Blue Jays suffer yet another late-game letdown in costly loss to Nationals

TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays are not just accumulating losses right now, they’re piling up heart-breaking defeats.

Sunday’s extra-innings loss to the Cleveland Guardians was devastating but you could make the argument that what happened on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre was even worse.

Trailing the Washington Nationals by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Blue Jays loaded the bases with none out against closer Kyle Finnegan. The crowd of 39,722 was on its feet and roaring after being lulled to sleep for most of the evening. The heart of the Blue Jays order was due up.

The stage was set for the type of heroics that would have almost felt cathartic. Yet instead, what followed was the standard 2023 Blue Jays Baseball result.

Davis Schneider struck out, then Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to third, plating one run in the process. Danny Jansen, the club’s last hope, battled through a tense seven-pitch at-bat before finally popping up in foul territory to deflate the crowd and cap a 5-4 loss to the Nationals.

“You get the dudes up that you want,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “And it didn't work out.”

With the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros both winning on Tuesday, the Blue Jays now sit 3.5 games behind the final wild-card spot.

The eighth inning was equally confounding. Whit Merrifield scored on a wild pitch from Nationals reliever Hunter Harvey to cut the score to 5-3 and Alejandro Kirk advanced to third base on the play. Pinch-hitter Daulton Varsho flew out to centre-fielder Jacob Young, who delivered a strong throw to nab Kirk at home as he tagged up. It resulted in an inning-ending double play and Schneider was questioned following the game about why Kirk, among the slowest runners in the league, was not removed for the speedy Mason McCoy.

The manager said that if Kirk had represented the tying run at the time, the club would have pinch ran for him. But not in the case where they were down by two runs.

Schneider offered this explanation: “You pinch hit Varsho — you’re looking to do damage to try to take the lead and clip a homer. You never know how the game goes. A lot of different ways to where crazy [expletive] happens and you get into the 11th inning and that spot comes up. And you want Kirky at the plate. So, yeah, kind of a general rule of thumb. The odds of a medium-depth fly ball with an average-throwing outfielder and Kirky at third was probably last on my bingo card.”

While it’s easy to point to that decision because the Blue Jays ultimately lost by one run, it’s also important to note that the club once again failed to capitalize on numerous chances, going a dismal 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios wasn’t at his sharpest Tuesday, enduring his second consecutive rough outing. Nationals third baseman Carter Kieboom hammered a first-pitch sinker from Berrios 410 feet into the left-field stands for a two-run homer in the second inning that gave the Nationals an early lead.

In the fifth, Berrios issued a two-out walk to Lane Thomas and Joey Meneses followed with a single. Keibert Ruiz then launched a middle-up fastball over the right-field wall for a three-run shot that pushed the score to 5-1 lead.

In total, Berrios allowed five runs on six hits over six innings, walking two and striking out two. He recorded just two whiffs on 39 swings — an indicator that he didn’t have his best stuff.

“Tonight was on me,” Berrios said. “Two homers. Five runs. I don't feel happy about it.”

Blue Jays second baseman Davis Schneider continued his torrid entrance into the majors, providing most of the offence for the home side. In the third inning, he deposited an 0-2 fastball from Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore into the second deck in left field for a solo home run. He also added an RBI double in the seventh. The rookie now has six homers in 13 games and is batting .422 with a 1.420 OPS. 

Brandon Belt was preparing to enter Tuesday’s contest as a pinch-hitter, but suddenly experienced lower back spasms, according to John Schneider. And meanwhile, before the game, the Blue Jays placed Bo Bichette on the 10-day injured list with a right quad strain and called up McCoy. It's the second trip to the IL for Bichette this month — the shortstop also missed 16 games with right patella tendinitis.

Schneider said Bichette had been playing through the injury over the past week.

"He's frustrated," Schneider. "At the same time, he understands and doesn't want to do anything that's going to [keep him] out for the season."

McCoy, Ernie Clement and Santiago Espinal all figure to get reps at shortstop, with Schneider conceding that the club will have to manage the position "creatively." Further complicating matters is that third baseman Matt Chapman (right middle finger sprain) is also on the IL after being removed from Sunday's game.

A lot’s happening right now with this team, but at the same time, a lot is also not happening. And that must change quickly if there’s any hope of playing past Oct. 1, the final day of the regular season.

“We all know that every loss, every win's at a premium right now and you know every loss sucks,” said Schneider. “Quick turnaround, so we got to get ready to roll tomorrow.”