Gaviglio collapse leads to latest flop at the Trop in Blue Jays loss

The Gaviglio gas can move — a decision Montoyo feels he essentially had to do given the workload his bullpen got in Friday’s opener — wasted a strong starting effort from starter Matt Shoemaker, who took to the mound in a regular-season game for the first time in more than 15 months.

It also denied the Jays a chance to take back-to-back road wins against a Rays team coming that is coming off a playoff appearance in 2019 and predicted by many to get back to the post season again this year.

“I said he would be used in a high-leverage situation and it was a high-leverage situation,” Montoyo said of Gaviglio, who managed just one out but gave up two walks and two hits before being removed. “He didn’t have it. He wasn’t locating his stuff. He didn’t located his pitches and he paid the price.”

Montoyo couldn’t account for Gaviglio’s off outing, given his belief in the pitcher, and you can debate the manager’s assessment of right hander. But in fairness to Montoyo, his options beyond leaving in A.J. Cole — who had breezed through an easy seventh inning — were limited.

In the 6-4 win at the Trop the night before, he had used up some of that set up firepower with Jordan Romano, Anthony Bass and Rafael Dolis all getting work and unavailable to pitch on short rest.

“That’s why Sammy was in that situation, of course,” Montoyo said.

The Jays clearly didn’t help themselves on offence as Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough pitched 5.1 shutout innings at them.

The price for such losses will be dearer than most years given the shortened season and the heightened playoff implications attached to each game. But the Jays aren’t about to beat themselves over one frustrating loss just yet.