After a strong 92-win regular season established high expectations for this Blue Jays squad, Toronto now finds itself in a do-or-die situation
Everything about Alek Manoah’s persona is designed for playoff baseball.
In the very first at-bat of the 4-0 loss, the righty drilled Mariners lead-off man Julio Rodríguez on the hand, spoiling an 0-2 count. Two batters later, Eugenio Suárez ripped a double down the line to open the scoring. The next Seattle hitter, red-hot catcher, roasted a towering two-run bomb over the right-field wall, increasing the lead to three.
Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker jogged out to the mound to help Manoah reset. Toronto’s infield gathered, too, and when the huddle broke, there was a renewed sense of energy. The Jays grabbed two quick outs and the crowd quickly shocked itself back to life, chanting madly when Manoah punched out a batter to end the first frame.
“I just think you have to go out there and execute pitches,” said Manoah, still upset after the loss. “Obviously, I didn't do that today. There were a few that they really capitalized on.”When Manoah exited the game after allowing four runs through 5.1 innings, the cameras caught him in the dugout tossing his glove and hat in frustration. As tough as the letdown sat with Manoah, the burden of the loss didn’t fall entirely on the starting pitcher.
“You're having to make a decision on what that 100-mph pitch is going to do, and that's what makes it tough.”
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