Opener Ryan Burr opened eyes by tossing two scoreless, hitless innings

Article content

The Blue Jays returned home Monday for a six-game homestand as the official march to the finish line begins in earnest.

Article content

Despite a 3-2 loss to the New York Mets, there was some good news for Blue Jays fans.

Perhaps as early as this weekend when St. Louis comes to town, the return of Bo Bichette will usher in, one of the more perplexing players to Toronto’s lost season whose 2024 campaign has been marred by under-performance and injury.

During the team’s stay in Atlanta, Bichette told Sportsnet, whose parent company, Rogers, owns the ballclub that he’s “100% committed” to Toronto.”

Like anything, only time will tell.

And like most of these well-timed interviews, there’s always some kind of agenda at play.

The perception surrounding Bichette has not been good as his name has constantly been bandied about in rumours.

Saying what he said won’t do anything to quell the gossip, regardless of what people want you to believe.

Article content

All that’s known is that Bichette is under contract for one more season, similar to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whose love of the city has been well documented.

All this comes at a time when the Blue Jays continue to play out the string, a team that lacks relevance, a team with so much heavy lifting that needs to be done this off-season that just about anything will be on the table.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

With the New York Mets in town, there will be speculation surrounding Pete Alonso, a free-agent this winter whose power bat will fit in most lineups, including Toronto.

In the absence of playing meaningful games one week into September, what’s left to discuss and dissect has very little to do with the actual on-field play.

Games, after all, must be must be played with 17 remaining.

Article content

Article content

In Monday’s series opener, the Jays went with an opener in Ryan Burr.

The crowd lined up for hours to get their hands on a giveaway hoodie and even cheered when the Rogers Centre roof began to open in the top of the second inning.

It was that kind of night, one of many that will surely follow.

In the end, it turned into a losing evening for the Blue Jays and their faithful as the Mets took the opener, 3-2, a game New York didn’t really deserve, but gladly accepted Toronto’s generosity.

Toronto pounded out 17 hits two nights earlier in Atlanta where a series would be lost.

Against the Mets, Toronto’s bats went silent.

Mets starter Tylor Megill retired 16 batters in a row, the only blemish arriving in the first inning when Spencer Horwitz reached base on a double.

Article content

Megill also recorded nine strikeouts in completing six innings.

The visitors were equally silent in recording one hit through seven innings, but it was enough to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

New York needed only three hits to escape with the win and would be outhit by the Jays, who recorded four.

In the home half of the seventh, the Jays had runners at first and second after reliever Danny Young hit Davis Schneider with a pitch and then gave up a single to Alejandro Kirk.

A second pitching change would be made that saw Jose Butto face Ernie Clement.

Clement stroked a single into left field to load the bases.

Leo Jimenez was hit by a pitch as the Jays tied the game.

The Jays then took the lead when Nathan Lukes hit a sac fly to left field.

Article content

They then gave the lead back by gift-wrapping two runs when Tommy Nance make like Jim Nance in walking two and unloading a wild pitch coupled with a passed ball Brian Serven could not keep in front of him.

Nance was tagged with the loss.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

FRIAS FLOURISHES

Unlike his season debut with the Blue Jays, the home debut for Luis Frias went considerably better.

For those who missed the ninth-inning folly Saturday night at Truist Park, the Jays went with the right-hander reliever in the lowest of leverages.

At the time, the Jays were leading the host Atlanta Braves 9-1, an advantage built on two bombs unleashed by Horwitz, who would record a club rookie-tying 11 total bases.

What would go wrong, many thought, when Frias was given the ball.

Article content

What ensued was a series of hits and runs.

When the Braves had finished their carnage, Frias was lifted after recording one out, while yielding four runs on five hits as the Jays managed to hold on to a 9-5 win.

The thought heading into Monday’s opener focused on Ryan Yarbrough and how the veteran lefty would be used after Burr.

Turns out it would be Frias, whom the team claimed off waivers earlier last month from Arizona.

When he started the third inning in a 0-0 game, Frias looked much more confident when far more composed than he was two nights ago.

His outing began when he struck out Harrison Bader.

Two more outs would be produced as Frias retired the side in order.

In the fourth, he struck out Mark Vientos on a wicked breaking ball.

Article content

And that would be it for Frias, who was warmly cheered by the crowd.

Any similarity between the Frias in Atlanta and the one who appeared at Rogers Centre is purely coincidental.

In 1.1 innings against the Mets, Frias was perfect, striking out two and not surrendering a single hit.

He needed 15 pitches to record the four outs.

Yarbrough replaced Frias.

After getting the first out on a groundout, Yarbrough walked Alonso.

He then hit Jose Iglesias with a pitch as the visitors had their first runner in scoring position.

The game’s first run came around to score after J.D. Martinez slapped a ball through the hole on the right side of the infield.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

Article content