MINNEAPOLIS – These are the games the Toronto Blue Jays need to be winning.
Facing a last-place team whose ace they traded for mid-season, the Blue Jays had things lined up nicely on paper, especially with George Springer returning to centre field for the first time in more than a month.
And Jose Berrios did well enough, striking out 10 and holding his former team to three runs over six innings of work. But while the Yankees were beating up on the Red Sox at Fenway Park, the Blue Jays had trouble generating any offence against Bailey Ober at Target Field Friday on their way to a 3-1 loss.
At a critical point in their season, the 85-69 Blue Jays have now lost three in a row and fallen 2.0 games behind New York for the second wild-card berth. It’s not time to panic, but it’s time to win and, suddenly, Toronto isn’t winning.
With only eight games remaining in the regular season, the Blue Jays are running short on time. And while the upcoming Yankees series offers a real chance to gain ground, the Blue Jays should be using these chances against the Twins to keep the pressure on the teams ahead of them. Instead, they’re adding to the challenge ahead over the week-plus remaining.
The return of Springer to centre field does count as a positive for the Blue Jays, especially at a time that Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is sidelined after Randal Grichuk stepped on his hand, necessitating two stitches. When Gurriel Jr. does return, he’s likely to do so as a designated hitter, so having the option of using Springer in the outfield creates options as the Blue Jays set their lineup.
Still, this is no time for moral victories. At this point in the year, the Blue Jays need results and the six hits they managed against the Twins’ pitching staff were not nearly enough. Yes, there was some hard contact, including Marcus Semien’s 42nd home run of the year, but loud outs are the expectation when you’re facing the team with the second-worst ERA in the American League.
The Blue Jays’ hitters simply didn’t deliver Friday.
Before the game, the Blue Jays activated Santiago Espinal, who doubled in his first game back after spending 25 games on the injured list due to a right hip flexor strain. His return allowed the Blue Jays to DFA Jake Lamb Thursday and option Kevin Smith Friday, but Breyvic Valera’s still expected to see time at third base moving forward.
Once Berrios left the game, the Blue Jays got scoreless innings from both Trevor Richards and Nate Pearson, but because the offence generated so little the end result was still a loss.
On Saturday, Cy Young frontrunner Robbie Ray will get the ball for the Blue Jays in what might be his biggest start yet. Because while splitting this four-game series against the Twins might be something the Blue Jays can overcome, losing three of four under these circumstances is not a prospect any contender wants to contemplate.
