GDB 96.0: Can the Blue Jays build any momentum ahead of the All-Star Break?
Toronto Blue Jays
Photo credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Zach Laing
Jul 14, 2024, 15:30 EDTUpdated: Jul 14, 2024, 19:46 EDT
Any hopes of the Toronto Blue Jays mounting a series comeback against the Arizona Diamondbacks were squashed Saturday night.
The club looked to do what they had done in their two previous series, losing the first game and coming back in the final two with wins, but instead, they fell flat. In fact, it was more than another falling flat, it was a straight-up debacle, giving up seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings, watching the Diamondbacks run the score up in a 12-1 trashing.
Jose Berrios struggled out of the gate across four innings, walking four batters and giving up seven hits that culminated in the Diamondbacks putting up five earned runs. Rookie Yilber Diaz, who the Jays hoped they could get to, instead slammed the door on them in his first-ever start. The bullpen once again blew up, as Zach Pop and Nate Pearson unwound late in the game.
It doesn’t get any easier Sunday, mind you, as the Diamondbacks will send Zac Gallen to the mound, their unargued No. 1, who has had success against the Jays in the past. Yusei Kikuchi takes the mound for Toronto, hoping to build some momentum for the team ahead of the All-Star break.
That might be easier said than done, however, as this Blue Jays squad just can’t seem to do anything right as they watch their season circle the drains. While one could argue the break could be good for the Jays and give them some life coming out of the break, they face a slog of a stretch.
They host the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers each for three-game series, then hit the road for a four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles and three against the New York Yankees. They then host Baltimore for another three-game set. It sure isn’t pretty, and it’s hard to imagine them having much, if any success against these teams.
Toronto is already 1-3 against Detroit this season, 3-4 against Tampa Bay and while they haven’t faced Texas this year, they went 1-6 against them last year. They’ve had success against Baltimore this year, going 3-3 so far, and moderate success against the Bronx Bombers, going 5-5. Still, this is a Jays team that’s showing they are incapable of taking advantage of their opposition.

First pitch: 4:10 p.m. EST.
TV & Radio: Sportsnet, SN590.

Starting pitchers:

NameTeamGS
W
L
IP
ERA
xERA
ERA-
FIP
WHIP
K/9
BB/9
Yusei Kikuchi
TOR
19
4
8
101.1
4.00
3.95
101
3.58
1.27
9.86
2.04
Zac Gallen
ARI
14
6
5
73.0
3.33
4.09
81
3.22
1.14
9.25
2.47

Lineups:


BLUE JAYS:
  1. G Springer (R) DH
  2. S Horwitz (L) 2B
  3. V Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
  4. D Jansen (R) C
  5. D Varsho (L) LF
  6. E Clement (R) 3B
  7. L Jiménez (R) SS
  8. K Kiermaier (L) CF
  9. S Berroa (S) RF

DIAMONDBACKS:
  1. K Marte (S) DH
  2. G Moreno (R) C
  3. L Gurriel Jr. (R) LF
  4. C Walker (R) 1B
  5. R Grichuk (R) RF
  6. J McCarthy (L) CF
  7. E Suárez (R) 3B
  8. K Newman (R) 2B
  9. G Perdomo (S) SS

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Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.

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