so much depends
upon

an april division
series

glazed with rain
water

inside the white
stadium

I wasn't expecting William Carlos Williams.

NOBODY EXPECTS WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS.

in dire times we must turn to the poets!

For those not following closely, things can be expertly summarized thusly:

First 20 games: Generally entertaining; Not perfect, but more good that bad

Last 5 games: Bad; Super bad; Super super bad.

in dire times we must turn to the poets!

Indeed, and I especially admire how you didn't lazily turn to Eliot and trot out the same old stuff about April being the cruellest month. Well played!

By series it is T-W-L-W-T-W-L-L so the series are 3-3-2 - a 500 record vs the actual record of 12-13. 5 more games in April. In 2024 M/April was 15-16, 2023 18-10, 2022 14-8, 2021 12-12. 2020 didn't have an April (we were all locked down). So for the Bo-Vlad era (neither up in April 2019) the team has been solid in April: 59-46 a 562 win% (91 win pace) but that is mostly 2022/2023 (the 2 playoff years). If the Jays win the next 5 (unlikely) they'd be at 567 win% or a 92 win pace. I'd be happy with a 3-2 record, putting them at 500 for April, a tough month where a 500 record is a victory of sorts.

Judge is hitting a Bondsian .415/.513/.734 and leads the league in hits, runs, and RBI. The case can be made to just walk him most times that he's up.

With Fried on the bump tomorrow, the Jays need to mash tonight against Carrasco and pick up a win. The problem is that the Yankees lineup owns Berrios.

Tonight's a good night to do anything but watch the Jays tbh... Fried+Anemic Jays offence is a bad combination.

Add in the Yankees' magical ability to hit for .150 more slugging at home vs the road in the coldest month of the year... I'm predicting minimum 10 runs for the Yankees tonight.

It's been frustrating for us over the past week, but at least the Jays aren't limited to talent from the draft, amateur and international signees.

By my calculations, original Jays talent have combined for a whopping 0.8 fWAR so far this year, which would rank 28th in the majors, ahead of only the Rockies and White Sox.

Some of that is some marginal players playing terribly and getting significant playing time (hello Vinny Capra!) but mostly it's just mediocrity. The most valuable Jays signee so far? Jeff Hoffman.

Vladdy watches a first pitch cookie from Carrasco and then strikes out flailing. We're back baby.

It’s still a smallish sample (6 games) but I am struggling to remember a more inept offensive stretch for the Jays.

I'm starting to think a good drinking game would be to have a drink anytime the Jays are able to cash in a leadoff runner in scoring position. Great way to keep the bar tab cheap.

If one wants to get drunk just drink each time someone complains about the Jays offense. You won't make it to the 5th inning. And of course, Vlad home run, but a solo one. Badly needed.

The improvement in Kirk’s throwing since he arrived in the majors is the single most impressive skill development at the major league level I can ever remember. He was a very good receiver but a poor thrower when he first came to Toronto.

Just win. 1-0 is just as good as 10-0.

Maybe should have gone with Yimi plus Hoffman for innings 7-9?

Gonna have to be 2-1 now.

The Blue Jays have to find a way to cash Lukes here.

Vladdy took a hanging breaking ball right down the middle to start that critical PA.

If Lukes wasn’t going to steal second in that situation (1-1 game, T8, none out), why not pinch-run for him with Straw? That run was so important. The non-steal attempt and subsequent weak PA by Bo, Vladdy and Santander killed the inning.

Hitting a pitched baseball successfully is indeed extremely difficult to do and these Blue Jays sure are adept that proving the truth of that. It’s a team bent on realism, damnit!

(Guess that’s a complaint, isn’t it. I’d have a drink but I’m not doing that kind of thing at the moment. Pineapple soda for all!)

Hey, nice play by Clement there. Man if this team could get back to even a league average level of offence…. they’ve got a lot of the rest figured out.

Ughhh. Springer hesitating in his tracks there was the difference there in that Bellinger pop dropping. Saw the big swing and froze.

Schneider seemingly getting a bit cute, pulling the experienced Yimi with one out and none in the eighth to bring in the inexperienced Fluharty in a high-leverage situation in Yankee Stadium.

I mean if you’re going to keep challenging the umps calls why don’t you go out there and stick up for your team a bit? Tumpane let the Yankees talk him into that HBP and it might cost them the game.

omigod alejandro actually did it, and with power.

This team is unwatchable right now!

Whoa Hoffman just blew Judge away with an up-and-in 98 MPH fastball.

Badly needed!!

I'll be happy if Hoffman just does this for one year for us, a la BJ Ryan.

anything more than that is gravy.

About as big an April win as you can find. If hitting is indeed contagious let’s hope this is the moment the team catches the fever.

(Apologies for my maximum cliche, Warp 9 there)

Yes and Hoffman’s contract is much better value than BJ’s was.

The Yimi pull oddly reminded me of the WC game 2 Berrios pull. Close ballgame, veteran RHP doing fine and pitch count low…and Schneider pulls him in favour of a lefty for a theoretical analytical advantage.

Obviously the two situations were very different in some respects, but the wrong managerial instinct felt familiar to me.

Good finish for the team in the ninth, though.

Kirk gets the flowers today for sure but it’s kind of cool to feel like you have the baddest closer in a series.

Boy the Yankees have issues in closer Devin Williams. Just his first blown save vs 4 converted, but his last game he had a 4 run lead (thus not a save situation) and blew it. On April 9th he was also given a 4 run lead and nearly blew it (gave up 3 runs). Just not impressive to blow a 4 run lead, and nearly blow another 4 run lead in 1 month, plus blowing the save tonight.

Romano meanwhile is now at -1.0 bWAR (had a 7 run lead and knocked it down to a 1 run lead a few days ago, blew a save on the 23rd). Sad, was hoping he'd still do well but instead he has made Atkins look smart.

I listened to some of the NYY radio broadcast tonight.
I thought it was amusing after Sims said Rogers doesn't lack for funds,
Waldman retorted that "they also don't travel their radio crew".

My impression is that the Yankees used their embattled closer vs. the Jays tonight because they figured pitching against a lineup that's not hitting would be a way to get him back on track.
But their fans were chanting 'We want Weaver' (before Kirk's hit).

I'm predicting minimum 10 runs for the Yankees tonight.

Prescient as always.

Rainout today. Doubleheader tomorrow. Garcia and Hoffman get day off which is probably good.

They get the day off but can only pitch in one of the two games now.

Honestly, if they only win one of the 2 gqmes, I'll be very happy,

Rainy day random fact (that I just looked up). The last time that the Blue Jays used a pitcher in both games of a doubleheader was nearly 10 years ago in the Bronx -- Aaron Loup and Mark Lowe both did that day.

Even with their recent struggles, the Blue Jays are tied with Boston for second in the division, just 2 games back of NYY. Baltimore is in last place.

Varsho is expected to join the team on Tuesday.

Jonatan Clase was scratched today from the Buffalo lineup. I'm going to guess that he's on his way to the Bronx as the 27th man tomorrow. The Jays already have a 9-man bullpen and they're facing a LH starter tomorrow. He's leading AAA in OBP...

Last line really shoulda been:

Beside pin-striped
chickens


My bad. I apologize.

What ? ... No red wheelbarrows ... but "pin-striped chickens" is a truely nice image; but are they "pecking pebbles 'round the peeking diamonds" ?

Win the doubleheader, finish the day tied for first in the division. Sounds like a plan to me.

Ouch, the one time in his career Clement doesn’t take a free-swinging hack is when Fried throws a 94 MPH fastball over the heart of the plate to start the bases loaded PA in the first inning.

Good idea to try a double steal on Fried T2, but poor execution resulted in a pickoff. Both teams have had some costly execution issues in the early going of game 1 today.

Love the pitch efficiency by Gausman. 18 pitches to get through 2 innings.

This home plate umpire is…not good.

Greenfrog. I think it’s that he is good. He has turned this game with one atrocious call. That was his intention. Too bad it has to be that way, but this is Yankee Stadium.

It’s offensive. 100% that pitch would have been called a strike had Fried thrown it.

Also the 2-0 pitch to Jazz was a strike. Called a ball and he eventually walked to force in a run. Shoddy umpiring.

So worried about Gaussman to IL after this 

Where the hell was John Schneider through that?

Disaster of a half-inning. Extreme passivity by Schneider throughout the inning as well.

After Bellinget tied the game, Gausman was one pitch away from getting out of the inning and there’s another 15 innings to go today. I would have stuck with him too.

Very concerned too about a Gausman injury. Have never seen anyone lose it that badly from inning to inning.
Also agreed that letting him throw 50+ pitches in an inning to save the pen a bit was terrible management.
I think this puts an end to position player as 27th man on a double header. The risk with a disaster start can have long term effects. Best case a week of tired pen. Butbwhen youre already in a losing streak...

The inability to get anyone home and the anemic offense also gets highlighted again.

The camera angle was weird. Notbwatching, but chart on mlb.com has that down and out and no pitches anywhere near the zone

Too bad it has to be that way, but this is Yankee Stadium.

Oh, I don't think game officials are trying to help the New York teams.

Oops. Never mind. Just saw how the Knicks game ended.

The game turned on the 3rd pitch to Cabrera in the 3rd inning.

Agreed krose, that was a critical missed call and turning point in the game.

I also thought the game could have taken on a different complexion had the Blue Jays capitalized on their excellent scoring opportunities in innings 1 and 2.

Let me get this straight. If you hit the ball over the fence, you can just keep going around the bases? No one can stop you?

Cool.

The Blue Jays modus operandi of “score zero or one run off the opposing starting pitcher” is getting really old.

Bassitt has been phenomenal this year but I really can’t understand why. His stuff looks the same as in previous years. Whatever the reason, may it continue.

There are so many things to like about Gimenez but what do you do if he’s the 84 wRC+ hitter he’s been the last 200 games?

Now this happens too frequently for me, the full count to Bo and a clear ball off the plate and the umpire rings him up.
This sort of thing happens too often against the Jays in tight ball games when a base runner on (and Bo can steal a base), with Vladdy and Santander coming up could have been a turning point but the umpire snuffed it out. I want the Automated Ball-Strike System to insure fair calls.

One of the worst weeks of baseball I remember. Just completely anemic offense. It will improve but hard to see how it will improve enough.

Yeah, I know the season is a rollercoaster but this team currently looks like a .500 ballclub at best. Just a putrid offense once you subtract the top three, and even those three might not be all that great this year.

“Two and two-thirds, 70 pitches, wherever it was,” Gausman said. “I mean, that’s not great on anyone’s arm.”

Congratulations, Schneider and Blue Jays coaching staff, you lost the doubleheader and you shredded Gausman’s arm early in the year — for the second year in a row. Well done.

I have never been in the “fire Schneider now” camp. He usually makes defensible decisions and most of them don’t make much difference either way. But…and you knew there’d be a but…hanging Gausman out for roughly a gabillion pitches strikes me as a “have you lost your mind?” moment. I would have probably sacked him straight after the game. (Schneider that is. Not Gausman. If that wasn’t clear).

Yeah. Schneider is skating on thin ice. At least there's a Leaf game to watch tomorrow.

I guess I’m an outlier, but to me, the blame is on Gausman for not making an adjustment. He’s a long time vet and he can’t be walking 5 people in an inning. I understand why he lost his cool, but that just can’t happen. Schneider shouldn’t be blamed for expecting better.

I think Schneider is right to push the starters as much as possible, and I grant that that inning as extreme. However, the past two seasons we’ve been complaining about the quick hook.

The Blue Jays have gone 10 straight games without scoring more than 4 runs, their worst streak since 2001 and 6th-longest ever.

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) April 28, 2025

The Gausman quote seems like a veiled shot at the manager's decision to be honest.

Look, I've made it known here I am no fan of Schneider and thought the decision to move on from Montoyo a few years ago warranted a more MLB experienced manager with a successful playoff track record. I thought the meltdown against Seattle in the pressure packed wild card series would have given the Jays brass enough not to just give Schneider the job. But give it to them they have, and while yes, a lot of his moves are defensible (from a certain point of view) I find they don't work out a lot more often than they should. Furthermore, I have a feeling he doesn't have a ton of iron clad support in the clubhouse. That's doesn't read to me as a successful formula, and should the team continue to play below .500, I would sure hope a change is made.

Oh, I'd say the veil was completely removed.

It was a horrendous decision in real time and painful to watch. A truly clueless manager who pulls pitchers while they are rolling, and leaves them out to dry to throw an absurd number of pitches while they are clearly labouring out on the mound.

Im no fan of schneider but the firings should start higher up imo.

I’m quite sure I saw the pitching coach say, “Go get him”. Before the last batter. This isn’t completely on Schneider because Gausman fell apart like a rookie. But there wasn’t even a mound visit to buy rest time and make a plan.

If there's one good thing that may come of this streak, it's maybe a handful of people out there will finally realize hitting coaches can't make hitters magically execute better. It's almost like you just need better hitters to do that.

Then again, based on the number of "Popkins is worse than Martinez" posts around the interwebs, I'm thinking that's a lost cause.

Wasn’t the rationale for a 27th player in a double header exactly yesterday’s scenario? Have a AAA arm ready to absorb innings if a starter gets blown out early to avoid killing the pen? It sure wasn’t to bring up a 6th OF.

The bullpen was extremely fresh though, and it made more sense to carry a RHB that would start vs. a LHP than a 10th reliever. Gausman should have been pulled for Green while it was still 3-1.

To answer your question upthread - a competent front office finds another team to take on the player long before you start owing him 23MM a year.

The bullpen was fresh but they have no multi inning relievers so they would have blown at least 4 and maybe 5 arms getting through 5 or six innings in the first game leaving them shortish for game 2. I completely agree that they should have pulled Gausman at 3-1 but I think that they left him in, at least in part, worrying about how the rest of the day was going to go. That was an own goal before the game even started.

I think the first game of the doubleheader was a cluster. Mistakes were made and admitted. I agree with uglyone, if a time comes for firings, that should start farther up the chain than the manager.

MLB Power Rankings has dropped the Jays from 13th to 23rd.

Bottom line is your top starter is taking a shot at your manager and your manager at best seems to have simply taken the place of the previous manager who was run out of town by the players.

The umpire scorecard from Gausman's game - note that the ump ended up being pro-Jays in the end (I think he was making up for bad calls late when it didn't matter to speed the game up). I checked gameday during the game and he was fairly accurate - just 2 missed calls in that terrible inning, one was barely a miss (just ticked the zone).

Basically, Gausman should've been mad about not being able to throw strikes, it wasn't the umpire's fault. Really, I think everyone here knew Gausman should've been pulled when it was 3-1 with the bases loaded and his control completely gone after 44 pitches that inning. I know I thought at the time "this is stupid, pull him for his arm's health".

I've been saying the front office needs a change for awhile, I projected a 5th place finish again this year and, while it's early, I do believe 2025 will be another step back.

Hoffman was a good deal (fell in their lap because they were willing to take a risk). Santander doesn't cost a lot, relatively speaking, but he's coming off a career year, has zero defensive/base running value, and has a slow bat (more of the same). Gimenez is very shortly going to be a massive overpay.

The club also has something like 10 outfielders on the 40 man, which is crazy.

Best to get Atkins out before the draft and before the trade deadline. But they won't...

AAA and AA are void of any real help and everyone is getting old and/or leaving via free agency.

And now Casey Lawrence has been claimed on waivers... desperation move highlighting just how bad the AAA depth is...

I guess this is being described in the media as an offensive slump, but it's lasted years. I'm not sure something so prolonged can be called a slump.

I think you probably give it another month to see where team is and then you clean house if no improvement. Marc is right that the number of OFs on 40-man is crazy. They need to trade a couple, preferably for better prospects further down the system or for pitching depth.

Agreed with Marc. I had some optimism prior to the start of the season but this is just a continuation of 2024. The front office really needs to be replaced soon.

Prompted by Glevin's comment about the 40-man roster, I took a quick glance, and saw that even though we have a lot of lefty-swinging hitters on the 40-man, they all throw right-handed. That has to be somewhat unusual. Apparently George Springer is naturally left-handed which is even more unusual.

Guessing there will be another selloff at the trade deadline, with a "youth movement" commencing after that. Not sure what the front office situation will be at that point -- whether one or both of Atkins and Shapiro will be replaced.

No way Atkins can stay for that if it happens. Shapiro, I'm more meh on because it's hard to judge his job as president. He got Jays to spend, built great facilities, upgraded stadium, is he making Jays more money? I don't know. Atkins, it's simple. His basic job is to build a winning team and he just hasn't done that despite a lot of rope. As I said, I'd give it to around June 1 and then make a decision.

I predict TB and TOR both finish in the to 3 of the division.

Not getting much bang for the buck. Jays lead the division in active payroll by over $40 million (at the moment), so the organization can't complain about money. The Yankees spend more when everyone's healthy.

Hey, at least we massively overpaid Vlad, so there's that.

Wagner and Schultz optioned.

Varsho and Casey Lawrence active.

Wagner down so that now leaves Varsho, Santander, Roden, Barger, Lukes, and Straw as OF. I could see 5 with one as DH but 6 OFers? How are Roden, Barger, Lukes going to get playing time as backup OFers who hit LH?

Good choice. Let Wagner play everyday in AAA, and use Barger at 3B instead of him when Clement doesn't get the start.

Didn't even mention Springer so actually jays have 7 OFers on roster. Maybe Barger plays mostly 3rd but why would you keep both Lukes and Roden on team? They are going to take turns playing against RHP? Why would you waste roster spot like that? This is the asset management stuff that drives me crazy. They have way too many OFers at AAA/Majors and the backups are almost all LH hitters. They need to trade to create room/opportunities.

And if they carried another infielder, they would have too many infielders. Not sure what you want.

They're facing a lefty tonight, and don't have any lefty bats in the lineup. They have a couple of lefty gloves, though, the kind they acquired to play everyday.

They could always bring back Schneider, I suppose, to push Straw into a true 26th man role of pinch running and defense.