TAMPA, Fla. — When Toronto Blue Jays personnel entered the visitors’ clubhouse on Friday afternoon, they were greeted by a massive photo of Tropicana Field’s damaged roof. The picture, hanging on the wall and featuring a U.S. flag waving in the foreground, served as a reminder of why MLB regular-season games are taking place here in a minor-league ballpark.
Of course, the Trop’s roof was ripped to shreds by Hurricane Milton last October, forcing the Tampa Bay Rays to play this season at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
“Pulling up to the stadium, it just felt like it was spring training all over again,” said Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes. “And then, the fact that it's the Rays as opposed to the Yankees, it was a little weird, but it’s still a baseball field.”
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said the club expected it to be hot — the temperature at first pitch was 30 degrees Celsius — and knew the ball would travel well to right field. He also expressed confidence that plenty of his players were familiar with the ballpark from spring visits over the years, with several even playing in night games.
Schneider also noted that some on his club had experienced what it’s like to operate out of their comfort zones during the 2020 and ’21 pandemic campaigns that caused the Blue Jays to play home games in Buffalo and Dunedin, Fla.
In the end, though, the unfamiliar-familiar stadium and its quirks didn’t factor into Friday’s result, a 3-1 Rays’ victory over the Blue Jays in front of a sellout crowd of 10,046. The loss snapped Toronto’s three-game win streak as the club fell back to the .500 mark (25-25).
The Blue Jays drew eight walks and generated many chances to score, but just couldn’t push across runs in key situations.
“I thought we did a good job of staying disciplined,” Schneider said. “Just didn't get the big hit.”
Jonatan Clase doubled in the third and Nathan Lukes followed up with a single but was gunned down at second by catcher Danny Jansen as he tried to advance on the throw home. That was the second out of the inning and hurt a potential rally. The Blue Jays put runners on first and third against Rays starter Drew Rasmussen in the next frame before Addison Barger struck out during a nine-pitch at bat.
In the fifth, the first two runners reached ahead of Bo Bichette, who ripped a 110.1-m.p.h. shot that third baseman Junior Caminero scooped with a nice pick before firing to second to start an inning-ending double play.
The Blue Jays were again poised to strike in the seventh, when they loaded the bases with none out on three walks from Rays reliever Mason Montgomery. The lefty was pulled for reliever Manuel Rodríguez, who promptly induced a double play from Clase that plated a run but halted the visiting side’s momentum.
“I think seventh inning was our spot,” said Schneider. “JC hits it right in the nose. Kind of last guy you think is going to get doubled up, but that was our biggest shot. We hit some balls hard and a little bit unlucky.”
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Anthony Santander, who hadn’t played since he was removed from Wednesday’s contest with left hip inflammation, entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Clase in the ninth inning and drew a walk. The outfielder spent time shagging fly balls during batting practice and Schneider said after the game that he was feeling better as the day went on and should be in the lineup Saturday.
The manager was asked if Santander was an option to pinch-hit earlier in the game.
“Wanted to give him a little bit of time to get ready,” replied Schneider. “And, situation didn't really present itself. I mean, you can look at the seventh for sure, but [I] kind of like [Clase] making contact there. But, [Santander] was good to go.”
Left-hander Eric Lauer started for the Blue Jays and surrendered homers to Brandon Lowe and Curtis Mead that counted for all the Rays’ scoring. Lauer was making his second start of the season, with his first coming last week against the Tigers — a three inning, one-run performance.
On Friday, he allowed the three runs on six hits, walking two and striking out two over 4.1 innings and 85 pitches, his most since an April 24 start for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
Lauer said that he struggled with command of his breaking pitches but pointed to the increase in volume as a positive he can take from his outing.
“Seeing them give me more volume, I think, is a good thing,” Lauer said. “A good sign for me to just kind of stay on track, keep with my routines, my starter routine, and hopefully go deeper into games.”
With the Blue Jays in the midst of a 13-game stretch in as many days, there’s little flexibility with the fifth spot in the rotation. Schneider hinted before the game that Lauer could get another start, and if that’s the case, the left-hander would pitch on Wednesday in Texas.
That will be in a major-league ballpark, if you’re keeping score. However, it doesn’t matter to Lauer.
“It's small, but I'm pretty sure it's modelled after Yankee Stadium,” said Lauer of Steinbrenner Field. “So, it's the same dimensions as a big-league ballpark. It does feel a bit weird being at a spring complex during the year, but everybody has to deal with it, so you can't let it get to you too much.”
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