The Major League Baseball (MLB) Toronto Blue Jays suffered a shocking sweep and fell into a four-game losing streak. A real battle between competing teams. It was a watershed. Initially, through this series, they were able to gain a sufficient edge in the wild card competition. However, instead, it collapsed and lost its ranking. Is Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto Blue Jays)’s fall baseball finally becoming this distant?
The Toronto Blue Jays lost 2-9 in the 2023 American Major League Baseball (MLB) home game against the Texas Rangers held at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Canada on the 15th (Korean time).
Toronto suffered a shocking sweep against Texas, losing all four games in a row. Toronto’s record this season was 80 wins and 67 losses. Toronto is in 3rd place in the American League East Division with 147 games played this season. In fact, 3rd place on Earth is certain. This is because the lead with the first-place Baltimore Orioles (91 wins, 55 losses, 0.623 winning percentage) in the same district has already increased to 11.5 games, and the lead with the second-place Tampa Bay Rays (91 wins, 57 losses, 0.615 winning percentage) has already reached 10.5 games.
Toronto is now in the top 3,바카라 which is the wild card Maginot line, and is aiming for fall baseball. First of all, it is no exaggeration to say that the Tampa Bay Rays have confirmed first place in the wild card. Tampa Bay is already threatening Baltimore, which is ranked first in the district. Toronto was originally in second place. Originally, before the four-game series against Texas, Toronto was in second place, one game ahead of the third-place Seattle Mariners and 1.5 games ahead of fourth-place Texas.
However, with this shocking fourth consecutive loss, they lost their positions to both Texas and Seattle and fell to fourth place. Second place is Texas, 2.5 games ahead of Toronto, and third place is Seattle, 1.5 games behind Toronto. Toronto now has 15 games left, and Seattle and Texas each have 16 games left. It can be said that it is a ride that cannot be said to be small.
◆ Starting pitcher Bassett’s ’emotional display’ in the first game against Texas… came back as a poison.The most disappointing thing is losing the first game to Texas. They were defeated 4-10, but it was fatal for Ryu Hyun-jin’s teammate at the time, Chris Bassett (34), to have been momentarily upset and unable to control his emotions. In the top of the second inning, with a runner on second and third base, Mitch Garber, the runner on third base, took a large lead, and Bassett suddenly started rushing toward third base. At the time, Toronto third baseman Cavern Biggio left third base completely empty and shifted to the shortstop position, and Garber took aim at this gap. However, Bassett did not just watch this and ran to third base. The problem was that the third check failed and the out count did not increase, leading to a balk. In the end, third base runner Garber homered for free, and Bassett collapsed after 5 ⅓ innings, allowing 9 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 5 runs.
The next day, Ryu Hyun-jin took the mound under great pressure and did his part in 6 innings (82 pitches), allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts, and 3 runs. However, without receiving support from the team’s batting lineup, the team lost 3-6 and fell into a swamp of two consecutive losses. Then, the previous day (14th), Toronto selected Japanese pitcher Yusei Kikuchi as the starting pitcher. However, even Kikuchi collapsed with 5 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 6 runs (6 earned) in 5 innings, and the team suffered a one-sided loss of 0-10 after only 5 sporadic hits and empty balls. Toronto’s unexpected loss on the first day effectively led to three consecutive losses for Toronto.
And Toronto collapsed in the fourth and final game of the day. Toronto ace Kevin Gausman stepped up to end the losing streak, but could not handle the Texas hard-hitting line. In the end, Gausman left the mound early without even completing the 5th inning with 6 hits (2 home runs), 6 walks, 5 strikeouts, and 4 runs in 4⅔ innings. Afterwards, Toronto’s Tim Mayza and Eric Swanson came on in succession, pitching a combined 2⅓ scoreless innings. However, Trevor Richards, who stepped on the mound as the fourth pitcher in the 8th inning, collapsed with 3 hits, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts without even getting a single out. In the end, Toronto’s pitching staff gave up 11 hits with only 4 outs that day, and ended up losing again 2-9. Toronto’s batting lineup also went cold. He only had 4 sporadic hits.
In the top of the first inning, Texas succeeded in taking the lead with one out and Corey Seager hit a solo shot to right-center field (1-0). However, Toronto did not back down easily either. The bottom of the first inning followed immediately. At the opportunity with one out and one on first base, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a come-from-behind two-run shot that went over the left field fence. (1-2) Texas immediately counterattacked again. After Marcus Semien reached base with a walk in the top of the second inning with two outs and a runner on first base, Seager hit a timely double with two RBIs to left. (3-2) While Toronto missed the opportunity to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Texas went in the top of the third inning. Another point escaped. With no runners on 2 outs, Jonah Haim hit a solo shot in the middle of the game (4-2).
Afterwards, in a tight pitching battle between both teams, Toronto eventually collapsed without being able to last the 8th inning. After leadoff hitter Duran got on base with a double to right-center, Carter’s walk gave him a chance to reach first and second base. Here, the Toronto pitching coach visited the mound once, but Semien hit a timely double to left. (5-2) While Seager was missed with an automatic intentional fourth pitch, even the next batter, Rowe, recorded a timely hit with 2 RBIs, lowering the score. It went up to 7-2. Taveras continued the opportunity to load the bases with an infield single, and Grossman drew a walk. (8-2) This was not the end. Haim retired with a missed swing and a strikeout, but Smith followed up with a sacrifice hit to center field, effectively sealing the game at 9-2.
Texas starter Nathan Evaldi was unable to complete the fourth inning, allowing 3 hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 2 runs (2 earned) in 3 ⅓ innings, but the bullpen team that came out did a good job protecting the lead. In the 12-hit batting lineup, Seager went 3-for-4 (1 home run), 3 RBI, 2 runs, and 1 walk, while Grossman, Haim, and Duran also recorded multiple hits.
Of course, Toronto still has hope of advancing to the postseason. However, the remaining schedule is not easy. They must play three games against the Boston Red Sox, six games against the New York Yankees, and six games against the Tampa Bay Rays, who are in the same American League East Division. As a result, Toronto suffered a loss on the first day because Bassett finished the game excited and the batting line did not perform well despite Ryu Hyun-jin’s good pitching. Will Ryu Hyun-jin be able to stand on the stage in fall baseball this season? It all depends on Toronto’s performance in the remaining games.