Toronto Blue Jays star Guerrero shares reasons for optimism despite ugly start to ALCS
The Toronto Blue Jays’ season isn’t quite over, but they’ll need to turn their fortunes around in a hurry if they’re looking to keep playing baseball.
In two games in the American League Championship Series, Toronto has mostly looked outmatched against the Seattle Mariners.
After falling 3-1 in the opening game on Sunday night, Toronto followed it up with a 10-3 blowout loss on Monday.
Toronto did tie the game 3-3 in the second after falling behind big in the first inning, but the Blue Jays were unable to score in the final seven innings of the contest.
It’s no secret that if they want to advance to the World Series, they’re going to need something to wake up their mostly dormant offence.
And few will be looked to help spark that offence more than star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. In his first two games against Seattle, Guerrero has been held hitless, reaching base only once so far via a walk.
“Obviously, we need to get better offensively. For example, myself, I had a big at-bat there, and couldn’t come through. But that’s baseball, the only thing we can do is get better.” Guerrero said Monday through a club interpreter. “[We have to] go to Seattle and win some games.”
Toronto heads to Seattle with the possibility of up to three games, running from Wednesday to Friday. They’ll need to win at least two of three to force Game 6 back in Toronto on Sunday, with a possible winner-take-all Game 7 set up for next Monday in Toronto.
Despite Toronto’s tough start to the series, Guerrero shared a positive outlook going ahead.
“We’ve got confidence here. We don’t like the position we are in right now. They’ve been playing great baseball, and the only thing we can do is get better, go to Seattle and try to win some games somehow,” he added.
Going ahead to the potential of three games in Seattle, Blue Jays manager John Schneider shared a simple game plan for his team.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to limit damage, one; and then two, generate more offence,” he said.
Schneider also shared similar sentiments to Guerrero.
“[I’m] always going to have optimism about this team,” Schneider said following Game 2. “I think just looking at it as a whole, we’ve got to figure out ways to generate some more offence. Give the guys a ton of credit for coming back [and tying the game after going down 3-0]. They just made more swings than us [in] the last two games, is kind of what it comes down to.”