Jays Lose To Reds

Reds 6 Blue Jays

This one was close until the sixth inning. The big moment, part one, was a strike three on Tyler Stephson, which got by Alejandro Kirk for a passed ball, and Stephson reached first. Kirk is normally pretty good on those, but getting his glove over to it was a little slow. The next batter singled, which brought us to the big moment, part two; John Schneider took Kevin Gausman out of the game and brought in Ryan Burr.

Burr was not good. He gave up three almost identical doubles to right field, scoring four runs. Two of them on Gausman’s line, two of them on Burr’s line. Gausman was the victim of a rather different balk.

Until that six, Gausman was doing pretty well, giving up just two runs.

On offense, we had just six hits. We scored:

• One in the first: Vlad hit a home run, his 26th of the season. 430 feet, 111.1 mph. SIGN THE MAN.
• One in the third: George Springer had a one-out double, and Daulton Varsho followed with a single. He’s still doing well since being moved to the two spot.
• One in the ninth: Ernie Clement homered (his 8th of the season).

Six different Jays got a hit. Wil Wagner had a single, keeping his career-opening hit streak going (he got into yesterday’s game as a defensive replacement but didn’t bat), now at five games. Springer (double), Varsho (with a walk), Guerrero (homer), Wagner, Clement (homer, with a walk) and Barger (a double).

Addison Barger made an error on a ground ball in the ninth. He also made a couple of nice plays.

Spencer Horwitz went 0 for 4 and his average has dropped to .260. I think he’s showing us he should be a platoon player. Kirk was 0 for 3 with a walk but made good contact twice. He also threw out a base stealer.

Davis Schneider went 0 for 2 after coming into the game as a pinch0 hitter. He’s now 0 for his last 24. I don’t know that it wouldn’t be kinder to send him back to Buffalo to see if he can find his swing down there. He’s hitting .200 now.

Each of Brendon Little (with a nice fielding play on a swinging bunt hit to his right), Erik Swanson, and Tommy Nance threw a scoreless inning.

The strike zone was all over the place yet again, there has been too much of that this year.

Jay of the Day: Vlad (.094 WPA).

Other Award: Burr (-.279). Gausman was close, -.098, but some of that was on the passed ball.

Tomorrow it is José Berríos (11-9, 3.85) vs. TBD.