It&#8217;s a similar story for the Toronto Blue Jays &#8211; they can&#8217;t find a way to win games in which they carry a lead late in the game.

The Blue Jays plated two runs early against the Angels thanks to a George Springer two-run home run, but sputtered for the next six innings, mustering hits but leaving runners on base, a tale that has followed the club all season long. Toronto&#8217;s big bats showed up at times, with Anthony Santander putting the club ahead at the top of the eighth inning by a score of 3-2, but the eighth inning got away from the Jays in a hurry, with Los Angeles plating six runs in the bottom half of the inning and putting this game on ice.
Some dependable Jays&#8217; arms in the bullpen are starting to show some cracks over the past few games.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
SANTA GIFTS US THE LEAD! <a href="https://t.co/L6UE21PIPm">pic.twitter.com/L6UE21PIPm</a>
&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1919962858982391938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Manager John Schneider used seven total pitchers in tonight&#8217;s contest, with José Ureña going 4 1/3 innings while allowing two runs off of four hits. Chad Green, Mason Fluharty, and Dillon Tate pitched 2 2/3 innings with zero runs allowed collectively, and then things went sideways in a hurry for right-hander Yimi García, who walked the leadoff batter in Zach Neto (who promptly stole second) and then a sac bunt from Nolan Schanuel ended up in left field when Alejandro Kirk tried to throw Neto out a the hot corner, with the ball going off Ernie Clement&#8217;s glove. The error was charged to Clement, and the game was tied at 3-3. García would strike out Jorge Soler but gave up a single to Taylor Ward, meaning Schanuel was now at third base and runners were on the corners with one out.
Schneider turned to closer Jeff Hoffman to keep the game tied, and a bloop single to left field by Logan O&#8217;Hoppe gave the home team the lead. That would all be irrelevant shortly after, as Yoan Moncada launched a four-seam fastball over the right field wall to plate three more runs, making it 7 to 3. To add insult to injury, Hoffman was able to get one more out on the board, but Jo Adell added a solo shot of his own over the centre field wall to make it a five-run lead for Los Angeles. Eric Lauer was brought in to finish the inning and needed one pitch to get the pop-up in foul territory on the first base side.
It was another squandered opportunity for the Jays, who just can&#8217;t seem to find a rhythm over their past three games when it comes to locking down games.
Saturday&#8217;s contest against Cleveland was one out away from a victory before a grand slam opened the floodgates, and today, the club was not able to lock it down in the eighth inning. García&#8217;s ERA now climbs to 4.20 on the year while Hoffman&#8217;s three earned runs have him sitting at 2.70.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
107.9 off the bat from Yoán Moncada!
It&#39;s a 5-run 8th for the <a href="https://twitter.com/Angels?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Angels</a> <a href="https://t.co/WAMzyTyuUY">pic.twitter.com/WAMzyTyuUY</a>
&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1919968733180670425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While the pitching had its warts, the Jays&#8217; bats weren&#8217;t perfect either.
Bo Bichette had three strikeouts on the day to go with his 0 for 5 performance, while Daulton Varsho joined him with three punchouts of his own. Every other starting batter mustered a hit, with Springer and Kirk having two each, but the Jays failed to capitalize on an eighth-inning rally following the Santander home run, with runners on the corners and one out, as Varsho and Clement both struck out to leave some insurance runs on the bases. The club also failed to capitalize on a Clement double to lead off the seventh inning, stranding the runner at third base with Myles Straw, Andres Gimenez, and Bichette failing to bring the third baseman home.
It was an ugly end to the game, with the Jays struggling to capitalize on the base paths and the go-to arms in the bullpen unable to keep the game close.
If the Jays had scored Clement and at least one of the runners in the eighth inning, there is a chance this game would have gone differently with García staying in the bullpen and Tate getting some more wiggle room to pitch deeper in the game. However, that can be filed in the &#8216;would&#8217;ve, could&#8217;ve, should&#8217;ve&#8217; category, and the Jays drop an easily winnable game and their record falls to 16-19 on the year.
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It's a similar story for the Toronto Blue Jays - they can't find a way to win games in which they carry a lead late in the game.



The Blue Jays plated two runs early against the Angels thanks to a George Springer two-run home run, but sputtered for the next six innings, mustering hits but leaving runners on base, a tale that has followed the club all season long. Toronto's big bats showed up at times, with Anthony Santander putting the club ahead at the top of the eighth inning by a score of 3-2, but the eighth inning got away from the Jays in a hurry, with Los Angeles plating six runs in the bottom half of the inning and putting this game on ice.

Some dependable Jays' arms in the bullpen are starting to show some cracks over the past few games.

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1919962858982391938

Manager John Schneider used seven total pitchers in tonight's contest, with José Ureña going 4 1/3 innings while allowing two runs off of four hits. Chad Green, Mason Fluharty, and Dillon Tate pitched 2 2/3 innings with zero runs allowed collectively, and then things went sideways in a hurry for right-hander Yimi García, who walked the leadoff batter in Zach Neto (who promptly stole second) and then a sac bunt from Nolan Schanuel ended up in left field when Alejandro Kirk tried to throw Neto out a the hot corner, with the ball going off Ernie Clement's glove. The error was charged to Clement, and the game was tied at 3-3. García would strike out Jorge Soler but gave up a single to Taylor Ward, meaning Schanuel was now at third base and runners were on the corners with one out.

Schneider turned to closer Jeff Hoffman to keep the game tied, and a bloop single to left field by Logan O'Hoppe gave the home team the lead. That would all be irrelevant shortly after, as Yoan Moncada launched a four-seam fastball over the right field wall to plate three more runs, making it 7 to 3. To add insult to injury, Hoffman was able to get one more out on the board, but Jo Adell added a solo shot of his own over the centre field wall to make it a five-run lead for Los Angeles. Eric Lauer was brought in to finish the inning and needed one pitch to get the pop-up in foul territory on the first base side.

It was another squandered opportunity for the Jays, who just can't seem to find a rhythm over their past three games when it comes to locking down games.

Saturday's contest against Cleveland was one out away from a victory before a grand slam opened the floodgates, and today, the club was not able to lock it down in the eighth inning. García's ERA now climbs to 4.20 on the year while Hoffman's three earned runs have him sitting at 2.70.

https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1919968733180670425

While the pitching had its warts, the Jays' bats weren't perfect either.

Bo Bichette had three strikeouts on the day to go with his 0 for 5 performance, while Daulton Varsho joined him with three punchouts of his own. Every other starting batter mustered a hit, with Springer and Kirk having two each, but the Jays failed to capitalize on an eighth-inning rally following the Santander home run, with runners on the corners and one out, as Varsho and Clement both struck out to leave some insurance runs on the bases. The club also failed to capitalize on a Clement double to lead off the seventh inning, stranding the runner at third base with Myles Straw, Andres Gimenez, and Bichette failing to bring the third baseman home.

It was an ugly end to the game, with the Jays struggling to capitalize on the base paths and the go-to arms in the bullpen unable to keep the game close.

If the Jays had scored Clement and at least one of the runners in the eighth inning, there is a chance this game would have gone differently with García staying in the bullpen and Tate getting some more wiggle room to pitch deeper in the game. However, that can be filed in the 'would've, could've, should've' category, and the Jays drop an easily winnable game and their record falls to 16-19 on the year.

<hr />

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Instant Reaction: Missed opportunities sink the Blue Jays late against the Los Angeles Angels

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