Blue Jays Talk
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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 4-1 loss vs. the Royals at the Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss the offensive struggles once again - was that all Cole Ragans on KC's side? They also get to a pair of players who showed some signs of life, including Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - is that something they can continue to build on? They get to George Springer continuing to struggle at the plate, the outing from José Berríos, and the minor league outing for Alek Manoah in the wake of Yariel Rodríguez being put on the 15-day IL.
Blake Murphy is joined by Caleb Joseph to recap the win vs. the Royals where Addison Barger picked up his first MLB hit and the Blue Jays scored 6 runs for the first time since April 5. Afterwards, Mike Petriello discusses how Toronto can manufacture more runs and he examines how teams are using base stealing this season (27:57).
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-5 win over the Royals to start the series at the Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and get right to the offence scoring six runs for the first time since April 6 vs. the Yankees. They chat Justin Turner launching two homers, Danny Jansen crushing one on his own giveaway night, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. getting aboard a few times as well. Plus, they discuss the pitching, including a longer outing from Yariel Rodríguez, and Nate Pearson getting the chance to close out the top of the Royals order.
Blake Murphy is joined for the full hour by Ben Nicholson-Smith to access the Blue Jays’ bats thus far, look at the peaks and valleys of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s hitting over the past few seasons and have some fun in the final segment with trivia and memorable giveaways (28:59).
Sho Alli and Jesse Rubinoff break down the Blue Jays' 3-1 win over the Dodgers to wrap up the series in Toronto! They take your calls and texts, and get right to the seven innings of one-run ball from Kevin Gausman. How important was it that the team's ace, their stopper, put an end to a five-game skid? They chat about the Yimi García-Tim Mayza decision in the eighth, the Daulton Varsho catch on a Max Muncy flyout, the George Springer catch in the ninth inning, and discuss solutions for the offence, which sputtered once again after scoring some early runs.
Sho Alli and Daniele Franceschi break down the Blue Jays' 4-2 loss to the Dodgers at the Rogers Centre. They take your calls and texts, and get right to the decision making process behind not pinch-hitting George Springer for Isiah Kiner-Falefa - why? Is that another example of the team's organizational philosophy? They chat about what a potential rebuild would entail, the performances at the plate from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, what a changed batting order could look like. Plus, they discuss Orelvis Martinez - should he be called up, positional logjam or not?
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 12-2 loss to the Dodgers at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and get into the state of the offence once more - will the bats wake up against more elite threats if they can't against Gavin Stone? They discuss the outing from Chris Bassitt and his lack of command, boos being heard for Shohei Ohtani (and his subsequent home run), and the top of the Jays order still being unable to string together competitive at-bats consistently.
Blake Murphy is joined byJonah Birenbaum to analyze the top of the Blue Jays batting order and recap the loss to the Royals. Afterwards, Dodgers play-by-play announcer Stephen Nelson joins the show (26:21) to discuss Los Angeles’ star talent and what makes Shohei Ohtani special.
After a near four-hour rain delay, Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 2-1 loss vs. the Royals to wrap up the road trip. They take your calls, and get to John Schneider's comments on how the delay was managed - will this be an impediment with the Dodgers arriving at the Rogers Centre on Friday? They discuss Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s offence, and also get into the start from José Berríos in the shortened outing.
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-2 loss to the Royals in Kansas City. They take your calls, and get right to the decisions of John Schneider when it comes to pinch-hitting for Daniel Vogelbach. Was it a big mistake to not pinch-hit for him? Did Justin Turner get called off the bench too late? They also discuss the offence continuing to stall, what they saw from Addison Barger in his major league debut, and Yariel Rodríguez making his third start as a Blue Jay.
Blake Murphy is joined by Keegan Matheson to discuss Vladimir Guerrero’s costly error last night vs. the Royals and why he believes Kevin Gausman is rounding into form. Afterwards, Robert Orr pops in (30:57) to explain his award-winning baseball analytics platform.
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-2 loss vs. the Royals in Kansas City. They take your calls, and get right to the error from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that led to three unearned runs from Kevin Gausman. How much blame should Vladdy get here? What will - and should - the fallout be from this? They discuss the outing from Gausman himself, in which he went 6.2 IP for his longest outing of the 2024 season. Plus, they get into the offence's overall performance as it continues to be reminiscent of 2023.
Blake Murphy is joined by Chris Black to discuss Daulton Varsho’s stellar play and what the numbers suggest about George Springer’s bat speed. Afterwards, they dive deep into Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s production since his fantastic 2021 season (27:13).
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 5-3 win over the Royals to open the four-game series in Kansas City! They discuss the outing from Yusei Kikuchi - how important was it for him to look as dominant as he did (despite the sixth inning) in yet another start? They chat another bomb from Daulton Varsho, Bo Bichette clearing the bases with a three-run triple, and Jordan Romano cashing in his 100th career save.
Blake Murphy speaks with Julia Kreuz to recap the weekend series vs. the Padres and touch on the noteworthy play of Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement. Afterwards, Anne Rogers discusses what’s behind the 13-9 start for a young Royals team (30:46).
Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz break down the Blue Jays' 6-3 loss vs. the Padres to wrap up the three-game series in San Diego. They take your calls and texts, and discuss Nate Pearson's role in the bullpen - was his confidence rattled after being sent down, or is Big Nate's role not that one of high leverage? They discuss Chris Bassitt's comment that the team is dealing with an illness, the usage of certain roster spots with minor leaguers playing well, the play of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - especially in a critical AB late in the game - and get to the two main positives from today's outing: Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement.
Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz break down the Blue Jays' 5-2 win over the Padres in San Diego for their fourth straight series victory! They take your calls, and get right to the play of Daulton Varsho, who turned in a three-hit night, including a mammoth three-run bomb early on. With five home runs in ten games, is he turning it around offensively to go with his stellar defensive work? They also chat José Berríos turning in six more innings of scoreless ball, Ernie Clement driving in a crucial insurance run, and the bullpen continuing to provide the Jays with lots of options late in games.
Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 5-1 win over the Padres in the series opener at Petco Park! He takes your texts, and gets right to the performance from the pitching staff, including another great start from Yariel Rodríguez, who notched seven strikeouts over four innings of work. Could his pitch count be bumped up the next time out? Plus, the bullpen - notably Yimi García - continues to look dominant, while the offence turns in some early runs for a change. Afterwards, Sho chats Daulton Varsho's defensive work in the outfield, and gets to some MiLB news from Alek Manoah and Orelvis Martinez.
Blake Murphy is joined by Kaitlyn McGrath to discuss Yariel Rodriguez, who starts on Friday vs. the Padres, Kevin Gausman and the rest of the Blue Jays starting rotation. Afterwards, Kyle Glaser provides the state of the Padres and analyzes what makes Matt Waldron’s knuckleball different from other specialists (30:45). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.
Blake Murphy speaks with Ben Clemens of FanGraphs about Kevin Kiermaier and the league-wide decrease in stolen bases. Afterwards, Dan Shulman joins the show to recap the loss to the Yankees, what’s behind Daulton Varsho’s hot start and more (23:16). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-4 loss vs. the Yankees at the Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and get right to the top of the ninth inning - why was Erik Swanson put into a high leverage role late for his first appearance off the IL? Why was Chad Green not available? They debate the bullpen usage, including whether or not Jordan Romano could have pitched a second day in a row. Plus, they get to the offence showing more signs of life, including two home runs from Daulton Varsho, and a rebound outing for Kevin Gausman after a tough few starts to begin the season.
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 5-4 win over the Yankees at Rogers Centre to win their third straight series! They take your calls, and discuss Yusei Kikuchi's nine strikeouts vs. the Yankees - is he, as Jeff says, the Yankees' daddy? They get into the timely hits from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, more high leverage appearances from Yimi Garcia, and discuss what they saw from both Danny Jansen and Jordan Romano in their returns to the active roster.
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-1 win over the Yankees to open the series at the Rogers Centre! They take your calls and get right to Chris Bassitt's 6.1 IP of one-run ball - is the starting rotation rounding back into form? They get into the play of the bullpen, including more phenomenal work from Yimi Garcia, and great outings from Tim Mayza and Chad Green. How do things shake out when Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson return? Plus, Alejandro Kirk has looked great in the last few games - will it be good for him to get some rest when Danny Jansen is back in the lineup?
Sho Alli and Nick Ashbourne break down the Blue Jays' 5-0 win over the Rockies to take the series at Rogers Centre! They take your calls and texts, and discuss another terrific outing from José Berríos, who didn't allow a run over seven scoreless innings. What is the view on Berríos when it comes to the 'ace' conversation? They chat Justin Turner knocking home three runs - is he, without a doubt, the team's best hitter right now? Plus, they chat Nate Pearson's role in the bullpen, who gets sent down when Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson returns, Alejandro Kirk reaching safely four times, the imminent return of Danny Jansen, and the play of Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Sho Alli and Nick Ashbourne break down the Blue Jays' 5-3 win over the Rockies at the Rogers Centre! They take your calls and texts, and get right to the debut of Yariel Rodríguez, who notched six strikeouts while allowing just one run over 3.2 IP - how impressive was it for a guy who had never set foot on a Major League mound before? They discuss the dominance shown by Yimi Garcia - is there any way he unseats Jordan Romano as the closer of this team, or is it simply a good problem to have? Plus, they discuss the afternoon from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., including his baserunning efforts and offensive performance.
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 12-4 loss to the Rockies at the Rogers Centre. They take your calls and discuss another bizarre outing from Kevin Gausman, who allowed six earned runs and 10 hits on 3.2 IP. Is there something to be concerned about after now two subpar outings? They get into the offence underperforming yet again, and chat about Daulton Varsho and his place on the team after clubbing his first home run of 2024. Plus, Yariel Rodriguez is tabbed for Saturday's start - what should everyone expect?
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-1 extra innings loss to the Mariners at Rogers Centre. They take your calls and texts, and get to the bullpen usage - Yimi Garcia, Tim Mayza, and Mitch White all made appearances with varying results. Should Garcia have pitched more? What's up with Mayza so far this season? They discuss Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s mammoth home run, the rest of the offence (Vladdy included), and Yusei Kikuchi allowing one run along with nine strikeouts over six innings of work. Should he have come out for another inning?
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 5-3 win over the Mariners to guarantee their first series win of the season! They take your calls, and get right to the 115 pitches hurled by Chris Bassitt over 6.2 IP - after two so-so starts to begin the year, is it a good sign he can go so deep this early? They get into how it helped out the bullpen, and how both Trevor Richards and Chad Green closed things out. Plus, Bo Bichette smashed his first homer of the season - how does Bo's swing look these days?
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 5-2 win over the Mariners in the first home game of 2024! They take your calls and get right to the 6.2 IP from José Berríos - is he still, somehow, an underrated member of this starting rotation? They get into the bullpen usage, big plays from Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and also discuss the new digs for both the Blue Jays themselves and the fans down at the Rogers Centre.
Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz break down the Blue Jays' 8-3 loss to the Yankees, a defeat that brings them back to Toronto at 4-6 on the season. They take your calls and texts, and discuss the offensive power outage once again - what are the key differences between the Jays and most teams across MLB? They chat about Bowden Francis giving up a grand slam to Giancarlo Stanton, the play of Alejandro Kirk (especially cleaning up), and how the offence improves with a lengthy homestand coming up.
