Distractions, details and another loss
Tampa Bay 7-1 against Toronto after more defensive miscues
This just wasn’t a good optics week for the Blue Jays.
Even with the heroes of the 1992-93 World Series years in town for a 25th anniversary celebration Saturday, the Jays had difficulty shaking off a rash of unwanted distractions — the futures of manager John Gibbons and president Mark Shapiro, and the team’s present play on defence, which was a problem again in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Tampa Rays.
Shapiro’s relationship with the club’s upper management was brought into question but, hours after the report surfaced Thursday, Jays chairman of the board Edward Rogers tweeted that he is “very confident with the leadership and vision for the future under Mark Shapiro.”
According to a note in a separate report, Gibbons was not supposed to last the week as the Jays’ manager; and though it appears he will be making the road trip through Kansas City and New York this week, there has been no clear indication from the club of Gibbons’ status.
Critics believe the popular manager has nothing to do with the level of baseball being played at the moment, and that he should at least be extended the dignity of finishing out the season.
But, with 46 games remaining and Gibbons himself admitting he may not want to be part of a rebuild in Toronto, the club has a difficult decision.
Comparisons are being made between Toronto and Tampa Bay, which has taken the first two games of a three-game set in Toronto this weekend and is 7-1 against the Jays this year. The Rays are well along on a rebuild the Jays should have initiated last season.
Trouble started early for the Jays on Saturday, as a miscommunication between infielders Aledmys Diaz and Devon Travis on a slow roller up the middle allowed Mallex Smith to reach second on the world’s slowest double. He scored two batters later on a Joey Wendle ground-rule double.
“I’d rather see (Diaz and Travis) collide there,” Gibbons said.
Pillar had another slow roller into centre field hop over his glove for an error. That allowed Kevin Kiermaier to reach second on what should have been a single. The Rays centrefielder swiped third — another example of a lack of focus by the Jays — and scored on Willy Adames’ infield groundout.
All of that made life tougher for starter Sam Gaviglio, who kept his club close after the lack of field support in the first two innings.
The Pillar error gave them 72 on the season, the sixth worst total in the majors. He was later picked off first base with two out in the seventh inning.
With over a month left in the season, the Jays insist their focus must remain the same.
“Our attitude is to go out and try and win ball games every day … that never changes, really,” catcher Russell Martin said. “They might end up calling up some young guys and see how they are, but overall, everyone has to play the game hard, play the same way all the time.”