The Major League Baseball (MLB) Toronto Blue Jays have fallen back into sole possession of last place in the American League (AL) East.
The Blue Jays lost 3-6 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday (June 26) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.
With their second straight loss, Toronto fell to 26-25 and dropped from fourth to fifth place in the AL East. They are more than a half-game out of first place in a division that is rumored to be competitive.
Toronto has struggled in recent weeks, going just 2-8 in its last 10 games.
The Jays, who were in third place in the division until April 19, dropped five games in a row from April 19 against the New York Yankees to April 23 against the Tampa Bay Rays, dropping them to the bottom of the division.
A 20-1 blowout win over Tampa Bay on April 24 moved them into a tie for fourth place with the Boston Red Sox, but two straight losses left them alone in last place.
Toronto starter Alex Manoa was tagged for five runs (four earned) on six hits and six walks with five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.
Manoa has struggled this season,먹튀검증 with a 6.37 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.79 WHIP. His record this season is just 1-5 with a 5.53 ERA.
The offense has been just as frustrating. The Jays only managed three runs on eight hits, more than Tampa Bay (five).
According to MLB.com and other local media outlets, Toronto’s players held their own meeting after the game.
Toronto third baseman Matt Chapman declined to comment on the specifics of the meeting. “We’re all grown men, and it’s up to us on the field. We can’t rely on the coaches,” he said. “We have to figure out how to win games. We have to communicate, we have to help each other.”
“It’s a tough district, and there are a lot of tough teams,” John Schneider said. But we’re a good team,” he said, “and we have to focus on moving forward.”
