JFL19 (2-0) GDT: Theee Toronto Bluejays (10-10) vs Chicago White Sox (13-6) 7.07pm

[CJ-Freeway]

Cecil cost us 4 f***ing games already. FOUR. Out of 21.

[Belliss101]

Is anyone at the point where the thought process is no longer, "this team is going to the playoffs"?

[Angrioter]

Adam Eaton hit a good Cecil' pitch. Bad luck

[admin]

Cecil cost us 4 f***ing games already. FOUR. Out of 21.

 

Couldn't give up a run last year, now can't get a batter out.

[Daniel Labude]

Of course Gibby deserves blame, as do Cecil and Floyd, but Stroman's pitching to contact crap allowed Gibby to think about that decision in the 1st place. If Stroman is the strikeout guy he was in the MiLB and 2014, maybe he doesn't get BABIP'd and Gibby considers that Stroman might get a strikeout to get out of it.

 

It's all hypothetical but Stroman's pitch to contact crap failed him once again.

 

But it really didnt. The limit pitch counts and bullpen use did. Giving up 1 run in 6 2/3s is good. If we had the sox pen we win easy. I never blame a starter if the pen has a 4 run lead and need just 1 out.

[jimmygibbssr]

Pretty sure Cecil rocked like a 5.2 era last April too.

[Belliss101]

Cecil cost us 4 f***ing games already. FOUR. Out of 21.

 

It's disgusting. It's one guy I can't wait to be gone next season. My only hope is he ends up pitching well enough that he won't accept our qualifying offer and he fetches us a draft pick

[Praxis]

Is anyone at the point where the thought process is no longer, "this team is going to the playoffs"?

 

We are still very much in the hunt for at least a WC and we're only 21 games into the season. Lots of time.

 

The more of these crappy losses we endure though, the more worried I am it will come back and haunt us later on...

[Governator]

That was a win we should have had... bullpens shouldn't blow leads like that.

[CJ-Freeway]

We are still very much in the hunt for at least a WC and we're only 21 games into the season. Lots of time.

 

Gotta fix the pen or Cecil has to wake up if we want to make the playoffs. At this point he can't even be trusted in close games.

[CJ-Freeway]

It's disgusting. It's one guy I can't wait to be gone next season. My only hope is he ends up pitching well enough that he won't accept our qualifying offer and he fetches us a draft pick

 

Yeah that would be cool

[Belliss101]

I keep reloading twitter feeds hoping to hear news of roster moves. Any news would be good news at this point. Someone needs to lose their job. I don't care who. I don't care if it's John who sells the hot dogs at the concession close to Gate 14.

[CJ-Freeway]

Pretty sure Cecil rocked like a 5.2 era last April too.

 

I could be wrong but I don't remember him making us lose 4 games last April.

[THANOS]

You are overrating this "pitch to contact" thing. He just simply hasn't been as good. His fastball command has struggled at times and his breaking ball has been inconsistent.

 

He's not going to turn into Kershaw by throwing more 4 seams.

 

No, but to go from almost 11 K/9 in the MiLB to 4.75 K/9 now is a complete change in philosophy. His stuff is the same as it was then and the dropoff from the minors (AA & AAA) to the majors isn't THAT huge. It's obvious that it's how Stroman is using it at this point. He's using way too many 2SM fastballs and the scouting report on him is well-known now. He's going to get BABIP'd to death as long as this continues.

[saskjayfan]

I could be wrong but I don't remember him making us lose 4 games last April.

 

you have a bad memory, because he cost us a few games last year early and he didn't give up a run in the second half either. He is going to rebound this year too. The sky is not falling in....I promise!

[BTS]

What the hell is up with Stroman? It's only five starts, but he's been a 4th or 5th starter caliber to far. He's too good for this to continue much longer.

[Belliss101]

I'm going to the raptor game tomorrow night. I'm not sure if I should PVR Dick vs Sale and close all media so I can watch the game unknowing of the result when I get home. or just sit tomorrow night's game out, giving myself a breather from the anger this team causes me.

[King]

No, but to go from almost 11 K/9 in the MiLB to 4.75 K/9 now is a complete change in philosophy. His stuff is the same as it was then and the dropoff from the minors (AA & AAA) to the majors isn't THAT huge. It's obvious that it's how Stroman is using it at this point. He's using way too many 2SM fastballs and the scouting report on him is well-known now. He's going to get BABIP'd to death as long as this continues.

 

https://sports.vice.com/ca/article/how-discovering-a-sinker-changed-everything-for-marcus-stroman

 

"I'm a completely different pitcher than I was for the first 23 and a half years of my life," says Stroman, who must have started pitching at a very tender age. "I was a four-seam guy who had trouble getting to the sixth, seventh, eighth innings. It would be five, six innings, high strikeouts, homers, fly-ball guy. And now I'm the complete opposite."

 

Now he aims to pitch to contact, and the sinker, when it's working, often induces weak contact. Indeed, in the seven regular-season starts since he came back from knee surgery last September, he has averaged 12 ground-ball outs. In his first start this year, he had 15.

 

 

His four-seam fastball, which he rarely throws now, required more precise command, especially for a pitcher like Stroman, who "lives on the corners," as Mookie Betts observed. The sinker allows him greater margin for error.

[burlingtonbandit]

How many games have the Jays lost with a 4+run lead in the game? Feels like theres been 3 or 4 games already. Ugh

[Daniel Labude]

What the hell is up with Stroman? It's only five starts, but he's been a 4th or 5th starter caliber to far. He's too good for this to continue much longer.

 

Every game he has left with giving up 3 runs or less. If that's a 4th or 5th starter we might have the best staff in MLB

[Daniel Labude]

How many games have the Jays lost with a 4+run lead in the game? Feels like theres been 3 or 4 games already. Ugh

 

2 of Stroman's and maybe 1 or 2 more. 6. Blown games already...would be awesome if we had 16 wins already. Hopefully that hit that stride soon

[burlingtonbandit]

No, but to go from almost 11 K/9 in the MiLB to 4.75 K/9 now is a complete change in philosophy. His stuff is the same as it was then and the dropoff from the minors (AA & AAA) to the majors isn't THAT huge. It's obvious that it's how Stroman is using it at this point. He's using way too many 2SM fastballs and the scouting report on him is well-known now. He's going to get BABIP'd to death as long as this continues.

 

I agree he should be using more 4 Seamers, I was one saying this exact thing early in the season. I'm also saying his breaking ball hasn't been nearly as good as it was in 2014 so we shouldn't be expecting him to turn into an Ace unless his pitches improve.

[el duque]

Every game he has left with giving up 3 runs or less. If that's a 4th or 5th starter we might have the best staff in MLB

Agree. Our starting pitching has been excellent, it is the BP that sucks

[BTS]

Every game he has left with giving up 3 runs or less. If that's a 4th or 5th starter we might have the best staff in MLB

 

He has a 4.37 ERA and 4.07 xFIP. Regardless of the spin you want to put on it, that's 4th starter category and not good enough from a guy who should be a clear #2.

[Belliss101]

I'm having trouble eliminated tonight's game from my nervous system

[Angrioter]

Shut up everybody. Pitch to weak contact groundballs is the new inefficiency market. StroChez is the groundabll duo

[Daniel Labude]

He has a 4.37 ERA and 4.07 xFIP. Regardless of the spin you want to put on it, that's 4th starter category and not good enough from a guy who should be a clear #2.

 

The bullpen has given up 6 of those runs and that's just from 2 games and FIP is directly related to strikeouts. He hasn't pitched like an ace but he hasn't been terrible.

[Belliss101]

I'm so pumped to be back down to two games under .500 after tomorrow's pitching matchup.

[Daniel Labude]

Shut up everybody. Pitch to weak contact groundballs is the new inefficiency market. StroChez is the groundabll duo

 

Both would be really great if they could perfect the changeup

[BlueJayWay]

The bullpen has given up 6 of those runs and that's just from 2 games and FIP is directly related to strikeouts. He hasn't pitched like an ace but he hasn't been terrible.

Stroman has left games with 7 inherited runners this year and all 7 have scored.