Blue Jays' bats get going, but Ryu struggles

TORONTO -- It was a week where few things went according to plan for the Blue Jays. It even poured rain inside Rogers Centre, with the retractable roof only creaking closed after the infield dirt and unexpecting fans were soaked.

Thursday afternoon’s 10-7 loss to the White Sox rounded out a 3-4 homestand that had a dozen opportunities to go better for the Blue Jays, who were battling to keep their heads above water at a time when they need to stack up wins in the American League Wild Card race. Toronto had every reason to be confident, too, with Hyun Jin Ryu on the mound, but the lefty was hit hard and hit often.

“It was my command today,” Ryu said through an interpreter. “Even one of the home runs I gave up felt like it was weak contact, but compared to the last outing I had, I think that for all of my pitches, the command was the key.”

Ryu allowed seven runs (including three home runs) on seven hits and one walk over just 3 2/3 innings. Even while Ryu has worked through some inconsistencies, he’d allowed just one home run over his previous eight starts leading into the series finale, but the White Sox jumped on him with the same aggression that chased José Berríos early on Tuesday. The Blue Jays rallied late, a very encouraging sign from a lineup that was quiet for most of the week, but they fell just short.

“I’m hoping that this game gives us momentum going forward,” manager Charlie Montoyo said. “This is the best offensive game we’ve had in a while and it was good to see that we came back to make it a game. Good job by our team playing one of the best teams in baseball. We went 2-2. It’s tough to keep that lineup not hitting for four straight days. Credit to our team to battle against a good team.”

The loss moved the Blue Jays (66-60) 5 1/2 games back of the Red Sox (73-56) for the second AL Wild Card spot. This wasn’t a week that torpedoed Toronto’s postseason odds, but alternating losses and wins for seven days hasn’t helped the club climb the ladder. The A’s (70-58) and Mariners (69-59) stand between the Blue Jays and Red Sox, too, so there’s a sense of urgency here as the calendar creeps towards September.

This seven-game homestand was a snapshot of the Blue Jays’ most important narratives, too

Here’s what you can take away from the week that was:

Semien homers twice; one shy of career high

Marcus Semien tried to put the offense on his back in the finale with the White Sox, and it nearly worked. The star second baseman went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs, jolting the crowd to life in the sixth when his second rocket to left field brought the Blue Jays within two.

Semien's signing always made sense, but this is as good an outcome as either side could have envisioned. Now with 32 home runs, he is one shy of his career high (33 in 2019). Factor in his strong defense, and Semien has been one of the best all-around players this season.

It’s all about timing …

The Blue Jays can hit. They rank seventh in the Majors in runs scored and second in home runs, trailing only the Giants. Toronto's lineup is topped by four All-Stars, and as early as Friday, that group will be joined by outfielder and leadoff man George Springer.

The higher the stakes, though, the more the Blue Jays have struggled. They entered Thursday still leading the Majors with a team OPS of .815 through the sixth inning. From the seventh on, though, they rank 18th (.691). Yes, they’re facing the opposing bullpen’s best pitchers at that point, but other lineups have found a way, and if Toronto wants to make a run, it will need to steal a few late ones.

Hitting with runners in scoring position is the other major issue of late. After spending much of the season as one of baseball’s best teams hitting with runners in scoring position, the Blue Jays have struggled, going just 9-for-64 (.141).

The never-ending bullpen conversation

Through the first six games of the homestand, Toronto relievers allowed just four runs over 20 innings with 24 strikeouts. Brad Hand was tagged for two runs on three hits on Thursday, recording just two outs, but otherwise this group has shown some encouraging signs. Jordan Romano can be counted on as the closer, but it’s difficult to overstate the value of Tim Mayza. The lefty has been dominant, posting a 1.38 ERA over 29 outings dating to June 1.