Blue Jays' offence reverts to its inoffensive ways in loss to host Tampa Bay Rays
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The Blue Jays were a hit during a 5-4 homestand on the strength of their ability to hit homers or produce in clutch moments.
Coming off a series sweep of the San Diego Padres, one would think momentum was on the Jays’ side as they began a three-game set Friday night against the host Tampa Bay Rays.
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Blue Jays' offence reverts to its inoffensive ways in loss to host Tampa Bay Rays Back to video
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But though the Jays worked Rays pitching for eight walks, they could not summon any timely hits to cash them in during a dreary 3-1 loss.
The following are three takeaways from a night in which the Rays needed only two swings of the bat to produce all of their runs and drop the Jays’ record to 25-25.
1. BOTTOMS UP
The Jays entered the night one game over .500 for the first time in a month for a variety of reasons.
One of the most understated areas involves the team’s bottom of the order, a collection of utility players who have, to their credit, stepped up in big moments.
Of the Jays’ four hits, three came from the team’s bottom of the order, which consisted of Ernie Clement, Jonatan Clase, who had a double, and Nathan Lukes.
The top of the Toronto order went 0-for-13 as the team stranded eight.
Down 3-0 in the seventh inning, the Jays managed to load the bases on three consecutive walks with none out. But Clase grounded into a double play that produced their lone run of the game, but also killed a highly promising inning.
2. RAYS LAUER THE BOOM
When seven relievers are used in an 11-inning game, the next day’s starter is asked to provide some degree of length.
Eric Lauer’s task was pretty simple, but pitching in the big leagues, even when the backdrop is a minor-league ballpark, is replete with complications.
Lauer worked around a double in each of the first and second innings. and it was clear early the veteran lefty was flirting with danger.
It arrived in the third when he served up a two-run homer to Brandon Lowe.
When the Jays recently played host to the Rays, Lowe went deep twice in Tampa’s 8-3 win as the visitors took the three-game series.
On two other occasions, Lauer was lucky the ball didn’t leave the yard when it was hit into left field.
Curtis Mead, who was denied a blast in his first at-bat, connected in the fourth to give Tampa its three-run edge.
Lauer’s outing ended following 4.1 innings. And while the Jays could have wished for more, Lauer could have wished for any kind of run support.
Toronto’s best pitcher on this night was reliever Braydon Fisher, who struck out four of the five batters he faced in relief of Lauer.
3. FIELD OF SCREAMS
The Rays have been trying to make the most out of a ball park that normally plays host to spring training games and teams competing in the Florida State League.
When Hurricane Milton ripped through the Trop in St. Petersburg, the Rays were forced to move across the bay and set up shop at George Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home for the New York Yankees.
It’s far from ideal, but baseball life goes on.
Balls hit into left field have been known not to carry as evidenced by Mead’s blast in the second inning that sure looked like it would leave the yard. Instead, Clase made the catch for the out.
Another near miss came in the third off the bat of Christopher Morel.
Another factoid about the site concerns the short foul poles down the lines and the frequency of night games to avoid the stifling heat.
Playing in Tampa did allow Alek Manoah to rejoin his teammates as he continues his road back from elbow surgery.
The big right-hander is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday at the team’s player development complex in nearby Dunedin.
World Series champion Kevin Kiermaier joined Manoah in the dugout. Kiermaier played for both the Rays and Jays and joined the L.A. Dodgers at last year’s trade deadline.
UP NEXT
Saturday’s scheduled first pitch is 7:05 p.m. featuring Jays starter Jose Berrios … Fans may even see more of Anthony Santander, who has been nursing a hip issue. He entered Friday’s game as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning with two outs and drew a four-pitch walk … Jays will get their second look at Rays leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz in the second game of a three-game series. When Tampa visited the Rogers Centre last week, it placed the Cuban-born DH on the restricted list because of a passport renewal issue. In Friday’s series opener, he went 0-for-4, including two strikeouts.
fzicarelli@postmedia.com
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