After every Blue Jays series, this Canadian will sum up his five stars of the set and throw in my two cents (worth .015 US).
You would think I dreaded Toronto’s series against the American League East leaders, the Baltimore Orioles, but I had elevated expectations for the games in Camden Yards. While they lost their last series against Minnesota (two games to one), there were a lot of good signs. In the two games they lost, they had good starting performances from Yusei Kikcuhi and Alek Manoah, who was desperate for a quality start. In the lone game they won, the Jays bullpen had their best outing as a team, and their two top guns, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., performed well. It had all the makings of a launching pad to build on with hopes of salvaging the 2024 Season.
As it stands, the launching pad is on hold.
With the second game rained out, the boys in blue split the series with the O’s, with each game finishing 3-2.
In the first game, Toronto limped into Camden as a flu bug spread through the team. Their starter, Jose Berrios, woke up in the morning uncertain if he could pitch, but he gutted it out and shook off the poor performance of his last outing. Berrios gave up three hits over seven innings, but two of those hits were Adley Rutschman solo shots. His opponent, Corbin Burnes, surrendered only one run in six frames, but Berrios kept the Blue Jays in the contest. A Daulton Varsho Home Run tied the game in the 8th, and Jordan Romano earned the win in extra innings with six outs of work as Varsho again came through with a ground-out RBI in the 10th.
With both clubs rested after Tuesday’s rainout, the Jays were healthier going into the finale on Wednesday. Yusei Kikuchi only threw 4.1 innings of work, but fanned nine batters with only one run allowed and left with a 2-1 lead that the Jays bullpen kept until 9th. Baltimore got to Jays closer Jordan Romano, who blew his first save and suffered his first loss when Asley Rutschman got his third tater of the series with a two-run walk-off win. Notably, Baltimore’s win kept their 2024 streak of not being swept alive.
Here are my five Blue Jays stars of the series:
Jose Berrios, 1 ND, 7.0 IP, 2.25 ERA, 4 SO, 0.571 WHIP: Berrios did not obtain a decision, but had the superior game score to Burnes (66-56).
Bo Bichette, 0 R, 5 H, 1 XBH, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .714/.778/.857/1.635: Bichette, who had a miserable first six weeks of the season, had both of Toronto’s RBIs in their 3-2 loss, and is now on a six-game hitting streak.
Daulton Varsho, 1 R, 1 H, 1 XBH, 1 HR, 2 RBI .111/.200/.444/.644: Varsho had two ribbies in the first game, and his only hit of the series was a Home Run. With only five runs in two games, Varsho can earn a spot as one of the five stars.
Zack Pop, 1 G, 1.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1 SO, 0.000 WHIP: Pop got all four of his batters out in Toronto’s loss to Baltimore.
Yimi Garcia, 2 G, 1 H, 2.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 4 SO, 1.125 WHIP: Garcia struck out the side in his first game, and got himself out of the jam in his second. He secured his sixth hold of the year and has a 0.53 ERA for the season over 17 innings.
Honourable mentions for nobody.
Next, the forces of good return home to face the Tampa Bay Rays for three games starting on Friday.
Until then, touch them all!
