5 Takeaways from Blue Jays Loss to Baltimore
The Blue Jays sent the tying run to the plate in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.
They had their opportunity — six hits, three walks, and 5.2 innings of no-hit baseball from Hyun Jin Ryu. But, against a team with three wins in the month of August, the Blue Jays became a rare victim for the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday.
Here are five takeaways from the 4-2 loss:
1. Springer Exits
Toronto's designated hitter came flying around second base as Orioles' right fielder Austin Hays leaned into a throw. George Springer stopped in his tracks, skidding to a stop just around the bag before uncomfortably returning to the base. He leaned on his knees for a brief moment before standing up straight, but by then manager Charlie Montoyo had made the call.
"We took him out just to be careful," Montoyo said.
Springer was a game and a half into his return from the injured list, his third IL stint of the season, recovering from a left knee sprain. The team said he was removed "as a precaution," and they'll see how he feels tomorrow, per Montoyo.
2. Jansen's Returns
With eye-black on and batting gloves off, Danny Jansen eyed a high fastball in the third, his second pitch of the night. In his first MLB at-bat in 40 days, the catcher turned on the high heat and cranked a 431-foot bomb into the left-field bleachers to open the scoring.
Though the dinger was Jansen's only offensive contribution of the night, Montoyo said the catcher's relationship with Ryu — providing the lefty comfortability — was one of the reasons Jansen was activated today, instead of waiting for a September callup. Prior to Tuesday's start, Ryu posted a 2.84 ERA with Jansen catching this season.
“When it comes to Jansen and Ryu, they’re on the same page,” Montoyo said, “because they have more reps.”
3. Ryu No-Hits, Then Baltimore Hits
Like all of Ryu's 2021 season, the lefty's Tuesday start was a rollercoaster. It began with a lot of up and ended with an abrupt drop. Perfection to dejection in a matter of minutes.
"The thing I have to really focus on is to prevent that one inning where I give up runs," Ryu said through an interpreter after the game. "I feel like today it was that one inning."
Ryu tallied the first two outs of the sixth inning, as he had for most of the night before Ryan Mountcastle stepped to the dish. After 85 pitches and 5.2 innings pitched, a Mountcastle line-scraping bloop into right-field ended Ryu's no-hit bid. Minutes later, the lefty walked off the mound without his no-hitter, shutout, or the lead. His final line was 5.2 IP, three runs against, six strikeouts, and three walks.
4. Blue Jays DFA Brad Hand
Prior to Tuesday's contest, Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo announced that left-handed reliever Brad Hand had been designated for assignment, signaling the likely end to his Blue Jay tenure. He could "just never get it going," Montoyo said, as Hand posted a 7.27 ERA in 8.2 innings pitched for Toronto.
The Blue Jays have a pair of September call-ups to make tomorrow, and bullpen help could be on the way. Nate Pearson struck out the side on 13 pitches for triple-A Buffalo Tuesday night, his latest appearance working into a relief role.
5. Blue Jays Sign Polanco and Luciano
In the middle of Tuesday's ballgame, the Blue Jays announced the signing of two minor-league free agents.
Returning to the club immediately after he was released to open a 40-man spot, pitching prospect Elvis Luciano rejoins the organization after 11 double-A starts with a 3.41 ERA.
The club also agreed to minor-league terms with recently released outfielder Gregory Polanco. Polanco has posted back-to-back seasons of sub-.650 OPS for the Pittsburgh Pirates playing mainly right field. Though struggling at the plate in recent seasons, Polanco posted a .839 OPS across 108 games in 2017, hitting 23 homers and driving in 81 runs. He'll report to triple-A Buffalo, per Shi Davidi.
Mitch Bannon is a baseball reporter for Sports Illustrated covering the Toronto Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates.Twitter: @MitchBannon