Blue Jays takeaways: Short-handed bullpen bobbles hand-off from Steven Matz in loss to Phillies
Mayza #Mayza
The view from Deep Left Field on the Blue Jays’ 5-1 loss to the Phillies Friday:
Ryan Borucki was placed on the injured list before the game, giving the Blue Jays five high-leverage relief arms currently on the shelf — six if you include Kirby Yates, who was signed to be the closer but won’t throw a pitch all year.
The parade to the IL was bound to catch up to them at some point, and it did on Friday when three relievers combined to allow five runs in the seventh inning.
Trent Thornton, who threw a shutout sixth, started the frame holding a 1-0 lead, but walked a pair around a couple of strikeouts. With left-handed slugger Bryce Harper coming to the plate, Thornton was lifted for lefty Tim Mayza.
Mayza didn’t allow a run in any of his first 12 outings of the season, but had given up four over his last two appearances, including blowing the save Thursday in Atlanta — giving up a two-run home run to Dansby Swanson — though the Jays rallied to win.
The southpaw didn’t have it against the Phillies, walking Harper to load the bases, then doing the same with J.T. Realmuto despite getting ahead of him 0-and-2. That free pass forced in the tying run and Rhys Hoskins followed with a three-run double to the gap in left-centre that pretty much put the game away.
Over his last three outings, Mayza’s ERA has gone from 0.00 to 5.91.
Bo Bichette hit a fly ball to deep left in the third that looked like a home run off the bat, but the wind knocked it down and it was caught on the warning track.
In the fourth, Randal Grichuk and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. each hammered a line drive off Phillies righty Vince Velasquez — at 109 and 108 miles per hour off the bat, respectively. Both were caught.
The costly hard liner came in the second inning, when Rowdy Tellez came to the plate with runners on first and second and one out. Tellez ripped a line drive right back up the middle at 106 m.p.h. It looked like a single all the way, and that was the read that lead runner Cavan Biggio had as well, as he took off in an effort to score from second.
Tellez hit it too hard, though, and the ball carried to centre-fielder Odubel Herrera, who caught it at his eyes and was able to double up Biggio to end the inning. It wasn’t that bad a read by Biggio; the line drive had an expected batting average of .800, which is to say that a ball hit that hard at that angle is a hit 80 per cent of the time.
Ironically, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s opposite-field home run that opened the scoring in the sixth came off the bat at just 94.3 miles per hour, only the 10th-hardest-hit ball by a Blue Jay through the first six innings.
It was the first time a Jays pitcher had thrown 100 or more pitches this season. The last time it happened was Sept. 24, 2020, when Hyun-Jin Ryu threw 100 against the Yankees to help Jays clinch a playoff spot.
Matz wasn’t especially efficient, lasting only five innings, but he did put up five zeroes, scattering four hits and striking out nine against three walks, and left in a 0-0 tie.
He might not have crossed into triple digits if not for a bad call by first base umpire Dan Iassogna in the third inning. Actually, bad doesn’t cover it nearly well enough. It was a call so awful that one honestly wonders whether Iassogna was even paying attention at the time.
Loading…
Loading…Loading…Loading…Loading…Loading…
With two out and nobody on, Andrew McCutchen very clearly went around on a check-swing attempt at a 3-and-2 pitch. On appeal, Iassogna signalled “no swing,” giving McCutchen the walk and forcing Matz to throw an extra 10 pitches before finally getting out of the inning when Realmuto grounded out with the bases loaded.
The last time a Blue Jay threw as many pitches as Matz did Friday night was May 24, 2019, when Thornton — who followed Matz to the mound for the sixth inning — threw 112.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free)
Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the Code of Conduct. The Star does not endorse these opinions.