2020 Blue Jays Season Thread

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Crown Royal

I've always liked Tabby but I think this might've been Siddel's first game on commentary, he sounded like he was having his cherry popped and was super nervous

Maybe but he was on Blue Jays radio for a number of years before being moved to the television studio.

[flamingred89]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Brewers are going with an opener against the Dodgers, I think this strategy, similar to the Jays yesterday, is disastrous. Why handicap yourself for no reason? For example, the Jays wanted Shoemaker to go 2 or 3 innings and Ray to go 2 or 3 innings because Ryu will go 7 today. How do you know that? What if Shoemaker can go 7 and Ryu gets rocked and only goes 3. Wouldn't it been nice to stretch out Shoemaker yesterday so the bullpen is healthy for today?

Yep. 100%. It's almost like teams are trying to manage in a vacuum with perfect outcomes. Baseball is an imperfect game which is what makes it so fun. So why try and go against that?

[ben voyonsdonc]

I really enjoy Siddall. It's hard to be compared to Shulman but I thought he did a pretty good job.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Brewers are going with an opener against the Dodgers, I think this strategy, similar to the Jays yesterday, is disastrous. Why handicap yourself for no reason? For example, the Jays wanted Shoemaker to go 2 or 3 innings and Ray to go 2 or 3 innings because Ryu will go 7 today. How do you know that? What if Shoemaker can go 7 and Ryu gets rocked and only goes 3. Wouldn't it been nice to stretch out Shoemaker yesterday so the bullpen is healthy for today?

It almost makes me not want to watch baseball sometimes. Teams over thinking things.

Shoemaker was rolling through three innings.

Maybe he comes out in the 4th inning and gets rocked. Or, maybe he goes on to have the game of his life and pitches 7 scoreless beautiful innings.

We'll never know now.

Having a plan is great, but sometimes you can deviate from that plan based on what is actually happening right in front of your eyes. If Shoemaker had come out and given up 5 hits, 3 walks and 5 runs in the first inning would the Jays have kept him in the game because "the plan was to have him pitch 2 or 3 innings"? NO! They would have deviated form the plan because of what they were seeing happening.

[Strange Brew]

The number of times through an order is becoming a rather established baseball strategy. Some pitchers just aren't good enough to let opposition hitters get a second look at them. Even some of the very best starters have a remarkably higher ERA the third time through an order.

It is different for sure but now these guys are trained and built for shorter duration, higher intensity efforts.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

The number of times through an order is becoming a rather established baseball strategy. Some pitchers just aren't good enough to let opposition hitters get a second look at them. Even some of the very best starters have a remarkably higher ERA the third time through an order.

It is different for sure but now these guys are trained and built for shorter duration, higher intensity efforts.

Sure but there could always be lightning in a bottle. These are major league pitchers. There were two no-hitters in 2020, can you guess who got them?

[The Big Chill]

There was no downside to bringing in Shoemaker for the 4th. Even if he only had 50 pitches in him for the day they should have given him at least one more batter. What are they afraid of, a walk? A solo shot? They could have been ready with a reliever if that happened. When a pitcher is dealing like that you let him keep going. Especially in a game like that where we are expected to lose and needed something unexpected to happen to turn it.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

There was no downside to bringing in Shoemaker for the 4th. Even if he only had 50 pitches in him for the day they should have given him at least one more batter. What are they afraid of, a walk? A solo shot? They could have been ready with a reliever if that happened.

I think the Jays really wanted Ray to come into the game with a clean slate - as a guy who mostly starts and has control issues, it would be risky to bring him in with men on base. I'm not sure if they felt Shoemaker would max out his pitch count trying to get through the 4th and, as a result, they would need to bring Ray in mid-inning which they probably really didn't want to do.

I personally think he should have been given the ball to go through the fourth inning but that probably should have been it.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

I think the Jays really wanted Ray to come into the game with a clean slate - as a guy who mostly starts and has control issues, it would be risky to bring him in with men on base. I'm not sure if they felt Shoemaker would max out his pitch count trying to get through the 4th and, as a result, they would need to bring Ray in mid-inning which they probably really didn't want to do.

I personally think he should have been given the ball to go through the fourth inning but that probably should have been it.

Why does it have to be Ray? I think this is where teams box themselves in. Say Shoemaker starts the 4th, have someone else warming up (Borucki maybe). If there's trouble, they can finish the 4th and have Ray start the 5th.


I think you ride Shoemaker until he gets in trouble, even if it's 9 innings.

[mrkajz44]

All this talk of pitching but the tandem of Shoe and Ray gave up one run in 6 innings, which is pretty much a great start by any standards. Felt like the real difference in the game was the Rays had lots of hard hit balls right at them. Was that good positioning or just good luck? That I'm not sure.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

I think the Jays really wanted Ray to come into the game with a clean slate - as a guy who mostly starts and has control issues, it would be risky to bring him in with men on base. I'm not sure if they felt Shoemaker would max out his pitch count trying to get through the 4th and, as a result, they would need to bring Ray in mid-inning which they probably really didn't want to do.

I personally think he should have been given the ball to go through the fourth inning but that probably should have been it.

For sure they would want Ray to start an inning. But you could send Shoemaker out for the 4th, and put in a reliever if he can't finish it. Then start Ray in the 5th. In that scenario, you are even if you need the reliever, and ahead if Shoemaker gives you a full inning.

[Enoch Root]

Today's lineup against the rightie, Glasnow:

Biggio
Bichette
Gurriel
Guerrero (DH)
Grichuk
Hernandez
Shaw (1B)
Panik
Jansen

Was hoping we might see Tellez DH instead of having Shaw in there, but they probably don't feel he's up to it yet.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

All this talk of pitching but the tandem of Shoe and Ray gave up one run in 6 innings, which is pretty much a great start by any standards. Felt like the real difference in the game was the Rays had lots of hard hit balls right at them. Was that good positioning or just good luck? That I'm not sure.

Sure but they could have given up 1 run in 9 innings. The 7th inning doesn't need to happen. And the Rays it's more good positioning then luck. Their pitchers pitch to their field.

[Enoch Root]

As for next year, that is essentially their lineup, if you replace Shaw with Tellez. It is pretty good, but it really illustrates the fact that they need a 3rd baseman with a high-end bat.

Replace Shaw and Panik with Tellez and good bat, and it's a full on, playoff lineup.

Then add a couple starters, and boom!

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Sure but they could have given up 1 run in 9 innings. The 7th inning doesn't need to happen. And the Rays it's more good positioning then luck. Their pitchers pitch to their field.

For sure they do, but there is a luck component as well. There were a couple really well hit line drives that, a foot to the left, are base hits. Who hit the scorcher right to the SS with 2 guys on base, Grichuk? That gets by the SS and it is a different ballgame.

[flamingred89]

And Biggio strikes out looking again. Dude is having a rough start to his playoff career with 4 K’s in 5 AB’s

[Enoch Root]

Biggio sees 3 pitches, 97, 99 and 99 mph, all at the knees.

Thanks for coming out.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by flamingred89

And Biggio strikes out looking again. Dude is having a rough start to his playoff career with 4 K’s in 5 AB’s

They know he wants to be patient, so they are throwing fastballs for strikes.

And they will keep doing it until he shows that he can do something about it.

[Enoch Root]

Glasnow's postseason stats are:

0-2 with a 7.71 ERA

I am going to go out on a limb and say that he does better than that today

[The Big Chill]

These Rays pitchers sure throw a lot of strikes. We need to be aggressive early in counts.