The Toronto Blue Jays problems were on full display last night
Photo credit: Yahoo Sports
The Blue Jays felt the sting of defeat on Sunday afternoon as the visiting Seattle Mariners hammered starter Easton Lucas, while Toronto's offense struggled, resulting in an 8-3 loss at home.
Overall, the Blue Jays remain in a fairly solid position given the strength of their opponents this season, but this loss does highlight some concerns about their pitching rotation and offensive performance.
Here's what Blue Jays' manager John Schneider said following his team's loss on Sunday.
«You're missing the big hit. That's what the missing piece was this series.»
Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet writes that Easton Lucas struggled on the mound, giving up a home run, a double, and another homer to the first three batters he faced. He left pitches right over the middle of the plate, and Dylan Moore, Julio Rodriguez, and Cal Raleigh capitalized with powerful hits that quickly put three runs on the board.
"By the time Lucas left the game, he'd allowed two walks and seven hits on his way to six earned runs and his worst start as a Blue Jay. While his stuff can work when it's located perfectly, Lucas doesn't overpower hitters, so he can't afford to miss middle-middle the way he did Sunday." -Nicholson-Smith
Lucas knows he has to be better and was clearly frustrated with his performance on Sunday.
«Just awful. I wasn't executing pitches. I wasn't throwing strikes. I was kind of just bad all around. Every time I just managed to screw it up." -Lucas
Nicholson-Smith also writes that Blue Jays' reliever Paxton Schultz was the main reason the game didn't get further out of hand. Added to the team's 40-man roster just a few hours before first pitch, the right-handed reliever made an immediate impact with a clutch, scoreless outing, striking out eight and giving up just two hits.
"How the Blue Jays proceed with their fifth rotation spot isn't completely clear, but as of now the Blue Jays plan to continue rolling with Lucas as their fifth starter with his next appearance tentatively slated for next weekend against the Yankees." -Nicholson-Smith
At the same time, the Blue Jays need to figure out how to generate more power at the plate. While they're doing some things right offensively, like collecting 11 hits on Sunday, including two each from Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., they failed to hit a home run in the series finale. With just 12 homers in 22 games, they currently sit 29th out of 30 MLB teams in that category.
The Blue Jays will need to generate more contact at the plate if they want to stay top of the American League East throughout the season.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 22 | 2167 ANSWERS The Toronto Blue Jays problems were on full display last night Are you worried about the Blue Jays' rotation and lack of homers so far this season? | ||
| yes | 1935 | 89.3 % |
| no | 232 | 10.7 % |
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