Game 8 - Blue Jays @ Yankees April 5th Game Recap

Where is the Change Coming From?

To save my general frustration, I will take a different approach to this game and series against the Yankees. On separate occasions, I’ve asked the question, where is the change coming from? I’m going to spend the series against the Yankees looking for changes in the game flow from players or the lineup in general. Maybe if I spend the game looking for positives I will be in a better mood when we reach the end?

The Start of a Long Journey Back?

It was great to see runners on base in the first two innings. However, Vladdy missed a moment with Springer at second. Bo still looks out of sorts. Hits look easy for Bichette when he is on, but he seems like he couldn’t bloop himself into a single right now. Turner rips a liner right to the shortstop, and the best threat the Jays had in the early game was squashed. Standard “if not for bad luck, they’d have no luck at all” moment. I have no patience for the bad luck argument when the batters look as bad as they did this early in the season.

Third inning ends; three up, three down in the third inning, and we are 2024 business as usual for the Blue Jays lineup.

Hope Springs Eternal?

The Blue Jays manage to get runners on 2nd & 3rd after a Biggio Double. I should count three hits through 4 innings as a positive change, but I’m here to be in a good mood and not remind me how sad the offense is right now. Davis Schneider got robbed on a strike three call that was not a strike the previous half inning. The Biggio double includes an RBI, if the zone was consistent. Anyways, robo-umps, please. Kirk swings at a good pitch that moves out of the zone and pops out to end the best threat the Jays have shown so far. This is borderline pressing to me. In slow-mo, it looked like a good late-breaking pitch. Sometimes, the other team is just better. However, when presented with the opportunity, the Blue Jays have fallen short again.

Vladdy ends an inning with Springer on 1st by swinging at a pitch that never looked like a strike. I know he had two strikes in the count, but that is not the Vladdy we saw in Tampa Bay. I take this to be the first sign of pressing. The Kirk swing at a bad pitch, and the Vladdy swing to end innings are signs that bad offensive flow is still in this lineup.

Three up Three down in the 6thThee Yankees are not hitting either. I’m positive the cold weather is making a difference, but that doesn’t matter to me. The weather evens the playing field and the balls in play are not hitting the ground and the runners who do reach base are not being moved. Not to mention, the swing and miss is looking worse from the Jays’ batters as this game ages.

It Only Takes One

A RUN, A RUN, THE BLUE JAYS HAVE SCORED A RUN!!!

Ernie Clement hits a solo pinch-hit home run to take the lead in the 7th inning. There are a lot more bats on balls in this game than there have been. I feel like the Blue Jays were not even a threat to make the defense play defense. Even when they did get the ball in play; the ball was hit directly to a fielder. It’s a small difference but better contact from the lineup is something, and we are here for even the tiniest glimmers of hope.

Don’t let the two runs in the 9th inning deceive you, two wild pitches gifted the Jays two runs. NOW, it takes runners on third to cross the plate on a wild- pitch. However, the inning ended on a Vladdy strikeout and a Bo weak liner to second base. The Jays went 0-6 with runners in scoring position today. If they find a way to get the victory (the bottom of the 9th is about to start), there is some positive change but there are still gaping holes in this offense that need to be remedied if this team is going to be competitive in the AL East.

Can You Do a Pitcher a Solid?

Kikuchi went out there today for 5.1 innings and held the Yankees to 4 hits and retired Juan Soto all three times he faced him. What an effort to give the Blue Jays a chance to win this game. It’s a shame the lineup gave him zero support while he was the pitcher of record.

What’s really irritating about the offense is the quality of this pitching staff. They are not at full strength, and the bullpen today, after taking over from Kikuchi, has gone 2.2 innings, with 4 strikeouts and no hits given up. The 9th inning will feature Judge, Stanton, and Rizzo, so they will have to earn the victory today. I have been hard on the team this season, but the pitching has been good so far.

What a job the Blue Jays’ bullpen did. Kikuchi got the team through 5.1 innings without giving up a run, and the bullpen went the rest of the way, shutting out the Yankee lineup. I’m legit excited for the pitching staff (the complete thought has been shortened for staying positive reasons).

Season (4-4) Player of the Game: Kikuchi (1) and well deserved.

Season PotG: WINS: Biggio (1), Schneider (1), Turner (1) LOSSES: Springer (2), Varsho (1), Kiermaier (1)

The Rest of the East

Tampa Bay (3-5) - The Rays have played consistent but not scary baseball and the Rockies were 1-6 going into this game. When the Rays were up 2-1 thru 5 innings, that’s about what I expected. Then the roller coaster choose violence and then the 9th inning happened. The thumbnail is spoilerific but how often do you see walk-off Grand Slams. I think the Rays are good enough to get a coin flip opportunity in every game and the question is, how often do they win the coin flip. Their record and their level of danger to win so far this season really demonstrate how much their pitching means to them. The rays of 2024 will be an unfulfilled story until they have their A1 staff back on the field and even then, they are missing their Ace for the season. Been there, it sucks. I feel for these fans. Well….

Baltimore (5-2) - The Pirates tried to make this a game but Pittsburgh never looked like they were going to win. Where the Rays are a coin flip, the Orioles feel like they are rolling a weighted die and they get three or four rolls each game. That’s what happens when your roster is as strong as it is.

New York (6-2) - Amazing what happens when Soto & Volpe are held in check. As much as I rail on the Blue Jays' big hitters, the Yankee big hitters have been just as bad for just as long. Keeping Soto off the basepaths for one game happens here and there. If he keeps the offense rolling then the big hitters can have all the time they need. The Yankees have 6 wins, who am I to lessen that? However, at some point, if Judge, Rizzo and Stanton aren’t contributing, when do Yankee fans start to get worried?

Boston (6-2) - Keeping with the coin flip theme. I think the Red Sox this season are what happens when you keep winning the coin flips. The soft schedule doesn’t solidify any feelings I have about the team other than, well done, you scored just enough runs to beat a weak team. However, wins are wins are wins and they have enough to be tied for first in the division. Baseball is weird.