The Toronto Blue Jays will try to gain some traction during a six-game homestand that starts Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians.
The Blue Jays completed a 4-5 road trip with a 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday as they continue to seek the magic of last season.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak that came after the Blue Jays had dropped four straight.
“I thought we played way better as the trip went on, obviously, and taking some positives out of the first two games here, even (Wednesday),” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.
The Guardians also lost on Wednesday, 2-0, in the rubber match of a three-game series with the Houston Astros that completed their 4-3 homestand.
“This series in particular could have gone either way,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We could have swept, but ‘could haves’ don’t count. So we’ve just got to continue to work every day.”
The Blue Jays and Guardians both had Thursday off. The Guardians had played 13 consecutive days and were 6-7 in that stretch.
“This 13-game stretch was long and these guys worked really hard and we’re going to enjoy this off day and get ready to go Friday night,” Vogt said.
The Guardians will face Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (1-2, 7.16 ERA) on Friday. Scherzer is 9-5 with a 4.10 ERA in 22 career starts against Cleveland.
Cleveland will start right-hander Gavin Williams (3-1, 2.12) in the opener. He has a 2.76 ERA with no decisions in three career starts against Toronto.
Schneider said he would use the off day to consider how to deal with struggling closer Jeff Hoffman, who gave up a run on two hits Tuesday before being rescued by Louis Varland.
“We’ll re-evaluate everything, talk with him, see how he’s doing,” Schneider said. “He’s going through it, obviously, a little bit.”
Schneider said he will continue to support Hoffman and try to use him where he can have success.
“He’s a big boy,” Schneider said. “He understands that the spotlight is on him a little bit, and rightfully so. So it’s like, ‘How can we be there to support you? How can we help you get ahead of hitters? Is it mechanical? Is it between the ears a little bit? What’s going on here, and how can we help?”
Varland could be used as closer, but he has also been valuable in the seventh or eighth. “Sometimes the game could be won or lost in the eighth, top of the order,” Schneider said. “How do you weigh where to use Louis?”
Guardians infielder Brayan Rocchio, who has had a solid start to the season, was 0-for-4 Wednesday to end a career-best eight-game hitting streak. He was 13-for-27 (.481/.517/.778) with two home runs and nine RBIs in that span.
“Brayan’s growing up,” Vogt said on Tuesday after Rocchio’s single ignited a six-run eighth. “Brayan is figuring out who he is. He’s on a nice little run right now, and we want to keep that going as long as we can. I think for Rocchio, it’s just go play. He knows what his role is. His role is to get on base, whether that’s taking a walk (or) getting something he can handle to hit.”
Rocchio is staying grounded.
“As a baseball player, you never have to feel comfortable at the plate because this sport can humble you,” he said.
–Field Level Media
