Wednesday was a day of firsts for the Blue Jays
Marking the first full day following the Blue Jays’ flurry of trades, Joey Loperfido struck out on three pitches in the first inning in his debut for his new ball club.
The afternoon represented Paolo Espino’s first start in the big leagues since 2022 and first with the Blue Jays after the itinerant veteran appeared in two games with Toronto back in April, when he surrendered eight hits, including two home runs, while yielding four earned runs in 4.2 innings.
In the first inning against Baltimore, the righty caught too much of the plate when facing noted Blue Jays killer Ryan Mountcastle, who sent the ball to the opposite field for a two-run triple.
After walking Cedric Mullins, Espino was paid a mound visit by pitching coach Pete Walker. As introductions go, it could have been better.
Given the dizzying events of the past few days, it’s quite hard to envision better days for this Blue Jays club, at least for the balance of this season and perhaps beyond.
The latest roster incarnation is not good, making the previous version seem like World Series contenders by comparison.
The Orioles are contenders, flexing their muscles Wednesday in an 10-4 beatdown. The Jays lost three of four games during their stay in Baltimore.
Games such as the one Wednesday and every game going forward can be best summed up as a glorified equivalent of spring training as many of the young pieces can audition for potential roles in 2025 knowing wins and losses essentially are inconsequential.
The 37-year-old Espino became the oldest player on the roster when the Blue Jays activated him to start in Yusei Kikuchi’s usual spot.
When Espino was called up, the corresponding move saw Jose Cuas being optioned to triple-A.
One of the players whom the Blue Jays acquired from the Astros was Loperfido, who has a speed and power skill-set the team covets. Neither were showcased, in Baltimore, however.
Loperfido also bats left-handed to help balance the lineup, in theory. He was in the No. 2 slot in the series finale.
His second strikeout of the day came in the third inning, which began when Addison Barger hit his second big-league homer after belting his maiden blast Monday.
Loperfido can play all three outfield positions if required, but the kid has to hit to be considered a viable roster option. He went 1-for-5 with the two Ks in his debut.
His first hit as a Blue Jay came with two outs in the ninth on a sharp liner into left field.
Barger was at third base Wednesday in an infield featuring Ernie Clement at shortstop, Davis Schneider at second, Spencer Horwitz at first base and Brian Serven behind the plate.
It shouldn’t be expected that any will start at those respective positions when opening day 2025 rolls around.
Espino got the ball out of pure necessity. His only clean inning came in the fourth, his final one on the afternoon, but it was sufficiently aided by Daulton Varsho in centre field.
One day soon, perhaps, Jake Bloss — whom the Jays also acquired in the Kikuchi deal — will be on the mound for the big-league club.
The way Yariel Rodriguez imploded in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader, Toronto’s pitching is even thinner than many first feared. His namesake, Yerry Rodriguez, was just as bad.
At least someone in the park named Rodriguez showed he can actually pitch at a competent level.
Orioles started Grayson Rodriguez recorded seven strikeouts in the first three innings, with the lone mistake was the pitch to Barger.
A second mistake followed in the fourth when Barger went the other way for a run-scoring double on a 99-m.p.h. fastball up and away.
Loperfino, meanwhile, did advance George Springer in the fifth after Springer led off the frame with a single.
It was a small play, but an important one nonetheless after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a ground ball that would score Springer to make it a 4-3 game as Vlad Jr. recorded his 70th RBI of the season.
That’s as close as the Jays would get.
The Jays had Yerry Rodriguez on the mound to start the fifth inning. It began with an out, but then came two straight walks and a hit batter to load the bases.
Up stepped Jackson Holliday, rated by many as baseball’s No. 1 prospect who had a tough go when originally called up in April.
Holliday unloaded on a Rodriguez offering that went deep into right field for a grand slam.
The crowd, predictably, went ballistic.
At least the day provided a note of baseball history following Holliday’s first home run, yet another first on a day featuring a handful.
The day’s final first arrived in the eighth inning, when Luis De Los Santos entered the game as a defensive replacement at third to usher in his debut in the bigs.
Barger went to right field while Steward Berroa replaced Varsho in centre, a victim of heat illness symptoms, per the Blue Jays.
De Los Santos recorded the final out on a force out at third and then grounded out in his first at-bat.
EN FUEGO!
Hot-hitting is a mild description when summing up Vlad Jr.’s recent streak at the plate.
Entering the series finale at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Vlad Jr. had hit safely in 13 straight games, a stretch in which he recorded 25 hits, including eight home runs while driving in 15 runs.
In his first at-bat, Vlad Jr. turned on a pitch and sent it into left field for a double to extend his hit streak.
It was Vlad Jr.’s team-leading 26th double of the season and fourth of the series.
During his 14-game hit streak, Vlad Jr. has recorded seven doubles.
Vlad Jr. served as DH Wednesday and went 1-for-4, bringing his series total to a robust 9-for-16.