Blue Jays analyst explains how Ronel Blanco shut them out
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Overall, the Toronto Blue Jays have had a tough time getting their offense going, and according to analyst Steve Phillips, there are some specific reasons for why they got blanked by Ronel Blanco on Monday night.
By now, you probably saw that Blanco was able to pitch a no-hitter as the Blue Jays lost to the Houston Astros 10-0. It was a fantastic performance that yet again showcased the Blue Jays' biggest weakness. In a new piece for TSN, Phillips gave the blueprint for how Blanco was able to shut out the Blue Jays.
"They were baffled by Blanco's changeup, which kept the Jays off-balance the entire game. Ten of his 20 swings-and-misses came off of the changeup, eight came from the slider, and two on his fastball. He tossed four curveballs, 31 fastballs, 34 sliders and 36 changeups in total. It was a good mix of pitches, and the Jays hit very few balls hard."
Phillips went on to say the Blue Jays have been especially bad when it comes to competitive at bats. This is a problem that has been longstanding for the team. They continue to make these mistakes in the course of match, and it has led to a lot of pain.
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"THE FINAL INNING! See the final 3 outs of Ronel Blanco's NO-HITTER!"
On Tuesday night, the Blue Jays beat the Astros 2-1. However, they couldn't get any runs until the ninth inning. It was yet another example of what Phillips is saying. At this point, something needs to change.
"The games were symptomatic of what the Jays offence suffered from last season. They had too many non-competitive at bats. They made no adjustments to what Blanco was doing to attack them in the strike zone. They couldn't lay off the pitches out of the strike zone, nor could they figure out his sequencing, leaving them guessing all night long. All seven of their strikeouts came on changeups."
Tonight, the Blue Jays play the Astros yet again, at 8:10 PM Eastern Standard Time. You can watch the game in Canada, on Sportsnet.
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