CINCINNATI – In some ways, Friday night was just an exaggerated version of the Blue Jays’ 2023 season.
Their pitching was generally incredible, their hitting was virtually non-existent and the game felt tense from start to finish.
Welcome to the stretch run. Get ready for six more weeks of this. And if all goes well, maybe more.
One thing is certain, though: the Blue Jays haven’t created nearly enough breathing room to relax.
A ninth-inning walk-off home run by Christian Encarnacion-Strand off of Jordan Hicks gave the Reds a 1-0 win over the Blue Jays at Great American Ballpark Friday on a night the visitors collected just three hits. With the loss, the Blue Jays fell a half-game back of the Mariners for the final wild-card spot after Seattle defeated the Houston Astros 2-0 on Friday.
"I think we had pitches to hit," said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. "We didn't hit them. (Pitches) that were in the zone that we usually do (hit) ... It just wasn't our night. Looking back at pitches, they were there and I think we just missed our pitches today."
Including Friday’s game, the Blue Jays have 40 games remaining on their schedule. A 23-17 finish would get them to 90 wins, but with Baltimore on pace for 99 wins, the top of the AL East looks distant at this point – a wild card berth looks more realistic.
For context, 86 wins were needed to reach the playoffs in the AL last year, the first time MLB expanded the playoffs to six teams per league. Meanwhile, the Phillies qualified as the last NL wild card team with 87 wins only to advance to the World Series.
But of course that’s just one year under MLB’s new format and it’s entirely possible the bar will be higher in 2023. With that in mind, the Blue Jays simply need as many wins as possible. On that front, more offence will be essential.
"I think it's just how they're executing," Schneider said. "Prep work is there ... it just comes down to executing."
Starter Jose Berrios pitched characteristically well Friday, holding the Reds hitless until the sixth inning while striking out eight. He lost the zone at times, walking four, but it's hard to complain about a scoreless outing that saw the right-hander's season ERA drop to 3.39.
"He was awesome," Schneider said. "The only thing blemish really was pitch count. A couple of walks that were kind of uncharacteristic of him, but life on his fastball. Up to 97 and he was spotting the ball ... I thought he was outstanding."
Afterwards, Berrios said his job remains the same regardless of how much his teammates score.
"No matter what, if we are winning or if we are tied, we know we have to make pitches," Berrios said. "That's what we did tonight and I think we did pretty good work."
Of that, there’s little doubt, and it’s hard to fault the Blue Jays’ bullpen either.
Left-hander Genesis Cabrera induced a grounder from Joey Votto to escape the sixth, and Yimi Garcia pitched a scoreless seventh, though he did have some help. With one on and one out in the sixth, Will Benson popped a ball up to first base, where Vladimir Guerrero Jr. let it drop intentionally before starting a 3-4-6 double play.
"It's being aware of your surroundings," Schneider said. "I think Whit (Merrifield) was in (Guerrero Jr.’s) ear a little bit, too, as the play was unfolding. It's a little bit different at home with turf, you can't really do that (because the ball would bounce too high). So knowing the ball is going to just stop right there in the grass (that's a good) baseball play ... take advantage of it, which he did and everyone was in the right spot."
Later, Erik Swanson would hold the Reds scoreless before giving way to Hicks, who allowed the big swing to Encarnacion-Strand. Most nights, a solo home run wouldn’t cost the Blue Jays the game, but their offence fell short against a pitcher making his ninth big-league appearance.
Before the game, the Blue Jays activated the first of their reinforcements weekend, reinstating Kevin Kiermaier and Trevor Richards from the injured list. Kiermaier returned to centre field, going hitless in three at-bats, while Richards was available out of the bullpen, where his trademark change-up will give the Blue Jays flexibility against both lefties and righties.
After a successful rehab stint at triple-A Buffalo, Bo Bichette will be the next player to return to the Blue Jays. Bichette (patellar tendonitis in the right knee) was slated to travel to Cincinnati Friday with plans to start Saturday. Initially, he’ll DH at times, but the Blue Jays anticipate a full workload at shortstop within 10 days or so.
On Saturday, the Blue Jays will turn to Chris Bassitt while the Reds counter with Brandon Williamson. Maybe with Bichette back in action, the offence will come a little more easily and the stress levels can finally drop a little.
“We know we have a chance to make that happen (and) make the playoffs,” Berrios said. “Baseball is a beautiful sport. We lost 1-0 tonight, but tomorrow's another opportunity and another day. We want to keep positive and believe in ourselves."
