Wristless Blue Jays fall to the worst team in Auckland baseball

OAKLAND — They desperately need a soft spot on their schedule If the ship was right, the Blue Jays would have found it on Monday night.

After all, their ace, Alex Manoa, was on the mound and faced the team with the worst record and worst attack in baseball.

Unfortunately, baseball doesn't always work that way for this struggling, tired, and emotionally tired team.

Therefore, instead of a morale-enhancing victory, the Blue Jays fell 5-1 to athletics here on a US holiday and lost four times in a row to the midpoint of the season.

Manoa was certainly not in the best condition, achieving the season's best 5 runs (4 wins) in just 5.2 innings. However, Jays didn't feel uncomfortable supporting him as left-handed A starter Cole Irvin retired the first 11 hitters he faced and allowed only one run. .. With a record of

44-37, Jaze is currently moving at a pace of only 88 wins. This is a three-game return from the 2021 91-win campaign. Given the condition of the spots, especially the pitching staff, there are concerns about the current decline in results.

At one level, even if you play against a team that has won only 8 of the previous 36 and lost 25 of the previous 31 at home, the latest failures are expected. It may have been. whole.

After all, Jays played five games in about 72 hours and flew to the Bay Area following Sunday's defeat. This was also not an easy itinerary, as the team did not arrive at the hotel here until midnight after a pit stop at Buffalo to address border issues.

But on the other hand, it wasn't a remarkable start to a seven-game western road trip. They all played against teams with inferior records, mostly including the miserable A.

Manoa's trouble happened immediately when A jumped over him in the first inning. When Matt Chapman returned to Auckland, his ex-teammate wasn't very kind at the opening frame of that three-run, highlighted in two his RBI doubles by Elvis Andras.

"I have no clue," Manoa said when asked where the missing speed went. "(I) continued to attack. I'm pitching. I don't even look at the scoreboard to see (speed) anyway."

Of course, one bad start doesn't sound an alarm. But at least it's a concern given that Manoa is currently the most reliable starter for our staff.

Consider that Kevin Gaussmann (ankle) is likely to make the next scheduled start on Thursday and there is a problem. Hiroo Kikuchi, who is not a model of consistency, won the ball on Tuesday and knows the series finale which is Matinee on Wednesday.

"I personally tried to get out today and give the team a spark, but I couldn't," Manoa said of the rugged outing that brought the season's victory. Loss record falling to 9-3. "Throw it in the trash, forget it, and continue."

As an excuse no one reaches for it, but prolongs from an emotionally exhausting weekend It is clear that there is still fatigue. -Base coach Mark Budinsky.

"You feel it," said manager Charlie Montoyo. "We did the same (Julia Bujinkushi's pre-match silence moment). I don't want to make it as an excuse, but we feel it. We are humans."

From a baseball perspective, Jays struggled with the plate as the manager detected a panic in a team attack.

"It seems like the last few games these days, but we're working hard," said Montoyo. "So hopefully you can go back to swinging the bat really well."

GAME ON

Jays' solo run was Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s fourth run. The double hit was followed by Alejandro Kirk's RBI single ... In Manoah's struggle, manager Charlie Montoyo arrives at his bullpen sooner than expected. And with a biased score and his team's dormant bat, it facilitated the debut of the recently acquired Anthony Banda, which was activated shortly before the game. Banda allowed one hit in Scoreless Seventh ... Jordan Romano needed a closer job, so Montoyo sent him to pitch in the eighth, three-up, three-down case ... the longest of the season. … Fortunately, the game was completed at 2:27. This is one of the shortest in the season.

rlongley@postmedia.com