Battening Down the Hatches at Rogers Centre

Kikuchi Shoves vs. Former Team: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker breaks down the Blue Jays' 6-2 win over the Mariners down at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and break down the terrific start from Yusei Kikuchi vs. his former team. They discuss Bo Bichette with a three hit night at the plate, including a home run, and Matt Chapman also clobbering a solo homer as well. Plus, a discussion on Jordan Romano being unavailable, Tim Mayza heading to the IL, and who gets the high leverage innings out of the bullpen. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

32 min listen

Bullpen Falters in Second Series Loss of Year: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 4-3 loss to the Guardians at Progressive Field. They take your calls, and break down the start from Alek Manoah, and discuss Owen Miller and Oscar Mercado getting to both Tim Mayza and Adam Cimber (and if the time off affected them at all). They also get to the two-run single from Teoscar Hernandez, his first RBI since returning off the injured list, and look ahead to a potential return of Hyun-jin Ryu. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

35 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Is Gabriel Moreno Ready to Get Called Up?: Blake Murphy opens the show with a quick look back at the Jays' series-opening win against the White Sox. MLB.com's Julia Kreuz jumps on to discuss an ideal plan for splitting time between Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen, Teoscar Hernandez getting back on track, and how the team is finding ways to win 1-run games (05:03). Spin Rate's Drew Fairservice breaks down Kirk's at-bats, an interest in Bo Bichette's plate approach, and Charlie Montoyo finding a spot for Julian Merryweather to pitch in relief (25:03). The Athletic's Keith Law shares his impressions on Jays prospect Gabriel Moreno, why he's hesitant to call up the young catcher, that position's value in the trade market, and LHP Ricky Tiedemann cracking into the pipeline's top 100 prospects (50:54). Finally, The FAN Drive's Ben Ennis stops by to chat about his confidence level in Hyun-Jin Ryu this season, why Matt Chapman is due for a big game, the thought of trading away by Blue Jays Talk

99 min listen

Bo Hitter > No Hitter: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-2 win over the Astros at Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and discuss another terrific start from Kevin Gausman, and break down Bo Bichette driving in a home run to break up the Houston no-hitter. Plus, a discussion on whether or not this team can reach 100 wins, George Springer's terrific catch to preserve the lead in the ninth, and Santiago Espinal bringing some pop to the bottom of the lineup. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

47 min listen

Kikuchi Bounces Back vs. Yankees: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 2-1 win over the Yankees at Rogers Centre! They take your texts, and get into the performance from Yusei Kikuchi, a six-inning start - his best as a Toronto Blue Jay. They also get into Matt Chapman and his glove, the bounce back game from Yimi Garcia, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doing the splits to wrap up the action. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

17 min listen

The Losing Streak Hits Four: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 5-3 loss to the Yankees in New York. They take your calls and texts, and get more into the issue with runners in scoring position, and whether or not the batting order needs a shakeup at all. Sportsnet's Ben Wagner stops by to discuss the bullpen not getting a lot of swings and misses, and where reinforcements could come from (17:42). Afterwards, MLB Insider Mark Feinsand joins to chat the outside view of the Blue Jays, plus his thoughts on PitchCom and the outcry from players on the quality of baseballs around the league (49:03). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

76 min listen

Friday the 13th at the Trop: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 5-2 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field. They take your calls and texts, and get into the injury to George Springer, and who bats lead off in his place going forward. They discuss the Rays taking the lead with three runs in the eighth inning, and the slump the bats continue to be mired in. How do they fix it going forward? The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates by Blue Jays Talk

31 min listen

Jays Drop a Close One on Gleyber Day: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-2 loss to the Yankees at Rogers Centre. They take your texts, and discuss the Alejandro Kirk start at DH, and the no-decision to have Bradley Zimmer pinch-run late in the game. They also get into the start from Ross Stripling, and Yimi Garcia letting in the game-winning run from Gleyber Torres in the top of the ninth inning. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

26 min listen

Runners in Scoring Position Woes Continue: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-5 loss to the Guardians at Progressive Field. They take your texts, get into the suboptimal (to say the least) start from José Berríos, and dive into the hitting issues with runners in scoring position. They break down the batting order, question if Teoscar Hernandez's potential return in a few days would help solve those problems, and discuss scheduled days off for players like George Springer. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

35 min listen

Paul Goldschmidt Grabs The Win in Extras: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-3 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. They take your calls, and discuss the continuing issues with runners in scoring position, including the team only managing three runs, and Santiago Espinal batting second overall in the order. They get to the parade of relievers in extras, and discuss the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at-bat that saw him ground out after two bases loaded walks. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

24 min listen

A Seventh Inning Meltdown at Rogers Centre: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 9-1 loss to the Yankees at Rogers Centre. They take your texts, and they get to the two controversial calls in the seventh inning, including the no-call on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the rundown on Marwin Gonzalez. They discuss the error from Bo Bichette, and the continuing issues with runners in scoring position. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

27 min listen

Bedlam in the Bronx: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-5 loss vs. the Yankees in New York. They take your calls and texts, and discuss the Jordan Romano pitch strategy to Jose Trevino and later Aaron Judge, and get right into the three ejections that saw Yimi Garcia, Pete Walker, and Charlie Montoyo all get tossed. Blair and Barker fall on different sides of the umpire debate - where do you fall? The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

30 min listen

Jano Goes Yard in Tampa Return: Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz break down the Blue Jays' 5-1 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field. They take your calls and texts, and get into the start from Hyun-jin Ryu in his return off the injured list. They break down the big game from Danny Jansen (who also returned off the IL), the Teoscar Hernandez moonshot, and the pivotal eighth inning that also saw Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drive in a run. Plus, a discussion on the shaken-up batting order. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

25 min listen

Uncharacteristic Errors for Chapman in Series Loss: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-0 loss to the Rays to wrap up the series at Tropicana Field. They take your calls, break down the uncharacteristic errors for Matt Chapman in a close game, and chat about how much blame should be shifted around on those plays. They discuss the start from Alek Manoah (and look back to Hyun-jin Ryu's start from Saturday), and get into how the Jays bats continue to experience problems with approach and swings. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

36 min listen

Berríos, Springer Power Jays to Shutout Win: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-0 win over the Mariners at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss the José Berríos start that saw him go seven strong innings without allowing a run. They get into his fastball and whether or not this was the best start of the season for Berríos, and also chat the bats beginning to wake up, including the Springer triple (the first of the season for the entire team). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

35 min listen

The Fiery Manoah Cools the Reds: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 3-1 win over the Reds at Rogers Centre! He takes your calls, gets into Alek Manoah's start that took him through eight complete innings, and discusses why he may not have come back out for the ninth inning sitting at 83 pitches. Sportsnet's Ben Ennis stops by to discuss the Manoah ninth inning decision, the offence and approaches at the plate, and whether or not Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is closer to his 2020 form than that of his MVP-caliber season in 2021 (0:53). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

29 min listen

Jays Offence Comes Alive in Angels Sweep: Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 11-10 win over the Angels to complete the four-game series sweep! They take your calls and texts, get into the five RBI from Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and discuss the offensive contributions from Raimel Tapia over the last four games. They also break down the wild play by Matt Chapman to avoid the tag at first base, the impressive offence from Alejandro Kirk, and where Santiago Espinal belongs in the batting order. Plus, Sho thinks the 'Ryan Borucki Experiment' is over - what comes next for the lefty? The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

36 min listen

Stripling Saves the Day in the Ninth: Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 6-5 win over the Angels! They take your calls and texts, get into the decision to pitch Jordan Romano for a third straight day, and Ross Stripling coming in to shut the door in the ninth inning. They discuss the luck of Matt Chapman, who finally had one fall his way in the eighth, and another deep flyout by Danny Jansen. Plus, Sho and Ben debate the call to use Julian Merryweather in a high leverage situation, and whether or not that should (or will) happen again going forward. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

25 min listen

Splitting the Doubleheader in Cleveland: Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz break down the Blue Jays doubleheader in Cleveland, a 8-3 win and a 8-2 loss. They take your calls and texts, discuss the starts from Kevin Gausman and Ross Stripling, and break down the return of Teoscar Hernandez. They also chat about whether or not the bottom-of-the-order production is sustainable, Bradley Zimmer's offensive issues, the base-running issues in Game 2, and the bullpen still being fresh to support Alek Manoah as he wraps things up in Cleveland. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

62 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Gausman's Stellar Outing + The Matt Gage Story: Chris Black joins Blake Murphy for another edition of "Explain It Black" as they touch on Kevin Gausman's bounce-back outing against the Red Sox, the use of the shift especially behind Gausman, if the team should consider moving Yusei Kikuchi to the bullpen, and how Ross Stripling can be effective on the mound (01:52). Then, Blake discusses Vlad Jr. choosing to skip the home run derby, criticisms against Charlie Montoyo, and which Jay would likely be part of a future trade deal (29:28). The Athletic's Britt Ghiroli jumps on to chat about Jays' reliever Matt Gage's journey from the minors to the Majors, why Matt chose to sign with Toronto, and the history behind the AL East being a tough division to play in (51:07). Finally, The Athletic Toronto's Kaitlyn McGrath stops by to discuss Kikuchi's pitching woes, another setback for Nate Pearson, and some early trade targets for Toronto (01:10:12). The views and opinions expres by Blue Jays Talk

98 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Moreno Palooza: Blake Murphy reacts to the news of Blue Jays prospect Gabriel Moreno getting the call up to the Majors, looks into what he could bring to the team, and asks listeners which former prospect they fell in love with first. MLB.com's Julia Kreuz, who collaborated on a piece dating Moreno's roots from Venezuela to becoming one of the top prospects in baseball, shares why he almost stopped playing the sport, and the strides he's made in his defensive game (07:12). Also from MLB.com, Sarah Langs breaks down Alejandro Kirk slotting himself alongside some of the best hitters in the league this year, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s tendency to hit ground balls, and Matt Chapman's defense at third base (29:12). Later on, Sportsnet's Shi Davidi weighs in on how much workload we can expect from Moreno both behind the plate and in the batting lineup, how he'll be integrated among the coaching staff and pitchers, and if there are concerns with Yusei Kikuchi's up and down start by Blue Jays Talk

98 min listen

Putting Away the Brooms at Rogers Centre: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 5-1 loss to the Mariners at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and they get into the strange start from Kevin Gausman, if he was tipping his pitches and whether or not he should have come back out having thrown just 85 pitches. They discuss the relief pitching as well, including Trevor Richards being asked to go two innings, and the plate approach from Bo Bichette. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

34 min listen

An Embarrassment of Riches at Catcher: Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 6-3 win over the Angels at Angel Stadium! They take your texts, and get to another game where both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Danny Jansen smash home runs, the approach by the offence at the plate, and the smooth swings by the top of the order. They also discuss the off night for Shohei Ohtani, another decent game by Hyun-jin Ryu as the team's fifth pitcher, and break down the embarrassment of riches the Jays have at the catcher position (including Gabriel Moreno). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

19 min listen

Grinding Out Another One-Run Win: Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 2-1 win over the Reds at Rogers Centre. They take your calls and texts, get to the offensive performances from players like Raimel Tapia and Bradley Zimmer, and kick around some potential trade target help in the outfield. They also break down another encouraging pitching performance by Hyun-jin Ryu, who went six strong innings in his second stint back from the IL, and take a look down in the minors at someone like Jordan Groshans. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

38 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: The Setup Against the Mariners: Baseball Prospectus' Mikey Ajeto joins Blake Murphy to chat about how Robbie Ray turned around his season following a rough start, his reliance on the sinker and slider, the optimism surrounding the Mariners' rotation, and why Logan Gilbert may be close to a breakout (04:54). Co-host of Intentional Talk and AppleTV+ announcer Stephen Nelson stops by to discuss his experience calling the weekly games on Friday night, Shohei Ohtani's greatness, and his standouts from the Jays this year (28:39). Then, The Athletic's Keith Law looks at his Jays prospect rankings at the midway point, what he makes of Spencer Horwitz, and which areas of the prospect pool would be included in a future trade (49:33). Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi discusses where he ranks the road trip to Seattle to cover the Jays games, how the team will approach their rotation without Kevin Gausman, how to handle Yusei Kikuchi's struggles, and when Toronto could start addressing the by Blue Jays Talk

97 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Midway Check-In + Second Half Wish List: Blake Murphy is joined by Chris Black and Joe Siddall for another edition of "Explain It Black" as they touch on Alek Manoah's first bad start of the season to begin Toronto's West Coast trip, if a drop in Manoah's velocity is a concern, catchers framing pitches, and if Yusei Kikuchi should continue to throw cutters within his pitching arsenal (01:53). Next, FanGraphs' Dan Szymborski discusses the race in the AL East being dominated by the Yankees, how Hyun-jin Ryu's injury affects the Jays' playoff projections, and how he would handle carrying three catchers at a time (27:52). Then, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith stops by to give out grades for the team at the halfway point of the season, look back at Alejandro Kirk's emergence, and discuss Jose Berrios inconsistency (50:14). Finally, the guys share their wish lists for the second half, who could be the biggest swing piece for the rest of the season and the top targets the team by Blue Jays Talk

99 min listen

Kikuchi Gets Royally Roughed Up: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 8-4 loss to the Royals to wrap the series. They take your calls, and get to the shortest outing of Yusei Kikuchi's career in Kansas City. They discuss whether or not he can recapture a better form, the miscues from Raimel Tapia in the sun (despite cranking a massive home run), and also break down the lineup itself with some dangerous batters on the bench. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

12 min listen

Joey Votto Spoils the Sweep: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-2 loss to the Reds to wrap the series at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss Yusei Kikuchi regaining his command after a rough first inning. They also get into the slightly shuffled batting order, and the struggles of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the plate (even after being moved up to second in the order). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

23 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: The Debut and Berrios' Early Exit: Blake Murphy hosts the first episode of Jays Talk Plus and opens the show by outlining what's on tap and sharing his baseball background, before getting into former Blue Jay catcher Russell Martin announcing his retirement, and what it takes to be a good game caller behind the mask. Ben Shulman, who made his play-by-play debut for the Jays this weekend, stops by to chat about his first experience working those four games, when he knew he wanted to get into broadcasting like his father, and calling games for the Fort Wayne TinCaps (26:25). Later on, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith shares his thoughts on Jose Berrios' latest outing cut short to just under three innings, the bullpen's weekend workload, if its time to carry three catchers with Gabriel Moreno's looming call up, and if Nate Pearson has a path to help out the pen (50:26). Finally, PUP guitarist Steve Sladkowski jumps on to discuss the creation of the Jays Talk Plus theme musi by Blue Jays Talk

99 min listen

Moreno Makes His Big League Debut: Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz break down the Blue Jays' 3-1 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park. They take your calls and texts, and get into the big league debut of Gabriel Moreno, in which he threw out a runner at second base and collected his first hit off Gregory Soto in the ninth inning. They discuss a decent six-inning outing for Kevin Gausman, and also get to Cavan Biggio making some terrific defensive plays - what is Biggio's value as a 'super utility' player to this team? The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. by Blue Jays Talk

32 min listen

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Battening Down the Hatches at Rogers Centre

Battening Down the Hatches at Rogers Centre

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