Poor Start From Scherzer, Jays Lose

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer slides into home plate against Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto

Might as well get the congratulations out of the way first, Max Scherzer got his 3500th strikeout, just the 11th pitcher to get to that number. He’s at 3503 now. Number 10 in the list is Walter ‘Big Train’ Johnson at 3509. But I really don’t care if Max passes him. It very much appears that Max has aged out of being a useful MLB pitcher.

Max threw 3.1 innings, allowed 5 hits (with 2 home runs ), 5 earned, 3 walks with the 4 strikeouts.

When Shane is ready to come back, I’d likely hand Max his gold watch.

And the offense did very little. There are a couple of moments I’d like to mention. In the third inning, with two out, George Springer walked on five pitches (it could have been four, he swung at one off the plate) and then Vladimir Guerrero walked on four pitches. Next up Ernie Clement, who, one would imagine, would have seen the two at bats before him and thought ‘maybe I should take a strike’. Nope swung at the first pitch, that was outside and almost bounced. And he swung at the second pitch, but it was a strike. And then he swung at the third pitch, which was a little further outside than the first.

I know that Ernie is like that (though he did walk later in the game), but we were down by four. I mean, I can see going up and thinking ‘I’m likely to get a first pitch fastball down the middle’ and then sit on that, cause the pitcher doesn’t want to walk the bases loaded. But anything else, he should have kept the bat on his shoulder.

Sorry Ernie, you are having a great year, but that could have been our chance to get in the game.

And in the fifth, we had runners on first and second (Myles Straw and Nathan Lukes hit singles) with one out. A pitch was bounced, Straw got a bit of a jump off second, but the ball bounced off the catcher and up the third base line. Straw saw he’d be out and went back to second, but Lukes saw Straw take the couple of steps and headed to second. He didn’t see Straw retreat and Lukes was an easy out, ending the inning.

You gotta be watching the guy ahead of you.

• One in the sixth: With one out, Clement (now he walks) and Kazuma Okamoto walked. Yohendrick Piñango, in a tough spot against a lefty, struck out. But Brandon Valenzuela singled. Clement ran through the stop sign at third and scored. If he had been thrown out, I’d have benched him. We were down six and would have had the bases loaded. Unfortunately Andrés Giménez flied out to end the inning.

• Three in the seventh: Phillies reliever Chase Shugart had all sorts of trouble with the strike zone. Straw singled. Lukes (on four pitches) walked. Springer (on four pitches) walked. Vlad (on five pitches, one right dead center) walked in a run. Ernie Clement, who had the bad at bat earlier, took a strike and then hit a deep fly to the opposite field, unfortunately caught at the wall, for a sac fly. Okamoto hit another sac fly (Springer was just safe). Piñango ground out to end the inning.

One in the sixth: With one out, Clement (now he walks) and Kazuma Okamoto walked. Yohendrick Piñango, in a tough spot against a lefty, struck out. But Brandon Valenzuela singled. Clement ran through the stop sign at third and scored. If he had been thrown out, I’d have benched him. We were down six and would have had the bases loaded. Unfortunately Andrés Giménez flied out to end the inning.

Three in the seventh: Phillies reliever Chase Shugart had all sorts of trouble with the strike zone. Straw singled. Lukes (on four pitches) walked. Springer (on four pitches) walked. Vlad (on five pitches, one right dead center) walked in a run. Ernie Clement, who had the bad at bat earlier, took a strike and then hit a deep fly to the opposite field, unfortunately caught at the wall, for a sac fly. Okamoto hit another sac fly (Springer was just safe). Piñango ground out to end the inning.

In total, we had eight hits and seven walks. Straw had 3 hits. Vlad and Springer each had a hit and two walk. . Lukes a hit and a walk. Piñango and Charles McAdoo were the only starters not to reach base.

With Scherzer coming out early, we used a bunch of relievers, thankfully tomorrow is an off day.

• Mason Fluharty got the last two outs of the fourth, but gave up another run.

• Tommy Nance pitched the fifth, giving up just a hit.

• Jeff Hoffman pitched the sixth, with just a walk and a strikeout.

• Braydon Fisher started the seventh, but gave up a couple of hits, a walk and run, while getting just one out.

• Spencer Miles finished the seventh and pitched the eighth, without giving up a baserunner, with 2 strikeouts.

• Tyler Rogers pitched the ninth. He made a couple of nice defensive plays. On a comebacker he looked the runner at second back to the bag and then threw to first and, on the last out, it was a roller down the first base line, and

Mason Fluharty got the last two outs of the fourth, but gave up another run.

Tommy Nance pitched the fifth, giving up just a hit.

Jeff Hoffman pitched the sixth, with just a walk and a strikeout.

Braydon Fisher started the seventh, but gave up a couple of hits, a walk and run, while getting just one out.

Spencer Miles finished the seventh and pitched the eighth, without giving up a baserunner, with 2 strikeouts.

Tyler Rogers pitched the ninth. He made a couple of nice defensive plays. On a comebacker he looked the runner at second back to the bag and then threw to first and, on the last out, it was a roller down the first base line, and

Jay of the Day: No one, the high mark was Springer (0.05).

The Other Award: Max (-0.24) and Clement (-0.08).

Tomorrow is an off-day. I can use it.