Were boo birds out of line in jeering Blue Jays' Alek Manoah?

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No one was more disappointed with Alek Manoah’s performance in a rock-bottom outing on Monday night than the big right-hander himself.

So were the boo-birds that escorted Manoah out of the Rogers Centre after a third of an inning — and for the foreseeable future — out of line for riding a young pitcher who just a year ago was setting the foundation of an All-Star Game berth?

Jays manager John Schneider surely winced at the reaction of his struggling former ace but toed the rubber when asked about it on Tuesday.

“Fans are always allowed to have their opinion and you have to really look at the big picture look at the way this country has supported him over his career here and understand that people react in ways that are very in the moment,” Schneider said. “Very quickly, this boos can turn into cheers and Alek understands that as well.”

The big crowds at the Rogers Centre this season have been getting increasingly restless of late, especially as the team has endured some stray play. The Jays entered Tuesday’s second of two games against the World Series champion Houston Astros with a 33-28 record and 9.5 games behind the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. As well, the Jays were three games out of the final AL wildcard spot.

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