(Photo: MLB)
The Toronto Blue Jays completed their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays with an 8-3 defeat Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre. The loss awarded the Rays a 2-1 series win and highlighted some of the same problems that have plagued the Blue Jays.
Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman had trouble on the mound, allowing six runs on ten hits in 5 2/3 innings. His split-finger fastball, which is usually a gem of a pitch was not as sharp today and Rays hitters continued to make good contact on it. Gausman was hit in the third by a line drive off of his left ear but remained in the game but was unable to regain his rhythm, another up-and-down performance this season. I think that pitch that hit him really had an effect on him this game and hopefully its just a one game thing for Gausman.
Brandon Lowe carried the Rays’ offense with two, two-run home runs one in the first inning and one in the ninth, to go along with four RBIs. Josh Lowe, who was returning from injury, contributed a solo homer to his three hits while Kameron Misner homered as well. The Rays who are near the bottom of the league with the Blue Jays in Home Runs hit showed that they do have some pop in there bats from time to time.
Toronto managed to hit out three runs each solo home runs from Addison Barger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Nathan Lukes. Heres the Guerrero Homer. https://x.com/MLB/status/1923106813932646609
Bo Bichette contributed a three hit game, but the team was unable to create any offense beyond the top of the order.
The Blue Jays then turn their attention to an upcoming series with the Detroit Tigers looking to bounce back from this series loss. The Tigers are read hot as they just swept the Red Soxs and scored a crazy 30 runs in 3 games averaging 10 runs per game in that short span. The Tigers have also won there last 11 out of 14 games the Jays are in tough against this top tier offence.
The Jays fail to get over the .500 mark again. The problem with the Jays is when the pitching is hot there hitting is not and when there hitting is hot the pitching is not they are never on the same page. Today though they were on the same page the hitting was not hot and the pitching was not hot.