The Toronto Blue Jays know their slumbering lumber must wake up against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon if they are to end a five-game losing streak.
The Blue Jays have dropped the first two games of a three-game series against the Dodgers and have been outscored 16-4.
The Dodgers extended their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 victory on Saturday. The Blue Jays managed just three hits, and the run they scored in the ninth inning was unearned.
In its losing streak, Toronto has nine runs.
“If you look at the last five in a vacuum, it hasn’t been going our way,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “But before that, you lose sight of the fact that we won four series in a row, we were grinding out starters and still not getting a big hit. It gets a bit magnified right now, but I’m confident it will turn.”
The scoring drought is longer than the past five games, however.
The Blue Jays have not scored more than five runs in a game since a 9-8 road loss to the New York Yankees on April 6.
The problem starts at the top of the order with George Springer, hitting .228, Bo Bichette (.208) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.208).
Springer was given a scheduled day off on Saturday.
“I feel like guys at the top of our order are taking better swings,” Schneider said. “That’s what we want. They don’t want to be scuffling. They want to be a big part of the team, which they are. But the fact they’re taking good swings, I think that’s kind of the silver lining.
“And then on down the order, guys are doing the same thing. It’s getting there.”
Toronto is scheduled to start Kevin Gausman (0-3, 5.57 ERA) on Sunday. The Dodgers are expected to start fellow right-hander Michael Grove (0-0, 6.00).
Gausman is 1-3 with a 3.99 ERA in eight career games (seven starts) against the Dodgers. Grove has faced the Blue Jays once, last July, and gave up two runs in 4 2/3 innings of a no-decision.
The Dodgers have had little trouble hitting.
Mookie Betts had three hits Saturday to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Over the streak, he is 14-for-27 (.519) with five extra-base hits and five RBIs.
Will Smith had a double in going 1-for-5 Saturday. Over his past 13 games, he is 16-for-48 (.333) with five doubles, a home run and nine RBIs.
Freddie Freeman singled in the seventh inning Saturday to extend his hitting streak to seven games, finishing the day 1-for-3 with a walk. Over the streak, he is 11-for-24 (.458) with four doubles and 10 RBIs.
Betts (.391) and Smith (.367) lead the majors in batting average.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow allowed one run and struck out nine in six-plus innings Saturday before leaving with cramps in his right hand and right leg.
“(There is) not any level of concern,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’ll be fine.”
“It’s happened before,” Glasnow said. “I know what I have to do to get rid of it. It was a little bit more humid than I thought today. I think I sweat so much … there’s stuff to mitigate it, so I’m good to go.”
–Field Level Media
