The Toronto Blue Jays lost a tight one Wednesday night, falling 7-6 to the Tampa Bay Rays as they fell back in the American League wild-card race.
One of the big blows came in the fourth inning with one out and the bases loaded when Richie Palacios hit a shallow fly ball to Jesus Sanchez in left field. Sanchez came in confidently but pulled up as the ball descended and landed well to his right, dropping in for a two-run double that gave the Rays a 4-1 lead.
This came after a first-inning play where Junior Caminero drove a ball high and deep into the left-field corner that landed next to Sanchez and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, though it’s unclear if the ball hit a catwalk near the Tropicana Field roof.
Manager John Schneider discussed the two plays with reporters after the game.
“The first one was weird, looked like it went over the catwalk a bit. If you take your eye off the ball here it’s tough to re-gather it or where you are. Kind of looked like he took his eye off it on the first one and it’s tough to find it after that,” he said via The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon.
“The second one, I haven’t talked to him yet about it, but looked like a weird play coming in. I’m sure it’s a play he would have liked to have made.... But looked like, again, kind of didn’t see it or saw it and then didn’t see it.”
“Today wasn’t the best day for him,” Schneider said in summary.
Sanchez spoke with reporters Thursday morning in Tampa before their series finale.
“I know I need to improve my defence, because I don’t usually play left field. I’m going to make the adjustment because I’m athletic enough to play left field. I know I’m going to be there, and the next time I’m going to be better,” Sanchez said via Bannon.
The second play was particularly costly in a game the Jays lost by one run. Sanchez was not charged with an error on the play and the Rays scored three more times that inning to go up 7-1. All seven runs were charged earned to starter Max Scherzer, whose ERA ballooned to 7.40 on the season in 11 starts.
He reacted strongly after the two runs scored on Sanchez’s miscue but acknowledged he could have pitched better, lamenting the runners he put on base that inning.
“Was able to get a strikeout in a big situation and then, obviously, a missed play and mistakes. But I’m not going to sit here and point fingers and talk about those things,” Scherzer said via Bannon in The Athletic.
“I take accountability for my mistakes. Two walks are not acceptable.”
At the plate, Sanchez was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts before being lifted for pinch-hitter Daz Cameron in the sixth inning. The 28-year-old is slashing .260/.319/.423 with eight home runs and 33 RBI so far this season.
The 7-1 cushion the Rays built was barely enough as the Jays got four runs back in the top of the fifth inning and added another in the sixth to make it a one-run game.
In the ninth inning with two outs, a runner on second base and the score 7-6, Alejandro Kirk drove one deep into right-centre field. But Rays centre fielder Cedric Mullins ran the ball down to secure the Tampa win, sending the Jays back to four games under .500 at 62-66.
Toronto will look for the series win Thursday afternoon as they conclude their series in Tampa before heading to the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees over the weekend. Right-hander Shane Bieber will take the hill for the Blue Jays against lefty Ian Seymour for the Rays.
