John Schneider Reacts After Bad Game From Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
· Yahoo Sports
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider reacted after first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had another tough day at the plate.
The Blue Jays, who are fighting tooth and nail for the final American League Wild Card spot, lost in a blowout to the Kansas City Royals on Thursday by a final score of 13-2.
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It was an absolutely atrocious performance by nearly everyone on the team, and the fans at Rogers Centre in Toronto responded by booing the players.
Especially loud were the boos for Guerrero, who went 0-for-3 with one walk, dropping his season batting average to .260 and his OPS to .684, shockingly bad numbers for the league’s highest-paid first baseman at $40.3 million this season.
With the boos getting louder, Schneider lifted Guerrero from the game after the bottom of the seventh inning, and Brandon Valenzuela replaced him at 1B for the final two innings of the game.
The manager said after the game he lifted Guerrero to get him off his feet in a blowout game, but not everyone is buying that reasoning.
John Schneider Reacts After Another Bad Game by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Schneider reacted to yet another bad game by Guerrero, who not only had an awful night at the plate but also made a base-running blunder when he got doubled off on an Alejandro Kirk liner in the third inning.
“He’s been looking for something for a while now. He’s been doing a lot of work. I think it’s always good, when you’re looking for something, to try new things. He’s hit outside early a couple of times, but he’s looking for something to click and looking for something to hold onto and carry forward,” Schneider said (via MLB.com).
The Blue Jays’ manager admitted that if Guerrero is banged up, then he wants him to speak up and say something, instead of forcing himself to play through injuries, if that’s what’s going on right now.
“He’s good at saying, ‘No, I’m good.’ You have to keep asking him and break down that wall a little bit. The more you can be open and honest — meaning him — it probably makes it a little bit easier to get out of,” Schneider said.
Blue Jays Fall in Playoff Race
After losing to Kansas City on Thursday night, the Blue Jays dropped to 65-70 on the season, putting them 3.5 GB of the final AL Wild Card spot.
It wasn’t that long ago that the Blue Jays somehow clawed back into the playoff hunt, but after this disappointing series against a Royals team that is among the worst in the AL this year, the Blue Jays have moved behind three teams for the final AL Wild Card spot.
There is still a chance that they can make the playoffs, but time is running out, as they only have 27 games left in the season to make up ground.
Ripping off a long win streak will help them get there, but things aren’t looking good right now for Toronto.
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