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After the trade deadline, the Blue Jays had moments and games where they pitched excellently, and even times when the team’s hitting performance, led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was remarkably good.
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Heck, even the team’s depleted and talentless bullpen has risen to the metaphorical challenge.
Junior Jays’ Sunday was not one of those moments.
One of the few moments when the announced crowd of 38,797 showed any signs of life occurred in the second half of the sixth inning, when the home team scored an out on a rundown between third base and home plate.
And to think, the Blue Jays began their six-game home series by beating a strong Baltimore team in two of three games to win the series.
With Oakland in town to play its final series in Toronto before the team moves to Sacramento next season, the Blue Jays had an opportunity to keep the winning spirit alive.
Instead, it was completely washed away in a truly forgettable and regrettable first inning, en route to an 8-4 loss that did not reflect the gloom of the day.
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The first inning carnage consisted of eleven batters coming to the plate, two home runs allowed, one hit batter, one mound visit and six runs scored.
If Oakland’s performance were to be graded, it would receive an A+. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, would have deserved a 6.
Chris Bassitt wore the goat horns after his second four-inning appearance in his last three starts, but the entire team was completely helpless in the closed Rogers Centre.
Toronto finished 3-3 at home and now faces a six-game road trip that begins Monday in Anaheim against the LA Angels.
Given the way the Blue Jays played and battled against the Orioles, so much was expected and yet so little was accomplished against the A’s.
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Toronto needed two home runs to beat the A’s 3-1 in the series opener on Friday.
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Toronto was then beaten 1-0 on Saturday, when only two hits were scored and no hits were scored after the second inning.
When Daulton Varsho hit a home run in the fourth inning of Sunday’s game, his 14th home run of the season, it was Toronto’s first hit of the afternoon.
Including the seven hitless innings on Friday, the Blue Jays have completed a total of 10 hitless innings against an Oakland team that is not exactly worthy of a Cy Young Award.
However, you have to give the A’s credit for coming to Toronto and getting close to the Jays.
In the series finale, the A’s were free to play as they pleased and even attempted to steal a sack with the score at 6-0, which only speaks to Oakland’s aggressive approach.
The Jays, for some reason, played with such passivity and borderline arrogance, which is pretty odd and disturbing because they did nothing.
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There was a certain amount of excitement every time Guerrero went to bat, but it wasn’t the same kind of pure emotion.
One of the highlights of the weekend was Guerrero’s ninth-inning showdown with Oakland power pitcher Mason Miller, who threw him out with a 103 mph pitch.
There was not even the slightest hint of such a dramatic moment on Sunday.
After a leadoff single by Varsho in the second half of the inning, Guerrero made a double play.
Guerrero entered the afternoon with a career-high 22-game hit streak. It wasn’t Guerrero’s day, but it wasn’t the Blue Jays’, either.
The team showed what it was capable of at the trade deadline by continuing to have controlled starting pitchers, a list headlined by Bassitt, Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios. Yariel Rodriguez technically falls into that group as well, but he’s only in his first year.
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Y-Rod threw well on Saturday but got absolutely no support.
Bassitt did not throw well, allowing A’s leadoff hitter Lawrence Butler to get two hits in the first inning.
You could say Butler made it happen because Oakland’s right fielder set the tone.
After a single in the fourth inning, Butler stole second base. His three hits equaled the Jays’ team total in seven innings.
JJ Bleday and Zack Gelof took Bassitt far in the fateful first round.
Because of the Blue Jays’ poor play, “Getawayday” took on a new meaning.
At least Luis De Los Santos recorded his first MLB hit when he fended off an infield grounder.
At least Varsho was competitive from the first pitch, but on the other hand, Varsho embodies competitiveness and fearlessness.
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There continues to be a worrying trend with Davis Schneider and his lack of hitting power.
For some strange reason, the Jays have Schneider on the roster. On Sunday, he batted seventh in the order.
He hasn’t had a hit since June 22, although Schneider has three extra-base hits. He has one RBI in his last 20 games.
In his final at-bat appearance on Sunday, Schneider worked a walk as the Blue Jays had runners on first and second base after Spencer Horwitz worked a walk. One out later, De Los Santos stepped up to bat and elevated his game, sending a sharply hit ball into the right field corner to score two runs.
He scored when George Springer hit a single into left field.
Amazingly, when Varsho was hit by Michel Otanez’s first pitch in the at-bat, the Jays had the tying run in the on-deck circle.
The air was sucked out of the building when Guerrero hit a double play that ended the inning.
Oakland started the ninth inning with Miller, who retired the team in order.
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