Anaheim vs. Dunedin (April 8-11)

[SharoneWright]

If the men making millions of dollars playing professional baseball have their feelings hurt by not technically starting a game to the point where they start giving up lots of runs, they can go right ahead and **** off.

Kind of crusty here, F4L. You back the Phelps as opener/Zeuck strategy?

Could have worked, I guess, if not for the Bichette error....

I don't back Zeuch throwing 30 balls out of 75 pitches.

Thought it was feelings tho. Of which you are a strong advocate.

His strike/ball ratio is revisionist. Did you oppose him pitching tonight in advance? Maybe he throws more strikes starting inning 1? Who knows tho, it's up to Charlie to figure that out.... I guess I just don't like "the opener".

[Randle McMurphy]

Bichette is aware that you can throw the ball to 3rd for a force out, right?

[Fairview4Life]

Kind of crusty here, F4L. You back the Phelps as opener/Zeuck strategy?

Could have worked, I guess, if not for the Bichette error....

I don't back Zeuch throwing 30 balls out of 75 pitches.

Thought it was feelings tho. Of which you are a strong advocate.

His strike/ball ratio is revisionist. Did you oppose him pitching tonight in advance? Maybe he throws more strikes starting inning 1? Who knows tho, it's up to Charlie to figure that out.... I guess I just don't like "the opener".

I'm fine with an opener. There is no difference starting a game in the second inning vs. the first. I have no idea how you think it could hurt a professional baseball player's feelings enough to cause him to pitch worse.

[Randle McMurphy]

Have no problem with the opener. Anything that results in TJ Zeuch facing Mike Trout less seems like a good idea to me.

[SharoneWright]

I don't back Zeuch throwing 30 balls out of 75 pitches.

Thought it was feelings tho. Of which you are a strong advocate.

His strike/ball ratio is revisionist. Did you oppose him pitching tonight in advance? Maybe he throws more strikes starting inning 1? Who knows tho, it's up to Charlie to figure that out.... I guess I just don't like "the opener".

I'm fine with an opener. There is no difference starting a game in the second inning vs. the first. I have no idea how you think it could hurt a professional baseball player's feelings enough to cause him to pitch worse.

I never used the word feelings. You did. But as a competitive SP, I'd hate to be told I'm not trusted to face the top of the order. That's just me. Some guys might like fighting from the rear ranks. Not sure what your opinion of Zeuck is. Maybe he wants a promotion. Maybe the Jays could even use a Captain or Corporal, rather than squelching the potential of the enlisted man.

[johanliebert]

The sabrametricians upstairs tried their best to protect zeuch lol.

What does it do for a pitchers confidence when a game plan like this is used? The nerds are just micromanaging games

Dam straight. He was fantastic game 1. And we knock him down a peg in game 2???? Now Bo feels crap, TJ feels crap, Grichuk sits, Jansen's been pinch hit for like about 10,00 times,,, everyone is being 2nd guessed,, and some guys for no fault of their own. We have a good team. Just play it straight Charlie.

I believe all of these calls come from upstairs these aren’t Charlie’s decisions

[spykelee]

3 hits and nothing of substance. Sigh. What an awful showing, Heaney isn't some world beating SP

[Hottie McShotty]

3 hits and nothing of substance. Sigh. What an awful showing, Heaney isn't some world beating SP

We're making everyone look like a Cy Young candidate this season. This team looks lost and terrible so far. Let's hope things turn around soon. Don't want to fall too far behind this early in the season. Good thing is that every other team in our division is off to a slow start as well.

[johanliebert]

So ya’ll would rather a reliever face trout....lol ok. Micromanaging at its finest.

[I_Like_Dirt]

3 hits and nothing of substance. Sigh. What an awful showing, Heaney isn't some world beating SP

It's funny watching the complaints about the pitching and defense. Not like they aren't valid complaints to a point but the Jays aren't facing tough pitchers most of the time. Surely they can offer some run support to pitchers besides Roark and Stripling at some point. Kirk isn't looking better than Jansen anymore.

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[vaff87]

This umpire has really made some bad calls the last few innings.

[spykelee]

3 hits and nothing of substance. Sigh. What an awful showing, Heaney isn't some world beating SP

It's funny watching the complaints about the pitching and defense. Not like they aren't valid complaints to a point but the Jays aren't facing tough pitchers most of the time. Surely they can offer some run support to pitchers besides Roark and Stripling at some point. Kirk isn't looking better than Jansen anymore.

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The offense will come around but even then what does that mean? Baseballl is basically entirely homeruns and strikeouts and double plays nowadays. Us and our double digit strikeout games are hardly an anomaly. This is what you get in the world of dominant 1 inning pitchers and shifts. But hitting is contagious as we know. Kirk drinking from the same water bottle as Rowdy and Biggio and Jansen. Up and down the lineup we just aren't seeing great at bats by almost everyone, Vladdy and Grichuk being notable exceptions early on. Hopefully Springer can springboard us and light a fire whenever he gets into a game.

[LLJ]

Ugh. Some ugly stuff the last few games. Maybe I should wait until this team gets into a groove before I tune in again

[Randle McMurphy]

Ugh. Some ugly stuff the last few games. Maybe I should wait until this team gets into a groove before I tune in again

Just watch for Vlad. He looks like one of the best hitters in the league right now, which is an intriguing development given his prospect pedigree.

[JaysRule25]

If I was Shapkins, I'd try to start discussions with Vlad's agent right now about an extension. Feels like Vlad's finally on the path to stardom. Then again, I'm sure his agent knows that too lol.

[polo007]

Short-handed, slumping Blue Jays fall to Angels as roster hits keep coming - Sportsnet.ca

It was already an unfortunate Friday for the Toronto Blue Jays, as news came down that Tyler Chatwood was headed to the 10-day injured list with right triceps inflammation, while Teoscar Hernandez and Ryan Borucki were being placed on the COVID-19 related injured list. Then the game began.

Just two innings in, the Blue Jays were already down four — on their way to a 7-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels — when they had to make an injury replacement, as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. exited the game with what the club described as “COVID-19 vaccine-related symptoms” after he became nauseous between innings and vomited in a dugout washroom.

For a team already trying to get by without its best player George Springer (oblique and quad strains), it’s presumptive closer Kirby Yates (Tommy John surgery), its top prospect Nate Pearson (adductor strain), one of its top starters Robbie Ray (elbow contusion), plus depth rotation options Thomas Hatch (elbow impingement) and Patrick Murphy (shoulder sprain), it was not a good day.

“I mean, I wasn’t expecting this,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said before the game when asked if he’d anticipated so much early-season adversity and roster maneuvering. “But that’s just part of 2021. A lot of teams are going through things like this right now.”

That’s true — this is pandemic baseball. And ramping-back-up-to-162-after-playing-only-60 baseball, too. Stuff’s going to happen. But an awful lot of stuff’s happening for the Blue Jays. And the fact it’s all happening as the club gets used to its temporary, minor-league home ballpark in a sleepy waterfront town of 35,000 — imagine if a pro sports franchise set up shop in Orillia, Ont. — while playing 16 games in 16 days, battling through a nearly team-wide offensive funk and attempting not to over-work its already razor-thin pitching depth, falls somewhere considerably south of ideal.

[ratul]

and...8 games in and already come the excuses. Anytime you can rehire a disastrous executive team who never wins so they can lose more, you have to do it right?

[Schad]

and...8 games in and already come the excuses. Anytime you can rehire a disastrous executive team who never wins so they can lose more, you have to do it right?

I don't know if being a completely worthless poster is a reason to suspend someone, but it's the reason I've suspended you.

[dagger]

Bo looks like he's wound up a little too tight right now, both in the field and at the plate. Maybe smoke a joint.

[VanWest82]

If the plan is to bring up Martin and/or Groshans next year, I wonder how long Jays continue with Bichette @ SS. It'd be tempting to slide Semien over if this continues even if it's just to give Bo some days off in the field. Really hope he figures it out soon. He just hasn't looked right since the knee last summer regardless of how minor it was.