Blue Jays Discussion: Jays host wild-card game vs BAL....Stroman Starts

[GoonieFace]

And Grilli

And as someone mentioned, Carrera caught stealing turned out to be huge

Gotta win today

This team has been playing with fire lately, they cant continue to expect the starters to throw 6 and 7 shutout innings every game. They should have buried Tillman early and this wouldnt have even been an issue, but they are letting teams hang around every game. I still do not understand why you have a guy steal with Donaldson, EE and Bautista behind them, makes no sense.

 

[janesy12]

This team has been playing with fire lately, they cant continue to expect the starters to throw 6 and 7 shutout innings every game. They should have buried Tillman early and this wouldnt have even been an issue, but they are letting teams hang around every game. I still do not understand why you have a guy steal with Donaldson, EE and Bautista behind them, makes no sense.

Or maybe it does make sense to try and steal because JD EE and Bau are behind them.. So teams think they won't run, but they run. Which confuses them....and me....and them.. hmmm my head hurts.

Bottom line: I agree with you. I can see why they're running though. Runs have been hard to come by so they're trying anything they can to cash them.

What I have issues with are guys up there hacking at everything they can. The first two pitches Upton swung at in the bottom of 8 (bases loaded) he didn't come close. Hacking at anything. Pillar is similar.

 

[Amadeus]

This team consistently finds ways to beat themselves. Frustrating and doesnt bode well.

 

[BlueForever]

I said this yesterday and will say it again. Our bullpen is being misused and we are seeing results because of it.

We are up 5-1 two nights ago and we bring in Osuna. For what. It is obvious that Osuna doesn't have the gitty up in his fastball as he did up until a month ago. Why use him when he isn't needed? Yesterday to me is the object of mis-use. Tiredness.

No way Kim gets around on his fastball when he is rested and true.

When up big scores there is no need to use Osuna..... period.

Cecil has been one of our best relievers over the past month. Shutting out opponents on 27 straight hitters. Hes got it back it seems. Grilli, Benoit (when not hurt) and Osuna have been used a great deal over the past 10 games because all of our starters have been getting us to the 6th or later. So when there is an opportunity to save them, rest them. Do so.

Why do we have Biagini, Cecil, Loup, Tepera, and Feldman in the pen. Not to mention Barnes!!! Use these guys for more then one out.

To me the 3 blown saves in the past 4 games is due to mis-use of the bullpen before that.

 

[theaub]

Meh. Blown saves happen. Sometimes they're clustered.

Its really unfortunate we've put ourselves in the one game playoff conversation, because this is the prototypical awesome starting pitching, just deep enough bullpen playoff team.

 

[King Mapes]

Ok, and if they started the inning with someone else and a couple of guys get on base, Osuna is in anyway. But instead of a clean inning hes coming in with guys on base. Simple fact is they need to win every game, and you don't mess around facing the team directly behind you.

You can't just put him in every game. He needs a break.

 

[ACC1224]

I know one play doesn't cost a game but I thought Bautista's base running gaffe really hurt.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

Meh. Blown saves happen. Sometimes they're clustered.

Its really unfortunate we've put ourselves in the one game playoff conversation, because this is the prototypical awesome starting pitching, just deep enough bullpen playoff team.

This is true, though the atmosphere of the single game will be fun (hopefully at home). I'm sure Pirates fans haven't been happy the last three years, but in the games themselves, its probably as exciting as it gets in baseball.

I don't think our melodramatic fanbase will be able to control themselves; so at the very lease, watching the three hour rollercoaster of emotion and menstruation will be entertaining.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

I know one play doesn't cost a game but I thought Bautista's base running gaffe really hurt.

Yeah, very poor base running. It happens, but you don't like to see it happen.

 

[Loosie]

This is true, though the atmosphere of the single game will be fun (hopefully at home). I'm sure Pirates fans haven't been happy the last three years, but in the games themselves, its probably as exciting as it gets in baseball.

I don't think our melodramatic fanbase will be able to control themselves; so at the very lease, watching the three hour rollercoaster of emotion and menstruation will be entertaining.

The game will be over if the opposition scores first. And even we have a lead the opposition will still win. The post-season in this place is crazy.

 

[Loosie]

I know one play doesn't cost a game but I thought Bautista's base running gaffe really hurt.

Same could be said about Carrera getting caught stealing.

 

[Discoverer]

Yeah, very poor base running. It happens, but you don't like to see it happen.

I get trying to be aggressive on that play and wanting to score in a tight game, but there were none out when it happened. I thought he should have been content to get to third if it dropped instead of trying so hard to get an early read and score the run.

 

[Loosie]

I get trying to be aggressive on that play and wanting to score in a tight game, but there were none out when it happened. I thought he should have been content to get to third if it dropped instead of trying so hard to get an early read and score the run.

I missed that one as I was putting my little one to bed, so when I read the description on At Bat I thought it was caught shallow and Bautista was caught leading with no time to get back. What exactly happened? Bautsita broke on contact and was long gone by the time it was caught?

 

[Upgrayedd]

I missed that one as I was putting my little one to bed, so when I read the description on At Bat I thought it was caught shallow and Bautista was caught leading with no time to get back. What exactly happened? Bautsita broke on contact and was long gone by the time it was caught?

Pretty much, an awful time of year to hit the skids...hopefully they can rebound ASAP

 

[Discoverer]

I missed that one as I was putting my little one to bed, so when I read the description on At Bat I thought it was caught shallow and Bautista was caught leading with no time to get back. What exactly happened? Bautsita broke on contact and was long gone by the time it was caught?

He went half way and watched the play, and when it looked like it was going to drop, he broke for third. He didn't wait to see if it was actually caught, which it was, obviously.

 

[Discoverer]

Pretty much, an awful time of year to hit the skids...hopefully they can rebound ASAP

They're 6-3 since the start of the Seattle series. All three losses have been agonizing (last night, the Grilli implosion against the Yankees, the Donaldson errors against Seattle) but it doesn't matter how they lose. They're playing good ball right now.

 

[Suntouchable13]

They're 6-3 since the start of the Seattle series. All three losses have been agonizing (last night, the Grilli implosion against the Yankees, the Donaldson errors against Seattle) but it doesn't matter how they lose. They're playing good ball right now.

Yes, but with the pitching they have been getting from the starters they should be at least 8-1

 

[Discoverer]

Yes, but with the pitching they have been getting from the starters they should be at least 8-1

You'd like to see a better record, yeah. And it's beyond frustrating that the starters in the three losses have allowed a combined 2 ER in 19.2 innings.

But that's kind of how baseball works. Things are rarely clicking at the same time. With mediocre production from the offense and terrible performances from the bullpen recently, they're still 6-3.

 

[Suntouchable13]

You'd like to see a better record, yeah. And it's beyond frustrating that the starters in the three losses have allowed a combined 2 ER in 19.2 innings.

But that's kind of how baseball works. Things are rarely clicking at the same time. With mediocre production from the offense and terrible performances from the bullpen recently, they're still 6-3.

All these excuses. Everything seemed to be clicking for Boston, and at the right time too. The team has underachieved.

 

[Discoverer]

All these excuses. Everything seemed to be clicking for Boston, and at the right time too. The team has underachieved.

It's not an excuse, it's the reality of baseball for literally every team ever. Sometimes, everything clicks for a team for a while and you get a hot streak like Boston just had. Sometimes, things click for a team for a longer period and you get a hot streak like the Jays had the second half of 2015. More often than not, there are short-term ups and downs over the course of the season, and that's what we've seen with the Jays this year.

And the only "right time" to have everything clicking is in the playoffs. Once the regular season ends, how hot or cold a team was has no impact on postseason success. Just get there.

 

[Patmac40]

All these excuses. Everything seemed to be clicking for Boston, and at the right time too. The team has underachieved.

There's three teams in the AL who have better records in the last 10 games. It's not the be-all-end-all. It sucks that we blew a lead in the 9th but we have a chance today to go out and put up some runs on a pitcher we've beat up on this year.

Boston is the exception, not the standard. That was the Jays last year. The starting pitching is encouraging at this time of year so hopefully the bats come around to have a better cushion for the bullpen.

 

[oilers89]

This team consistently finds ways to beat themselves. Frustrating and doesnt bode well.

They also consistently find ways to beat the other team. Which is my favorite.

 

[The Nemesis]

This team has been playing with fire lately, they cant continue to expect the starters to throw 6 and 7 shutout innings every game. They should have buried Tillman early and this wouldnt have even been an issue, but they are letting teams hang around every game. I still do not understand why you have a guy steal with Donaldson, EE and Bautista behind them, makes no sense.

And then when the Jays weren't running on the basepaths because they had big power bats in the lineup, people complained that they were waiting to depend on the power bats and needed to play some small ball and manufacture runs.

Can't have it both ways. And can't pretend that whether or not it was a smart idea can be evaluated in hindsight based on success/failure.

 

[ShaneFalco]

 

[ShaneFalco]