Grimly Coasting (Series Preview: Toronto Blue Jays (66-60) vs. Detroit Tigers (61-67))
At this point, every series that the Jays do not win goes a way towards shutting the door on their 2021 playoff hopes. With that said, it’s hard to not feel satisfies with the four-game split against the Chicago White Sox, even if that satisfaction is mixed in with a non-negligible amount of complacency and resignation on my part. Still, wins against the White Sox on days when Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito were the opposing starters are nothing to scoff at.
The White Sox are one of the best teams in the American League, and the Jays played some good baseball against them. In some facets, at least. The offence was still mostly comatose until late Wednesday when a key base hit off the bat of Alejandro Kirk gave them a key go-ahead single in the bottom of the eighth. Thursday saw the Jays’ offence put together seven runs on Thursday (Marcus Semien’s pair of dingers being a big reason for that), though the White Sox jumping on Hyun Jin Ryu and Brad Hand proved to be an insurmountable barrier. And the Jays got good starts from Alek Manoah and my father, Robert Glenn Ray, which at this point is becoming routine.
At this point though, the Jays are no longer the sole masters of their own destiny. They’ve fallen back behind the Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics and somehow the Seattle Goddamn Mariners, to say nothing of the New York Yankees, who have simply decided to never lose again. The Jays going on a run may not even be enough to save their playoff hopes, but going on a run is necessary if they want to have a good chance at all. Chances to do so are getting sparser by the day but now begins a chance to make up some ground with a brief three-game sojourn in Detroit against the dreaded Tigers, and a three-game series back in Toronto against the Baltimore Orioles before beginning crucial series against the A’s and Yankees. The Tigers aren’t inherent pushovers, as last weekend taught us, kind of, but it would still behove the Jays to promptly stomp the shit out of them. If I were them, I would simply do that.
Before we get into the upcoming four-game series against the Chicago White Sox assuming I don’t hurl myself off a cliff first, humour me as I plead for engagement. If you like what Jayslam is doing, please consider sharing this post with a pal who may be interested! Or an enemy! I’m happy with either.
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TODAY IN “TRANSACTIONS THAT GIVE ME MIXED FEELINGS”
Mallex Smith in shambles right now.
Speed off the bench is rarely a bad thing, but knowing the role that Jarrod Dyson played in the ALCS that never happened, I’m left wondering why the fuck the Toronto Blue Jays would personally attack me like this.
BEST BIRDS
Hitter: Marcus Semien (6) 17 plate appearances, .250/.294/.688, 11 total bases, 3 Weighted Runs Created, -0.03 Win Probability Added, 0.19 WPA/LI
In the immortal words of hot sauce mogul Dexter Holland:
Shut up. You talk too much. Oh-oh. Pay the man.
Honourable Mentions: Alejandro Kirk, Reese McGuire
Pitcher: Robbie Ray (12) 7 innings, 28 batters faced, 5 hits, 0 earned runs, 14 strikeouts, 1 walk, 0.03 FIP, 0.34 Win Probability Added, 0.28 WPA/LI
Pay the man. Pay the man. Pay the man. Pay the man. Pay the man. Pay the man. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN. PAY THE MAN.PAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMANPAYTHEMAN
Honourable Mentions: Tim Mayza, Jordan Romano
BEST BIRD STANDINGS
Hitters:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.- 11
George Springer- 7
Marcus Semien- 6
Bo Bichette- 6
Teoscar Hernández- 3
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.- 2
Joe Panik- 2 (now on the Miami Marlins)
Randal Grichuk- 2
Santiago Espinal- 1
Cavan Biggio- 1 (10-day IL)
Pitchers:
Robbie Ray- 12
Hyun Jin Ryu- 8
Alek Manoah- 6
Ross Stripling- 4 (10-day IL)
Steven Matz- 4
Julian Merryweather- 2 (60-day IL)
Trevor Richards- 1
Anthony Kay- 1 (Triple-A)
Anthony Castro- 1 (10-day IL)
Ryan Borucki- 1 (Triple-A)
SCHEDULE/PROBABLE PITCHERS
Friday, August 27 (7 p.m. EST/5 p.m. MST): Steven Matz vs. Matt Manning
Saturday, August 28 (6 p.m. EST/4 p.m. MST): Alek Manoah vs. Tyler Alexander
Sunday, August 29 (1 p.m. EST/11 a.m. MST): José Berríos vs. Matthew Boyd
THE OPPOSITION
Pythagorean Record: 58-70
Run differential: -61 (556 runs scored, 617 runs allowed)
Season Series vs. Blue Jays: 2-1
Record since the last series vs. Blue Jays: 1-1
Last 10 games: 4-6
Please get more than four hits in seven innings off of Tyler Alexander this time around.
Best Players:
Casey Mize, Starting Pitcher, 3.55 ERA/4.40 xFIP, 19.0 K%, 7.2 BB%
Jeimer Candelario, Third Base, .273/.352/.427, 115 wRC+
Robbie Grossman, Left Field/Right Field, .238/.359/.421, 116 wRC+
Gregory Soto, Relief Pitcher, 3.33 ERA/4.21 xFIP, 28.0 K%, 14.4 BB%
Tarik Skubal, Starting Pitcher, 4.01 ERA/4.06 xFIP, 26.5 K%, 7.7 BB%
Under-Performers:
Víctor Reyes, Right Field/Center Field, .219/.242/.358, 58 wRC+
Miguel Cabrera, Designated Hitter/First Base .251/.316/.395, 94 wRC+
Matt Manning, Starting Pitcher, 5.91 ERA/5.34 xFIP, 12.0 K%, 7.0 BB%