Pitching needs to improve for the Toronto Blue Jays to climb out of the 2-0 ALCS deficit they’ve dug themselves, and it’ll all start with Shane Bieber in Game 3 on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park.
Pivotal starts like this are exactly why this organization acquired Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians at the trade deadline — paying a steep price to do so, sending top pitching prospect Khal Stephen in return. They desperately need a quality outing from him in Seattle. The bullpen has endured a heavy workload over these first two games, covering 8.1 innings of the possible 18 versus the Mariners, and has struggled to stop the bleeding.
In Game 1, after Kevin Gausman surrendered a solo shot from Cal Raleigh and walked Julio Rodríguez with two outs in the sixth inning, Brendon Little gave up an RBI single to Jorge Polanco before striking out the next batter. Then, in Game 2, Louis Varland — who’s pitched in all six of Toronto’s post-season games — also couldn’t slow down Polanco, who blasted a go-ahead, three-run bomb.
Bullpen woes are always magnified during this time of the year. It’s just part of post-season baseball. But the blame isn’t theirs alone to bear. Gausman and Yesavage didn’t create the softest of landing spots for the ‘pen. Not to mention, the offence has mustered only four runs on eight hits thus far, with almost half of those hits coming from Nathan Lukes on Monday.
There’s plenty of room for improvement to go around as this series heads to the Pacific Northwest for Games 3, 4 and 5, if necessary.
“I’m going to continue to trust them, for one, and I’m going to continue to trust everyone that either starts the game or comes in,” said manager John Schneider, giving his struggling staff a vote of confidence. “Sometimes bullpens can be volatile. There’s certain situations where you’re chasing matchups, you’re chasing velo, you’re chasing stuff for certain guys. The first two games it hasn’t worked out.
“You still trust Shane Bieber, you still Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman. You still trust all those guys. I think you just got to come in and execute.”
For Bieber, Wednesday’s virtual must-win game will be his shot at redemption. He only lasted 2.2 innings in Game 3 versus New York, charged with three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk before being lifted. Poor defence didn’t help his cause, but neither did the fact that he was without his best stuff and execution.
The 30-year-old hurler said prior to Game 2 that he isn’t dwelling on his disappointing showing against the Yankees and is excited for the opportunity to pitch in front of another hostile crowd on the road, albeit one that’ll likely be filled with West Coast Blue Jays fans travelling across the border.
“I love it. It’s cool. It’s something to embrace,” Bieber said. “Ultimately it’s how many people get the opportunity to pitch in the playoffs in the ALCS in what’s going to be a great environment in Seattle, so I’m excited for it.”
Still, Bieber also knows the challenge that lies ahead of him.
The Blue Jays’ coaching staff has proven they won’t hesitate to be aggressive with their bullpen. Any time a starter runs into trouble, regardless of the inning, you’ll see someone warming in the bullpen — just as Braydon Fisher was in Game 2, amidst Trey Yesavage’s 33-pitch first.
As such, there’ll be added pressure for Bieber — a pending free agent after successfully recovering from Tommy John surgery — to attack the strike zone and finish hitters quickly against Seattle’s surging offence. He’ll need to set the tone early and often, ensuring he leaves everything out on the mound in what could be his final start of 2025.
“We all know as starting pitchers, we’ve got to go out there and empty the tank,” said Bieber, who hopes his next Game 3 performance will be better than his last. “You don’t want to step off that mound with excess energy or anything left in the tank. So I think what that means is since there’s no guarantees, you’ve got to step on it from pitch one.”
Bieber could reset momentum in this series with a vintage performance in Game 3. Such a remarkable showing would also be a huge victory for Toronto’s relief corps ahead of a potential bullpen game on Thursday, with Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt (who tossed 1.2 clean innings out of the ‘pen on Monday) on the roster as options to pitch as well.
It could end up being one of those all-hands-on-deck type of situations, with Gausman lined up to start Game 5 — if the series extends that far. First things first, though, the Blue Jays have to start punching their way back into this heavyweight tilt — and Bieber has a chance to provide the first blow.