To What Extent Does Your Life Revolve Around Alejandro Kirk? (The 2023 Blue Jays Thread)

More Vlad Panic:

https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/news/vladimir-guerrero-jr-of-the-toronto-blue-jays-has-significantly-worse-stats-against-the-good-teams-in-2023#:~:text=He's%20hitting%20.263%20this%20season,base%20percentage%20and%20111%20RBI.

No idea if that means anything--you'd have to check that over a few years. Guessing it's a blip.

But the booing last night--wasn't watching, read about it--was real. He's had a lot of goodwill on his side thus far. If the Jays miss the playoffs, which looks like a good bet right now, and he starts off slow next year, I expect fans will turn on him with a vengeance, whether deserved or not.

Friday night pitchers: Bello - Berrios. Have a good evening! Bello has had some blowouts but he’s hugely promising and is evolving all the time, he’s got a great changeup.

I'm that close--holds thumb and index finger 1 cm apart--to rooting for Bello.

This series has to rank with the franchise's all-time debacles, and we've had a few.

I think they have exactly one thing going for them at this point, something completely intangible and possibly even non-existent: my contention that as soon as you think you have something figured out when it comes to sports, that's when the exact opposite happens.

That's a very faint hope to cling to.

Pleased to see young Jays fans know ball
https://i.postimg.cc/y8rJLpzs/IMG-9526.png

Looked like Bello had a good game, minus that one hit ofc - Red Sox Stats was annoyed about the pitch as it’s been a problem for him for a while though (no slight on Vladdy, but why call for that pitch then).

From July:

Someone needs to explain to me why Bello throws his 4-seam fastball as much as he does and in the locations he does. I don’t get what they are doing.

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) July 19, 2023

Anytime Bello throws a 4-seamer below the belt it should be a 25 grand fine and 50 grand for whichever catcher calls for it.

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) September 16, 2023

It was a fast-moving, classic kind of old-fashioned game: starting pitching, one big HR, a little over two hours. Bello was good--had 9 strikeouts at one point. The highlight for me was Kirk legging out a double; he gave the most forlorn fist pump I've ever seen when he was called safe. I have a 2-hour+ drive home, so the quickness was a godsend; unfortunately wasted when I encountered overnight road work on the way home. (Half an hour to cover a kilometre.)

I was with my friend Howard, who I met almost 40 years ago at Nerve (Toronto music monthly). What do two old '80s rock critics talk about at a baseball game? Actual quote: "I wonder what Professor Griff is doing tonight?"

https://i.postimg.cc/bYG28yNn/game.jpg

10ks which is I think his most in a big league start! That Kirk run was very funny

We of course arrived too late to get our Berríos bobblehead on Roberto Clemente Day--you have to arrive hours ahead of time now to get free stuff. There was a guy sitting near us who had three, and I offered to buy one from him, but no interest. They're on eBay for $100.

Berrios was great--left after 7 innings/90 pitches with a 3-0 lead. I would have given him one runner in the 8th the way the bullpen's been lately, but worked out fine.

Was hoping you’d get to see Casas but unfortunately he’s injured and out for the season. Did you have any opinions on Abreu or Rafaela?

I was disappointed he wasn't in the lineup--had no idea about the injury.

I don't...honestly, I'm not the most observant person at a game. A lot of talk whoever I'm with. I missed a good play Bichette supposedly made because I was in search of coffee. Who is the Red Sox coach Hudson? He and Vladdy were chatting it up during a stoppage in play. They're actually 5-0 for the games I've seen this year. It's now a question of whether or not the Rays game I'm at on the 30th will mean anything or not.

Kyle Hudson - he’s new this season I think. He is notable for being the only infield coach whose name isn’t widely known, probably because he’s good at his job. I know that Vladdy’s grandmother makes food for visiting Dominican players so I bet Bello was very appreciative - Devers has said he looks forward to visiting Toronto.

The injury was just announced now, he was scratched yesterday.

The doomsayer in me fully expects them to lose this game--two missed chances to walk it off.

I read this comment about a second before Tracer Hand texted me to say “This is a Sox loss,” a comment which precedes a loss 100% of the time? And let’s just say his pessimism is more accurate than yours. Honestly a dire game to watch, neither team really doing much for it (a few amazing plays besides) and now both pens are gassed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sale looked great though!

Happiest guy in the world: Vlad. After a HOF baserunning blunder--didn't tag up on the first out in extra innings; would easily have got to third with one out--Merrifield won it on an infield single with two outs. Now they need some help.

My pessimism is partly game-playing with myself, meant to counteract the fact that I'm usually an optimist on the inside.

Thank you, Cleveland.

Thank you, Kansas City.

(I sound like Alanis Morissette.)

Tied for the third WC, and even though they lose the tiebreakers against both Seattle and Texas, that's something.

It was a miraculously ugly win though, hardly one of those days that makes you think they're ready to go on a run.

If it happens, it won't be a run, no. It'll be an Alejandro Kirk double. Wish I could find a screenshot of him standing on second base Friday night, half-heartedly (or maybe just in shock) holding up his hand in celebration.

I got u
https://i.postimg.cc/KcJ6ZZLT/IMG-9593.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/ncWND03c/IMG-9596.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/m2k0k0N5/IMG-9595.jpg
No closeups of him with the raised fist on either broadcast though

That's it--thank you! The expression on his face in the last shot sums up this season perfectly.

That was exhilarating...One pitch away from winning, Devers hits a game-tying HR, Chapman wins it with a walk-off double (that was almost caught) in the bottom of the inning. Biggio's been in the middle of everything the past few games.

Plus: Rangers lost, and Seattle's down 4-0 in L.A. (Houston won.) Quite improbable turnaround since Thursday's end-of-the-world feeling.

Good: it's again up to them.

Good: Seattle and Texas have seven games with each other.

Maybe good: six games against the Yankees. (Who knows what their mindset is?)

Bad: six games with the Rays.

Bad, good, no idea anymore: it's this team.

I’ve never identified with a player so much in my life

#BlueJays starter Yusei Kikuchi thinks he’ll be fine for his next start after he left the game with cramps. The biggest revelation was that he said it may have been caused by only getting 11 (!) hours of sleep last night instead of his usual 13 or 14 hours (!!)

— Kaitlyn McGrath (@kaitlyncmcgrath) September 20, 2023

a+ sleeper

Satchel Paige would approve.

I'll ensure that the Yankees win tomorrow by saying this, but this is the most anemic team of theirs I can remember since the early '90s. Stanton especially looks lost.

Over/Under on the Yankees scoring 10 or more runs in their final 10 games? I’ll taking the under

Anyone who's watched baseball for a while, you internalize this certainty that the Yankees will come back in the late innings to beat your team. Didn't feel like that yesterday or tonight.

We completely outclassed them, it's been awesome! The problem with my own particular feelings of schadenfreude is that I'd been waiting since they signed Stanton for him to bury that team. Now it just seems sad to me.

anyway, we got Berrios v. Cole tonight. Yanks will give us a game. 6-4 rest of the way wins a berth, but of course we're headed to the den of horrors and defeat known as the Trop next

I was doing the math in my head today, and 6-4 leaves the door open a bit (if I've calculated correctly). Seattle-Texas go 4-3, and whichever one wins 4, they win their three others for a 7-3 finish. Which picks up a game on the Jays, and they've already won head-to-head.

6-4 should do it, but not guaranteed.

I just heard on the podcast At The Letters (i think) that those were the numbers. i don't know, i can't calculate it lol.

I actually bailed on watching the game last night - kinda weird because i've been watching/listening constantly unless i'm out. I'm tired of the Jays being so hopeless against the very good/great starting pitchers. Tonight the Trop. all the games are big, so at least they're compelling (minus last night lol)

I play tennis Thursdays so missed the whole game. I was probably telling myself they're going to lose to Cole anyway, while the optimist secretly expected them to win.

This series could be brutal. If you were guaranteed one out of three in Tampa, would you take that? I might.

Some interesting Manoah talk on the radio this morning. Blair thinks he'll do a sit-down with somebody in the spring and we'll finally get the real story. Obviously, not a pressing concern at the moment.

i did hear he got a shot in the arm (literal), so maybe it was physical issues? i would love to know what's going on.

again Clem, I can't do the math, but 1 out of 3 i think i would take it! but they would probably have to win the series at home.

I finally clued into something--they're trying to stay ahead of Texas or Seattle, not Texas and Seattle. There are a bunch of scenarios there, but with the seven games between the Mariners and Rangers, 4-5 for Toronto might just be enough; 5-4 would be tough to beat.

Wish I had a clip of Blair talking on the radio this morning. Asked about Toronto's chances tonight, he said the Jays would have to depend on Glasnow gift-wrapping them two or three runs with walks and/or wild pitches. Jays scored six runs on eight hits tonight; the key inning was the sixth, when they scored four on three singles, three walks, a HBP, a SB, and a wild pitch.

God, Texas almost blew an 8-4 lead in the 9th against Seattle...Because Seattle has three games left against Houston (Texas's other three games are against the Angels), intuition tells me it's better for the Rangers to win the majority of these seven games with the Mariners.

yes! all about the guaranteed losses between those 3. better for texas to go ahead.

i attribute the win to the TORONTO script all-grey kits. I feel more like an old man every day, but I really think the away team should have their city on the jersey, and Jays hardly ever do. the greys look so great, why mess around and put them powders on all the time?

Hopefully that'll all be forgotten soon; if not, it'll be remembered alongside the Texas series as the disaster that killed the season. Mystifying: four times--in the bullpen and on the mound--the camera catches Romano looking at his finger like there's an issue, but both he and Schneider are content to go ahead like there's nothing wrong.

The Jays continue to get way more help than they deserve. Mariners and Astros both just lost, so right now it's:

TEX - 86-68
TOR - 86-69
HOU - 85-70
SEA - 84-70

All of Seattle's games are against Houston and Texas, so if they went on a 7-1 run or something, that knocks back the other two, and Toronto needs maybe three wins to hold one of them off; it Seattle doesn't, it'll probably be them who misses out.

(Include the Rays among the teams trying hard to hand this to Toronto: three errors and a blown 4-0 lead and the Jays still couldn't win.)

They had their chances with the runners LOB in the first few innings. In the ninth they barely missed turning the DP and the winning hit was fair by a foot. The Rays have plenty to play for, I hoped for a competitive series and we're getting it.

Despite the loss to the Rays, think their playoff odds increased because of Houston and Seattle both losing.

I think ...

Not bringing in Mayza for Lowe was one of most obvious John Schneider 9th inning gaffs

Definitely. And I'd add pitching Romano past a batter--or even at all--when he was clearly dealing with some finger issue. Fangraphs has them at 91% right now, so yesterday helped. But it'd be nice to see them win their way in instead of backing in.

https://jaysjournal.com/posts/dreadful-in-game-decisions-by-john-schneider-once-again-cost-blue-jays-a-win

Glad they got Kikuchi out of there. 9 hits in 4 innings, Jesus.