The Toronto Blue Jays will be going to a closer-by-committee if the situation arises Saturday afternoon against the visiting Cleveland Guardians.
Jeff Hoffman has struggled as the closer this season and he was told Friday by manager John Schneider that the team will mix-and-match for now instead of putting the onus on one particular pitcher in the ninth inning.
“It’s still finding spots for guys, so whoever that may be in the ninth inning, for now, it’ll be that guy,” Schneider said.
The Blue Jays did not need a closer in their 8-6 loss to Cleveland on Friday in the opener of the three-game series. Toronto fell behind 5-0 and never had a lead.
Hoffman understood the move, saying there are other relievers pitching better than him currently. The right-hander is 3-for-6 on save chances to go with a 1-2 record and a 7.59 ERA.
“That gives them the nod to go out there and do it for the group,” he said. “I’m good for whatever is going to put us in the best position to win as many games as possible.”
Schneider said, “I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that he’s striking out half the hitters he’s facing. There’s a component to it where you want to just stop some momentum, and we’re still going to use him in big spots.”
The Blue Jays will look to bounce back when they send out right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-1, 2.54 ERA) on Saturday. Gausman is 5-5 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) against Cleveland. Last season, he was 1-0 with 0.00 ERA in two starts vs. the Guardians, allowing three hits, two walks and one hit batter while striking out 15 in 14 innings.
Left-hander Joey Cantillo (1-0, 3.20 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Guardians. He has pitched one-third of an inning in his career against Toronto, retiring the only batter he faced last season.
The Guardians expect to have struggling Steven Kwan back in the lineup on Saturday after he didn’t start on Friday. Kwan, who is batting .227 (22-for-97) with one homer and eight RBIs, did enter the game as a ninth-inning defensive replacement in the series opener.
“We were looking to get him two days off and one of them on the (Rogers Centre) turf,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We just wanted to give him a chance to reset the legs. Playing center field is a new beast. We just wanted to give him two days to get his body back underneath him.”
Kwan, a four-time Gold Glove left fielder, has been playing mostly in center this season.
“I don’t think moving between left and center field has affected his offense,” Vogt said, “but it’s a new workload that he’s never had in the big leagues. I wouldn’t read any more into this day off other than we wanted to get him two days off by using the off day (Thursday).”
It worked out well. Daniel Schneemann replaced Kwan in the leadoff spot on Friday and Angel Martinez started in center field.
Schneemann, batting leadoff for the first time this season, led off the game with a home run against Max Scherzer. He also walked and doubled.
Martinez hit two-run homers in the first and third innings.
Toronto lost Nathan Lukes in the first inning Friday when he left the game with what the team announced was left hamstring discomfort. Schneider said the outfielder was to going have an MRI.
–Field Level Media
