can literally forget about the next run until we get that first guy home.

We don't need a tie on the road, we need a lead.

bah! Road/home,,, we need to stay in the game/ play a ‘smaller ball” as the outs are dwindling.

[Lateral Quicks]

Yeah, Springer belongs on the DL if he can't pinch hit in this situation.

[Randle McMurphy]

If Springer is alive, this would be a good time to hit here.

[Corinne]

Tapia in the clutch. Here we go.

[Raps in 4]

Time for some classic Tapia heroics.

[SharoneWright]

I hate that Tapia hits everything on the ground, but at least he does make contact. Let’s go

[Randle McMurphy]

I predict a strikeout because Lopez is nasty and Tapia is terrible.