TAMPA, Fla. — The Toronto Blue Jays knew well in advance that Sunday’s game was going to be difficult. The club tried to get out in front of it as much as possible, but the thing is, there’s not much you can do to battle the Florida sun in late May.
The temperature was 32 degrees C at first pitch, feeling like 38, and the Blue Jays played through it, but the word ‘suffer’ would be more apt.
The Tampa Bay Rays jumped out to an early lead on Chris Bassitt before exploding for a seven-run fifth inning en route to a 13-0 rout over the Blue Jays in front of a paid attendance of 10,046.
With first pitch slated for 1:40 p.m. against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field, John Schneider spent some time before the series talking to other MLB teams to find out how they dealt with the conditions.
The Blue Jays manager could rely on his own experience, too. He managed in the Gulf Coast and Florida State League and remembers when the Blue Jays deployed outside-the-box measures while playing home games in Dunedin, Fla., during the 2021 season.
“We went as far as putting extra jerseys in freezers in the tunnel to put them on in between innings,” Schneider said on Saturday. “Stupid stuff you don’t think about. Guys are going to sweat through their batting gloves, [lose] grip on the ball with the rosin. Sweat in your eyes. This sucks. This is the one time I say I like the Trop. Day game here at Steinbrenner.”
In the clubhouse prior to the game, the team nutritionist was handing out homemade concoctions of electrolyte slushies while one player asked a clubhouse attendant for an extra shirt because he knew he was going to sweat through the one in his locker stall.
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Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, who grew up in the area, admitted there’s nothing you can do but play through it.
“And drink water,” Bichette noted.
The victory for Tampa Bay completed a three-game sweep and allowed the Rays (26-26) to move ahead of the Blue Jays (25-27) into third place in the American League East standings.
Bassitt and the Blue Jays were playing behind from the opening frame. Brandon Lowe ripped a 1-0 up-and-in cutter from Bassitt into the right-centre field stands for a two-run shot that further cemented his role as a Blue Jays killer. It was Lowe’s 20th career homer against the club and his fourth against Bassitt. He added two more singles against the right-hander and now has 10 hits in 17 career at-bats against him.
Bassitt managed to keep the Blue Jays in the game over the next few innings before it unravelled in the fifth. The right-hander allowed three straight hits before he was lifted in what was his shortest outing of the season. Left-hander Mason Fluharty faced five batters and couldn’t record an out, right-fielder George Springer lost a ball in the sun, right-hander Paxton Schultz tried to clean up the mess, and, by the time the long, sweaty inning ended, the Rays had batted around the lineup and mounted a nine-run lead.
By the seventh frame, Schneider began to put position players out of their misery by lifting them from the contest. Outfielder Myles Straw got some time at second base while infielder Michael Stefanic pitched a scoreless inning.
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It was an ugly end to a three-game set that saw the Blue Jays score just two runs in three days. That, on the heels of scoring 24 while sweeping the San Diego Padres, is certainly frustrating for the club.
Additionally, reliever Yimi Garcia was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder impingement on Saturday, while before Sunday’s game, catcher Tyler Heineman was placed on the seven-day concussion IL. Heineman took two foul balls off the mask against San Diego on Thursday and reported symptoms Saturday, prompting the Blue Jays to call up catcher Ali Sanchez, who logged all eight innings on Sunday.
The Blue Jays will look to regroup as they head to Texas for a three-game series against the Rangers beginning Monday. The temperature in Arlington is forecasted to be considerably cooler and, of course, the games will take place under a roof. A welcome change for the Blue Jays.
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