Splitter betrays Rodríguez in ALDS rematch that draws a shrug from Blue Jays
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NEW YORK -- The Blue Jays seem stuck in a loop of stressful games, and eventually, all of that strain adds up.
Monday’s 7-6 loss to the Yankees had a clear runway to being one of the Blue Jays’ best wins of the season, but a bullpen meltdown from Yariel Rodríguez in the seventh inning changed everything.
This is what mattered most from Game 1 of a big four-game series in The Bronx:
1. LOW ON GAS: Rodríguez blows it
The Blue Jays’ bullpen has been solid, particularly its core pieces around Louis Varland. So much has been asked of this group already, though. Braydon Fisher is tied for the MLB lead with 24 appearances while Mason Fluharty (23), Tyler Rogers (22), Varland (22) and Jeff Hoffman (22) aren’t far behind.
Eventually, this leads to spots where you can’t roll with "Plan A" or even "Plan B" to set up the closer. Rodríguez entered with two outs in the seventh, but managed to allow a pair of two-run home runs to Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Sure, one skipped off the top of the wall and the other clanked off the left-field foul pole, but they all count and all we’ll remember from this one tomorrow morning is the loss.
“Is it a tough ask? Yeah, it’s a tough ask to come in and get Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, for sure, but you need everyone to step up on days when you’re a little bit thin,” manager John Schneider explained. “I always feel the worst in hindsight when it doesn’t work out. When your bullpen gets taxed, that can happen.”
With Rogers down, Rodríguez was next in line. But he didn’t deliver, struggling particularly with his splitter, a pitch he needs to succeed.
“It happens this time of year. You just need someone to make big pitches to get out of tough spots,” Schneider said.
2. ALDS REMATCH? No one cares
Good luck getting a member of the Blue Jays to talk much about the 2025 ALDS, which the Blue Jays won right here at Yankee Stadium. At this point, it feels like it was five years ago.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wasn’t biting. His play did enough talking in that ALDS. There’s not much left to add.
“It was last year,” Guerrero said through a club interpreter.
What about the Game 7 loss to the Dodgers? These questions still come up when the Blue Jays play in certain cities for the first time since that World Series run.
“No. That was last year,” Guerrero said.
Schneider joked about this pre-game, too. Players and coaches understand the narratives around their team, whether they agree with them or not. Schneider’s as media-savvy as they come in this job, so coming into New York, he knew the questions would come again.
“It was a cool time for us. We were playing well and we didn’t really know how we’d come out after a bit of a layoff after the regular season,” Schneider said. “That was fun, man. That’s why we signed up for this job. It was cool to see our work pay off, to see the guys go out and perform. Last year in general was pretty fun… minus the final outcome.”
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3. WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Adam Macko
It wasn’t all bad in the bullpen. How about a two-run lead at Yankee Stadium for your MLB debut? Blue Jays No. 21 prospect Adam Macko didn’t seem to mind.
After getting J.C. Escarra to ground out to end the sixth, the Blue Jays sent Macko back out to begin the seventh, where he got Paul Goldschmidt to ground out, then Ben Rice to fly out to right. It’s the type of performance that immediately earns you the trust of a new manager.
“My knees were weak when I stepped on the field,” Macko said, still beaming after his debut. “The lights went out and I was like, ‘This is a cool entrance. Is this for me? Why are they doing this? I’m on the road.’ It was amazing. I honestly blacked out for a lot of it. Once I got on the mound, I felt like I’d done this before and I’d be OK. The emotions were something I’ve never felt before. It was amazing.”
Born in Slovakia with a stop in Ireland before he moved to Alberta and played high-school ball there, Macko is one of the most fascinating baseball journeys in this organization. He’s right where he belongs, though, and any multi-inning reliever getting outs will have a chance to stick.