Punchless Jays offence turning into a punch line after latest loss

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Through the first 45 innings of a truly dreadful Blue Jays six-game road trip, the offensively challenged outfit has managed just four runs.

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The miracle of it all is that they have actually won a game amongst the five played so far.

It didn’t happen on Tuesday, however, even as the Jays seemingly were meeting their match in the scoring ineptitude department at Globe Life Field. They were, after all, facing a Texas Rangers team that was 1-7 in its previous eight starts and averaging just 2.5 runs per game in that dour run.

So yes, not exactly appointment viewing and yes again, something had to break to declare a winner in a game that truly was hard on the eyes.

Break it did in the bottom of the eighth when the Rangers scored a pair of runs that must have felt an opening of the floodgates, a 2-0 win as the Jays were shut out for the fourth time this season.

The first score of the game came when third baseman Josh Jung lined a single off of Toronto reliever Chad Greed to centre field to score Sam Haggerty, a pinch runner who had stolen second base earlier in the inning.

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And then it got ugly for the Jays, who had already endured an unsightly three-game sweep in Tampa earlier on the trip. This one was a defensive miscue as a pickoff play at third base went awry when catch Alejandro Kirk threw the ball high and into left field that allowed the Rangers Wyatt Langford to score an insurance run.

Game. Set. Miserable match.

When it’s going bad, it feels like it’s even worse for this Jays team that fell to 26-28 and is now a sloppy 1-4 on the six-game road trip that winds up with one more against the Rangers on Wednesday.

The Jays handed this one to the Rangers in more ways than one, as has been their way.

They managed to get the leadoff runner aboard in four of the first six innings and runners on base in all but the third and the ninth. They had leadoff doubles in each of the first two innings and couldn’t get the runners around.

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In the first two games in Texas, they are one for 22 with runners in scoring position and on Tuesday they left 11 stranded on the base paths. All the more incredible that they scored a 2-1 win in the first tango in Texas on Monday.

FIRST AND FAMINE

The first two innings of Tuesday’s game were particularly gruesome at the plate for the Jays, despite getting to Rangers ace starter Nathan Eovaldi early.

The Jays got leadoff doubles from Bo Bichette in the first and George Springer and didn’t even threaten at getting a run across. Somehow – although not out of character – Toronto batters were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the nine batters who went to the plate in those first two innings.

Building up an elevated pitch count on Eovaldi (39), the Jays then got what appeared to be a break when the righty was removed from the game for what the Rangers described as right triceps fatigue.

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Jacob Latz came on in relief but that wasn’t exactly an accelerant for the Jays bats, as the right hander allowed just two hits in three scoreless innings.

FRANCIS FINALLY

The struggles of Jays starter Bowden Francis (and the extenuating challenges on the rotation as a result) were halted for one night at least as his 11th start was clearly his best in a while.

His six strikeouts matched a season high and earned him the opportunity to return to the mound for the sixth inning and a third time through the Rangers order. But after allowing a leadoff single to Texas shortstop Josh Smith, Francis got the hook in favour of red-hot reliever Yariel Rodriguez.

The positives for Francis? His control was much better than it has been, his fastball velocity was up and it resulted in his first scoreless outing of the season. Francis, who came into the contest with a 5.54 ERA and had allowed the most home runs per nine innings of any starter in the majors was much more settled as he allowed just three hits and walked one.

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HELP ON THE WAY?

The Jays may be on the cusp of getting an important bullpen arm back after right-handed reliever Erik Swanson had a solid rehab outing in Buffalo on Tuesday as he recovers from a forearm injury.

Swanson, who has been sidelined since spring training, had a clean, three-up, three-down inning of relief for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons and needed just nine pitches to do so.

That effort and a long steady buildup could pave the way for a return to the Jays as soon as Thursday when the Jays start a home stand against the Athletics.

As well, manager John Schneider told reporters in Arlington that wounded starter Max Scherzer threw a 45-pitch bullpen session in Florida on Monday that went well. Next up for the righty with the bum thumb: Facing live hitters in Toronto on Thursday or Friday.

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