For the second time in less than a week Toronto Blue Jays fans are questioning one of the moves made in-game by the team's manager. On the weekend, John Schneider didn't pinch hit for an ice-cold Tyler Heineman with the bases loaded, late in the game. Heineman went up to the plate, swung at a bad first pitch, popped up to end the rally with the Blue Jays still trailing and was then removed from the game.
Schneider said after the game that Heineman's removal was just a managers decision, while Heineman said he stuck by the move his manager made. Heineman also owned up to the poor at-bat saying he has to be better in that situation. But many fans took to social media to question why Heineman was batting at all in that spot. Schneider could have gone to the switch-hitting Valenzuela who came into the game anyway to catch with Heineman pulled from the game.
The Blue Jays dropped that game to the Minnesota Twins and it was the first of what's now become a three game losing streak after another questionable decision was made in their 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday (May 5). With the Blue Jays ahead by a run in the top of the eighth, Schneider went to his bench and pinch-hit Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for Lenyn Sosa.
On paper that would look like a no-brainer, except the situational context is key, and for the Blue Jays it didn't work out so well. Vladdy was being given a rare day off, and while there's no harm in bringing him in late in the game in a spot where he can produce a run, the spot Schneider used him in was with a runner on first and one out with the Blue Jays ahead 3-2. It could have been a situation where he was planning to bring in Vladdy defensively in the bottom half of the eighth, and figured, 'he might as well get an at-bat,' but by using Guerrero in that situation, Schneider lost out on getting him an at-bat in an even more crucial situation.
Blue Jays spoil another good outing by Kevin Gausman, lose again to the Rays
In typical Toronto playing at Tropicana field fashion, a more crucial situation arose just an inning later. After Kevin Gausman pitched through six effective innings, and kept Tampa Bay to just two runs, it was an eighth inning meltdown by Tyler Rogers that threw the Blue Jays' best laid plains out the window.
Jeff Hoffman came in the seventh and left with the Blue Jays still ahead 3-2. And after they couldn't cash in, in the top of the eighth when Vladdy pinch hit, Rogers entered, trying to get the Blue Jays and their 3-2 lead to the ninth inning. Rogers had given up just one earned run all season to this point in 16.1 innings pitched. However, the Rays weren't impressed with those numbers and strung together four straight hits to take a 4-3 lead over the Blue Jays.
With the Rays now needing just three outs, the Blue Jays sent their 8-9-1 hitters to the plate. Andrés Giménez grounded out, Myles Straw, pinch hitting for Valenzuela, popped out, and George Springer lined out to end the game. Had Schneider still had Vladdy on the bench, pinch hitting him at that point for either Giménez or Valenzuela would have made much more sense with the Blue Jays down by a run.
Of course hindsight is 20/20 and Schneider has earned a lot of runway in his decision making after getting the Blue Jays to the World Series last year. But these are the types of moves, that when they don't pay off, will be criticized, especially when the team is playing well under their expectations to begin the season.