Toronto Blue Jays 2017 regular season thread

[GirlySports]

I get sad when I watch Syndegaard.

[alan21]

I know it's a 162 game season but digging a whole too deep to start just wears down the team even if they can recover and you can lack luster PO performances.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Not that the bullpen is the only problem to start this season (there are many), but if you ask any former major league player what is important to start the season, it's pitching. They'll tell you pitching is always ahead of hitting and stays that way until mid/late May.

Taking that pretty well known concept into account, i'm not sure why the Jays want to start each and every season behind the 8-ball with a bunch of reclamation projects in the pen.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

Not that the bullpen is the only problem to start this season (there are many), but if you ask any former major league player what is important to start the season, it's pitching. They'll tell you pitching is always ahead of hitting and stays that way until mid/late May.

Taking that pretty well known concept into account, i'm not sure why the Jays want to start each and every season behind the 8-ball with a bunch of reclamation projects in the pen.

Has the Pen really been a problem so far this year?

Game 1: 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER
Game 2: 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER
Game 3: 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER
Game 4: 7.2 IP, 10 hits, 5 ER (tough game where your starter goes 0.1 IP)
Game 5: 3.2 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER
Game 6: 3.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER

Overall 22.2 IP, and 9 ER against.

So not the greatest for sure but most of the problems over the last two games have been Lawrence, who isn't even pitching if they Jays don't have 2 extra innings games in the first week, need to use up the entire bullpen due to Liriano only going an inning.

Rest of the staff has been pretty good outside of the Liriano game.

Bats are easily the bigger problem IMO.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Bats are easily the bigger problem IMO.

Yep. A few more hits and they are easily 3-3 or 4-2 and no one is talking about a bad start at all.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Has the Pen really been a problem so far this year?
.

I would think the main concern is the lack of offense. (i.e. its really early)

Martin, Bautista, Tulowizki, Morales and Travis all have had slow starts....

Pitching has had two rough games other than that they have been solid.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Has the Pen really been a problem so far this year?

Game 1: 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER
Game 2: 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER
Game 3: 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER
Game 4: 7.2 IP, 10 hits, 5 ER (tough game where your starter goes 0.1 IP)
Game 5: 3.2 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER
Game 6: 3.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER

Overall 22.2 IP, and 9 ER against.

So not the greatest for sure but most of the problems over the last two games have been Lawrence, who isn't even pitching if they Jays don't have 2 extra innings games in the first week, need to use up the entire bullpen due to Liriano only going an inning.

Rest of the staff has been pretty good outside of the Liriano game.

Bats are easily the bigger problem IMO.

Agreed, and on top of all that the Jays best reliever hasn't pitched an inning yet due to injury. Bullpen not the problem so far, offense is.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Has the Pen really been a problem so far this year?

Game 1: 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER
Game 2: 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER
Game 3: 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER
Game 4: 7.2 IP, 10 hits, 5 ER (tough game where your starter goes 0.1 IP)
Game 5: 3.2 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER
Game 6: 3.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER

Overall 22.2 IP, and 9 ER against.

So not the greatest for sure but most of the problems over the last two games have been Lawrence, who isn't even pitching if they Jays don't have 2 extra innings games in the first week, need to use up the entire bullpen due to Liriano only going an inning.

Rest of the staff has been pretty good outside of the Liriano game.

Bats are easily the bigger problem IMO.

That would be a 4.10 ERA which is very bad for a bullpen.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

That would be a 4.10 ERA which is very bad for a bullpen.

Isn't it 3.6?

And if you take away that one game where they had to come in in the first inning it's 2.4 for the rest of the games no?

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Isn't it 3.6?

And if you take away that one game where they had to come in in the first inning it's 2.4 for the rest of the games no?

Yes I forgot to multiply back by 9 after dividing! I stand corrected!

The issue is the bullpen has lost 3 games already. They have actually been quiet good at times, but made so bad mistakes.

The hitting is issue #1 for sure.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

The issue is the bullpen has lost 3 games already. They have actually been quiet good at times, but made so bad mistakes.

Also not quite fair to blame them for those 3 losses though. Two of them were extra innings, and the other was a game where the starter went 0.1 Innings Pitched.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Also not quite fair to blame them for those 3 losses though. Two of them were extra innings, and the other was a game where the starter went 0.1 Innings Pitched.

..and again, with their closer on the shelf.

[Cappy]

The offense is 29th in OPS right now (Seattle in 30). Thats tough and explains why both teams are struggling.

They are above average in SOs so that isn't the main culprit.

18th in reliever ERA (MLB says they have 11 ER in 22.2 IP). Not great (and thoroughly explained by others), but not enough to declare them the goat yet.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Has the Pen really been a problem so far this year?

Game 1: 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER
Game 2: 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER
Game 3: 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER
Game 4: 7.2 IP, 10 hits, 5 ER (tough game where your starter goes 0.1 IP)
Game 5: 3.2 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER
Game 6: 3.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER

Overall 22.2 IP, and 9 ER against.

So not the greatest for sure but most of the problems over the last two games have been Lawrence, who isn't even pitching if they Jays don't have 2 extra innings games in the first week, need to use up the entire bullpen due to Liriano only going an inning.

Rest of the staff has been pretty good outside of the Liriano game.

Bats are easily the bigger problem IMO.

3 losses already this year and looking like they have the past two seasons. it's a big concern. Offence always takes a while to come around, you can't be losing games in the bullpen while the offence starts to take shape.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Also not quite fair to blame them for those 3 losses though. Two of them were extra innings, and the other was a game where the starter went 0.1 Innings Pitched.

How is not fair? They had the lead in those games and the bullpen blew it. It wouldn't be fair if they never had the lead to begin with, but the Jays had the lead and were in a position to win and the pen couldn't get the job done.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

How is not fair? They had the lead in those games and the bullpen blew it. It wouldn't be fair if they never had the lead to begin with, but the Jays had the lead and were in a position to win and the pen couldn't get the job done.

Sounds like we need a solid closer....

[KootenayFlamesFan]

JD will not be in the starting lineup today, he may come off the bench. Goins draws in.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Ben Nicholson-Smith‏@bnicholsonsmith
Roberto Osuna activated
Casey Lawrence optioned

[Galakanokis]

That line up looks woefully thin without Donaldson in there. They really need some guys to step up or bounce back or this is going to be a long season.

[HappyGilmore]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

That line up looks woefully thin without Donaldson in there. They really need some guys to step up or bounce back or this is going to be a long season.

162 games in a season. Not even 10 into the seson and the crying about it potentially being a long one begins.