Jays remain inconsistent ahead of trade deadline
The Toronto Blue Jays continue to play uneven baseball ahead of Friday's MLB trade deadline.
Sunday's 5-4 loss to the New York Mets was the team's fifth defeat in its last 10 games, stalling any hopes of making a move in the crowded wild card race.
The Jays couldn't build on Saturday's 10-3 win, instead falling, as they had on Friday, with the offence drying up at inopportune times. The Jays were just 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position Sunday, including Bo Bichette ending the game by striking out with the potential tying run at second base.
Toronto took a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning, building off a strong start from Ross Stripling, but the bullpen blew it for the first time in a while with Mets star Pete Alonso taking reliever Ryan Borucki deep for the second time in the series.
Meanwhile, Thomas Hatch will open Monday's series opener at Boston since Alek Manoah is being held back to throw a simulated game. When Manoah slipped and hurt his back in Buffalo, the Jays thought he wouldn't miss a start. Now, they are expecting it will just be Monday's he'll have to skip. Pitching coach Pete Walker said on a media call before the game “(Manoah's side-throwing session Saturday) was exceptional. He threw the ball very well. Velocity, spin, change-up. Everything was in the zone,” Walker said.
Robbie Ray will look to bounce back from a rare off night Tuesday, Steven Matz will go Wednesday, Hyun Jin Ryu Thursday. If that happens, Ross Stripling would become the first Jays starter to pitch at Rogers Centre since 2019 when the team returns on Friday. Of course, that could change should the Jays acquire a starter before Friday's MLB trade deadline.
AROUND THE BASES
The Jays recalled right-hander Trent Thornton from Triple-a Buffalo before the game and sent outfielder Jonathan Davis down ... St. Louis traded for T.J. Zeuch, the former first-round pick that Toronto recently designated for assignment. The return was cash considerations ... Former Jay Rowdy Tellez appears to be heating up following a tough start since being acquired by Milwaukee. Tellez blasted a pair of home runs on Saturday night and was 5-for-7 on Friday and Saturday combined after going just 2-for-13 in his first nine games for the Brewers. “It's good to see him swing the bat,” Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes told reporters. “That's a big man with a lot of power. He just touches the baseball and it goes a long way.” The Jays got Trevor Richards and another player in return for Tellez and Richards has been excellent out of the bullpen, allowing only one earned run in 5.2 innings with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. Richards picked up his first win as a Jay in Saturday's win.