Deadspin | Blue Jays want to get bats going vs. Athletics

The Blue Jays will seek for stepped forward offense on Thursday evening in Toronto after they conflict with the suffering Athletics to open a seven-game homestand.

Toronto is getting back from a 2-4 highway shuttle wherein it scored a complete of six runs. The Blue Jays took two of 3 video games from the Texas Rangers to start out this week regardless of scoring best 4 runs in a chain between two offensively challenged groups.

The Rangers’ best hit in a 2-0 loss on Wednesday got here main off the primary inning. The Blue Jays received the sport on a pinch-hit, two-run homer within the best of the 9th inning by means of Bo Bichette, who didn’t get started in order that he may relaxation a decent decrease again.

Daulton Varsho batted in Bichette’s leadoff spot with Anthony Santander hitting 2nd and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. moved from 2nd to 3rd. The shuffled lineup did little to support Toronto’s offense that persisted to combat till Bichette got here off the bench.

Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider mentioned the lineup alternate was once no longer deliberate. However, he added, “We’ll see how it rolls out and see how guys do in certain spots.”

Varsho and Santander each and every went 0-for-4, however Guerrero completed 2-for-3 with a stroll to increase his career-best on-base streak to 28 video games.

Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger additionally had two hits each and every, however Toronto went 1-for-9 hitting with runners in scoring place to complete the sequence 1-for-31 in the ones eventualities.

“You’ve got to keep getting traffic, and you have to trust the guys to get the hits,” Schneider mentioned. “It takes one to kind of get it going, but you’ve got to trust that it will.”

Bichette’s blast was once sufficient for the Blue Jays to win the sequence in opposition to the Rangers after being swept in a three-game set in opposition to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Blue Jays pieced in combination a bullpen sport on Wednesday by means of the usage of Paxton Schultz, Eric Lauer, Braydon Fisher, Brendon Little and Jeff Hoffman. Toronto pitchers yielded simply 4 baserunners (the leadoff unmarried and 3 walks) whilst putting out 13.

The Athletics will probably be seeking to shake a 1-13 drought after they start the four-game sequence in Toronto. The A’s misplaced 5-3 to the Astros on Wednesday as they began their six-game highway shuttle with two defeats in Houston.

The Athletics did not benefit from Luis Severino’s forged six-inning get started on Wednesday. Severino authorised simply two runs (one earned) and recorded profession strikeout No. 1,000 ahead of exiting with the A’s up 3-2. Rookie reliever Justin Sterner allowed 3 runs within the 7th inning.

“That’s kind of the story that we’ve been going through lately,” Athletics supervisor Mark Kotsay mentioned. “Severino gave us a great performance. He got out of the sixth inning. To be at his 90th-plus pitch and to continue to gear back and give it everything he had, it was a big performance. We got one from him last game.

“He walked off the mound with a lead, and we simply have no longer been in a position to complete the sport off for him.”

The Athletics are scheduled to start left-hander Jacob Lopez (0-2, 2.57 ERA) on Thursday. He has one made career appearance against Toronto, a start for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023, and he earned his first major league win despite yielding six runs, five earned, on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Right-hander Jose Berrios (1-2, 4.22 ERA) is expected to start for Toronto. He is winless since April 7, having gone 0-1 with a 4.08 ERA in his past eight starts.

In 11 career starts against the Athletics, Berrios is 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA.

–Field Level Media