Ernie Clement didn’t sugarcoat anything after the Blue Jays were blanked again Sunday.
The All-Star second baseman said Toronto has to start functioning like a real unit if it wants to dig out of its current hole, and he didn’t dance around the performance that led to the latest loss. After the 4-0 defeat to the Seattle Mariners, Clement told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, "You've got to find a way to win when you're not playing your best, and we're not doing that," said Clement after Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
"I don't know. You play like shit, you don't play as a team, it's really tough to win baseball games.
"So, we've got to start playing for each other and playing a lot better. You can't win baseball games when you play like that."
Toronto’s offense has gone completely quiet. The Blue Jays have now been shut out in consecutive games and haven’t scored in 24 innings, dating back to the third inning of Friday’s 2-0 win in the opener of the Mariners series.
Over the three-game set, the Blue Jays managed just two runs on 10 hits.
"They were really good. We were really bad," Clement said.
"So, it's a pretty good combo for a tough weekend. I just think we can be a lot better as a team. ...
As an offense, we just have to be better."
The numbers around the lineup back up the frustration. Toronto enters Monday tied for the sixth-worst wRC+ in baseball at 92 and is also sitting at .382 in slugging percentage.
Even with a 2025 World Series appearance on the résumé, the Blue Jays are now 42-48 and three games out of the American League’s final wild-card spot, with the bats doing little to help the cause.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Fans Now Know The Heartbreaking Reason Braydon Fisher Left
Braydon Fisher is back with the Blue Jays after stepping away on bereavement leave, but the circumstances behind his absence have cast a much heavier shadow than any bullpen storyline. Fisher has been one of Torontos more important relief arms this season, the kind of steady late-inning piece a club leans on when the schedule tightens and every out matters.
The reason for the leave was as heartbreaking as it gets, with the loss tied to a family trip to San Francisco during the Blue Jays series there. Fisher has returned to the team, though he still remains on bereavement status, and the personal toll of the past stretch is now part of the backdrop as Toronto moves on without one of its most dependable relievers fully in the fold. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Just Got A Trade Deadline Answer Fans May Hate
The Blue Jays are still hanging around the playoff race, but the offense has not looked like the kind of unit that can carry a team deep into October. With the deadline approaching, the front office is being pushed toward a familiar question: add a useful bat and hope the lineup wakes up, or pay up for someone who can actually change the shape of the order.
One suggested path would bring in a versatile right-handed hitter who can cover multiple spots and supply moderate power, the sort of player who helps in a lot of ways without necessarily solving the biggest problem. That is where the hesitation starts for Toronto, because a steady regular is not always enough when the lineup needs impact more than depth, and the cost of settling for merely solid could be a tough sell to fans expecting a real jolt. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Romano Is Back In The Majors With Something To Prove
Jordan Romano is back in the majors after working his way through the Rockies minor league system, and the former Blue Jays closer already has a fresh opportunity to remind people what made him such a reliable late-inning arm in Toronto. Colorado called him up after a roster opening created by Tomoyuki Suganos move to the injured list, giving Romano another shot at a big-league role after a stretch of trying to rebuild his footing.
The timing matters because Romanos recent stops with the Phillies and Angels did not go well, leaving him with plenty to prove every time he takes the mound. He has already been used in back-to-back games for Colorado and logged a save against the Giants, a useful first step for a pitcher whose path back to relevance is still being written. [Read more 🡒]