Game 23 - Blue Jays @ Royals April 22nd Game Recap

Yusei is Quality & Run Bo Run

The Royals have given up the fewest runs in baseball this year and the Blue Jays are about as average an offense in baseball. I favor the Royals at home in that scenario. Baseball being baseball, Bo Bichette hits a 3-run triple and Varsho hits another home run. Across baseball right now the run production seems to be down. Every blurb and write up about the AL East feels like I’m writing about offensive issues and slow starts. It has gotten to the point where the radio broadcasts of the non-AL East games I follow are talking about run production being down. I still look for the teams to get 12 base runners and or 5 runs.

Today, the Blue Jays managed the five runs while Kikuchi had a quality start and the bullpen only gave up one run with 2 outs in the ninth and the game well in hand. I mean, you never want to give the other team a chance but I felt pretty good about the outcome even as the flyball hit the foul pole. Another great start to a series. With Gausman, Rodriguez and Berrios going in the other three games this series, it’s important they win two of the remaining three with the Dodgers coming to Toronto in the next series.

The early season funk around this team is fading away fast and is being replaced with the confidence that we will see a competitive effort on a game -to-game basis. That is all we can ask for at this point of the season. Considering how well the pitchers have performed, an average competitive offense makes for a more confident fanbase. The other thought I’ve had recently is the list below. I’ve been wondering when we would see Bo and Vlad start to take over this list. Seeing all the different names on this PotG list is an indication of team depth. Call it cope, I call it a depth pattern becoming the norm.

Season (13-10) Player of the Game: Yusei Kikuchi (2)

Season PotG: WINS: Varsho (2), Berrios (2), Bassitt (2), Biggio (1), Schneider (1), Turner (1), Kikuchi (1), Guerrero (1), Kiermaier (1) LOSSES: Varsho (4), Springer (2), Kiermaier (1), Schneider (1), Bichette (1), Garcia (1)

Their series record in the young season is 4-2-1.

The Rest of the East

Tampa Bay (12-12) - I think we saw what happens when the pitching has an off day and the bats are what they have been. The Tigers scored too many runs for the offense to viably catch up and this game was over before the Rays were able to get their first and only run of the contest.

Baltimore (14-7) - Based on how many base runners the Angels had in this game, they played better than the Orioles. However, the Orioles converted half of their base runners into runs. This is a prime example of beating a team you should beat when you’re not playing your best ball. This is why the Orioles are so good.

New York (15-7) - JP Sears had a good game but the Yankees have an offense problem. Three hits and two walks is not going to get the job done and this was the A’s they were playing, at home. The Orioles have their own freebie against the Angels and the Blue Jays have to play the Royals in Kansas City. Keep pace with the main rivals and make room with the little brothers, but that is not what happened today. You might call it a one off, but the Yankees never looked dangerous in this game.

Boston (13-10) - Did not play

Thanks for reading.