Blue Jays flip form in sloppy loss to Yankees

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The sometimes maddening ups and downs of the 2022 season suggest it’s not quite a sure thing, but are the Blue Jays ready to kick off a meaningful postseason streak for the first time in six seasons? ?

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It depends on the end of a 27 hour period in which you want to buy.

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General manager Ross Atkins wasn’t ready to make any World Series or crush us in a chat ahead of Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees in front of a spirited Rogers Center crowd of 40,528 people preparing for something big.

Good thing too, considering what happened shortly after.

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A game, yes, but the baffling inconsistencies of this group of Jays were once again on display as the team looked sloppy in spring training rather than a prepared playoff in a performance that couldn’t have been more contrasted with the effort of the previous night.

Still, the architect of a major rebuild that began in earnest after the team’s previous trip to the playoffs in 2016 (not counting the shortened 2020 campaign) is optimistic about this team’s prospects.

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« I don’t think there’s anything that should limit them, » Atkins said before the second of three here to wrap up the season series against the Bronx Bombers. « We are certainly capable of playing with the best teams in baseball and hopefully we end up being the right one. »

Of course, much of what could be holding them back was on display in the two hours and 55 minutes it took to play this one.

From another questionable outing by starter Jose Berrios to further entrench lingering doubts over the starting rotation, to unfathomable neglect on the bases, it was a night of needless ugliness.

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Just 24 hours after his team made all the right moves against the Yankees, they were giving manager John Schneider fits.

To add insult to injury, the loss allowed the Yankees to celebrate an AL East right-wing victory at Rogers Center.

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The beauty – frustratingly though – of this team is that they can dump the equivalent of the Loonie Dogs’ night aftermath in a hurry, often bouncing back the very next day.

And according to Atkins, the Jays’ work over the past two months has inspired enough confidence to suggest the team is capable of continuing strong momentum.

Winning a World Series isn’t always the accomplishment of the best team, after all, but it often goes to the hottest – kudos to defending champions Atlanta.

« The biggest questions about what we’re focusing on are how we can set ourselves up for the most success for a deep push into the postseason, » Atkins said. « Obviously it starts with Game 1 of the playoffs, but we want to make sure we’re mindful of playing as long and as deep as possible. »

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In fact, the biggest unknowns remain when they pick up, whether that includes the top seed in the AL wildcard race and who their opponent will be when the action begins on Oct. 8.

Against the backdrop of Game 155, the Jays had to watch the Yankees celebrate on their home turf after clinching the AL East title that many considered Toronto to be the preseason favorite.

On Tuesday, the Jays met the electric trick of Yankees starter Jameson Taillon, who after allowing a first homer to George Springer, struck out 16 of the next 17 Jays batters he faced.

BATTLE OF BERRIOS

As much as the Jays are thrilled with Kevin Gausman and Alek Manoah’s brace at the top of the rotation and Ross Stripling’s outstanding upstart season, Berrios’ situation is baffling.

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The right-hander went 5.1 innings, scattering nine hits for five earned runs. Sure, it was better than his previous outing which only lasted two innings, but he’s nowhere near ready to be declared a reliable arm for the post-season.

RUN WITH THE DEVIL

Tuesday’s loss showed the frustrating side of the Jays when mental errors and stupid plays conspire against them.

Rewind in round six when Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero each made unforgivable errors on the base paths, limiting what could have been a massive single-run inning.

First Bichette, who had made a throwing error earlier in the game. After an easy and safe slide into second position, he slowly got up without any part of his body touching the bag, allowing alert Yankees shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa to make the tag.

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Guerrero, the next hitter, hit a loud ball into left field and then, instead of running, slowed to watch it bounce off the wall before picking up the pace. What should have been a safe double was an easy sack outing, a costly mistake for a team trailing by four points.

GAME ON

Springer’s 431-foot homer to get things started was his ninth starting homer of the season and the 52nd of his career … The Jays stuck to their plans of not throwing anything worthwhile at Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, keeping his homer chase stalled at 60. The Rogers Center crowd didn’t appreciate the cautious approach, booing loudly after the umpire’s appearance at home plate in the eighth inning resulted in a fourth consecutive walk.