Just a lousy baseball game, Jays lose

Blue Jays 1 Astros 6 (only 6? it seemed like so many more than 6)

I really feel like writing that the players are 'down' because we didn't pick up anyone at the trade deadline. That the lack of a 'sign of confidence' from management has ripped the energy out of the team. That they really needed the boost of big name addition to tell them they can win this thing.

I want to write that, because it seems like the sort of narrative that I should be selling.

But I don't buy that stuff, and I'm sure most of you guys don't believe it either.

That was just a sad game. Stroman wasn't good. Well, he looked good in the first inning. But then he gave up 2 runs in the 3rd and 3 more in the 4th, without getting an out in the 4th. He has been so good, he's allowed a bad game.

Todd Redmond really wasn't much better, coming in with two on, given an out on a sac bunt, then a intentional walk (I hate intentional walks) and a bases load walk and another run scores. It was so bad that, for the second game in a row, we made an error on a pickoff throw to first, letting a runner move from first to third.

On offense....well in the first 3 innings we had 6 hits and 2 walks in the first 3 innings, but only scored 1 run. After that Scott Feldman only faced 1 batter above the minimum the rest of the way to a complete game. A pretty easy complete game. We hit into 3 double plays.

We had 8 hits in all, all singles. Jose Reyes had 3 of them. and I figured he was out of the game after hurting his shoulder, sliding into 2nd on to lead off the game. I thought he should have been pulled from the game, why take a chance, but Reyes seemed fine.

There was very little good about that game, other than Reyes and Aaron Sanchez and Dustin McGowan pitching a perfect inning of relief each.

No Jays of the Day today. Suckage goes to Stroman (-.300 WPA, I think Gibby should stop having him more throw more than 110 pitches in a game, it seems to effect him on his next start), Juan Francisco (-.111, 1 for 4, including a very badly timed double play ball, first pitch swinging).

Tomorrow is a much needed day off for the Jays. Then a big series with the Orioles. Hopefully we'll see a better effort in those games. Maybe we could active Lawrie?

We had 564 comments in a rather (understandably) grumpy GameThread. Pikachu led the way. Good work.