Jays Talk Plus: 40-Man Roster, the 5th Starter and Spring Training Standouts

Santia-Go Ahead!: Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz recap the Blue Jays 3-2 victory over the Astros and chat about Santiago Espinal's hot bat, his future in the infield, Alek Manoah's outing in Houston, the way Toronto is winning these 1-run games, Ryan Borucki's season debut, Charlie Montoyo hitting his 200th win as their manager and much more! 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

44 min listen

Captain Kirk Powers Jays Bats to a Win: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays 6-5 win over the White Sox at Rogers Centre! They take your calls, break down some timely defensive plays, and get to the pitching performances of Kevin Gausman and the bullpen. They discuss the urgency from Julian Merryweather on the mound, and also debate what they've seen from Jordan Romano. Plus, Alejandro Kirk looks terrific - Blair and Barker break down his bat looking quicker, and how Kirk can focus on his offensive development with Danny Jansen back on the roster. 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

The Marvelous Manoah Dazzles Again: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays 1-0 win over the Red Sox at Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and discuss another sterling start from Alek Manoah, a seven-inning outing to wrap things vs. Boston. They break down the lone RBI coming off the bat of Alejandro Kirk, and debate who would get the ball for a must-win game between Manoah, Kevin Gausman, and Jose Berrios. 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

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

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

The Offence Runs Dry vs. Red Sox: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-1 loss to the Red Sox at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and they discuss the issue with runners in scoring position, and the bullpen being less effective as of late...are they being overtaxed? Plus, a discussion on Ross Stripling's place in this lineup and whether or not he should be a more regular part of the rotation going forward, even after Hyun-jin Ryu returns. 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

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

Espinal and Zimmer Light It Up: Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz recap the Blue Jays 4-3 win over the Astros in their series opener and touch on Jordan Romano's performance as a closer, the bullpen's outing after Ross Stripling's start including Trent Thornton, Santiago Espinal's defensive plays, Justin Verlander's start, Bradley Zimmer's first hit and home run and much more! 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

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

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

Fireworks Galore from Danny Jansen: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-3 win over the White Sox at Rogers Centre. They take your calls and texts, get into the recent stretch of play by Danny Jansen, and how he made a conscious decision to make some changes offensively when he was rehabbing from his early season injury. Afterwards, they discuss the injury to Hyun-jin Ryu, the walks from Bo Bichette, and the late-inning blast from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Plus, a chat on how valuable is Ross Stripling in the bullpen vs. in the starting rotation. 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

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

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

Putting Away the Brooms in Houston: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 8-7 walk-off loss to the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston. They take your calls, and break down the start from Yusei Kikuchi - which included five walks - and discuss how much of the final result can be laid at the feet of Jordan Romano. They also get into a discussion on Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hitting his first home run of the year, throwing out Brantley at third base, and Bo Bichette's defensive capabilities. 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

22 min listen

Are You Worried About Bo or Kikuchi?: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 11-7 loss to the Astros at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss the struggles for Yusei Kikuchi against the Astros lineup. They also get into the idea that it might be time to move Bo Bichette down the lineup, how the batting order might be shuffled if that does happen, and whether or not it would actually change anything. 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

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

Tapia, Springer Provide the Heroics: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-5 walk-off win vs. the Red Sox at Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and discuss the Raimel Tapia sacrifice fly to win it in extras alongside the George Springer game-tying home run in the ninth. Plus, a discussion on the bullpen's role in tonight's game, Jordan Romano slamming the door in the tenth, and Kevin Gausman having the nastiest pitch in baseball. 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

33 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

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

A Springer Dinger Saturday: Sho Alli and Blake Murphy break down the Blue Jays' 2-1 win over the Astros at Rogers Centre! They take your calls and texts, and discuss Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s show of frustration with some questionable strike calls, and Charlie Montoyo getting ejected to protect his star player. They also chat about Bo Bichette's struggles at the plate, whether or not there was a glimmer of light for Bo today, and break down the start from Jose Berrios who worked around trouble all game long. 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

57 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Numbers, Photos, and Pitch Grips: Blake Murphy is joined by Chris Black, Blue Jays on Sportsnet Producer, to take us through his role working on MLB coverage, the integration of Statcast in the broadcasts, Jose Berrios' up and down starts, and makes the case to carry three catchers at a time on the lineup (02:09). Photo Director at West End Phoenix Jalani Morgan shares his ongoing photo essay called "Black Jays" and his experience mentoring photojournalists (29:06). The Athletic's Eno Sarris weighs in on the best ballparks that offer the top craft beer options, why the vulcan grip isn't used often by pitchers, the death of the fastball count and the use of more sliders (50:26). Finally, MLB.com's Mike Petriello breaks down Vlad Jr.'s slide in May, how he recognizes when a player is coming out of a slump, and a look at battle of the aces tonight between Chicago's Lucas Giolito and Kevin Gausman (01:15:57). Finally, Blake gives the scouting report for Toronto's upcoming s by Blue Jays Talk

99 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

Bo My Goodness: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-2 win over the Red Sox at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss Bo Bichette's monster grand slam to break the game open in the eighth inning, and the terrific start from Jose Berrios that saw him cruise through seven innings. They break down the Bradley Zimmer bunt that helped to load the bases for Bo's grand salami, and how the bullpen needs more starts to give them some rest in a busy stretch of games. 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

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 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

Berríos Fans a Baker's Dozen: Blake Murphy breaks down the Blue Jays' 12-3 win over the Twins at Rogers Centre! He takes your calls and texts, and gets into the terrific start from José Berríos, a seven-inning, 13-strikeout performance vs. his former team. He also discusses the bombs from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, and Bo Bichette, and also gets to the bullpen getting a break with the strong performance from Berríos. 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

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

Captain Kirk Has a Four-Hit Night in Milwaukee: Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz break down the Blue Jays' 9-4 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee. They take your texts, and get to the outstanding performance of Alejandro Kirk, who had four hits including a two-run bomb as the exclamation point (and hope he avoided serious injury after a scare in the seventh inning). They also discuss another terrific start from Alek Manoah, his competitive fire coming through once again, and the bullpen performances from Adam Cimber and Matt Gage. Plus, a discussion on Cavan Biggio heating up, and which starting pitcher they'd like the Jays to pursue at the deadline. 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

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

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

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Jays Talk Plus: 40-Man Roster, the 5th Starter and Spring Training Standouts

Jays Talk Plus: 40-Man Roster, the 5th Starter and Spring Training Standouts

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