“We are frustrated and disapointed as well,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins made it clear to the media that the Toronto Blue Jays results haven’t been postive and another 6-5 loss to the Cleveland Guardians made those feelings even more aparent.
Toronto is now on a six game losing streak, the longest of the season and has also been swept in back-to-back series for the first time this season.
Cleveland once again got to Toronto’s starting pitching as Yusei Kikuchi only lasted 2.0 innings, allowing four earned runs over eight hits. For Kikuchi, it was his shortest outing of the season, and the RHP has now given up nine earned runs in his last two starts.
Overall, Toronto SP in the series only went 8.1 innings and allowed a huge 13 earned runs for a 14.44 ERA over that span.
Despite that, the game was very much back and forth; Toronto even held the lead multiple times. In the first inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. blasted a two-run homer, giving Toronto the 2-0 lead.
David Fry got the Guardians on the board, lining a ball to right field to make it 2-1 Toronto in the first inning. Fry has had a surprising breakout season for Cleveland, with a .955 OPS.
Angel Martinez, a prospect for the Guardians, collected his first MLB hit in the 2nd inning off Kikuchi.
Toronto wound answer back in the third inning after Spencer Horwitz mashed a ball of Triston McKenzie, making it 3-1 Toronto. Horwitz would hit another long ball in the fifth, his first multi-home run game of his career. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays wouldn’t retake the lead after the third inning.
Guardians SP Triston McKenzie didn’t have his best outing, only going 3.0 innings and giving up three earned runs on two home runs, but he did manage six strikeouts.
Cleveland got three more in the third, as Daniel Schneemann hit an RBI single, then Josh Naylor scored on a bases-loaded walk, followed by Brayan Rocchio grounding out to plate Bo Naylor, as they took a 4-3 lead.
Steven Kwan hit another home run in the series, hitting a ball from Zach Pop to right field in the fourth inning. Josh Naylor, a few batters later, hit his own home run to center-field off Brendon Little, making it 6-3 Guardians.
Despite Pop and Little giving up two runs, Toronto’s bullpen held Cleveland to just two runs in 6.0 innings between five relievers, yet the Guardians still came away with the win.
Toronto not only had a tough pill to swallow, losing another series, but they also lost a young key bat in their lineup.
Before today’s game, huge news broke regarding the Toronto Blue Jays and 2nd ranked prospect Orelvis Martinez. According to MLB, Martinez was banned for 80 games after being discovered with a performance-enhancing drug, Clomiphene.
In a statement, Martinez said, “For the past two years, I have been trying to start a family with my girlfriend. During the offseason, we visited a fertility clinic in the Dominican Republic, and after getting lab work done, we were prescribed a treatment, which included a medication called Rejun 50,”
Martinez didn’t disclose the information to the Toronto Blue Jays or the Major League Baseball’s Player Association, which the prospect takes full responsibility for.
Toronto called up Steward Berroa to replace Martinez on the MLB roster. Berroa is slashing .295/.380/.831 for Triple-A Buffalo this year.
Toronto leaves Cleveland, hoping for a fresh start to the week, as a familiar face takes on the Jays.
Boston, who swept Toronto last week, will now stand in Jays way, starting another three-game series against the Red Sox on Monday for a full seven-day stretch of American League East opponents between the Red Sox and New York Yankees.
