Blue Jays take it to 10th, but drop fifth in a row to Rays

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The Blue Jays weren’t expecting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to suddenly challenge Aaron Judge for the AL lead in homers when the franchise doled out the largest contract in club history, not to mention the most lucrative in Canadian sports history.

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Long balls and Vlad Jr. don’t necessarily go hand in hand, unless the Jays are forced to play in minor league ballparks.

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Given baseball’s marathon season, there’s time to turn things around, knowing it’s only mid-May.

But when does the time arrive, if it hasn’t already, for the microscope to fall squarely on the face of the franchise?

As the saying goes — to whom much is given, much will be required.

An awful lot, namely $500 million as part of a 14-year deal that kicked in this season, was given to Vlad Jr.

The Jays are operating in an odd baseball universe where everything and everyone, including Vlad Jr., will be judged when the playoffs roll around.

Granted, the Jays have played well short of expectations, but the AL is not good.

Entering Tuesday’s play, only four teams had winning records.

When Guerrero struck out in his first at-bat Tuesday in a very atypical Vlad Jr. plate appearance, his average fell below .300.

It’s not often when Vlad Jr. looks so overmatched, even if the pitcher on the mound happened to be Shane McClanahan, the same left-hander who pitched 5.2 shutout innings while yielding two hits against the Blue Jays last week in St. Petersburg.

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Guerrero’s most recent extra-base hit came on April 28, his most recent home run on April 20.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider believes Vlad Jr. is at that point where he wants to be the guy to carry the club, believing the more he feels that way, the most difficult it will become.

There’s some truth to the skipper’s words, but the fact is Vlad Jr. is being paid to be the guy.

He has to produce, needless to say.

Vlad Jr. faced righty reliever Casey Legumina in the sixth inning, one on and one out, and lined out to centre field.

When the Jays rallied in the seventh inning, Vlad Jr. was at the plate, tying runner at second, two outs, the fans chanting “Vladdy! Vladdy!’’

He hit a grounder that went off the glove of third baseman Junior Caminero as the game was suddenly and shockingly tied.

Caminero was charged with a fielding error, his second of the game.

Just when all looked lost, the Jays were in a position to win a game and beat Tampa Bay following four successive losses to the AL East leaders.

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The game required extra innings, with Tampa Bay scoring twice in the 10th, while a Vlad Jr. sac fly produced Toronto’s lone run in the home half in a 7-6 loss, the Jays’ fifth straight against the Rays. Tampa Bay needs a win Wednesday to complete its second series sweep against Toronto.

The following are three takeaways on Loonie Dogs Night when the home crowd booed, for some strange reason, second baseman Lenyn Sosa when he failed to make a tough play on a grounder hit to his right with two outs in the fourth inning, a night when Yohendrick Pinango stroked a two-run pinch-hit double in the seventh.

1. Standing Pat

Trouble percolated early for starter Patrick Corbin, who has been a pleasant surprise for the Jays almost from the moment the veteran left-hander signed his one-year deal worth $1 million.

Outside of perhaps one rough outing, Corbin has at least given his team a chance.

Tuesday represented the outlier.

Six pitches into his outing and Corbin had surrendered three rather loud and sharply hit balls.

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The irony to Corbin’s start was the three runs Tamps scored off him came on two balls that were far from being characterized as sharply hit.

The three runs surrendered came with two outs.

The well-struck balls were the ones that would resonate on this night.

Corbin’s stuff wasn’t doing anything to fool the Rays, who witnessed a runner getting thrown out at the plate against a drawn-in infield.

Through three innings, the Rays had recorded seven hits, including two for extra bases.

2. Sizing up the order

A reminder of the Jays’ inefficiency at the plate was revealed in their opening lineup.

Of the nine players comprising the order, two entered the night hitting below .200 and three were batting below .250.

Through six innings, the Jays had two hits.

The Blue Jays had four hits in the seventh when they scored five runs. The Jays had five consecutive runners reach base with two outs.

3. Hoffman taken deep

Toronto’s one-time closer, Jeff Hoffman, has been used primarily in the seventh inning.

While he has shown to be effective in this new role, knowing one bad pitch isn’t likely to cost the Jays a win, Hoffman can be vulnerable.

He gave up a leadoff homer to Ryan Vilade, the third dinger Hoffman has surrendered this season and first since that inglorious appearance in Phoenix when Corbin Carroll stroked a grand slam to power the Diamondbacks to their 6-2 win.

Up Next

Dylan Cease’s starts have turned into a must-see occasion and the right-hander isscheduled to make his ninth of the season in Wednesday’s  series finale (7:07 p.m. first pitch).

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

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