It’s not too early to say that Alek Manoah is back.

On Sunday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2, avoiding their first sweep of the season. Their record now sits at 20-25, which is the worst in the American League East.
Toronto took the lead in the bottom of the second, as Daniel Vogelbach hit his first home run as a Blue Jay, a hit he really needed. He went on to have a pretty impressive day, but more on that in the “Things worth mentioning” section.
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VogelSMASH 💪 
It&#39;s Vogey&#39;s first as a Blue Jay! <a href="https://t.co/KebTPQDFoy">pic.twitter.com/KebTPQDFoy</a>
&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1792255450513051718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Another player who needed a hit was George Springer, who hit in the sixth spot in the lineup on Sunday. In the bottom of the fourth, he hit a double which scored the Blue Jays second run, while Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached on an error that later scored Springer.
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George Springer was fired up as he reached second base on this RBI double, scoring Vogelbach.
This is exactly what the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlueJays</a> need to see with his move down the lineup. Drive the ball in the air. <a href="https://t.co/NCt6pwDQIw">pic.twitter.com/NCt6pwDQIw</a>
&mdash; Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeeganMatheson/status/1792263195404468629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Hey would you look at that, another player that needed a hit was Alejandro Kirk, and he hit a double in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-0 game. Like the other two players who drove in a run, Kirk reached three times on Sunday.
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A rocket from Captain Kirk 🖖 <a href="https://twitter.com/alejandro_kirk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alejandro_kirk</a> <a href="https://t.co/iZ6A30jL3v">pic.twitter.com/iZ6A30jL3v</a>
&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1792276117337874777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sadly, the opportunity for the shutout was blown in the top of the ninth, as Isaac Paredes hit a two-run home run off Zach Pop. This forced the Blue Jays to turn to Jordan Romano for the one-out save, which was a piece of cake for the Canadian closer.
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ISAAC PAREDES LA MANDÓ A VOLAR ⚾️👋🏼 Así llegó el home run número 9 del de la H 😎 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YoAmoElBeis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YoAmoElBeis</a> <a href="https://t.co/bQFNE3QnEe">pic.twitter.com/bQFNE3QnEe</a>
&mdash; MLB México (@MLB_Mexico) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB_Mexico/status/1792290082453393890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h2>Things worth mentioning…</h2>
Alek Manoah is back. The 26-year-old finished with a line of 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (with two hit by pitches, classic Manoah). This was his second consecutive seven-inning outing, and after a rough first outing where he gave up six earned runs in four innings, Manoah’s ERA is down to 3 for the season. This looks like the reliable 2022 Manoah.
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Alek Manoah&#39;s 6th and 7th Ks&#8230;and is fired up. 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/oCmCNa6dik">pic.twitter.com/oCmCNa6dik</a>
&mdash; Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1792278177714147422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Daniel Vogelbach fell a triple shy of the cycle, as he had a home run, double, and single. Of course, Vogelbach isn’t much of a triple hitter, hitting just one in his big league career (1925 plate appearances). However, he did hit three in 2012 with the Single-A and Rookie Ball teams, which is an interesting fact. Still, three hits was a great game for the designated hitter.
Alejandro Kirk also had a great game, hitting a double and reaching base twice with a walk. His slash line jumped to .198/.295/.284, while his wRC+ jumped from 58 to 72. Of course, he’s also tied for catcher DRS.
George Springer had a hit and two walks, driving in his second run in as many days. The move down the lineup has been beneficial for Springer (and Davis Schneider), hopefully Springer can keep it up.
Trevor Richards had another scoreless outing, striking out a batter in his inning of work. His ERA now sits at 2.57 with a 4.10 FIP while his K% has increased to 28.1%. It’s still down from where it was a year ago (33.3%), but Richards is becoming a reliable pen piece.
Up next: The Blue Jays continue their home stand with a three-game set against the worst team in baseball, the Chicago White Sox (14-33). José Berríos will get the ball on Monday, with the game starting at 3:07 PM ET thanks to it being Victoria Day. Enjoy your long weekend folks!
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As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

It’s not too early to say that Alek Manoah is back.



On Sunday afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2, avoiding their first sweep of the season. Their record now sits at 20-25, which is the worst in the American League East.

Toronto took the lead in the bottom of the second, as Daniel Vogelbach hit his first home run as a Blue Jay, a hit he really needed. He went on to have a pretty impressive day, but more on that in the “Things worth mentioning” section.

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1792255450513051718

Another player who needed a hit was George Springer, who hit in the sixth spot in the lineup on Sunday. In the bottom of the fourth, he hit a double which scored the Blue Jays second run, while Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached on an error that later scored Springer.

https://twitter.com/KeeganMatheson/status/1792263195404468629

Hey would you look at that, another player that needed a hit was Alejandro Kirk, and he hit a double in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-0 game. Like the other two players who drove in a run, Kirk reached three times on Sunday.

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1792276117337874777

Sadly, the opportunity for the shutout was blown in the top of the ninth, as Isaac Paredes hit a two-run home run off Zach Pop. This forced the Blue Jays to turn to Jordan Romano for the one-out save, which was a piece of cake for the Canadian closer.

https://twitter.com/MLB_Mexico/status/1792290082453393890
<h2>Things worth mentioning…</h2>
Alek Manoah is back. The 26-year-old finished with a line of 7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (with two hit by pitches, classic Manoah). This was his second consecutive seven-inning outing, and after a rough first outing where he gave up six earned runs in four innings, Manoah’s ERA is down to 3 for the season. This looks like the reliable 2022 Manoah.

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1792278177714147422

Daniel Vogelbach fell a triple shy of the cycle, as he had a home run, double, and single. Of course, Vogelbach isn’t much of a triple hitter, hitting just one in his big league career (1925 plate appearances). However, he did hit three in 2012 with the Single-A and Rookie Ball teams, which is an interesting fact. Still, three hits was a great game for the designated hitter.

Alejandro Kirk also had a great game, hitting a double and reaching base twice with a walk. His slash line jumped to .198/.295/.284, while his wRC+ jumped from 58 to 72. Of course, he’s also tied for catcher DRS.

George Springer had a hit and two walks, driving in his second run in as many days. The move down the lineup has been beneficial for Springer (and Davis Schneider), hopefully Springer can keep it up.

Trevor Richards had another scoreless outing, striking out a batter in his inning of work. His ERA now sits at 2.57 with a 4.10 FIP while his K% has increased to 28.1%. It’s still down from where it was a year ago (33.3%), but Richards is becoming a reliable pen piece.

Up next: The Blue Jays continue their home stand with a three-game set against the worst team in baseball, the Chicago White Sox (14-33). José Berríos will get the ball on Monday, with the game starting at 3:07 PM ET thanks to it being Victoria Day. Enjoy your long weekend folks!

<hr />

As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

Instant Reaction: Alek Manoah twirled another gem, as the Blue Jays avoided getting swept

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