The Toronto Blue Jays dropped their fourth consecutive game on Saturday, and sixth in their last seven, with embattled reliever Jeff Hoffman again at the centre of it.
Hoffman entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with the score tied 2-2, and allowed two singles, a walk and a grand slam to Arizona Diamondbacks star outfielder Corbin Carroll.
Before the righty could record an out, the game was blown open for the Diamondbacks, who would go on to win 6-2.
Though Hoffman was able to retire the side, the ugly outing raised his earned-run average on the season to 7.71. In 10 appearances on the young campaign, Hoffman has two losses and three blown saves, which is tied for the league lead. He also blew a save in his last outing on Tuesday, where he walked three and allowed two runs to score.
“There may be people that don’t want to hear this, but I’ve got a lot of trust and confidence in Jeff Hoffman, and I’ve said that for as long as he’s been here,” manager John Schneider said after the game.
That vote of confidence may be hard to stomach, especially after last season’s historic run was botched in the top of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series when Hoffman allowed a game-tying home run for his biggest blown save of the year.
“He’s going through it,” Saturday’s starting pitcher Max Scherzer said after the game. “He’s got to figure it out and come out the other side. When you do, you’re better for it. You learn something about yourself. It’s the ‘evolve or die’ mentality. You’ve got to find a way to get better.”
Of the five relievers in the Blue Jays bullpen to make at least nine appearances this year, only Hoffman (8) and Mason Fluharty (4) have given up more than one earned run.
With other options waiting in the bullpen, Schneider is confident Hoffman can figure it out as the season continues. Scherzer echoed that confidence in Hoffman after the game.
“We all believe in him. We all love him,” Scherzer said to reporters. “We all believe he’s going to figure it out and get big outs for us. That’s never going to change.”
The loss to the Diamondbacks dropped the Blue Jays to 7-13 and last place in the American League. As the old adage goes, ‘you can’t win the division in April, but you can certainly lose it.’
The Blue Jays have dug themselves into a hole as they trail both the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees by more than four games entering play on Sunday.
Hoffman’s struggles at the back end of the bullpen aren’t the only issue, but a turnaround for the team’s embattled closer would help right the ship.
