Blue Jays get solid pitching in loss to A's but bats go painfully quiet

TORONTO – Ideally, this time of year’s all about wins and losses. How you get there’s typically less important than the end result when you’re contending down the stretch of an MLB season.

But clearly, that’s not where the Blue Jays are, which means the way things unfold on the field matters a whole lot. The results do too, and no one’s pleased with the 1-0 loss to the Athletics Saturday afternoon, but how they got there matters just as much.

There were positives on the pitching staff, as Yariel Rodriguez allowed only a Brent Rooker home run over the course of 5.2 effective innings. And there was at least one bright spot at the plate, as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extended his MLB-leading hitting streak to 22 games, tying a career high.

But otherwise, the Blue Jays were painfully quiet against Osvaldo Bido, an unheralded 28-year-old who began the afternoon with a 5.38 ERA in 26 career games. Aside from Guerrero Jr.’s first-inning single, they managed just one other hit all afternoon and were held scoreless for the fifth time this season.

Offensively, they didn’t do enough to support a strong start from Rodriguez, who lowered his season ERA to 3.60. With a fastball clocked up to 97.1 m.p.h. and a slider that generated six swings and misses, there's a legitimate big-league arsenal here.

"He's learned that his stuff is good, and when he's attacking he's real good," manager John Schneider said afterwards. “And I liked how collected he was and focused on making pitches."

Outings like this provide reason for optimism about what the right-hander can offer in 2025 – though more starting pitching should of course be on this team’s off-season shopping list along with many capable relievers.

In 12 big-league starts, Rodriguez has allowed more than three earned runs just once.

"Those are actually my expectations,” Rodriguez said through interpreter Hector Lebron. "I really believe I can get better."

Workload wise, the right-hander said he's enjoying the routines that come with being a big-league starter after beginning the season with restrictions on his workload.

"I love the challenge of being in the starting rotation," Rodriguez said. "I'm feeling good right now."

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays’ defence also showed some signs of weakness. In the fifth inning, Lawrence Butler hit a fly ball to left-centre field and Daulton Varsho called for it only to have newcomer Joey Loperfido cut in front of him and make the catch.

While Varsho remained composed as the players left the field, the Blue Jays made sure to address that mistake with Loperfido right away.

“It's two good outfielders being aggressive. The more they play together, the more they'll be comfortable," Schneider said. "We kind of joked, 'let the Platinum Glover take that one.’”

Loperfido’s also been struggling at the plate, with two more strikeouts Saturday. That brings his total to 16 in 32 at-bats with the Blue Jays, a strikeout rate of exactly 50 per cent. Considering no qualified MLB hitter has a strikeout rate higher than 37.7 per cent this year, Loperfido will have to improve his plate approach to be more than a bench player at this level.

There’s still plenty of time for those changes to happen, and some patience should be afforded to a 25-year-old still settling into his new surroundings, but this hasn’t been the start he or the Blue Jays would have wanted. Whether he can adjust course in the remaining 45 games of the season will impact his standing entering 2025.

"We still have all the confidence in the world in him," Schneider said. "It's a quick snapshot. I don't want to get too overly concerned with it. The guy has a ton of talent and we believe he'll be fine."

As for Guerrero Jr., the quality of his at-bats remains elite. Before the game, offensive coordinator Don Mattingly remarked that Guerrero Jr.’s ability to use the whole field separates him from other hitters and that’s exactly what the 25-year-old did in his first at-bat. Meanwhile, Schneider marvelled at Guerrero Jr.’s ability to combine bat-to-ball skills with home run swings.

“Pretty remarkable,” Schneider said before the game. “The most impressive thing for me is the power that's come up with it (11 doubles and 10 home runs). Vlad's a really good hitter – we talk about it every day. He's a professional. (It’s) pretty damn impressive.”

That’s beyond debate right now, and Guerrero Jr.’s even combining his offensive hot streak with aggressive baserunning and strong defence at first base. All of that’s a positive for the Blue Jays as they build toward 2025. Elsewhere, though, there’s still considerable work to be done.