Blue Jays turning the page to Cleveland following disappointing series loss to ChiSox
In the wake of Saturday's scintillating start produced by Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt had a tough act to follow in the rubber match of a three-game series against the visiting Chicago White Sox.
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For those unaware, the South Siders were the team that drafted the right-hander, the same team that would trade Bassitt following his rookie season.
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Bassitt pieced together a very good outing, six innings of three-hit pitching, a stretch that saw the veteran give up one run, while striking out seven.
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Berrios went 7.2 innings on an afternoon when the Jays' bats were humming en route to a 7-1 win.
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No such offensive support for Bassitt, who left with the teams tied 1-1 in what turned out to be by far the most competitive game of the series.
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It also turned into a nightmare for Jays' closer Jeff Hoffman, whose two-out fielding error in the eighth inning proved costly in Toronto's 4-2 loss
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Bassitt was perfect the first time through Chicago's order.
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Adversity struck in the fourth when the bases would be loaded following two singles and a one-out walk.
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The ChiSox scored first courtesy of a ground ball that was too softly hit for the Jays to turn into a double play.
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Bassitt deserved way better on a day he'd earn a no-decision.
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In the end, it's a series loss for the Jays, who now head off to Cleveland for an off day Monday before the series opener against the Guardians gets underway Tuesday.
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'Not great, not a great ending (Sunday),'' began manager John Schneider when sizing up the series against a team that came into Rogers Centre riding an eight-game losing streak. 'I thought we played our style of game (Saturday).
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'Looking back, three bad innings to start the series (featuring Spencer Turnbull in his first start with the Blue Jays) puts you in a hole … It's on to Cleveland and that's it.'
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On Wednesday, the game will feature the return of veteran Max Scherzer, Bassitt's teammate with the New York Mets.
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It will be Scherzer's second start with the Jays after he left following three innings when he made his debut back in late March.
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'He's ready to go,'' said Schneider, who's been dealing with a four-man rotation since Scherzer's hand setback, a staff weakened by an under-performing Bowden Francis before the right-hander was placed on the IL because of shoulder impingement.
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