Blue Jays quick hits: Angels rally in ninth inning to hand Hoffman first blown save with Toronto
The Blue Jays found a new way to lose Wednesday night, getting walked off 5-4 by the Los Angeles Angels for their fourth straight loss — the third one of which that has featured a blown save. Here's what you need to know:
Jose Berrios and former Jay Yusei Kikuchi locked horns in a terrific pitchers' duel with each starter giving up only one run and pitching six innings.
The Jays broke it open against the Halos' bullpen in the seventh, starting the inning with five straight hits including bunt singles by Andres Gimenez and Jonatan Clase. Bo Bichette's bases-loaded, two-run single made it 4-1 but they couldn't push across any more.
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Jeff Hoffman came on to protect a two-run lead in the ninth inning but walked the nine-hitter on four pitches to begin the inning and gave up back-to-back singles to load the bases with nobody out. A batter later, Jorge Soler ripped a slider down into the left-field corner for a walkoff three-run double.
Bases: cleared
Game: over
Jorge Soler with a wild #walkoff for the @Angels! pic.twitter.com/hsHW3A5s7z
— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2025
It was Hoffman's first blown save as a Blue Jay. Over his last two outings, the closer has retired only two of the nine batters he has faced.
Fastballs
Blue Jays
Opinion
Gregor Chisholm: Yusei Kikuchi showed last year why the Blue Jays were reluctant to lose him. It's been a different story so far this season
Toronto will face off against the mercurial pitcher on Wednesday night in Anaheim during their West Coast road trip.
Blue Jays
Opinion
Gregor Chisholm: Yusei Kikuchi showed last year why the Blue Jays were reluctant to lose him. It's been a different story so far this season
Toronto will face off against the mercurial pitcher on Wednesday night in Anaheim during their West Coast road trip.
Gimenez leaves game
Along with another heartbreaking loss, the Jays may have lost their second baseman as well. Gimenez's bunt single helped spark the three-run seventh, but he limped into the bag after his right quadriceps muscle tightened up.
The three-time Gold Glove winner stayed in the game and gingerly made the trip around the bases — 90 feet at a time — but did not come out for defence in the bottom of the inning.
The Jays announced that he was removed as a precaution.
Take your base, Vladdy
Angels manager Ron Washington elected not to pitch to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in a big spot for the second straight game, intentionally walking the half-billion-dollar Blue Jay with a runner on second and two out in the third, preferring to take his chances with Anthony Santander.
The strategy worked ... again. Santander stranded a pair with a fly out to centre field.
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Until Santander gets going, this might be something Guerrero needs to get used to. After Wednesday's game, Guerrero's OPS was 187 points higher than that of Santander.
Blue Jays
Opinion
Gregor Chisholm: Blue Jays prospects to watch: the fast risers, those flying under the radar and some still figuring it out
Even in a weak farm system such as Toronto's, there is bound to be some gold such as shortstop Arjun Nimmala and right-hander Trey Yesavage.
Blue Jays
Opinion
Gregor Chisholm: Blue Jays prospects to watch: the fast risers, those flying under the radar and some still figuring it out
Even in a weak farm system such as Toronto's, there is bound to be some gold such as shortstop Arjun Nimmala and right-hander Trey Yesavage.
Thanks, kid
Berrios pitched in and out of trouble all night, but the Angels helped him out in the bottom of the first.
With runners on the corners and nobody out, the right-hander struck out Taylor Ward and Soler, then had to deal with Logan O'Hoppe, who leads the team with an .868 OPS.
With the count 1-and-2 on the Halos' DH, Berrios missed with a fastball but Nolan Schanuel was running on the pitch. Alejandro Kirk threw him out easily to end the inning.
Mailbag
Joe Martin found me @wilnerness on Bluesky to ask if it's 'time to move Bo out of the leadoff spot until he starts hitting? Maybe put Springer back there?'
Bichette definitely isn't off to a fantastic start, Joe, but he's hitting .277 and is in the top 10 in the majors with 43 hits this season. Maybe we expect so much of a healthy Bo in his walk year that it feels like he hasn't started hitting yet, but he's been one of the Jays' only productive hitters so far this season.
The power hasn't come yet, and he's never going to walk a ton, but Bichette definitely isn't the problem.
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Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Amid the bad outing by the Jays' closer, some good news did emerge. Following the Jays' 4-2 setback to the Chicago White Sox, manager John Schneider provided the team's starting rotation for a three-game series in Cleveland that begins Tuesday night. Eric Lauer gets the ball in the opener, Kevin Gausman in the series finale. In Wednesday's game, Max Scherzer will usher in his return from a troublesome hand injury, which may or may not hold up. 'That's a huge, huge addition for us,' said Schneider. 'It's Max Scherzer. I'll take that any day of the week.' As for Hoffman, he hasn't been the same closer the team or fans of the Jays first saw early in the season. He has been prone to serving up home runs, and has looked spotty when games have been close. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's the roller-coaster ride of a reliever,' said the skipper. According to Schneider, Hoffman is trying to return to his early season form. What's obvious is Hoffman's frustration. 'It happens,' added Schneider. 'We trust the (crap) out of Jeff Hoffman. It's easy to blame him, but he's been on the other side of us winning games. 'It's a tough stretch for him, but he'll come out ahead of it.' What did in Hoffman on Sunday was his inability to put away hitters in two-strike counts. 'He's got three put-away pitches. When they're really good, they're great. When you try to force it a little bit, those pitches tend to be in the zone.' Hoffman did induce a weak come-backer off the bat of Andrew Benintendi. Hoffman couldn't secure the ground ball, however, and it dearly cost the Jays. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Nine times out of 10, (Hoffman) makes that play,' added Schneider. Prior to Hoffman entering the game, Brendon Little issued a walk. Little eventually was charged with two unearned runs. 'Walks usually come back to hurt you and it did (Sunday),' continued Schneider. Outside of Spencer Turnbull's poor starting performance on Friday, the Blue Jays couldn't find fault with either Jose Berrios, Saturday's starter, or Chris Bassitt, who started Sunday. At one point Sunday, Bassitt recorded six strikeouts in succession. There has been no issue with Bassitt or Berrios for that matter. Gausman, to his credit, was not pleased with his start against Arizona on Thursday. One of the most effective relief pitchers on the staff is Yariel Rodriguez, who struck out two in a clean inning after he succeeded Bassitt. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Y-Rod has seen his usage spike. 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