7 Straight Series wins

Our latest episode of JaysWithM Extra Innings is here! 

This week, we break down the Blue Jays’ series against Tampa Bay, looking at the biggest moments, what went right, what went wrong, and my overall thoughts on the series. We also take a look at where the Jays stand heading into what’s next and the biggest things to watch moving forward.

Tune in now for the full breakdown!

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey guys and welcome back to the Jace Them podcast. The Tampa Bay series has officially wrapped up now. We did take two out of three, which makes it our seventh straight series win. This team's hot and I'm loving. Pitching's clicking, offense is doing incredible. They fucking showed up for this series. And uh defense is there. Still a little bit of defensive issues, but not compared to how it was earlier this season. Uh game one was Soriano vs. Martinez. We kicked off this game incredibly, and I'm really excited to dive into the series. So yeah, starting off with game one, which as I said was Soriano vs. Martinez, top of the first was incredible with two out, Alejandro Kirk doubled, Springer singles, and then Sanchez doubles. It's 2-0 Blue Jays. That's how we needed to start this series, and it was even better when Soriano went out there in the bottom of the first and got a fly out ground out and a strikeout. Like, so immediately there's no base runners because I feel like Tampa Bay is always on the running game with us, and it was incredible to see. Uh Soriano was doing very well. Top of the third, Nathan Lucas walks. Alahonjo Kirk with a two-run home run to center field. I ha I could not, I don't have enough to say about Kirk. Like, that man is so fucking hot, it is incredible. He was getting intentionally walked in the Yankees series because of his bat. He like did not stop. We we wrapped up with New York, had the off day, and boom was like on fire in New York. Tampa, sorry. I I hope it continues. Like, I'm loving Kirk. This is the Kirk we all know and love. Clearly, he's finally found like his hitting since his surgery, which everyone knows. Like, you could have surgery, be clear to do whatever, but you still don't feel 100% for months. And I'm absolutely loving Alejandro Kirk because this is what we needed. This is the offense that we have came to know and love last year that has been lacking this year. And the top of the fourth, the more offense continued. Uh Ernie Clement with a single, um Braidman with a single, Ernie to third, Nathan Lucas struck out, which means two outs, and then Alejandro Kirk uh singles, which uh two runs come in on that. Springer walks and then Sanchez grounds out. 6-0 Toronto in the fourth inning in Tropicana. Any real Jays fan knows how much we hate playing in Tropicana. Anyone knows that we hate playing there. Bottom of the fourth, it did get a little dicey for Soriano. Uh with a single to center field, did get a fly out, another single, single, bases are now loaded with one out, force out to get the runner at home, and then there was a single that brought two in. Three in I mean, sorry. And then in the top of the fifth, uh, this one I'm really excited, Casuma Okamoto. Home run. That's uh franchise history. Uh he now has the most home runs by any Blue Jays rookie to date. Congratulations to Okamoto on history. I was hyped when he hit that because everyone was looking for that home run. Um Ernie Clement sing uh Andre Jimenez guns out, Ernie Clement single, Smith out on a sacrifice bunt, and then Brad Bateman, he's been hot, got a single. Love that for him. Absolutely incredible. Love how this offense is just continuing, continuing. Even it may not be like doubles or anything, but they're coming up with the hits when they're needed. Tampa Bay went out and scored three. We came right back and scored two more. That's how we needed to handle that, and I was very happy with that. Other than that, pitching was incredible after that. Got we got even better in the top of the 10th when um Ernie Clement singled and then Josh Smith came up with the turn on home run to make it 10 to 3 Blue Jays, which is like fuck. I was hyped this whole game. Like I tell you, every time we came up to the plate, I was like, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. And like the home runs, losing my mind. It did get a little dicey in the bottom of the eighth inning, um, with Waldron pitching, which like overall it wasn't that bad, but it got like just a little dicey. Um, with uh Ayan Diaz single, Liam Hicks single, um, I don't know, uh Vil Ryan uh Vallet's single, bases are loaded with nobody out. Uh there was a sack fly and then another sack fly to score two more runs, but other than that, like he got a ground out to end it. So he handled himself very well. Like that situation could have been so much fucking worse. So much worse. Um, and the top of the ninth, there was a ground out single, forced out with single ground out. Bottom of the ninth was uh a three up, three down inning for Spencer Miles to secure the 10 to 5 Blue Jays went to start that series. That's what I like, guys. I fucking was loving this game. How could you not? How could you not love a 10 to 5 game in Tampa Bay? Like Tampa Bay is historically one of our worst places we play. Like there's a style. I don't remember it exactly, but it's like uh the Jays wins and losses at every stadium ever. We have a losing record at Tropicana, like horrendously a losing record. It's cursed. I joke it's cursed, and it's like I still think it is after what happened in game two and three. Alright, game three was uh Max Scherzer versus um Rashman, and like Rashman's a really good fucking pitcher, guys. Like he's a very good pitcher, he's up in the top five of like ERA and stuff, but yeah, very good pitcher. Um this game, I was pissed. This game really pissed me off. I'm not even gonna lie. And I think some stuff needs to change, but we're gonna jump into that here in a second. So yeah, um, I did I don't love Max Scherzer, but I don't hate on him. Like, I just I find he gives up too many first inning home runs. And uh bottom of the first like other than like okay, his last three starts, he was incredible. I'll give him that he did really well his last three starts. This one he did like this one he took accountability for, but I don't think this start was on him. I don't blame Max at all for this. Alright, bottom of the first inning. Um uh flyout, Cameronero doubles, line out, Yon Nathan Diaz. It's a two-round home run. Whatever. After game one, I'm like, hey, you know what, the team's been better. We've won six straight series. Maybe the offense can get hot here and do something. Yeah, other than that, like top of the second, three or three down, but like he was dealing the uh Tampa pitcher, dealing, and then bottom of the second, other than a walk, like there's no hit by uh from Ax. So like he did well. So, like, I feel like the first inning was just a little bit of a bloop. And then in the top of the fourth, our Lord and Savior Alejandro fucking Kirk homeward again. That's back-to-back games, guys. Back to back games with an Alejandro Kirk fucking home run. I love the man, he is by far as much as I love Alanzuela. Kirk's my favorite catcher on the out of the two. I love Kirk. This is the power we all know he has, and I love it. I can't, I love Kirky. Um, another solo shot, so it's not too once. I'm like thinking like, okay, maybe we can like come back for sure. And that was until the uh bottom of the fourth happened. There's a walk, single walk. Faces are loaded with nobody out. Um, strike out. Then um Palacios has this weird little fly ball. It uh Sanchez should have caught that. I don't care what anyone says, that should have been caught. Why is he looking at the shortstop for help when the ball's ten feet to his left? Alright. I think ten feet to his right. Like, literally, what are you doing? And I don't think you he could get lost in the roof because it wasn't like a huge fly, it was more of a pop-out. Which that was um that ended up being a double that allowed um two runs to score, which that would have been the second out. So who knows if the other runs that come after this would have even scored. Um, because then there was a sacrifice bunt, Mullen scores, a single on the infield, and then a ground out, which brought in a total of five runs. Who knows if um any runs would have come in? Because that would have been the second out and it wasn't deep enough for a run to score. That's on Sanchez. Sanchez needs to be like, I know we have him in his lineup because he's hitting, but he's not hitting. He's not hitting and he can't play defense well. Okay, let's give another kid an opportunity. I'd rather have Davis in left field with his bat, which has been kind of streaky this year, which I know he like he does really well down in uh Buffalo, but it's been streaky up here. I'd rather have him out there than Sanchez. That's how bad he's playing out there, and I was pissed. However, though, our Blue Jans weren't letting that stop them. They came right back out in the top of the fifth inning. This is what I love. Sanchez strikes out swinging. That would be the last time we see Sanchez in this game. Uh Smith singles, Valenzuela singles, McAdoo singles, Smith scores, my uh Miles straw walks. Bases are now loaded with one out. Uh Nathan Lucas with a sack fly, Kirk motherfucker singles, um, McAdoo scores, Okamoto singles, Miles scores, and then on just a minute popped out. We got four runs back. We went right back out there and scored four more runs. Absolutely incredible. The team is hot. The fact they went out and picked Max up like that was insane. Um, bottom of the fifth inning. Uh Max did not go back out. It was Fisher at this point. Um, Yana Diaz grants out, uh Liam Hicks with a single, Mullins pops out and straight go. Top of the sixth inning, Cameron Diaz, who is currently up for Vladdy, while Vladdy is on the concussion IL. Um Smith hits into a force L. Balance Vedella flies out. McAdoo with the double. Uh Smith scores. McAdoo is making a very strong case for him to stay up right now, and I don't see him going down anytime soon if he's continuing to come up big like that. Six six uh to seven, which was okay, maybe come back. Like, other than like after that, there was not much. Like, top of the seventh was three up, three down, bottom was three up, three down. Pitching locked in after. And uh Miles had come in for Miles came in for somebody else. Oh, Bateman. Bateman left her. That's who Miles came in for, and then somebody else came in for Sanchez. I don't even remember who. Um top of the eighth, there was the walk by Smith. Yeah, like, and then even at top of the ninth, McAdee reached on and I'm like, ooh, can we tie it? Springer fly oh, Springer came in at one point too. Uh Springer flyed out, Nathan Lucas Trake said Al Hunter Kirk flies out. Could not come back, but still, the fact they went out there and scored six uh five more total after going down seven to one was incredible. Like, I I still say this a lot. Uh a month ago's team, okay. Not quite almost not a month ago now, because it's been almost a month of how hot they've been. Little over a month ago, I'll say, they would never have even scored like that. They would never have made it a one-run game and put had make Tampa use all their high ledge Light Bridge guys. And I was very happy with how that game went. Like I know it ended with a loss, but how could you how could you be mad at the fact they almost came back after going down seven to one? You this team didn't do that ever this year. It was absolutely incredible to do that against the race. Very happy. Alright, kicking off with game three, which was uh Bieber versus um what's his name? I think it's Seymour. Seymour. Seymour? Seymour? I don't know how you say it. I apologize to every player's name I butcher on this podcast. Not a bad game. Top of the second though, Kazam Okamoto with another home run. Absolutely incredible. I love Okamoto. He is a little streaky, but if he can get hot with everybody else, because I feel like everyone is hot on this team right now, that'd be perfect. Because if you have Okamoto hot, Ernie hot, Jimena is hot, um, and all that's absolutely good. This game got weird. So, like, other than that, it was like simple three up, three downs, occasional. Oh, like Okamoto had a double in the fourth, Ernie had a walk, couldn't get anything out of it. The bottom of the fourth, it got weird. So, in the top half of the fourth inning, when Jimenez grounded out, he was running at the first baseline, grabbed his hamstring, he left the game with his hamstring. The day before, Bateman left with his hamstring. Smith cramped his, stayed in the game and finished it. But Smith was unavailable. Bateman's unavailable. Uh Ernie missed game two with streps, so like he's in the lineup. He's not, I think I guess he's not a hundred percent, but he's a lot better than anyone he was. So, well, Smith didn't come into the game. Finding Valentilla came in and played first, McAdoo moved to second, Ernie to short, and then um Okamoda the third. So just a weird ass, like, fucking area of the lineup. Um, in the bottom of the fourth, um, Chandler Simpson with a single, there was a throwing error by McAdoo, which and a little bit of a timing issue on Valenzuela, which was the first play those two had to make, which it was just weird to see Val play at first, and then it came up with uh Junior Camonero singling to Deep Left Field, Samson scored, so it's a tie game. But I was like, okay, um poor poor Bieber. Bieber was dealing, and I was like, oh. And then game was tied. I'm like, there's been so many tied games recently with this team. I was like, oh god. But I would not have to worry for long. And the top of the fifth, this is what this team has done very well of late. They give up a couple runs. I swear it's the very next time they come to the plate, they do something. Or if it's not like the right that inning, it's the next one. Nathan Lucas with a uh a leadoff home run to start the fifth inning. McAdoo strikes out then Daz Cameron hits a home run onto the um catwalk. They lost the ball the announcer like where'd it go? And then they like did their thing. Oh, they found it. It went rolling down the catwalk. Incredible by him. They immediately went out, go down. They went down, well, they didn't go down. They tied the game got tied. They immediately went out and scored two more. Picked Bieber up, picked the uh weird defense area up to actually like which was incredible to see. I love when they they're able to do that because I feel like it helps them so much, and I can't complain. And the bottom of the fifth, because Bieber was dealing, um was a three up, three down inning. Top of the six, there was a Okamoto strikeout balance. Well, what the double Ernie Clement with the line out and Miles Shaw strikeout. Miles has been a little scuffly lately, but I have I have faith in Miles, guys. I have hardcore faith in Miles. Uh bottom of the sixth, Bieber's still pitching. I think this is one of his deepest outings this year. Um, three up, three down, absolutely incredible. And then on the top of the seventh, uh, Lucas strikes out, McAdee with a single, uh Cameron singles. Uh he advances to third, uh, Aventus is second, McAdy to third on a fielding error by the Luca. Alan Joker is so hot, he's getting intentionally walked again. So the bases are now loaded with one out. George Springer with a single. I tell you, this was like the softest hit ball I've ever seen in my life. The fact that did not result in an out is insane. Like, legitimately, it was like just bye bye bye. Like it was the slowest thing ever. And then a joke's like, oh my god, he hit it so hard, and I was like, I was like, oh my god, that's like the softest hit ball ever, and nobody came up with it, which is crazy to see. Um, on that single though, uh, Cameron came in to score and McAdoo. No, 5-1 Toronto. I love hearing that. I love hearing we're beating the rays because we have been horrid against them this year. Horrid. It's like we have a losing record to like Tampa Bay, like stupid losing record. Um, bottom of the seventh, Bieber was still pitching in this inning. He allowed a single flyout strikeout lineup, which would be the end to complete his uh day with a final uh score, a box score, of seven innings, allowing four hits, one run. It was an earned run with seven strikeouts. That's the Bieber we know. That's the Bieber they wanted to keep in Toronto. Bottom of the eighth at this point. Uh Miles had come in and taken over. Three up, three down. I love Miles. Miles would be a good starter, I think, but he comes he's so much better out of the bullpen. So much better. Top of the ninth, uh, Cameron struck out, Kirk flyed out, Springer with a nice little single there. Um, bottom of the ninth, our boy Louis came in, ground out single, strikeout, uh, walk, ground out. Absolutely incredible. I also have to highlight it. Um, Nathan Lucas made an incredible play in the bottom of the seventh, like up against the wall jump, incredible. Like, I have no words for like how well that was. It was absolutely incredible. But yeah, great series overall by a team. I'm really excited for uh today's series against the Yankees. A little disappointed because I was kind of hoping they would push uh seats, uh not push seats to start back a day to give them the extra day of rest, but they end up doing it, which is okay. Um today's starters is uh Cam versus Fluhardy, which I feel like Fluhardy is really interesting. Like, because I know it's the bullpen day, but normally they start Fisher. So I I feel like it's a little interesting. I don't know if they're just trying to like because we had the same uh this was the same way we started. I think it was uh game two or three of the last Yankee series. I don't remember. It was game two. Um, and I don't know if this is just to shuffle it, but I feel like this is such an interesting move. But I I I kinda like it, but then also I'm thinking like okay, so we have like flu already's been solid near the end of the bullpen. This kind of worries me a little bit that he won't be available and like for like the sixth, seventh, or eighth. But I also have to point out in the last 10 games we have a better record than New York. Um, we are seven and three, they are six and four, which is good, guys. We are hot right now. Um, and yeah, it it's good, it's good. Uh so yeah, that's game one. I don't know. I feel like it's gonna be a good game tonight. Cause like when would it not be? And who doesn't love the Yankees? Like, who doesn't love a solid uh ALE smatchup? Especially for a team trying to fight for a wildcard spot and a team in a wild card spot. Uh game two is Cease first. Weathers again. Um, this is gonna be good. Yeah. Uh Cease is ERA is significantly lower. We know Cease is on track for Cy Young, potentially. Um, Weathers has 140 strikeouts and Cece is 201. Uh I'm excited. I think I'm most hyped for like uh game two, just because I like to watch Cease pitch and Cece's Demon, and he did really well at the end of the last Yankee series. Like he only gave up the one run, and then it kind of fell apart in the extras, which is it's great. Yeah, like it's funny the fact last uh Cease's last like this start, his last start, and now his next one will be about the Yankees. I guess like his current two starts. Yeah, like his oh, so he gave up two runs. He went 6.1 and he needs to give up two runs in the last one. Like, that's not even a bad style line, that's a good style line. So hopefully he can be even better in the Bronx. But yeah, I'm excited because this is the last time we played the Yankees this year, I believe. I am hyped for this series. And then kicking off the final game of this series is uh game three, which is wait no, I just read them backwards. Sorry, game three is Cease. No. Never mind, I found it. Sorry, I I lost my list. It's Soriano versus Rodon. Oh, that's gonna be a hell of a matchup. And their ERAs are like virtually the same.

unknown 21:06

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

That's gonna be a hell of a good game. My notes are all screwed up. That's gonna be a good one. I don't know, when was the last time Rodon even pitched? Is this did we face him Bruce in the other series? No. We haven't faced oh, we faced him earlier this year. We faced him back in May. He went five innings, gave up uh three hits in one run. I don't know the whole but may May's team is a lot different than this team. His last start though, he gave up one run, and then the start before that he gave up two. So we'll see. That's gonna be a good start. Cause Soriano's been good. And I so is Radon recently. Oh, this whole series is gonna be good, guys. Like when I tell you I'm Am hyped for this series. I don't think you'll believe me. Like, I have been loving like the whole week of just ALE's baseball, and I feel like this is the most I have enjoyed Blue Jays baseball by far this season. I'm loving it. I'm telling you guys. Uh quick little um injury update on the team. Vladi um did play a game in Clearwater, Florida with the Dunedin Jays uh after being cleared for uh from his concussion. He had a double in two walks, it was an RBI double. Um depending how he's feeling, it sounds like he can uh he'll be activated Saturday. He's not quite feeling it, they haven't really said. But it from the way the announcers are talking, the reporters are talking how uh yesterday went will kind of decide. But I'm really hoping he is back Saturday because I love watching Vladdy play in New York. I don't know, he always seems to hit well there, and the fact he was hitting well when he got concussed by the Yankees now would be kind of like a good way to come back and maybe hit like a home running game too and be like kind of like F you Yankees for giving me a concussion to the head. Uh knee to the head that ended in a concussion. Yeah, I'm really hyped for that series. I like cannot complain because who doesn't love good old Yankees series? Um, Jimenez is feeling better today, they're all feeling better. I'm hoping for no ILS tense out of that. If it does, I think I will crash the hell out because we don't need no ILS stints right now. Hey guys, I'm excited. Happy game out of the wild card. The quick little the way the standings are um showing up, just uh so we can give the update of like what we need to happen today. So ideally today, because currently right now, Texas and Minnesota are at a virtual tie for the third spot because they are 63 and 65, we're 63 and 66. Somehow we have played one more game than them. I basically like that sometimes. Um, we basically need both of them to lose tonight and we win, and it's like that's we need one of like we need them both to lose. Um, the next game, the next team is Cleveland, because they they're 63 and 66, they're a game back. No, it's sorry, 62 and 66, they're a game back, followed by Detroit, who is 61 and 66, they're one and a half games, and then there's Baltimore, 61 and 67, and then Seattle with 60 and 68, who are three games back. Those are the teams who are all like kind of right in there, and it's crazy because um like we play some of those teams here, like we play Seattle in a week, which is going to be crazy, yeah. Like after we wrap up the Yankees series here, uh we got a Kansas City, then we play Seattle, which will impact us, and then because they're only three out, then we play Cleveland, and then we go back to Kansas. Kansas City is eight games out, so there's nothing crazy there, but then like we uh in September we play Baltimore, Detroit, Texas, Baltimore. So, like that can get wild there. Texas and the race we singly have the worst record against, so especially in a wild card race, and we're playing those teams, it's gonna get a little wild. And I'm excited. I love wild, and I'm excited. That's always a good playoff race when it's going to come right down to the end. We also do have a rematch against the athletics in September. Um, so that'll be kind of nice. Cause hopefully we could take it do what we did in April. It's like April, March, like when it felt like the whole the season was gonna go like last season before we lost everyone to injuries. But yeah, that's it for today's podcast. I will see you all after the Yankee series. I hope everybody has a good rest of your day. Let's go, Blue Jays. Let's get in this wild card spot. Let's get this wild card, and I will see you after New York. Have a good day, everybody.