Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
3 Takeaways From Blue Jays Rubber Match Loss to Guardians
TORONTO— The Blue Jays got outplayed.
They were out-hit, out-pitched, and out-defended this weekend, as the Guardians outscored Toronto 16-4 over the three-game series. Dropping the rubber match on Sunday, the Jays have yet to win a series in August and have lost seven of their last 10 games.
Here are three takeaways from the Blue Jays' 7-2 loss to the Guardians on Sunday:
Playoff Preview?
There's still plenty of baseball to play, but the way the AL wild-card race is shaping up, Cleveland and Toronto could certainly meet in October's opening round. So, with aces on the mound and a rubber match to win, Sunday's game had the lingering vibe of a playoff preview.
Despite the marquee pitching matchup of Kevin Gausman vs. Shane Bieber, the game didn't start as the expected defensive duel. Amed Rosario launched a crowd-quieting homer in the top of the first, and the teams traded runs in the opening three half innings. With Gausman's pitch count mounting and Cleveland tacking on runs, Sunday's showcase didn't quite live up to October expectations.
"Obviously, you know, we're not playing our best baseball right now," Gausman said. But we've got the Orioles coming in for a new series and so you gotta be able to just turn the page and realize that you can't swell too much on it, especially this time of year."
Uncharacteristically Sloppy Defense
Though all five runs Gausman allowed were earned, Toronto's defense didn't do him many favors on Sunday. In the early innings, the Jays had a ball bounce over Raimel Tapia's head in the outfield, two high throws on stolen base attempts (including an error that gave Tyler Freeman a free base), and a pair of diving fly balls sneak just out of reach for Cavan Biggio in right.
Even when the Blue Jays defense didn't directly allow Guardians runs, few plays were easy. Whit Merrifield had a grounder up the middle bounce off his chest, Cleveland runners barely beat out a few infield singles, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Biggio had to crash into the outfield walls to snag flies in the sixth.
It's been a while since the Jays have had a string of fielding gaffes, though. Toronto entered Sunday ranked among the top six in MLB in team defensive runs saved, ultimate zone rating, and FanGraphs' defensive rating—three of the most trusted defensive metrics.
By OAA, Santiago Espinal, Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have all taken significant defensive strides this season, and DRS largely agrees. For a team that entered the season built around a rotation and strong offense, the defensive play has been an unexpected bonus.
Bullpen Shutout Streak Snapped
Though many of the innings came in losing efforts, Toronto's bullpen was nearly perfect during the Cleveland series. Before Trent Thornton allowed two runs in the ninth on Sunday, the Jays posted 13.1 scoreless innings from the 'pen this weekend.
Since the All-Star Break, the Blue Jays have the third-best bullpen ERA in baseball (2.57) in 70 innings pitched. In that time, Zach Pop, Anthony Bass, Jordan Romano, Trent Thornton, Yimi Garcia, and David Phelps all have ERAs of 3.0 or better.
"They've been really, really good for a while now," Schneider said after Saturday's game.
