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The Toronto Blue Jays won four out of seven games this week, with two days featuring doubleheaders because of rain delays. The Jays and Yankee’s game was postponed on Tuesday, so they played two seven-inning games on Wednesday. Same thing against Cleveland on Saturday, so two games were played on Sunday.
The Blue Jays went 1-1 on both days of doubleheaders but went 2-1 outside of those games for a total of four wins and three losses this week. They now own a record of 27-25 after 52 games. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the significant storylines from this week.
Alex Manoah
Alex Manoah made his MLB debut on Wednesday, and he did not disappoint. The 22-year-old threw six scoreless innings of baseball while only giving up two hits. He also had seven strikeouts and looked extremely comfortable on the mound against the Yankees.
With the injuries to the pitching staff recently, Blue Jays fans have been anxiously waiting for the arrival of their 2019 1st round pick, who had been tearing up AAA baseball. It is only one start, but Manoah looks like he will be a fixture in the rotation for a very long time.
Marcus Semien
While most eyes this season have been stuck on Guerrero Jr. and what he has been able to do offensively, Marcus Semien shouldn’t be forgotten. He has been putting up terrific numbers this season after signing here for a 1-year, 18-million-dollar contract.
After 209 at-bats, Semien is hitting .297 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI’s. He’s also been a threat on the base paths, stealing eight bases so far this season. It’s safe to say the Blue Jays are happy with what they are getting from Semien after his disappointing season with Oakland in 2020.
Tyler Chatwood
Blowing leads late in games is never fun, and the Blue Jays have been a little prone to doing that lately. However, the one that stings the most likely happened on Sunday afternoon with Tyler Chatwood on the mound.
Up by one in the final inning, Chatwood entered the game. He issued four, yes four, straight walks to tie the game. He was then taken out and replaced by Anthony Castro, but with the bases still loaded, Castro couldn’t save the day, and the Blue Jays lost.
Chatwood couldn’t find any command on the mound, struggling to hit the strike zone with every pitch. Many questioned Charlie Montoyo’s decision to keep Chatwood in the game when he clearly wasn’t pitching well. Montoyo defended his decision, but many Blue Jays fans might disagree.
Looking Ahead
The Blue Jays have an off day Monday before hosting the Miami Marlins on Tuesday and Wednesday. They then have another off day on Thursday before hosting the Houston Astros for the three-game set beginning on Friday.