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Well, the first road trip began with the Jays getting swept in a three game series. They then visited an AL East opponent, and all was better.

But I must confess, I haven't been paying the closest attention to the Jays so far. It's still April, but mostly I think it's because there have simply been too many distractions. There's eight playoff series going on right now in both the NBA and the NHL, and at least half of them are pretty interesting.

Why, the Leafs have a fighting chance of actually making it through to the next round.

These are truly strange and mysterious times.

Matchups

Fri 25 Apr - Berrios (1-1, 5.02) vs Carrasco (2-1, 6.53)
Sat 26 Apr - Gausman (2-2, 3.16) vs Fried (4-0, 1.42)
Sun 27 Apr - Bassitt (2-1, 1.88) vs Schmidt (0-1, 7.45)
Toronto at New York, April 25-27 | 36 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
uglyone - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 04:21 PM EDT (#459294) #
so much depends
upon

an april division
series

glazed with rain
water

inside the white
stadium

Magpie - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 04:25 PM EDT (#459295) #
I wasn't expecting William Carlos Williams.

NOBODY EXPECTS WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS.
uglyone - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 04:30 PM EDT (#459296) #
in dire times we must turn to the poets!
Nigel - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 04:33 PM EDT (#459297) #
For those not following closely, things can be expertly summarized thusly:

First 20 games: Generally entertaining; Not perfect, but more good that bad

Last 5 games: Bad; Super bad; Super super bad.
Magpie - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 05:06 PM EDT (#459300) #
in dire times we must turn to the poets!

Indeed, and I especially admire how you didn't lazily turn to Eliot and trot out the same old stuff about April being the cruellest month. Well played!
John Northey - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 05:12 PM EDT (#459301) #
By series it is T-W-L-W-T-W-L-L so the series are 3-3-2 - a 500 record vs the actual record of 12-13. 5 more games in April. In 2024 M/April was 15-16, 2023 18-10, 2022 14-8, 2021 12-12. 2020 didn't have an April (we were all locked down). So for the Bo-Vlad era (neither up in April 2019) the team has been solid in April: 59-46 a 562 win% (91 win pace) but that is mostly 2022/2023 (the 2 playoff years). If the Jays win the next 5 (unlikely) they'd be at 567 win% or a 92 win pace. I'd be happy with a 3-2 record, putting them at 500 for April, a tough month where a 500 record is a victory of sorts.
92-93 - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 05:26 PM EDT (#459302) #
Judge is hitting a Bondsian .415/.513/.734 and leads the league in hits, runs, and RBI. The case can be made to just walk him most times that he's up.

With Fried on the bump tomorrow, the Jays need to mash tonight against Carrasco and pick up a win. The problem is that the Yankees lineup owns Berrios.
Marc Hulet - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 05:43 PM EDT (#459304) #
Tonight's a good night to do anything but watch the Jays tbh... Fried+Anemic Jays offence is a bad combination.

Add in the Yankees' magical ability to hit for .150 more slugging at home vs the road in the coldest month of the year... I'm predicting minimum 10 runs for the Yankees tonight.
GabrielSyme - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 06:13 PM EDT (#459305) #
It's been frustrating for us over the past week, but at least the Jays aren't limited to talent from the draft, amateur and international signees.

By my calculations, original Jays talent have combined for a whopping 0.8 fWAR so far this year, which would rank 28th in the majors, ahead of only the Rockies and White Sox.

Some of that is some marginal players playing terribly and getting significant playing time (hello Vinny Capra!) but mostly it's just mediocrity. The most valuable Jays signee so far? Jeff Hoffman.
92-93 - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 07:23 PM EDT (#459306) #
Vladdy watches a first pitch cookie from Carrasco and then strikes out flailing. We're back baby.
Nigel - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 08:03 PM EDT (#459307) #
It’s still a smallish sample (6 games) but I am struggling to remember a more inept offensive stretch for the Jays.
Eephus - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 08:23 PM EDT (#459308) #
I'm starting to think a good drinking game would be to have a drink anytime the Jays are able to cash in a leadoff runner in scoring position. Great way to keep the bar tab cheap.
John Northey - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 08:40 PM EDT (#459309) #
If one wants to get drunk just drink each time someone complains about the Jays offense. You won't make it to the 5th inning. And of course, Vlad home run, but a solo one. Badly needed.
Nigel - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 08:49 PM EDT (#459310) #
The improvement in Kirk’s throwing since he arrived in the majors is the single most impressive skill development at the major league level I can ever remember. He was a very good receiver but a poor thrower when he first came to Toronto.
Eephus - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 08:50 PM EDT (#459311) #
If one wants to get drunk just drink each time someone complains about the Jays offense.

I'm not sure a person would live past the second inning, heh.

Hey, at least Kirk is doing that kind of stuff with regularity. His throws have been like phaser beams (ah? Ah?)


greenfrog - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 08:54 PM EDT (#459312) #
Just win. 1-0 is just as good as 10-0.
greenfrog - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:02 PM EDT (#459313) #
Maybe should have gone with Yimi plus Hoffman for innings 7-9?
Eephus - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:02 PM EDT (#459314) #
Gonna have to be 2-1 now.
greenfrog - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:13 PM EDT (#459315) #
The Blue Jays have to find a way to cash Lukes here.
greenfrog - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:16 PM EDT (#459316) #
Vladdy took a hanging breaking ball right down the middle to start that critical PA.
greenfrog - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:23 PM EDT (#459317) #
If Lukes wasn’t going to steal second in that situation (1-1 game, T8, none out), why not pinch-run for him with Straw? That run was so important. The non-steal attempt and subsequent weak PA by Bo, Vladdy and Santander killed the inning.
Eephus - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:25 PM EDT (#459318) #
Hitting a pitched baseball successfully is indeed extremely difficult to do and these Blue Jays sure are adept that proving the truth of that. It’s a team bent on realism, damnit!

(Guess that’s a complaint, isn’t it. I’d have a drink but I’m not doing that kind of thing at the moment. Pineapple soda for all!)

Hey, nice play by Clement there. Man if this team could get back to even a league average level of offence…. they’ve got a lot of the rest figured out.
Eephus - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:27 PM EDT (#459319) #
Ughhh. Springer hesitating in his tracks there was the difference there in that Bellinger pop dropping. Saw the big swing and froze.
greenfrog - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:32 PM EDT (#459320) #
Schneider seemingly getting a bit cute, pulling the experienced Yimi with one out and none in the eighth to bring in the inexperienced Fluharty in a high-leverage situation in Yankee Stadium.
Petey Baseball - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:42 PM EDT (#459321) #
I mean if you’re going to keep challenging the umps calls why don’t you go out there and stick up for your team a bit? Tumpane let the Yankees talk him into that HBP and it might cost them the game.
uglyone - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:43 PM EDT (#459322) #
omigod alejandro actually did it, and with power.
dalimon5 - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:54 PM EDT (#459323) #
This team is unwatchable right now!
greenfrog - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:58 PM EDT (#459324) #
Whoa Hoffman just blew Judge away with an up-and-in 98 MPH fastball.

Glevin - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 09:59 PM EDT (#459325) #
Badly needed!!
uglyone - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 10:00 PM EDT (#459326) #
I'll be happy if Hoffman just does this for one year for us, a la BJ Ryan.

anything more than that is gravy.
Eephus - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 10:08 PM EDT (#459327) #
About as big an April win as you can find. If hitting is indeed contagious let’s hope this is the moment the team catches the fever.

(Apologies for my maximum cliche, Warp 9 there)
greenfrog - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 10:14 PM EDT (#459328) #
Yes and Hoffman’s contract is much better value than BJ’s was.

The Yimi pull oddly reminded me of the WC game 2 Berrios pull. Close ballgame, veteran RHP doing fine and pitch count low…and Schneider pulls him in favour of a lefty for a theoretical analytical advantage.

Obviously the two situations were very different in some respects, but the wrong managerial instinct felt familiar to me.

Good finish for the team in the ninth, though.
Nigel - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 10:14 PM EDT (#459329) #
Kirk gets the flowers today for sure but it’s kind of cool to feel like you have the baddest closer in a series.
John Northey - Friday, April 25 2025 @ 10:24 PM EDT (#459330) #
Boy the Yankees have issues in closer Devin Williams. Just his first blown save vs 4 converted, but his last game he had a 4 run lead (thus not a save situation) and blew it. On April 9th he was also given a 4 run lead and nearly blew it (gave up 3 runs). Just not impressive to blow a 4 run lead, and nearly blow another 4 run lead in 1 month, plus blowing the save tonight.

Romano meanwhile is now at -1.0 bWAR (had a 7 run lead and knocked it down to a 1 run lead a few days ago, blew a save on the 23rd). Sad, was hoping he'd still do well but instead he has made Atkins look smart.
StephenT - Saturday, April 26 2025 @ 01:55 AM EDT (#459331) #
I listened to some of the NYY radio broadcast tonight.
I thought it was amusing after Sims said Rogers doesn't lack for funds,
Waldman retorted that "they also don't travel their radio crew".
StephenT - Saturday, April 26 2025 @ 02:45 AM EDT (#459332) #
My impression is that the Yankees used their embattled closer vs. the Jays tonight because they figured pitching against a lineup that's not hitting would be a way to get him back on track.
But their fans were chanting 'We want Weaver' (before Kirk's hit).
Toronto at New York, April 25-27 | 36 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.