TORONTO — Something was off from the start.
After four walks, but a still-manageable single-run deficit in 1.1 innings, pitching coach Pete Walker came trotting out of the Toronto Blue Jays dugout to chat with starter Jose Berrios at Angel Stadium on Thursday night.
But Berrios’ command issues continued, and the Blue Jays fell 6-3 to the Los Angeles Angels, splitting the four-game series and wasting an opportunity to gain ground on the AL wild-card race.
Berrios’ night ended after 4.1 innings, with eight hits and six earned runs to go with the four walks he issued while only striking out three batters. It was an unusual sight, as the newly acquired righty had dominated in his first two starts with Toronto, issuing a single walk over those two outings while striking out a combined 13 batters.
On Thursday, the 27-year-old loaded the bases multiple times and never seemed comfortable until being replaced on the mound by Trent Thornton in the fifth.
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Just like that, any momentum built by a stellar Alek Manoah outing the previous night – and the fact that the New York Yankees dropped their Field of Dreams game to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday – dissipated as the (62-52) Blue Jays packed their bags and headed for Seattle for a weekend series against the Mariners. Toronto remains two games back of a wild-card spot, trailing the Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox in the post-season pursuit.
In the Angels’ winning effort, Shohei Ohtani continued to add to his MVP-calibre campaign, pitching six innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts, three hits and three walks, while adding a double and a walk at the plate.
Toronto’s unfortunate night wasn’t limited to pitching, however. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lost the battle of MVP candidates, between himself and Ohtani, closing out the night with two strikeouts, a single and a walk. Slugger George Springer, red-hot in August before Thursday night, was held hitless and also had a pair of strikeouts.
Aside from a solo shot from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. at the top of the ninth, it just wasn’t the Blue Jays’ night.
Veteran Kurt Suzuki opened the scoring for the Angels in the second frame, cashing in rookie Jo Adell with a sac fly for the first of his two RBIs on the night. Berrios walked Ohtani and allowed a Brandon Marsh double before Jared Walsh snuck one past first and second to score both runners and make it 3-0 Angels.
Phil Gosselin followed with a single off a breaking ball that cashed in David Fletcher.
Berrios ended the excruciating second inning by fielding a Justin Upton groundball and tossing it over to shortstop Marcus Semien, who turned the double play to Guerrero Jr. at first and sent a frustrated Berrios back to the dugout as Thornton continued to warm up in the bullpen.
The righty then came back for the bottom of the third, and immediately allowed a Jose Iglesias single on the very first pitch. He struck out Adell and got Marsh to ground out, but didn’t close out the inning until after allowing a two-out double to Suzuki that gave the Angels catcher his second RBI of the night and made it 5-0 Angels.
Berrios came back out in the fourth to issue his sole 1-2-3 inning of the game and his night was over after a hard-hit double by Jose Iglesias with one out in the fifth.
Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk each drove in a run for the Blue Jays, as Hernandez extended his hitting streak to five consecutive games. Gurriel Jr. got the third RBI with his solo homer to cap off the scoring for the Jays.
