Jays Lose To Astros
· Yahoo Sports
Astros 3 Blue Jays 1
That was depressing. Barker talked about it being a game they should have won, but really you shouldn’t win if you only get six base runners.
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Both teams got just four hits, but the Astros scored three runs to our one. But then we walked eight, they walked two.
There were a couple of bad mistakes that cost us:
In the top of the eighth:
With a runner on third, Jeff Hoffman made a pickoff attempt at third. Honestly, pickoff attempts at third should never be tried. The unfortunate think about this one is that Kazuma Okamoto was several feet off the third base bag. Hoffman tried to change his throw to where Okamoto was, but missed. I think it was a play called from the catcher (likely on instruction by the bench) but it appeared that Okamoto either missed a sign, or something. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a pickoff attempt at third, not many I’m sure, because this one surprised me. I’m taking it for granted that Hoffman didn’t decide on his own to do that, but I might be wrong. That cost us a run.
In the bottom of the eighth. Luis Urias singled and move to second on a passed ball. Then George Springer hit a fly ball, deep, down the right field line. Right fielder Cam Smith made a terrific catch. Urias, apparently, thought the ball wasn’t catch and started off towards third. By the time he picked up the third base coach telling him to turn around he was out. Just a terrible base running decision. He could have walked home if the ball wasn’t caught. And course, he would have been still at second with two outs if he didn’t run. The play didn’t ‘cost us the game’ cause we don’t know what the next batter would have done, but it was just bad baseball.
Beyond that….we scored one run on a Nathan Lukes homer, our only extra base hit of the game. We had four hits, Daulton Varsho had two of them. We only had 6 strikeouts, but then there was a lot of soft contact.
Trey Yesavage went 5,2, allowing just 2 hits, but 5 walks with 5 strikeouts and the one earned.
Tommy Nance got the last out of the sixth and the first two outs of the the seventh.
Jeff Hoffman, got the last out of the seventh. In the eighth he gave up a one out triple that Daulton Varsho ran hard into the center field wall trying to catch. If he had played it off the wall, he could have kept it to a double, which would have saved us some heart ache, but he’s going to try for that catch every time, and make the catch most times. Tough spot, runner on third and one out, but Hoffman can get strikeouts (presuming he throws to the plate not to to third). That turned out to be the winning run. Hoffman got the loss.
But we gave up another in the nine, just to put the game out of reach. Mason Fluharty came in, gave up a walk, sac bunt, walk, force out (strange play, ground ball to short, Clements threw to Urias at second (who was slow to get there, since he was playing way over with a pull hitting lefty at the plate) Urias then threw wild to first and the Astros had runners at second and third. He should have just held onto the ball. Easy to say from the couch, but he had no shot at the runner. A Jeremy Pena single scored the third run. It was one of those weird plays where the official scorer doesn’t call the third an error, because ‘you can’t assume a double play’, but it clearly was an error and the run should have been unearned. Won’t someone think about the pitcher’s ERA?
Jays of the Day: Yesavage (0.21 WPA, nice start, too many walks, but nice start) and Tommy Nance (0.10). Urias had the number too, but…..no.
Other Award: Springer (-0.28 for an 0 for 4 day), Okamoto (-0.13, 0 for 4, 2 k), Davis Schneider (-0.10, 0 for 3, k) and Hoffman (-0.18). Some of the last two’s numbers depend on who you blame most for the error, I’m taking if for granted that Oka missed a sign and by the time Hoffman realized, he was already throwing the ball. But, let’s give them both some of the blame.
Tomorro the Rangers come to town for a four game series. Kevin Gausman (4-5, 4.04) vs. MacKenzie Gore (4-6, 4.07).