It’s easy to forget a lot of things when you haven’t won a playoff series in 21 years – but for Twins fans, here’s something fun to get used to again: the opposing media is losing its mind.
The reporters and columnists at Toronto Sun, Sportsnet and The Globe and Mail didn’t hesitate to blast the Blue Jays after their season ended with a whimper, scoring one run in 18 innings against the Twins.
Here’s an excerpt of how they saw it. Tap their names to view their full reports.
Steve Simmons, Toronto Sun
What an embarrassing end it was for the disappointing Blue Jays. Really sad and pathetic.
A game and wild card series abandoned by a management group that seeks to predetermine the outcome of the sport rather than allow the professional athletes involved to do what they are well paid to do.
Instead, club president Mark Shapiro, general manager Ross Atkins, the Blue Jays computers and the all-too-pleasant manager John Schneider wore the game-winning uniforms, allowing this series and the season to disappear in 18 quick innings of analytical defeat, mental errors on the base path, without much hitting or many runs scored and a series that should now question everything and everyone that has to do with this current edition of the Jays.
Rob Longley, Toronto Sun
[Jose] Berrios was traded and replaced with [Yusei] Kikuchi, a starter who had an outstanding season but suffered setbacks toward the end.
A tribute to analytics, the move immediately enraged a fan base that was already having a hard time accepting this team in an 89-win season that failed to live up to self-proclaimed expectations. And as many are calling for Schneider’s body, it’s important to know that the call was made by a group of co-conspirators.
Cathal Kelly, The Globe and Mail
After Toronto dove headfirst into an empty pool on Wednesday, the Blue Jays have another historic blunder – this time Vlad Guerrero Jr. fell asleep in the middle of an elimination game.
You’ve probably seen it in slow motion a dozen times. Guerrero stood off second base in the fifth inning. A man on third, Bo Bichette at the plate, two outs and the count full.
Guerrero moves too far away from the ball and Minnesota shortstop Carlos Correa begins to sneak up behind him. Twins pitcher Sonny Gray spins. Far too late, Guerrero realizes what’s going on.
Dan Shulman called it in real time. For future performances they should dub Sir David Attenborough.
Gregory Strong, The Globe and Mail
The early catch for Jose Berrios will be a hot topic of conversation as the dust settles on another Blue Jays postseason that ended with a first-round victory.
All the pitching moves in the world don’t matter if the offense isn’t working.
Considering a major basepath error and a lack of timely hits, it’s no surprise that Toronto is still hoping for its first playoff win since 2016.
Shi Davidi, Sportsnet
Even if Kikuchi had put up a zero, it felt like the Blue Jays were scared because it went against their usual modus operandi, even in a win-to-earn scenario.
Rightly or not, players might interpret this as a lack of trust in her.
“Well, I had an idea it was coming,” shortstop Bo Bichette said of the change. “We have all the trust in the world in Kuchi but when I see someone bowling the way he bats, I think he deserves some trust in the biggest moments. And what happened happened.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron: “Everyone was surprised. Things you can’t control. You can often ask yourself that. It’s not our decision, but we were very surprised.”
Nick Ashbourne, Sportsnet
When Kikuchi entered the game, three of the next four batters were Max Kepler, Alex Kirilloff and Matt Wallner. Kepler was slightly better against right-handed pitchers than righties in 2023, and both Kirilloff and Wallner had WRC+ grades of 37 or lower against lefties.
In the Blue Jays’ view, Minnesota would either have to take several dangerous left-handed hitters out of the game early or suffer a miserable fourth inning at a significant matchup disadvantage.
While that sounds like a situation that backed the Twins into a corner, it actually gave them an immediate offensive opportunity if they were willing to sacrifice a little late-inning flexibility.