John Schneider offers frustrating explanation for Blue Jays' worst loss yet

Jul 31, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) watches batting practice before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays, all things considered, probably should be celebrating a victory today.

Tied 6-6 with the Cleveland Guardians in the bottom of the 9th inning, Toronto looked well on their way to a walkoff victory to send the fans in attendance at the Rogers Centre home happy.

With Danny Jansen hitting a double to lead off the inning, all the Blue Jays needed was a simple base hit — or a pair of productive outs — to walk the game off.

But Toronto called for a bunt to try to advance Jansen over, and it’s safe to say it wasn’t executed properly. Cavan Biggio’s first attempt went foul, before his second one was fielded by Cleveland reliever Sam Hentges, who threw Jansen out as he ran towards third.

Toronto’s Santiago Espinal then grounded into a double play on the next at bat on a 3-0 count, with the team’s prime opportunity to win the game now turned into mush.

“It just comes down to executing the little things,” Toronto manager John Schneider told the media postgame, per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.

It’s safe to say Toronto fans weren’t exactly happy with that explanation, having heard similar rhetoric many times before.

There it is. The quote that broke my brain. https://t.co/53FfTxZC2Z

— Less Than Jays: A Toronto Blue Jays Podcast (@LessThanJays) August 27, 2023

I thought all the moves this offseason were to help execute the small things better. I also think John not being good at his job had something to do with the loss today https://t.co/SqBh9iXIou

— Andrew Connors (@a_connors17) August 27, 2023

Yeah, cool quote man, you’ve said the same thing for a year and a half. https://t.co/npNLtk1XPf

— Dom (@DominicDs34) August 27, 2023

It's a little too late to be stressing that now, John https://t.co/IWCFgISxoH

— Vaz (@MaestroVas) August 27, 2023

The tenth inning went scoreless for both sides (Toronto had a groundout, a strikeout, and a popout), before Cleveland lit up Toronto for four runs in the top of the 11th inning. While Toronto was able to pull one run back in the bottom of the 11th, it was Biggio’s strikeout to end the game that ultimately closed the book on a Jays comeback attempt, with the final score ending.

With a record of 71-60, Toronto now sits 2.5 games back of the Houston Astros for the final Wild Card berth in the American League, with a return to the postseason looking less likely by the day. And if the Jays can’t find a way to get it done over the final stretch of the season, losses like today’s will be exactly what fans look back on as the reason why.

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