Struggling Blue Jays swept by White Sox in Windy City

Article content

Perhaps the sight of Shohei Ohtani at the plate or on the mound will help kickstart the Blue Jays, who are more in need of a kick in their collective rear ends.

Article content

This team is not playing good baseball and it’s reflected in its inability to hit with runners in scoring position, unable to play a clean game and more importantly unable to beat the likes of Colorado and the Chicago White Sox.

Article content

Article content

While the past is the past and nothing accomplished ever carries over into a new season, any resemblance to this version compared to the 2025 edition is purely accidental.

To make matters worse, injuries continue to mount.

The losses are certainly mounting.

For the second straight series, the Jays lost to an inferior opponent, this time experiencing the most embarrassing fate by getting swept out of the Windy City by the host Chicago White Sox, who took Sunday’s series finale 3-0.

Four successive defeats, losers of five of six, there’s no better time to get back on track for the Blue Jays, whose loss dropped their record to 4-5, knowing a rematch of last year’s fall classic is on tap.

Article content

Article content

If no sense of urgency is summoned, something deeper is at play.

Three series into a season is hardly the time to push the panic button, but this slide needs to end.

The problem is not one area is holding back the Jays, who are dealing with several issues.

Even when they swept the Athletics in the series opener, the Jays needed a walk-off win in the ninth and extra innings in another victory.

In other words, things are not going well for this edition.

Whether they like or not, the Jays are being compared to last year, which is completely unfair because no club is ever the same from one season to the next.

Of Toronto’s six hits Sunday, none went for extra bases.

The following are three takeaways on a day Addison Barger, who started in right field, came out of the game to start the seventh inning; in the top of the third, he lunged violently at first base in a valiant attempt to beat out a grounder; it was later, per the club, announced Barger had experienced bilateral ankle discomfort.

Article content

1. Lauer Labors

Something was obviously amiss with Eric Lauer when it quickly was discovered that his velocity was down.

No one will confuse the lefty as a power pitcher, but he can integrate his fastball as part of the pitch mix.

He was very good in the season debut, not-so good in his second start.

Lauer’s scheduled start Saturday was pushed back a day when he was felled by an illness as some bug made its way through the Jays’ clubhouse.

He needed 28 pitches to record three outs in the first inning when the ChiSox opened the scoring.

Had Chicago cashed in with runners in scoring position, the South Siders would have recorded more runs during Lauer’s outing.

Credit Lauer for battling.

Clearly, he was still suffering with whatever illness he was dealing with well before he took to the mound.

Article content

After issuing a leadoff walk in the home half of the third, Lauer was given the hook.

Enter Austin Voth, who made his Jays debut after the club called up the righty well before first pitch was thrown.

A bullpen day Saturday, Jays receiving two innings and one batter from Lauer, veteran Max Scherzer will be entrusted to provide some length when he is scheduled to make Monday’s start against a certain L.A. club not named the Angels.

As for Voth, he left a runner on first with two outs when relieved by left-hander Joe Mantiply in the fifth inning.

Each joined the team after the club optioned Brendon Little and Lazaro Estrada to Buffalo.

2. Not O-K

The book on Kazuma Okamoto read as follows: elite bat-to-ball skills and above-average power, projected to bring consistent hard contact.

Article content

Opponents have now gotten a glimpse of the Japanese star by making the necessary adjustment.

It’s now up to the 29-year-old to adjust.

He had at least one hit during the Jays’ six-game homestand to start the season.

In Chicago, strikeouts were common, including four in one game.

In his first at-bat in the series finale, he struck out again, marking the 16th time in 32 at-bats Okamoto has whiffed.

He struck out an additional time in his third at-bat.

He made a great diving play to his left at third base before showcasing his arm strength on a throw to first.

The Jays had moments of sloppy defence, which is hardly new this season, but they also flashed the leather, including two running catches in left field by Nathan Lukes.

Article content

3. One to remember

In his first big-league at-bat, Brandon Valenzuela sent a sharply hit ball into right field for a single, his first.

More will arrive given Valenzuela figures to get plenty of starts in the wake of Alejandro Kirk’s thumb injury,

Both Valenzuela and Tyler Heineman are switch-hitters.

Based on what a specialist discovers with Kirk’s fractured thumb, the Heineman-Valenzuela platoon will be in effect.

If surgery is recommended, don’t expect to see Kirk back anytime soon.

One can expect to see plenty of Heineman and Valenzuela.

Heineman had a tough time when he immediately entered the game for Kirk in the 10th inning Friday and an even tougher time Saturday.

Valenzuela struck out in his second at-bat.

He switched sides in the seventh by batting right-handed with a lefty on the mound, runners at first and second with one out in a 3-0 game.

A competitive at-bat resulted in a strikeout.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Article content