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Instant Reaction: Kevin Gausman pulled in the fourth inning as the Blue Jays got pounded by the Rockies

Originally posted on Bluejaysnation | By Ryley Delaney | Last updated 4/12/24

What do you even say about that game?

On Friday evening, the 3-10 Rockies made their first trip to Toronto in a while, beating the supposed contenders 12-4 to bring Toronto’s record to 6-8, yikes.

If you’ve ever read my articles or follow me on Twitter, you know I’m a fairly positive person, even to a fault. However, there are very few positives to take away from this game, or this season, or the off-season that the team had.

Let’s get this out of the way, the editions that the Jays added aren’t the problem. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been nothing short of terrific, slashing .306/.375/.444 with a 143 wRC+ in 40 plate appearances, hitting his first home run of the season on Friday. As did Daulton Varsho.

First Daulton Varsho dinger of the season! pic.twitter.com/QWWzI5hkWm

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 12, 2024

Designated hitter Justin Turner has been great as well, slashing .350/.460/.575 with a homer in 50 plate appearances for a 200 wRC+, along with a 16 BB% and a 14 K%. Daniel Vogelbach has also contributed in several ways.

The “internal improvements” haven’t happened yet, sadly. This season, slugging first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been the best of the bunch, slashing .185/.313/.389 for a 109 wRC+. George Springer has a .182/.297/.327 slash line for an 88 wRC+, Alejandro Kirk has been a non-factor with the bat, while has regressed massively to start the season.

It was clear after they lost out on Shohei Ohtani that the team just lacked thump, and still do. Their 12 home runs are tied for the Pittsburgh Pirates for 20th in the league while their 94 wRC+ sits 18th in the league heading into today’s slate of games.

Their pitching staff hasn’t been great either, as they had a 4.90 ERA (22nd highest) and 5.55 FIP (the lowest). This wasn’t helped by Kevin Gausman’s start, as their ace finished with a line of 3.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, bringing his season ERA to 11.57. Paolo Espino (four earned runs in 2.2 innings) and Mitch White (two earned runs in two innings pitched) doesn’t help factors.

It’s still early in the season, so it’s not the end of the world by any means. But by the way the start of the season is going, we could be in for a long season if something doesn’t change. Does someone need to be fired? Does the team need to have a player meeting? Who knows, but they need to get going soon before this season spirals out of control.

me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

This article first appeared on Bluejaysnation and was syndicated with permission.

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