Blue Jays Pair Cross Career Milestones During Awful Weekend Against Rangers

The Blue Jays need these two to succeed this season

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Both Shane Bieber and Alejandro Kirk surpassed personal achievements over the Toronto Blue Jays' otherwise disastrous weekend against the Texas Rangers.

The Blue Jays were swept in the four-game set against the Rangers, and have now lost six consecutive games. Despite the loss on Sunday in the series finale, Bieber pitched well in his second outing of the season.

He allowed just two runs on five hits, walked four, and struck out four. His strikeout of Josh Jung in the fifth inning on a fastball on the outside corner that was certainly out of the zone but not challenged and it was Bieber's 1,000th career strikeout.

While most of them were in Cleveland before his time in Toronto, Bieber has pitched well during his short time in a Blue Jays uniform and now gets to celebrate a fantastic milestone. He became the 581st pitcher to cross the milestone.

Bieber likely thought this milestone would be hit multiple years ago, but injuries have severely derailed his career of late. He's pitched in just 11 games and 59.1 innings over the last three seasons. Even though he's been injured consistently, he's still been an elite strikeout pitcher. He's amassed a 10.1 K/9 through his career, which peaked at an insane 14.2 during the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season.

Even early into his thirties, Bieber can strike out batters with the best of them. If he can remain healthy, he'll certainly help the Blue Jays staff this season, and hopefully well into October.

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While not nearly as prestigious, Kirk notched his 500th career hit on Saturday. The hit was no gimme either. It was a big fly wacked multiple rows behind the bullpen in left field, 409 feet, for a solo-shot, his second homer of the season. Kirk got all of it, and it helped the Blue Jays inch back into the game.

He also likely assumed he'd hit this milestone earlier in the season, but injuries have limited him to just 17 games this season, in which he hasn't fared well. Through his first 60 at-bats, he's batting .183 with just 11 hits. He's never been a power bat, but his ceiling is far from the floor he's on right now.

Last season, Kirk batted .282 with 127 hits, the second most of his career. In 2022, he recorded 134 hits through 139 games in his most productive season in the big leagues. Despite his struggles this season, Toronto knows it must stick with the young catcher because the Blue Jays' success relies on him.