3 Takeaways From Blue Jays' 7-1 Loss to Red Sox

TORONTO— Dotting up a fastball on the outside corner, Hirokazu Sawamura beat Bo Bichette clean for the strikeout.

Santiago Espinal and George Springer started the latest late-game Blue Jay rally, tacking on seventh inning hits to bring Bichette to the plate with two outs. But, unlike the two nights prior, the late fireworks didn’t materialize on Wednesday. Dropping their second game to the Red Sox this year, the Jays fell 7-1 loss to Boston.

With notes on Wednesday's many firsts, Ross Stripling's strong start, and the Jays' offensive performance, here are three takeaways from the game:

On the offense:

The Blue Jays are 12-7, rocking the most wins in the American League. Despite the victories, it feels like Toronto's offensive engine isn’t fully firing yet—because it's not. The Jays were top two in batting average, homers, runs, and hits last year. But in the first 19 games of 2022, they’ve scored over six runs just twice, have a pair of shutouts against, and were held to just one run on Wednesday.

There’s no cause for concern, they are 12-7 after all, and Teoscar Hernández will return to the lineup soon with Danny Jansen coming behind him. But for now, the Jays have had to find new ways to win—leaning on the bullpen and timely hits, two things that escaped them at times last year. They can't always walk that fine line, though, as seen in quiet losses like Wednesday's.

“I think we all know that we're gonna bust out and have big games that aren't so close all the time," Bichette said earlier this week. "But to win a championship you gotta win [close games] against really good teams.”

On Stripling's start:

Ross Stripling walked off the field muttering to himself after the first inning. An infield single and Rafael Devers liner dampened an otherwise efficient frame, but the Toronto starter was clearly frustrated with the earned run. So, he decided to not let up another one.

Blowing his 92 MPH fastball by Boston hitters and missing bats with the changeup and curve, Stripling worked five innings of one-run ball, striking out seven batters for the first time since June 2021. Slotting into the rotation in place of an injured Hyun Jin Ryu, the righty has now given Toronto 13 innings with four earned runs against in his three starts.

"I feel like I've made the jump and built up well," Stripling said. "I feel strong about where I'm at and my ability to now keep moving forward getting up to 80, 90 pitches."

In the third inning, catcher Tyler Heineman started back to the dugout, pointing out to first base umpire David Rackley after J.D. Martinez offered at a pitch. As the rest of Toronto’s infield flinched toward the third base line, Rackley spread his arms, no swing. Stripling retook his place on the mound and left no doubt on the next pitch, beating Martinez to strand the bases loaded.

On a night of firsts:

A parade of Blue Jay veterans swarmed Gosuke Katoh jogging back onto the field after the fourth inning. Vlad Guerrero Jr. began with a hug, George Springer draped his arm over Katoh’s shoulder, and Bo Bichette ran out to the infield alongside him.

Katoh's teammates were celebrating his first big league hit, a double into the gap the inning prior. As Katoh pulled into second with a smile, Toronto's dugout called for the ball, a memento of one of several firsts on Wednesday.

"I'm not much of a guy that really looks at individual accomplishments," Katoh said. "But when I got to second today and I saw the dugout—I get a lot of my happiness from other people's happiness—and they were really excited for me. That's when I got excited as well."

On top of Katoh's first knock, Wednesday's loss had some more MLB milestones:

- In Tyler Heineman's second start of the season, the catcher notched his first big league hit in 617 days (and first as a Jay). Toronto's third catcher has received praise from manager Charlie Montoyo in recent days for his subtly strong defensive play.

- With the game all but settled (is any game truly out of reach for this Jays team?) reliever Andrew Vasquez made his first appearance for Toronto in the ninth inning. The lefty's strong slider helped him work into two-strike counts, but a hit-by-pitch, chopping single, and two more baserunners forced the Jays to turn to another debuting arm.

- In the dying breaths of Wednesday's game, Bowden Francis allowed a double down the third-base line before retiring the next two batters to begin his big-league career. Since joining the Jays in the Rowdy Tellez/Trevor Richards swap last year, Francis has added a second, wider slider to his fastball, cut-slider, and changeup mix that helps him keep hitters honest.

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