BALTIMORE – As the afternoon wore on and the missed opportunities and occasional flashes of brilliance piled up at Camden Yards, it became clear that Sunday would either be infuriating or joyful for the Toronto Blue Jays.
But after a tenth inning rally in which Myles Straw drove home the go-ahead run on an infield single, Jeff Hoffman dominated the team that flunked his physical on the way to an impressive 7-6 win.
It’s the results that matter most here, but there’s no overlooking the fact that the Blue Jays made a few too mistakes on the mound, in the field and on the bases Sunday. They also lost George Springer to left wrist discomfort on a day they emptied their bench and burned through most of their bullpen, but they return home 9-7 after a challenging three-city road trip on which they went 4-5.
The Blue Jays had a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth inning following an Anthony Santander double, but Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman immediately nabbed pinch runner Nathan Lukes, who was caught off-guard by a back-pick he needs to anticipate.
Offensively, the Blue Jays still rank last in MLB in home runs, but Alejandro Kirk hit his first of the season Sunday, a 389-foot shot over the left field wall at Camden yards.
The Blue Jays will hit for more power when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette find the seats again, but on Sunday the Blue Jays’ two best players stood out as much for their defensive miscues as they did for their offensive prowess. In the sixth inning, with the Orioles leading by one, Bichette and Guerrero Jr. made errors on back to back plays, leading to a pair of costly unearned runs.
Later, the Blue Jays put together a three-run rally thanks to doubles from Kirk and Andres Gimenez plus singles from Ernie Clement and Bichette. It was a textbook example of the kind of at bats they’ll need for as long as they aren’t hitting for power.
The early departure of Springer only augments the offensive questions for the Blue Jays, though it’s too soon to say how long left wrist discomfort will sideline him. He was clearly uncomfortable after a fifth inning swing, but elected to stay in the game after a visit from team trainer Jose Ministral.
But after the at-bat ended with a strikeout, Springer yelled in pain and headed for the tunnel toward the visitors’ clubhouse. The next time his spot in the lineup came up, Will Wagner replaced him.
Springer’s batting .375 with a 1.040 OPS this year, so any absence would be costly for the Blue Jays at a time that Guerrero Jr., Bichette and Santander have combined for one home run. Daulton Varsho could provide the lineup with some left-handed power before long, but he must first play in extended spring training games and then complete a triple-A rehab stint before returning to the majors.
In the meantime, the Blue Jays need their current roster to step up and on that front they got a notably productive game from Davis Schneider who ended an 0/34 hitless steak with a third inning single while later adding two walks and an RBI groundout.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Jose Berrios allowed four earned runs over five innings while striking out six and allowing home runs to Ryan Mountcastle and Tyler O’Neill. It was an improvement over an opening day performance in which he allowed three homers to Baltimore, but still not sharp enough to out-pitch Baltimore lefty Cade Povich.
Berrios generated 12 swinging strikes while topping out at 94 m.p.h. as his season ERA climbed to 5.16.
With Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider both slated to pitch against the Blue Jays in Toronto next week, the tests aren’t getting any easier for this struggling Blue Jays offence. Sometime soon, they must find a way to hit for more power and take a little pressure off the rest of their game.
But after a win like this, that’s a problem for another day.
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