​The Blue Jays fell 4-3 to the Padres in a rough eight innings that ended up costing them the game. Hoffman came on, and the sequence that decided it started with Xander Bogaerts leading off the bottom of the eighth by grounding softly up the middle, between second and short, where Ernie Clement reached it a bit too deep to throw? cleanly. Bogaerts still managed to reach second on the play, and Manny Machado lined a single to center to bring home the go-ahead run. Gavin Sheets grounded one to Andrés Giménez, but Clement was slow getting to second, so the defense couldn’t turn the double play that might have changed the frame. The throw to first wasn’t enough to retire the runner, and the moment slipped away. I didn’t understand why Clement couldn’t get to the bag in time for the double-play chance, and after that, a steal of third followed by a sac fly put the Padres in front for good. That sequence proved decisive.
Barker discussed it after the game, and even watching it again, it’s hard to parse exactly what Ernie Clement was thinking on that play. The bottom of the ninth moved along quickly: groundout, then a pop out, then a strikeout, and the Jays’ hopes faded fast.
Kevin Gausman had a rough inning in the second. Machado singled, Sheets walked, and Ty France singled home a run. Jake Cronenworth lined a single to load the bases, and a pop out got one out. A walk forced in another run, and Fernando Tatis struck out, though there was a curious balk mixed in—Gausman had told the plate umpire he would pitch from the stretch with the bases loaded, but used the windup during that moment. Balk rules remain foggy to me, and I don’t think I’ve seen that particular scenario before. Gausman escaped the frame after giving up three hits and two walks in that inning, finishing six innings with eight strikeouts total—one hit and a walk in the other five frames.
Tyler Rogers went 1-2-3 in a quick seventh for the bullpen. Offensively, the Jays had a few sparks. In the fourth, with two outs, Andrés Giménez doubled and Ernie Clement followed with a homer, knotting the game at 2-2. In the eighth, Kazuma Okamoto led off with a single. Two outs later, Alejandro Kirk, pinch-hitting for Sean Keys, was intentionally walked. Jonatan Clase then singled to drive in the run. We should have produced more; the lineup totaled nine hits, including two homers, and we drew three walks, but the execution with runners in scoring position lagged.
Clase and Okamoto each had two hits, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drew a walk. Sean Keys also reached base a couple times but went 0-for when counted. We had runners on in the second and third frames and one on in the fifth, finishing two for nine with RISP. The Jays of the Day recognized were Clase (0.26 WPA) and Okamoto (0.11). On the other side, Hoffman posted a negative WPA, with some of that burden belonging to Clement, while Varsho and Valenzuela also logged negative marks, and Keys contributed a slight negative as well.
Now we head into the All-Star break. The game’s upshot: a hard-fought but ultimately frustrating loss, a sequence of defensive miscues and timely hitting by the Padres, and a pitching line that left some runners on base. The Jays will aim to regroup over the break, reassess Clement’s defense at short, and come back ready to capitalize with runners in scoring position. This one stings, but there’s still room to improve as the break allows for a reset.