Blue Jays lose sixth game in a row after sweep by Rangers

Article content

If misery does indeed love company, then the Blue Jays have their ideal partner in the New York Mets, who will be town for a three-game series beginning Monday night.

Article content

Even if the Jays happen to sweep the equally lowly Mets, their 10-game homestand will amount to a losing stretch, a period that has seen Toronto drop games by every conceivable way.

Article content

Article content

Sunday was no exception as the Texas Rangers scored the winning run — from second base on a wild pitch in the ninth inning — of a 3-2 victory to complete its four-game sweep of a Jays team that has now lost six in a row.

That deciding sequence tidily summed up this stretch of abject failure for the Jays.

Closer Louis Varland was on the mound to start the ninth in a 2-2 game. He struck out Alejandro Osuna and Joc Pederson but then came two fateful pitches in a row. The first saw Josh Jung hit a two-out double to centre. The second, to Corey Seager, bounced past catcher Alejandro Kirk and appeared to roll up the protective screen. By the time Kirk retrieved it down the first-base line, pinch-runner Jarred Kelenic scampered home from second in a head-first dive.

For the record, Varland wound up fanning Yeager in an 11-pitch standoff to complete his three-strikeout inning.
In all four games, the Jays offence was anemic, but made things interesting with some late-game hitting. On Sunday, it was a timely two-run homer by Nathan Lukes that pulled them even.

Article content

Article content

The Jays will now turn their attention to the Mets in a series that will be remembered for Bo Bichette’s return. When Bichette last played for the Jays, he hit a three-run homer off Shohei Ohtani to give Toronto an early lead in Game 7 of last fall’s World Series.

The following are three takeaways from a game in which the Jays tied their season high for consecutive losses in dropping to 39-45.

THE PAIN WITH SHANE

Roughed up in his season debut against the Houston Astros, Shane Bieber’s second outing looked equally ominous.

One pitch into the game and the Jays were already trailing 1-0 on a Pederson homer as Bieber gave up his fourth long ball in two starts.

In fairness, he settled down and found a rhythm.

Compared to the recent travails of Toronto’s starters, Bieber’s pitching could be viewed as Cy Young worthy. He struck out the side in the fifth, an inning for the record books as it included his 1,000th-career K when he retired Jung for the second out.

The best of Bieber, at least in two starts, arrived Sunday. He pitched into the sixth inning, which must be considered a very positive step forward.

Article content

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

OFF HIS ROCKER

Even the most fervent fan of the Blue Jays would be hard-pressed to come up with anything close to a scouting report on Kumar Rocker, the right-hander who started for the Rangers.

For those fortunate enough to be in attendance, they got a first-hand look at Rocker, a relative no-name in MLB circles. He’s got stuff and after he yielded back-to-back hits to begin his outing, Rocker didn’t surrender his next hit until there were two outs in the fourth inning.

Bieber is by far the more accomplished and polished pitcher, who nonetheless was making only his second start of the season. Still, Rocker went pitch for pitch with the former Cy Young Award winner.

One particular at-bat against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. spoke to Rocker’s stuff and the Jays first baseman’s ongoing issues. The end result was a bad chase by Guerrero on a pitch that was well down and outside for a swinging third strike.

In his first at-bat, Guerrero didn’t waste any time in making solid contact on a pitch, the first he saw by the way, that carried to the warning track in right field fort a long out.

Article content

THIRST FOR FIRST

Somehow, some way, the Jays need to get out of this rut where an opponent jumps on them right from the start.

That’s seven games now in which the Jays have given up a run in the top of the first.

The Rangers had feasted on Toronto pitching this series and were poised to deliver an early knockout blow when Jung singled and Seager walked following the Pederson leadoff blast.

Another walk to Jake Burger loaded the bases with one out, but Bieber escaped the first with no further damage by striking out Evan Carter on four pitches.

Up next

Monday’s scheduled starter for the Jays will be RHP Trey Yesavage, who has yet to regain his form from last season; keep in mind Monday’s scheduled start marks only his 15th in the regular season; the Mets will counter with LHP Sean Manaea before New York throws two righties at the Jays in Nolan McLean and Freddy Peralta on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

Article content