The Afterglow Has Co$t Us Dearly, Toronto Blue Jays 2026... yadda yadda

new thread to discuss Hoffman wins, Gimenez RBIs and bush party installations

Another thought on the ASB system: Cavan Biggio, your moment has arrived.

where's he at now?

Gausman: K's for everyone, setting records!

Cease: hold my beer

Dylan Cease is something else today: 11 strikeouts through 5, working on seven straight.

Fluharty getting hit with two line drives in a row - yikes

To what extent does your life revolve around Alejandro Kirk!

(I’m watching A’s-Jays and that Kirk nuke in the 9th was incredible)

My dad--I mean ME--turned the game off and missed all that...I'm back, though!

I didn't deserve that.

I also tuned out after the Langeliers GS ... came back for the 10th!

Think Clement got a missed call on that checked swing.

Ya he def went around imho. Anyways… what a game! Cease, Kirk, other new guy, Ernie!

bump

Looking for another walk-off win here.

i will take a scoreless save from Hoffman. Lauer looked amazing and loved seeing Sanchez and Okamoto get their first homers for us too.

they set a record for most (pitching) Ks in an opening series too (49 by my count)

My needs-context joke worked...Jays pitchers struck out 50 (!) in their first three games, a franchise record (one extra-inning game in there). I've got to wonder if that isn't an MLB record--to open the season, obviously, but over any three-game stretch?

Sorry, was typing...I got 50, I don't know.

First 3-0 start since 1996!

Not to worry, but a 77-85 team...Looking back at them, I was surprised to find out that Hentgen's Cy Young year (I remembered that, of course) was close to 9.0 WAR on B-Ref.

Looking at old Jays teams on B-R, I noticed that after the win today, the Jays are exactly at .500 all-time following the win today (3857-3857).

Looking at that '96 Cy, pretty sure there are still Yankee fans convinced that Pettitte should have won. I recall that it was considered a toss-up at the time because of W-L records: yeah, maybe Hentgen pitched a little better, but 21-8 vs. 20-10, award should go to Pettitte.

Hentgen pitched a lot better. (I was arguing for him at the time--no WAR then, just looking at all the old-school stuff--and trying to tell people it wasn't just because he was a Jay.) Forty more innings, 10 CG vs. 2, more than half-a-run edge in ERA, better WHIP. Pettitte had a better K/BB rate.

Hentgen won 110-104 (16 firsts to 11, though).

Re strikeout record for any three-game stretch: the Astros struck out 52 in 2016:

https://www.mlb.com/news/astros-mlb-record-52-strikeouts-in-3-game-set-c180433878

But 50 is an opening-the-season record, yes.

Bo is off to a brutal start (1-14)...he's always been streaky; Jays fans a little more patient than in NY, I'm sure, but not all that patient.

Saw him getting boo’d. Not exactly the best start

Whatever just happened to Cody Ponce there, did not look good at all

Not home, but just read that:

https://www.mlb.com/news/cody-ponce-injured-in-blue-jays-debut

Yuck. Why you load up on seven or eight starters.

Yeah, I'm expecting the worst here.

Five runs in two innings for Heineman. Still a better ERA than his twelve runs in 3.1 innings last year.

As expected, not great: "Blue Jays are 'holding onto' hope of a return this season."

https://www.mlb.com/news/cody-ponce-acl-sprain

Hope springs eternal: six very strong innings from Max tonight, his 298th career QS. It's a stat that's barely ever mentioned anymore, but I got curious:

https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/who-has-the-most-quality-starts

Assuming Verlander falls short of 300 wins, I think 300 QS will be more or less as unlikely as 300 wins. So two more, and maybe Max will be the last.

I was kind of hoping the Gatorade dump would be on Max tonight, but I guess that's something that just doesn't happen.

Hardly ever happens to a SP. who got it (my computer died)?

Jesus (many jokes in the offing here).

i would be very afraid of pouring gatorade on max scherzer

I know--that's exactly what I was hoping for...Had this vision of Vlad doing his thing, then making a mad dash for the clubhouse.

How's that for a nightmarish loss? Up 3-2 in the 10th, two outs from a win. Next guy strikes out, but Kirk is injured from a foul tip during the AB. So two out, runner on third, Heineman in the game. Next guy drops down a surprise bunt, Heineman throws it away. (Would Kirk have made the out? Have to look at it again--maybe he would have at least held on to the ball.) 3-3 now, next guy doubles him home.

Looking at the replay, Kirk would have had the good sense to hold on to the ball.

On top of which, as the post-game commentators just pointed out, the idea that you're going to come off the bench and instantaneously pull off this incredibly difficult throw is wishful thinking. I realize it was a great bunt and a bang-bang play, but Heineman's supposed to think of the possibilities ahead of time. Guy bunts, no play, hang on to the ball.

It wasn't that hard of a play, Heineman should have thrown him out to end the game, he just blew it.

Three out of four games dropped to two of the worst teams in MLB, Ponce injured, Kirk may be injured, the vibes are bad after that 3-0 start.

Looked at it again...I think it's a more difficult play than that because he picks up the ball facing the other way and had to wheel around. I don't know--it he'd made it, I would have been impressed, especially having just gotten into the game.

He should have held into it imho- play was going to be close and looked like it *could* roll foul. Runner wasn’t going to score on the play - they would have just had to get the next guy out.

Kirk out for probably close to two months. Ugh

Heinemen's adequate, but what do they do? I guess they're long past the point of giving Varsho some games there...Anyone at Triple A? Trade for a stopgap?

For a second, I forget about Tyler Heineman's controlled demolition thing.

He had a pretty bad day today

I've been watching baseball long enough, that I'm sure I've seen many errors uglier than his rundown-toss to third today. Nothing immediately comes to mind, though.

They traded for Brandon Valenzuela in the offseason, who looks like he could maybe be a slightly better option than Tyler?

He sure did look demoralized in the dugout.

Apparently he was inconsolable after the game.

the man is only good within a 4 month time-frame of getting dumped by a team.

It's too bad they don't play 161 games instead of 162; this team was created to go into the final day of the season 80-80 and lose.

How many men LOB today against a starter with the highest qualify ERA in the league? 10? 15?

qualifying...

Gausman lit up for second game in a row. And Vlad is two or three games away from having his OPS drop under .700.

the Vlad thing is starting to get concerning.

They devote 15 minutes to it on Blair every day...Starting to wonder what the most anemic season ever is for a hitter of his caliber and his age. The okay BA (under .280 now) provides a tiny bit of camouflage, but not really, not in this day and age--every Jay fan knows how baffling this s.

I believe, as the cliche goes, the league may have caught up to Patrick Corbin.

Albert Pujols on Vlad's struggles:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=771088519427926

Probably exactly what Vlad needs: another voice in his head.

Bailed early yesterday, so missed this:

https://i.postimg.cc/sgrCQP1N/jacket.jpg

Can't have a broken team without some controversy. I'm somewhat torn, but definitely leaning in the direction of Kirk's view here.

1) When Lukes tied the game in the 8th today with a HR, Ben Schulman or the other guy referred to the Jays as the "comeback kids." I'm not sure if coming back every day just close enough to lose by a run or two counts.

2) Vlad watch: 0-4, .268, .697 OPS.

(Putting him almost dead even with Mark Belanger in 1971: .266/.685.)

Kirk was absolutely in the right.

Not sure what the make of the Rangers series. They got swept at home by a team that was trailing them in the standings and has now passed them. That's bad. But all the games were close, and yesterday's loss (winning run scored from second on a wild pitch that fluke-ishly bounced all over the place, Nimmo's game-ending catch) had a lot to do with bad luck. That's not all bad. However, they fell behind badly in those games and left their comebacks until too late, and when you consistently can't score first, that's not just bad luck.

mets have been a balm for struggling teams, so hoping we'll lift you out of it!

they did! and i understand bo got cheered, which he absolutely deserved

Vlad's out of the lineup tonight because of his back. Blair says that's just a cover story. Barker says Blair's crazy. Blair says Barker's naive (and that the Jays did the same thing with a highly-paid player in 2016...don't remember that, but must have been Bautista or Donaldson).

so, how's pizza nova?

not exactly my go-to

was at the game with my kids Monday (their first night game, which they were incredibly excited for) – and everyone was cheering for Bo. a lot of #11 jerseys on the crowd. was surprised when i saw how choked up Bo was in the pre-game interview.

...

Much as "Weird!" was enough to win the 2024 election, we're going to ride the cute toy dragon right into the playoffs.

Padres have yet to swing at Yesavage, 14 pitches in, bases loaded.

Nevermind, Machado has the green light.

I'm watching...thought I was going to see something I'd never seen before till Machado popped up.

Going to be a nine-hour game with 47 walks.

Six BB through 1.2 innings...seriously, get him out of there.

53 pitches, 17 strikes. 4x (5?) 4-pitch walks

He also got a break on a missed checked-swing call and a bad strike that should have been ball four and wasn't challenged. And when he missed, he wasn't even close. He (Yesavage) couldn't have looked any worse.

a friend (from cape breton island, no less!) is at the game

ME: Nice. Please pull Vlad aside and tell him about "launch angle"

HIM: Someone needs to tell Trey about hitting the strike zone

Jays fans: Blue Jay Way (eight-part series on the history of the franchise) starts tonight. Been really hyped for this--watching the promos, it's like they talked to everyone ever...expecting both Joey McLaughlin and Sil Campusano to show up somewhere.

My friend messaged me with some Engelbert Humperdink: "Please release him, let him go..."

The really sad thing is the pitch Hoffman three Machado on the full count. Look it up if you can--I mean, honestly, you'll find tougher pitches to hit in pick-up Sunday 3-pitch leagues.

"three" = "threw"

Save percentage:

Hoffman - 5/9, 56%
Varland - 19/19, 100%

how was the Jays doc? are they releasing one ep at a time, or is the whole thing out there?

One at a time--PVR'd but haven't watched yet.

you'll have to describe in vivid detail for me. partner and i have no idea how we will be able to watch these

You don't get Sportsnet, I take it.

First episode covered 1977 to the '85 ALCS, going back and forth between the timeline going forward and the latter. That '85 loss was almost as bad as last year's WS. I'd forgotten the Jays led 5-2 in G3, about to go up 3-0; that was Brett's epic game (4-4, 2 HR and a doulbe), with puzzlement all around that Doyle Alexander kept pitching to him. Lot of interview time with Brett in E1, also Stieb. Henke's arrival is treated as the watershed event that it was; pretty sure this will be enough to get his number up on the wall at Rogers (should already be there).

They even snuck in Fergie Olver for about two seconds--got the sense his health is not very good.

Making a statement right out of the gate.

ya, no sportsnet and i guess it's only viewable when you watch it live (or PVR). and not enough interest to be showing up on the pirate sites i guess.

i have more or less stopped watching games entirely. if there's going to be a lockout next year, this is as good a juncture as any to wean myself off the sport

You know the Michael Corleone rule when it comes to that, right?

I welcome being pulled back in…

Anyways, RIP Duane Ward. Best set-up man in franchise history?

Yes--and for a single season, '93, in the running for best closer. Unbelievable in view of the timing (they unveiled the Carter statue yesterday, and had two or three dozen alumni in town for '92/93).

glad he was able to see his old teammates/friends before passing. we should all be so lucky.

Ward had 24 holds in '92; Tyler Rogers is tied for the league lead with 20 this year, and has reached 30-32 in four different seasons. Maybe that reflects usage patterns; maybe Ward would have been over 30 today.

Was surprised to learn that those 45 saves by Ward in '93 is still the team record.

VladJr has not hit a HR at Rogers Centre in 10 months.

Always good to have players who perform better on the road. (Yes, that's a joke.)

10 months! Jesus.

Going to be super-lazy and cut-and-paste a FB post I put up today after E2 of the Sportsnet series:

--------------------------------------------------------

Two episodes into The Blue Jays Way, and it’s been more or less as good as I’d hoped it would be. Like Ken Burns’ Baseball, which aired during the ‘94 strike, it’s a welcome respite from the here and now if you’re a Jays fan.

Almost every key player is getting duly commemorated: episode two is centred around Steib and Bell, lots of interview time with Moseby and Barfield and Whitt, general agreement that Henke’s arrival in ‘85 was crucial to finally winning in ‘92, and--wasn’t sure how they’d handle this--acknowledgement that Alomar remains their greatest player ever. There has been, I’d say, one guy they’ve shortchanged: Jimmy Key.

I understand the disproportionate amount of attention given to Stieb: he was the best pitcher in baseball from ‘82 to ‘84, and he could easily have won all three A.L. Cy Youngs during that window. (The ‘82 vote was especially egregious.) He’s a great interview subject, and the subplot of his three 26-out no-hitters before finally getting one is irresistible. But here’s how he compares to Key from ‘85 (when Key becomes a regular part of the rotation) to ‘92 (when both move on to new teams):

DS - 93-65, 3.48 ERA, 1.265 WHIP, 1.54 K/9, 3.97 FIP, 23.5 bWAR
JK - 112-76, 3.38 ERA, 1.179 WHIP, 2.42 K/9, 3.66 FIP, 30.6 bWAR

Key across the board. He was also--and surely the makers of The Blue Jays Way know this--the subject of my greatest made-up lyric ever, back in I’m not sure which issue of Radio On:

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, can’t you see?
Sometimes your change-ups hypnotize me
And I just love your Cy Young ways
Guess that’s why you’re out there every fifth day

I don’t know--I may have drifted off for a minute and missed him, but I don’t think he’s been interviewed yet, and if he’s been mentioned, it couldn’t have been more than once or twice.