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Instant Reaction: Blue Jays hit a season-best four home runs in 11-9 loss to Rays

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What a roller coaster of a game that was.

On Tuesday evening, the Toronto Blue Jays played a back-and-forth game against the Tampa Bay Rays, eventually falling 11-9 to bring their season record to 20-21. This loss also snapped their four-game winning streak. Let’s take a look at what happened in this one.

 

The first four runs of the game were scored by the Rays in the top of the fourth. Brandon Lowe hit an RBI single to drive in two, and Jonathan Aranda hit his sixth home run to make it a 4-0 game.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Jays were able to cut the lead in half. Tyler Heineman hit a double to put a runner on. After Nathan Lukes hit a groundout, Bo Bichette hit his third home run of the season to make it a 4-2 game.

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The Jays added another run in the bottom of the fourth, as Daulton Varsho hit his fourth home run of the season, an absolute rocket that had an exit velocity of 113.9 mph. This was the hardest hit ball of his career.

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In the top of the sixth, the Rays added to their lead thanks to a run scoring during a rundown. The following inning saw Danny Jansen hit his second home run of the season, unfortunately, Jansen plays for the Rays now. In the bottom half of the inning, Ernie Clement hit a solo home run to bring the Jays within two.

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer each earned a walk in the bottom of the eighth to put two on. Varsho stepped up to the plate, smashing the first pitch of the at-bat off the facing of the fifth deck to give the Jays a 7-6 lead.

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The Jays were unable to close out the game, as Jeff Hoffman got the first out but gave up the game-tying run, and then a grand slam to give the Rays an 11-7 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, the Jays were able to get two runs back thanks to three doubles, but they ultimately fell 11-9 to move to 20-21 this season.

Takeaways…

Despite the loss, that was easily one of the best Blue Jays games this season in terms of entertainment. It was a back-and-forth game that went down to the final out. It would’ve been lovely for the Jays to find a win, though, as it would’ve been reminiscent of the 2015 and 2021 seasons.

So what went wrong in this one? Jose Berrios didn’t have a great start, pitching five and one-third innings with five runs, four earned. With a chance to win 7-6, Jeff Hoffman struggled, giving up five earned runs in his third of an inning pitched. Not an encouraging sign.

Mason Fluharty gave up a home run to former Blue Jay Danny Jansen. The lefty started his career getting the first 28 right-handed batters out, which came to an end with one swing of the bat. Still, he has a solid 2.16 ERA and has become a staple of the bullpen.

The pitching wasn’t great, but the Blue Jays continued to hit the ball well. They hit a season-high four home runs, two from Daulton Varsho and one each from Bo Bichette and Ernie Clement. This continues a positive trend since April 29, as the bats have come alive.

Varsho’s first home run had an exit velocity of 113.9 mph, the highest batted ball of his career. His second home run, which hit the facing of the fifth deck, had an exit velocity of 113.6 mph. The centre fielder also made a terrific catch in the outfield.

On top of the home runs, the Jays hit five doubles, three of which came in the bottom of the ninth as they tried to mount a comeback. The bats were certainly good enough for the win.

The Jays look to get back in the win column on Wednesday at 7:07 PM ET. Chris Bassitt is the Blue Jays’ expected starter as they try to avoid a series defeat.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.