The Blue Jays fell 11-9 to the Tampa Bay Rays in a wild finish at the Rogers Centre on Tuesday night, opening a nine-game homestand by having a four-game win streak snapped and falling below .500 at 20-21. Here’s what you need to know:
Daulton Varsho’s second home run of the night came with two on and two out in the bottom of the eighth and gave the Jays their first lead of the game at 7-6, after having spotted the Rays a 4-0 lead early.
But closer Jeff Hoffman hit a wall in the ninth, issuing a one-out walk and then giving up four straight hits, the last of which was Junior Caminero’s first career grand slam. The Jays battled back in the bottom of the ninth with consecutive doubles by Myles Straw, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but Varsho couldn’t come through a third time, flying out to end the game with the tying runs aboard.
聽A fan helps Tampa Bay Rays third base Junior Caminero聽 after he got his earring caught in the netting after聽 a catch in foul territory in Tuesday night’s game against the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.
Steve Russell 海角社区官网StarFastballs
Home-run barrage
Varsho’s two homers were half of the Jays’ season-high four in the game, the others hit by Bichette (his third) and Ernie Clement (his first). Varsho now has five round-trippers despite only being activated off the injured list on April 29. He’s tied for the club lead with Anthony Santander.
Tomorrow he’ll be perfect
Jays rookie Mason Fluharty was working on a “perfect game” out of the bullpen, having retired 21 straight batters over six appearances when he came on in the sixth and struck out Travis Jankowski.
The streak ended at 22, though, when聽Danny Jansen took the left-hander deep leading off the seventh. It was the first big-league hit Fluharty had ever allowed to a right-handed hitter. The 23-year-old started his career 0-for-28 against righties.
Down goes Bloss
Right-hander Jake Bloss, one of the Jays’ top pitching prospects, is going under the knife.
Before the game, manager John Schneider announced that Bloss will have surgery on his ulnar collateral (Tommy John) elbow ligament and miss at least a year. It’s quite possible he won’t be back until spring training in 2027.
The 23-year-old came out of his last start with Triple-A Buffalo in the fourth inning after injuring his elbow.听
Mailbag
“Grilledcheese” found me @wilnerness on Bluesky to ask “should the Hall of Fame have a character clause since MLB doesn’t have a problem with rapist gamblers?”
First of all, we have to satisfy the legal requirement by saying that Pete Rose was an alleged rapist and an admitted gambler.
Second, it says right in the Hall’s instructions that “voting shall be based on the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”
The late hit king’s ban from baseball is lifted in a time of freedom from consequences for bad
Baseball’s all-time hits leader, who admitted to betting on his own team while managing the Cincinnati Reds and to an extramarital affair with a 16-year-old (when he was 34) is now eligible for the Hall of Fame because, presumably, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred doesn’t want U.S. President Donald Trump to get angry at him.听
Oh, and the teenager Rose admitted to having sex with alleged that the affair began before she turned 16. When asked about it , Rose answered “It was 55 years ago, babe,” and added “who cares what happened 50 years ago.”
So, yeah, character and integrity.
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