GT: Royals @ Jays / Sept 8-10

[SharoneWright]

Romano looks like hes lost his edge. Not sure if hes tired or if that back injury is still affecting him.

Cue the Cimber comeback!

[JN]

Before tonight, Romano has allowed 7 baserunners in 7.2 innings since he came back from injury with 1 Earned Run.
(after tonight its 10 runners in 9 innings, and 2 earned runs)... I guess its a bit concerning that most of that damage is his last 2 outings, but I think he has overall been fince since his return.

[Boogie!]

Honestly with the way hicks been pitching recently I feel like I trust him more as a closer.

Hicks has been more iffy from my perspective than Romano since Romano came back (before tonight) -- maybe I missed some games.

Hicks 100 mph 2 seamers are pretty unhittable. His only issue is command and his command has been good since he's been a jay. Romano has a tendency to be a bit wild as well and he's far from being unhittable. His fastball is flat and when he's not touching 98-99 can get barreled and he has a propensity to hang sliders.

Nothing is gonna change but that's just my 2 cents. Romano just always seems shaky to me.

[Raider917]

6-3 A's

[v1n5anity]

Have faith guys.

Why? How could anybody who watches this team have faith?

Told you so.

[JN]

Romano looks like hes lost his edge. Not sure if hes tired or if that back injury is still affecting him.

Cue the Cimber comeback!

Remember when we started the year with Cimber, Bass and Pop, often in key situations.
Yikes.

[Raider917]

Rangers can go to 4-16 in last 20 games tonight

[Boogie!]

Before tonight, Romano has allowed 7 baserunners in 7.2 innings since he came back from injury with 1 Earned Run.
(after tonight its 10 runners in 9 innings, and 2 earned runs)... I guess its a bit concerning that most of that damage is his last 2 outings, but I think he has overall been fince since his return.

Not ideal. Again you can get away with this In the regular season against scrubby teams but against powerhouses in the playoffs putting guys on base in the 9th is dangerous. One hanging slider and its all over.

[Boogie!]

Romano looks like hes lost his edge. Not sure if hes tired or if that back injury is still affecting him.

Cue the Cimber comeback!

Remember when we started the year with Cimber, Bass and Pop, often in key situations.
Yikes.

To be fair cimber and bass were great last year. But yeah I'd rather have a flame thrower like hicks instead of having to use cimber.

[JN]

Honestly with the way hicks been pitching recently I feel like I trust him more as a closer.

Hicks has been more iffy from my perspective than Romano since Romano came back (before tonight) -- maybe I missed some games.

Hicks 100 mph 2 seamers are pretty unhittable. His only issue is command and his command has been good since he's been a jay. Romano has a tendency to be a bit wild as well and he's far from being unhittable. His fastball is flat and when he's not touching 98-99 can get barreled and he has a propensity to hang sliders.

Nothing is gonna change but that's just my 2 cents. Romano just always seems shaky to me.

He's certainly got good stuff - but the end results are about the same as Romano while he has been here... a bit less because of the 2Hr's which is probably an anamoly.

I'm fine with both pitching in high leverage. Obviously would like an automatic closer like Bautista, but there is not many like that in the majors.

[JN]

Cue the Cimber comeback!

Remember when we started the year with Cimber, Bass and Pop, often in key situations.
Yikes.

To be fair cimber and bass were great last year. But yeah I'd rather have a flame thrower like hicks instead of having to use cimber.

I was fine with them to start the year. But the issue was more how bad they were this year, and how its nice that we have found more then suitable replacements.

[JN]

Comparing Romano to closers on other playoff contenders (looking at ERA, WHIP, FIP as key metrics)
Its not a Strength, but its also not a weakness either.

Clearly Better - Baltimore, Tampa, Milwaukee, Dodgers
Similar - Toronto, Minnesota, Houston, Atlanta, Cubs, Reds
Worse - Texas, Philly, Seattle, Miami, Arizona

[JN]

Looks like all 3 AL West teams will lose.
On Tuesday August 29 after losing to Washington, and starting the "crap" part of our schedule 2-3, the Jays fell 3.5 games out of the playoffs

Last 8 Games since then, or 9 for Seattle.
Toronto 6-2
Houston 4-4 (1.5 GB)
Seattle 4-5 (1.0 GB)
Texas 1-7 (1.5 Ahead)

That 6-2 (or 7-3 since the Cleveland Series) can probably be described as "messy", "uninspiring" or much more difficult than it should have been given the low level of competition. That being said I think 8-2 would have been a good result in those games, so despite making it look more painful than it should be at 7-3 we are maybe only 1 game off what would have been a good run.

We have been helped far more by the West teams stumbling than expected -- that has been more instrumental in this creep back into the standings.

[Parataxis]

That 6-2 (or 7-3 since the Cleveland Series) can probably be described as "messy", "uninspiring" or much more difficult than it should have been given the low level of competition. That being said I think 8-2 would have been a good result in those games, so despite making it look more painful than it should be at 7-3 we are maybe only 1 game off what would have been a good run.

Yeah, that's what it comes down to, honestly. The Jays have been getting it done, but my god, they've been doing it in such a painful fashion.

We always feel like we're hanging on by a thread.

[Randle McMurphy]

That 6-2 (or 7-3 since the Cleveland Series) can probably be described as "messy", "uninspiring" or much more difficult than it should have been given the low level of competition. That being said I think 8-2 would have been a good result in those games, so despite making it look more painful than it should be at 7-3 we are maybe only 1 game off what would have been a good run.

Yeah, that's what it comes down to, honestly. The Jays have been getting it done, but my god, they've been doing it in such a painful fashion.

We always feel like we're hanging on by a thread.

The key will be what happens when they actually start playing good teams again (which, despite what the Rangers are doing right now, is in 2 days). If the Jays continue to play like they have been the past few weeks against the Rangers, Red Sox, Rays, and even the Yankees, they won't be winning too many games down the stretch.

The level has to improve at some point.

[Mehar]

Looks like all 3 AL West teams will lose.
On Tuesday August 29 after losing to Washington, and starting the "crap" part of our schedule 2-3, the Jays fell 3.5 games out of the playoffs

Last 8 Games since then, or 9 for Seattle.
Toronto 6-2
Houston 4-4 (1.5 GB)
Seattle 4-5 (1.0 GB)
Texas 1-7 (1.5 Ahead)

That 6-2 (or 7-3 since the Cleveland Series) can probably be described as "messy", "uninspiring" or much more difficult than it should have been given the low level of competition. That being said I think 8-2 would have been a good result in those games, so despite making it look more painful than it should be at 7-3 we are maybe only 1 game off what would have been a good run.

We have been helped far more by the West teams stumbling than expected -- that has been more instrumental in this creep back into the standings.

I cannot recall a team that was leading its division for most part of the year, implode in the second half of August and the first week of September like Texas has. Have lost last 16 of 20 games. Bullpen reminds me of the 2021 Jays garbage bullpen. The major reason why the Jays are in the final WC spot, is based on how awful Texas has been. Makes the upcoming 4 Game Series so critical, since the Jays had trouble barely hanging on against terrible teams like Kansas City tonight, Colorado, and Washington. Texas is a still much better team than the competition the Jays have faced these past two weeks.

[Potential]

Finally Vladdy. Please keep that up

[Randle McMurphy]

Finally Vladdy. Please keep that up

You missed the worst AB in franchise history that he had earlier in the game.

[Seasontickets]

Finally Vladdy. Please keep that up

You missed the worst AB in franchise history that he had earlier in the game.

I'm still not loving the way he's contacting the ball. It looks like hes' cutting the ball instead of getting directly behind the pitch and driving it. He gets almost fully extended AT contact instead of extending through the ball. I'm glad we got a hit but Varsho, or a better LF may have caught that ball in the gap. The backspin on those hits also cause them to stay in the air a little longer (and thus become catchable).

[Parataxis]

Finally Vladdy. Please keep that up

It was nice seeing him run, rather than just watch the ball.