Blue Jays blown out so bad that they let a position player pitch

Today served as yet another frustrating day for fans of the Toronto Blue Jays, though they did get to witness one entertaining moment in the top of the ninth inning.

The Blue Jays, who were taking on the Tampa Bay Rays in the final of a three-game series, found themselves trailing 12-0 heading into the ninth. Having already used several arms from the bull pen due to Chris Bassitt only pitching five innings, John Schneider chose to throw in utility player Ernie Clement.

Ernie Clement makes a pitching appearance in the top of the ninth inning. 😮 pic.twitter.com/CoWUWA3A0H

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 25, 2024

Rather surprisingly, this marked the fourth time in Clement’s MLB career that he has been called upon to pitch. In the three outings prior, he had given up five earned runs over three innings.

Today, Clement recorded all three outs in the ninth while giving up just two hits and one earned run. It was actually the best appearance of any Blue Jays reliever today, which pretty much sums up how the season has gone as a whole.

The Jays loss this afternoon drops them to 46-56 on the season. Thought by many to be a playoff-calibre team entering the year, they find themselves 9.5 games back of a wild-card spot.

Given how far outside the playoff picture they are, they are expected to trade several of their players on expiring contracts, including Yusei Kikuchi, Danny Jansen, and Justin Turner. Kevin Kiermaier, who recently announced that he will be retiring at season’s end, could also generate some interest from a team needing to improve in the field.

Despite the team’s struggles, however, management intends to keep the core of the roster intact in hopes of getting back to the playoffs in 2025. Should another mediocre year transpire, however, there could be some major changes, both on and off the field.

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