Red Sox 10 Blue Jays 2
Not only are the Jays bad, but they are also boring to watch. It is hard to watch them. We are less than 30 games into the season, and I’m thinking longingly of the off-season.
And I don’t know what they should do. They got rid of last year’s hitting coach. Should they fire the entire staff? I don’t see the point in firing John Schneider if they will replace him with Mattingly.
But they can’t continue to be boring. They have to, at least, but interesting to watch.
Ok, let’s start with the good stuff:
- Daulton Varsho made what might be the most amazing catch I’ve ever seen. He tripped going back on a ball, and yet, facing away from the field, he made a back-handed catch. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it.
- Vladimir Guerrero hit a home run over the wall in dead center field (107 mph, 421 feet). Nice to see him hitting the long ball again.
- Bo made a nice play on a softly hit grounder. He came in on the ball and bare-handed it.
And that might have been it for good moments.
Bowden Francis got clubbed. He gave up 5 home runs and 7 earned runs in just 3 innings. He did seem to be throwing hard, in the mid-90s when he’s been in the low-90s in the past. But it just seemed that the Red Sox had a good read on him. Everything was hit hard.
The bullpen did a fair bit of work:
- Dillon Tate: 1.1, 3 walks and 1 strikeout with no runs against.
- Mason Fluharty: 2.0 clean innings, 2 strikeouts.
- Casey Lawrence: 2.2 innings, 6 hits, 3 earned, 1 k.
I thought Lawrence was going to be the bulk guy tomorrow, but that won’t happen. I wonder if he’ll be DFAed to get us a pitcher who can go 2-4 innings tomorrow, cause we are going to need that.
We had four hits. Bo had two, including a double, he had a steal off second, and then was thrown out trying to steal third. Vlad had the homer. Clement had the other hit.
I don’t know…..I think they are more talented than they are showing, but we are being treated to some awful, boring baseball. Teams look lifeless when they aren’t hitting. I don’t know what the answer is. Santander is going to have to start hitting. Kirk. Clement, Gimenez.
Bo and Vlad are going to have to show more power. Bo still hasn’t hit a home run. He has a .290 BA but only a .686 OPS. He doesn’t walk, one in the last 15 games, 5 on the season. And his slugging average is only .363 which won’t cut it. And it won’t get him that longterm contract he would like. Right now I wouldn’t give him more than a one-year deal. He isn’t good enough with the glove to get by with a 99 OPS+.
And Vlad? He did have a homer tonight, but he’s hitting just .160 over the last five games, and his slugging average is only .411 on the season.
No Jays of the Day, though that catch by Varsho was entertaining anyway, and entertaining is rare from the Jays.
The Other Award: Francis (-.368 WPA). And the batting lineup deserves to share one.
Tomorrow, Lucas Giolito makes his first start since 2023, for the Red Sox. And, for the Jays? Well, it was to be a bullpen day. I think they need to call someone up. Yariel Rodriguez might be able to go two or three innings, but I don’t see us having the arms to cover the other six or seven.