GDT: Toronto Blue Jays @ Detroit Tigers (3/3) 1:40 PM EST

[gruber92]

That could happen to anyone. Pitchers are athletes and run and shag fly balls in the Outfield pretty commonly. I'm willing to out bet every pitcher on our staff could run better than Kirk.

 

For insurance reasons, Schneider could have used Hatch to run for Kirk.

[Carlos Danger]

For insurance reasons, Schneider could have used Hatch to run for Kirk.

 

Your on the road, you need to keep Romano until you have a lead. What if the game goes 13,14 innings? You just used one of three guys left in the pen including Romano. He would also have to pitch next inning if you like it or not. I don’t even know if/think Pearson was available..

[WryNGinger]

Ben Nicholson-Smith

Lots of #BlueJays fans here in Detroit. Per Tigers, Comerica Park hosted 90,727 fans for this weekend’s series against Toronto. Highest attendance for a three-game series here since drawing 100,924 against the Dodgers in 2017.

 

Almost double what they usually draw. US teams near the border must love it when they see they Jays are coming to town.

[Spanky99]

Nice EASY win! Well done Jays!

 

You'd think the Jays lost 12-0 in here, lmao. Brutal.

[Spanky99]

There's someone here who I won't say but his name rhymes with Stanky. He said that Kirk is a better baserunner than Moreno because advanced analytics showed him that loll

 

He's a moron, what do you expect?

 

Rent free, bitches.

 

Thought Kirk was your guy JFD, solid as a soup sandwich bro.

[Jonn]

You'd think the Jays lost 12-0 in here, lmao. Brutal.

 

Felt like we did yesterday when you got no hit. Thankfully Pendleton came through today.

[Laika]

That's probably as bad as winning a series can possibly feel

[jaysblue]

Good to see the Jays win 5 of 6 against two bad teams in the AL Central. Great bounce back today after being down and after getting no-hit yesterday.

 

Hope they continue to roll after the All Star break.

[G-Snarls]

That's probably as bad as winning a series can possibly feel

 

1 very "unconvincing" win and one humiliating loss against one of the worst teams in baseball

 

Yes indeed

[Spanky99]

That's probably as bad as winning a series can possibly feel

 

A win's a win, but I concur.

[Spanky99]

Good to see the Jays win 5 of 6 against two bad teams in the AL Central. Great bounce back today after being down and after getting no-hit yesterday.

 

Hope they continue to roll after the All Star break.

 

Must be better, no doubt.

[G-Snarls]

Menawhile Cleveland has a -7 run differential and leads the central

[Stangstag]

Menawhile Cleveland has a -7 run differential and leads the central

 

You forgot the fact that they’re .500 too. They’d be last place in our division.

 

Embarrassing. MLB needs a shakeup

[Madkenstalin]

Enjoyed watching the games this weekend now I've found out how I can view them.

Has a feeling dj would come up with the good.

[jaysblue]

You forgot the fact that they’re .500 too. They’d be last place in our division.

 

Embarrassing. MLB needs a shakeup

 

You can't say MLB needs a shakeup every time there is one crappy division. I know the AL Central sucks this season, but there have been years where Cleveland has been really good, and other teams as well. Every season you're going to have stronger and weaker divisions.

 

The AL East has always been one of the strongest divisions in baseball. That's because the Yankees and Red Sox will spend big money, along with the Blue Jays now. As well, you have teams like Tampa and Baltimore who both have done well on small payrolls. This season it seems every team in the AL East is clicking. There were years in the 2000s where it was just the Yankees and Red Sox dominating, and the Jays, Orioles and Rays sucked.

 

I don't know what the solution is. Maybe an NHL type standings but not sure.

[Olerud363]

1 very "unconvincing" win and one humiliating loss against one of the worst teams in baseball

 

Yes indeed

 

It evens out though. Boston swept the Jays on 2 1-run wins, Baltimore swept on 2 extra inning wins.

 

4 of the 5 wins on this road trip were shaky, but before that I think 4 of the 5 last losses were close games, so basically 4-4 in the last 8 coin flip games.

 

Problem is more the offence sucks lately, so too many coin flip games and not enough games like Friday.

[Spanky99]

You can't say MLB needs a shakeup every time there is one crappy division. I know the AL Central sucks this season, but there have been years where Cleveland has been really good, and other teams as well. Every season you're going to have stronger and weaker divisions.

 

The AL East has always been one of the strongest divisions in baseball. That's because the Yankees and Red Sox will spend big money, along with the Blue Jays now. As well, you have teams like Tampa and Baltimore who both have done well on small payrolls. This season it seems every team in the AL East is clicking. There were years in the 2000s where it was just the Yankees and Red Sox dominating, and the Jays, Orioles and Rays sucked.

 

I don't know what the solution is. Maybe an NHL type standings but not sure.

 

The solution is to go back to 4 divisions, easy peasy.

[Stangstag]

You can't say MLB needs a shakeup every time there is one crappy division. I know the AL Central sucks this season, but there have been years where Cleveland has been really good, and other teams as well. Every season you're going to have stronger and weaker divisions.

 

The AL East has always been one of the strongest divisions in baseball. That's because the Yankees and Red Sox will spend big money, along with the Blue Jays now. As well, you have teams like Tampa and Baltimore who both have done well on small payrolls. This season it seems every team in the AL East is clicking. There were years in the 2000s where it was just the Yankees and Red Sox dominating, and the Jays, Orioles and Rays sucked.

 

I don't know what the solution is. Maybe an NHL type standings but not sure.

 

Yes I can.

 

And the solution is to go back to 4 divisions.

[Carlos Danger]

You forgot the fact that they’re .500 too. They’d be last place in our division.

 

Embarrassing. MLB needs a shakeup

 

Cleveland had a 5-2 record against us last year. They destroyed us in the playoffs when we met coming out of a “weak” division. So now with a more balanced schedule, no guarantees we would even win the division.

 

Plus, not interested in going from a premier division with the big matchups and media coverage like NYY and Red Sox to a bunch of teams that make we want to watch 80’s action movie re-runs instead.

 

It would be like going from the SEC to the ACC in college football.

[polar bear]

Darts is barely a sport

 

Yet Poker is.

[Spanky99]

Cleveland had a 5-2 record against us last year. They destroyed us in the playoffs when we met coming out of a “weak” division. So now with a more balanced schedule, no guarantees we would even win the division.

 

Plus, not interested in going from a premier division with the big matchups and media coverage like NYY and Red Sox to a bunch of teams that make we want to watch 80’s action movie re-runs instead.

 

It would be like going from the SEC to the ACC in college football.

 

The teams in the East would stay in the East, though? The Central would get split to the East and West as it was before '94.

[jaysblue]

Yes I can.

 

And the solution is to go back to 4 divisions.

 

When things don't go the Jays way, you always place blame on other outside factors for this team whether its the division or tough schedule. Sure the AL East is a tough division, but because the Jays sit in 3rd place and aren't in the division lead doesn't mean all of a sudden the MLB needs to shakeup the divisions as an excuse. Jays have been solid at times this season though also disappointing as well. They definitely are a better team and should be playing better. It's on them.

 

We've seen teams like Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Minnesota and even Chicago have good teams in the past. Doesn't mean being put in a division with some of those teams that the Jays all of a sudden are going to become a 100-110 win team.

[max silver]

When things don't go the Jays way, you always place blame on other outside factors for this team whether its the division or tough schedule. Sure the AL East is a tough division, but because the Jays sit in 3rd place and aren't in the division lead doesn't mean all of a sudden the MLB needs to shakeup the divisions as an excuse. Jays have been solid at times this season though also disappointing as well. They definitely are a better team and should be playing better. It's on them.

 

We've seen teams like Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Minnesota and even Chicago have good teams in the past. Doesn't mean being put in a division with some of those teams that the Jays all of a sudden are going to become a 100-110 win team.

 

The Jays are 16-6 vs the central division so far. They haven't played Cleveland yet but it's entirely possible if not downright likely that a team on pace for 90 or so wins in the meatgrinder AL East that has a 7-20 record in it's own division would be pacing for 100+ wins if it played in the central.

[jaysblue]

The Jays are 16-6 vs the central division so far. They haven't played Cleveland yet but it's entirely possible if not downright likely that a team on pace for 90 or so wins in the meatgrinder AL East that has a 7-20 record in it's own division would be pacing for 100+ wins if it played in the central.

 

Those aren't excuses though. Jays have pretty much sucked against Boston and Baltimore this season, and I remember some posters on here saying they weren't that good of teams to begin with.

 

If you throw any team in the AL Central, yes they likely win more games. But stop using the divisions as an excuse as to why the Jays have been inconsistent this season.

[John_Havok]

The Divisions should be switched back to 4 not because it would help the jays, but because it makes sense to stop rewarding garbage teams with playoff spots, expecially now with additional playoff teams.

[Brownie19]

The Divisions should be switched back to 4 not because it would help the jays, but because it makes sense to stop rewarding garbage teams with playoff spots, expecially now with additional playoff teams.

 

Yeah I could get on board with this.

[Carlos Danger]

The teams in the East would stay in the East, though? The Central would get split to the East and West as it was before '94.

 

If there was just two divisions, yes, I assume so. Models I have seen were based on expansion teams coming in and Toronto being geographically closer to Detroit, Cleveland etc, going to the central.

 

I just don't see them going back to two divisions since the renewed interest by fans who's teams are still in a playoff race down the stretch.. You could expand the WC I guess, but having 3 division winners per league plus the WCs means a lot more fan bases can stay interested in their teams longer...

 

Or they could just let anyone in the playoffs like the NHL, and go back to two divisions

[Spanky99]

If there was just two divisions, yes, I assume so. Models I have seen were based on expansion teams coming in and Toronto being geographically closer to Detroit, Cleveland etc, going to the central.

 

I just don't see them going back to two divisions since the renewed interest by fans who's teams are still in a playoff race down the stretch.. You could expand the WC I guess, but having 3 division winners per league plus the WCs means a lot more fan bases can stay interested in their teams longer...

 

Or they could just let anyone in the playoffs like the NHL, and go back to two divisions

 

Nah man, those teams would just move into the East, have 2 division winners and the next top 4 in win % make the dance, not difficult if you ask me.

[max silver]

Those aren't excuses though. Jays have pretty much sucked against Boston and Baltimore this season, and I remember some posters on here saying they weren't that good of teams to begin with.

 

If you throw any team in the AL Central, yes they likely win more games. But stop using the divisions as an excuse as to why the Jays have been inconsistent this season.

 

Who is making excuses? I simply stated there is a high probability the Jays would have played at a 100+ win pace if they were situated in the AL Central this season. A 100 win pace would have required for the Jays to have accumulated all of 6 more wins up to this point, which they would have had a really good shot at if they played a larger chunk of their games against the lesser level of competition provided by the Central division.

 

Aside from the disastrous month of May the team has been pretty consistent win percentage wise. Monthly records are as follows:

 

Mar/Apr 18-10 .643

May 11-17 .393 (6-10 to start the month, followed by disastrous 2-9 stretch against AL East opponents, ending on better note at 3-2)

June 16-11 .592

July 5-3 .600

 

The May swoon seemed to have kicked off with the Seattle meltdown at the end of April. Leading up to that game the team was in cruise control with an 18-9 record. This followed a tailspin where the team sputtered to an 8-16 record. Since that poor string of play ended the team has a record of 24-16. I think part of what makes this team look so disappointing is that they have failed to go on any kind of sustained winning streak, something like 9 or 10 wins in a row, or a stretch of 9-1, 10-2 or whatever.