The Toronto Blue Jays were eliminated from the playoffs on Wednesday as the hometown Minnesota Twins scored two unanswered runs, shutting out the visiting team en route to a 2-0 Wild Card series win.
After the game, Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios was spied in the dugout looking incredibly dejected after being yanked early vs. his former team. Toronto went with a host of relievers afterward including Yusei Kikuchi, who gave up another run. The loss prevented the return of a key Blue Jays player who had planned to return from injury.
The move was met with surprise from longtime All-Star and MLB superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who got brutally honest about the pitching change and what the Blue Jays' dugout thought of manager John Schneider's move.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (via interpreter) on the move from Berríos to Kikuchi:
“Obviously, everybody was surprised. Everybody was surprised with the decision, but there are things you cannot control. You can ask yourself many times, but it’s not our decision. We were surprised."
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) October 5, 2023
“Pitching allowed 5 runs in 2 games. Offense scored 1 run. The pitchers did their job. This shouldn’t be about the Kikuchi decision,” one fan said in response to Guerrero's comments.
“It didn’t matter who pitched Berrios, Kikuchi, Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay, Dave Stieb, Jimmy Key, Henke, Hell Greg Maddux, it wouldn’t matter because they scored a big fat goose egg,” another fan added, also blaming the offense for the loss.
While it was a short series against the Twins, the Blue Jays' offense failed to produce when it mattered most. They scored just one run combined in two games and were defeated soundly by their rivals from the oft-maligned and oft-criticized American League Central, which many fans and analysts alike felt was the worst division in baseball for the entirety of the 2023 season.
Expect the Blue Jays to return with high hopes in 2023, dead-set on putting the memories of their short playoff run behind them. A 16 games over .500 season showed off the potential of Guerrero and the Blue Jays, but next year will be even tougher.
Follow Us
Subscribe