Bluebird Banter May 24, 2023
Game #50 Game Thread: Jays @ Rays
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/ Game three of the four-game series. Yusei Kikuchi gets the start. He’s not been as good in May as he was in April. Hopefully, that turns around now. Shane McClanahan, on the other hand, has been very good. He has a 2.05 ERA this season. I’m hoping that we bump that ERA up some. Ernie Clement gets the start at second. I’m glad to see him getting some playing time. And Nathan Lukes also gets a start. Today's Lineups BLUE JAYS RAYS George Springer - DH Manuel Margot - RF Bo Bichette - SS Wander Franco - SS Vladimir Guerrero -...
Bluebird Banter May 23, 2023
Game #49 GameThread: Jays @ Rays
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/ Game two against the Rays in the Little Ballpark of Horrors. The Jays have scored 5 runs in one of their last eight games. It would be nice to do it again. There were roster moves a plenty this afternoon: Lopez and Hatch optioned to Buffalo. Cimber activated from the IL Ernie Clements ‘selected’ to the major league roster. Mitch White moved to the 60-day IL, to make room for Clements. Pretty rough on Lopez, but Clements has been hitting great in Buffalo, and is good defensively. Today's Lineups BLUE JAYS RAYS George Springer -...
Bluebird Banter May 22, 2023
Game #48 GameThread: Jays @ Rays
Photo by Julio Aguilar/ The Jays start a series with the Rays in the Little Ballpark of Horrors. This series could hardly be worse than the last one, but the Trop has a way of messing with us. Belt sits against the lefty. No Lopez tonight. I hope he gets some playing time in his time with the team. Today's Lineups BLUE JAYS RAYS George Springer - RF Yandy Diaz - 1B Bo Bichette - SS Wander Franco - SS Vladimir Guerrero - 1B Brandon Lowe - 2B Matt Chapman - 3B Randy Arozarena - LF Daulton Varsho - LF Isaac Paredes - 3B Alejandro Kirk - C Josh Lowe -...
Bluebird Banter May 21, 2023
Frustrating Loss, Again
Photo by Mark Blinch/ Blue Jays 3 Orioles 8 We get 12 hits and just 3 runs. Baserunners every inning but one. If you do that badly with the bats, you shouldn’t win. These are just random notes because I don’t want to discuss the game. George Springer and Cavan Biggio overslid the bag at second on stolen base attempts. I know we want to be aggressive, but that’s gotta stop. Brandon Belt, on second, goes to third on a ground ball hit to short and is an easy out. Don’t advance on a ball hit in front of you. I don’t know what he was thinking. Kevin Kiermaier...
Bluebird Banter May 21, 2023
Game #47 GameThread: Orioles @ Jays
Photo by Mark Blinch/ Just back from a 50k bike ride. The smoke is much better here. Apparently, Santiago’s MRI wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be. They haven’t decided if he will need an IL stint. Lukes gets a start. Today's Lineups ORIOLES BLUE JAYS Cedric Mullins - CF George Springer - RF Adley Rutschman - DH Bo Bichette - SS Anthony Santander - RF Vladimir Guerrero - 1B Ryan Mountcastle - 1B Brandon Belt - DH Adam Frazier - 2B Matt Chapman - 3B Austin Hays - LF Whit Merrifield - 2B Gunnar Henderson - 3B Alejandro Kirk - C James...
Bluebird Banter May 19, 2023
Orioles Beat Jays
Photo by Vaughn Ridley/ Orioles 6 Blue Jays 2 Some games are more frustrating than others. When Kyle Gibson starts against us, we should expect some runs to score. I should have known this wasn’t our night when George Springer led off with a hard-hit ball to the outfield and got thrown out trying to get to second. It was a close play, but there is no reason to take a chance in the first inning when you are the first hitter. It went downhill from there. Gibson went 7 innings, and allowed just 5 hits, 1 earned, with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. The run came in the second...
Bluebird Banter May 16, 2023
Game #42 GameThread: Yankees @ Blue Jays
Lance McMillan/Toronto Star via Game two of the four games. Personally, if I were a batter tonight, I’d be glancing all over the place. Why not play with the press and the rest of us? Kevin Gausman finally gets to see if his teammates can put up a couple of runs for him. They should be able to score some off Domingo German. Today's Lineups YANKEES BLUE JAYS Gleyber Torres - 2B George Springer - DH Aaron Judge - DH Bo Bichette - SS Harrison Bader - CF Vladimir Guerrero - 1B DJ LeMahieu - 1B Daulton Varsho - LF Jake Bauers - LF Matt Chapman -...
Bluebird Banter May 15, 2023
Game #41 GameThread: Yankees @ Jays
Photo by Cole Burston/ We start the season's second quarter with the first of four games against the Yankees. Today's Lineups YANKEES BLUE JAYS Jake Bauers - LF George Springer - RF Aaron Judge - RF Bo Bichette - SS Anthony Rizzo - 1B Vladimir Guerrero - DH Gleyber Torres - 2B Daulton Varsho - LF Willie Calhoun - DH Matt Chapman - 3B Anthony Volpe - SS Whit Merrifield - 2B Oswaldo Cabrera - 3B Brandon Belt - 1B Kyle Higashioka - C Alejandro Kirk - C Aaron Hicks - CF Kevin Kiermaier - CF Jhony Brito - RHP Alek Manoah -...
Bluebird Banter May 10, 2023
Game #37 GameThread: Jays @ Phillies
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/ Game two of this two-game, mid-week series. And it is an afternoon game. George Springer is still out of the lineup. Everyone else moves up a spot. Today's Lineups BLUE JAYS PHILLIES Bo Bichette - SS Bryson Stott - 2B Vladimir Guerrero - 1B Trea Turner - SS Daulton Varsho - LF Bryce Harper - DH Matt Chapman - 3B Nick Castellanos - RF Whit Merrifield - 2B Kyle Schwarber - LF Brandon Belt - DH J.T. Realmuto - C Danny Jansen - C Alec Bohm - 1B Cavan Biggio - RF Brandon Marsh - CF Kevin Kiermaier - CF Edmundo Sosa -...
Bluebird Banter May 7, 2023
Game #35 GameThread: Jays @ Pirates
Set Number: X157032 TK2 R1 F40 Time for a sweep. There is rain in Pittsburgh, it is possible the start of the game will be delayed. Vlad is out of the lineup again. I haven’t seen anything from the Jays about his wrist issue. Today would be a good day for Belt to get his BA over .200. I’d say the same about Jansen but that would take a 4 for 4 day and that’s a bit of a long shot. Today's Lineups BLUE JAYS PIRATES George Springer - RF Ke'Bryan Hayes - 3B Bo Bichette - DH Bryan Reynolds - DH Daulton Varsho - LF Connor Joe - LF Matt Chapman -...
Bluebird Banter May 7, 2023
Sunday Bantering: Vlad Out of Lineup Again
Photo by Justin K. Aller/ There are tarps on the field in Pittsburgh. It looks like the game might be delayed but they figure to play, Vladimir Guerrero isn’t in today’s lineup again. There is no word from the Jays on his wrist, but obviously, it is still bothering him. Belt in at first. He had a good day with the bat yesterday. We’ll see how it goes today, but he might be another lesson in not jumping to conclusions off a slow start. We get the lesson often enough. Today's Lineups BLUE JAYS PIRATES George Springer - RF Ke'Bryan Hayes - 3B Bo...
Bluebird Banter May 6, 2023
Jays Thump Pirates
Photo by Justin K. Aller/ Blue Jays 8 Pirates 2 This one was a blowout early. The Jays scored four in the first inning: George Springer started the game off with a single. Bo Bichette walked (walk number 9 of the season. He may be headed for a career-high). Daulton Varsho singled in the first run of the game. After a couple of outs, Brandon Belt doubled in two. And Alejandro Kirk doubled in Belt. And we got three in the third: With two outs, Belt walked, Kirk singled. Biggio drove in Belt, on another single. And Kevin Kiermaier singled in two more. And one more in...
Bluebird Banter May 6, 2023
Game #34 GameThread: Jays at Pirates
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports We have game two of three with the NL Central leading Pirates. That is a sentence I didn't think I'd be saying this year, or any year soon. Today's lineups: Today's Lineups BLUE JAYS PIRATES George Springer - RF Tucupita Marcano - SS Bo Bichette - SS Bryan Reynolds - LF Daulton Varsho - LF Connor Joe - 1B Matt Chapman - 3B Carlos Santana - DH Whit Merrifield - 2B Jack Suwinski - CF Brandon Belt - DH Ke'Bryan Hayes - 3B Alejandro Kirk - C Miguel Andujar - RF Cavan Biggio - 1B Rodolfo Castro - 2B Kevin Kiermaier -...
Bluebird Banter May 5, 2023
Game #33 GameThread: Jays @ Pirates
Set Number: X156712 TK2 R1 F32 Tonight’s the first of three with the Pirates. Since the Jays haven’t played the last four days, it will be nice to see them on the field again. Zach Pop has officially been put on the IL, and Jay Jackson will be in the bullpen tonight. Lineups: Today's Lineups BLUE JAYS PIRATES George Springer - RF Ji Hwan Bae - 2B Bo Bichette - SS Bryan Reynolds - LF Vladimir Guerrero - 1B Andrew McCutchen - DH Matt Chapman - 3B Carlos Santana - 1B Alejandro Kirk - DH Jack Suwinski - CF Whit Merrifield - LF Miguel Andujar -...
Bluebird Banter May 4, 2023
Game #32 GameThread: Jays @ Red Sox
Photo by Vaughn Ridley/ If you are reading this, it means I didn’t return to the computer before the game. This is a space holder if the busy day ahead doesn’t allow a few moments to fix this. Tonight’s game starts an hour earlier than normal, a 6:00 Eastern start instead of the usual 7:00. Kevin Gausman hopes the team will get him some runs today. He’s 2-2 with a 2.33 ERA. Brayan Bello has a 6.57 ERA in 3 starts, with 18 hits, 5 walks and 14 strikeouts in 12.1 innings. Today's Lineups BLUE JAYS RED SOX George Springer - RF Raimel Tapia - RF Bo...
