Varsho, Vladdy Jr. Both Wear the Jacket in Blowout Win

Vladdy Jr. is Heating Up: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-6 extra innings win over the Orioles at Rogers Centre! They take your calls and texts, and get right to the game-winning RBI single from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the tenth inning; they discuss whether or not Vladdy Jr. is finally getting hot and if we can expect more consistency from him. They also break down the start from José Berríos, get into the mammoth home runs from Teoscar Hernandez and Matt Chapman, and discuss the offerings from Chapman outside of his stellar defensive play. 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

Rizzo, Yankees Harsh the Vibes at a Packed Rogers Centre: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 12-3 loss to the Yankees at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss the Yankees bats staying incredibly hot, smashing apart the Jays relief pitching in the fifth inning. They get to the decision to go to Trent Thornton and Trevor Richards in that particular spot, and where any further reinforcements for relief pitching might come from. Plus, a discussion on home run celebrations when down big, and whether or not the Jays should focus more on the Wild Card race instead of the AL East title. 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

Pushing the Right Bench and Bullpen Buttons: Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 4-3 win over the Angels! They take your texts, and discuss Charlie Montoyo pushing the right buttons with both pinch-hitters and the bullpen to grab the victory. They get to the performances of Yimi Garcia and Trevor Richards, and discuss the very impressive season that Alek Manoah continues to author. Plus, a discussion on Nate Pearson and whether or not he can be a good addition to the bullpen upon his eventual return. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kirk, Bichette Stuff Stat Sheets for Second Straight Shutout: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-0 win over the Royals, their second straight shutout. They take your calls, and break down Alek Manoah's night that saw him complete six innings of work despite having to grind most of the game. They discuss Alejandro Kirk's four-hit night and how his defensive play has improved, Santiago Espinal's All-Star-level play, Bradley Zimmer's place on this roster, and Bo Bichette getting on base five times. 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 Talk Plus: In-Depth Twins Scouting Report: On this episode of Jays Talk Plus, Blake Murphy kicks off the show recapping the Blue Jays' 8-3 victory over the White Sox and "pitching coach" Matt Chapman's impact on Alek Manoah. Blake is then joined by The Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath to anticipate the return of Tim Mayza to the bullpen, what that might mean for the Jays' high-leverage relievers, and looks into how the lineup turned itself around in such a dramatic fashion (06:42). Later on, Brandon Warne of Access Twins joins Blake to play a little Blue Jays-Twins trivia, before discussing Minnesota's season so far and which roster pieces will be absent in Toronto due to the COVID 19 protocols (26:37). ESPN's Joon Lee joins afterward to discuss his feature on Bo Bichette, encapsulating his leadership abilities in the Blue Jays' clubhouse (51:13). To wrap up today, Blake breaks down what to look forward to this weekend, looks back on the last time the Jays saw Chi Chi Gonzalez, and shar by Blue Jays Talk

99 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Explain It Black with Ricky Romero & Jeff Francis' Call to the Hall: Blake Murphy is joined by Sportsnet Producer Chris Black and former MLB pitcher Ricky Romero in the first hour to touch on Ricky's transition from playing the game to working in the media, his interactions with Alek Manoah, and the use of analytics vs. watching how pitchers pitch (02:27). Then, the guys chat about a potential change in the Jays' hitting strategy compared to their approach at the start of the season and being selectively aggressive in their at-bats (18:44). Afterward, Blake, Chris, and Ricky share their assessment of tonight's starter Yusei Kikuchi and when he's at his best on the mound, Romero's experience in throwing with a new, young catcher, and Ross Stripling's role on the team (31:59). Next, former MLB pitcher and 2022 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Francis stops by to discuss what it means to get the call to the Hall, his relationship with Justin Morneau, entering i by Blue Jays Talk

99 min listen

Stripling Shuts Out the Royals: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 8-0 win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium! He takes your texts, and gets into the five innings of one-hit ball from Ross Stripling as he rejoins the starting rotation. He discusses the value of having a player like Stripling be able to go from the bullpen to the rotation and back again, and Alejandro Kirk perhaps still being undervalued despite his recent contributions. Plus, a conversation on Santiago Espinal's continued climb up the list of favourite Blue Jays, and if Nate Pearson can return to the pitching room any time soon. 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

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

Jays Talk Plus: More Arms Are Needed: Blake Murphy is joined by Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca to recap the weekend Yankees-Blue Jays series, the state of the AL East, Toronto's starting pitching rotation, Yusei Kikuchi's lack of fastball execution, and potential targets for the front office to add to their pitching staff including A's pitcher Frankie Montas (01:41). Afterward, the guys take a deep dive on if the red jerseys are cursed, if the Jays should bring back the black jerseys worn from 2004-11, and the chances for the team to stock up on fielders before the trade deadline (25:30). Yahoo! Sports' Chris Cwik looks at what has surprised him about the Yankees' dominance this year, his confidence level on the Jays offence, why White Sox fans are pushing to fire manager Tony La Russa, and what has gone wrong with their season (51:17). To wrap up, Blake previews the Blue Jays series against the White Sox, the scouting report on Chicago's starting pitcher Lance Lynn, and Jose Berr by Blue Jays Talk

99 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Explain It Black + The Catcher Conundrum: On today's edition of Jays Talk Plus, Blake Murphy debuts “Explain it Black” with Blue Jays Producer Chris Black and analyst Joe Siddall! They look back on the signs that indicated Kevin Gausman could be tipping his splitter, and weigh-in on Alejandro Kirk’s red-hot bat and what to look for in tonight’s game against the Royals with Alek Manoah on the mound (03:08). FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens joins Blake to break down about some nifty stats, what they mean and how they apply to the Blue Jays, before discussing his latest piece on Adam Cimber's slider usage against lefties (27:45). Later on, Blake opens up his mailbag to answer your questions, and takes a closer look at the Angels' managerial situation with Joe Maddon out the door (51:59). Next up, the Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath chats about Danny Jansen's season, the Jays' surplus at the catcher position, and helps get us set for Game 2 against the Royals tonight (01:15:49)! Th by Blue Jays Talk

98 min listen

All Good Things Must Come to an End: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 9-3 loss to the Twins at Rogers Centre, snapping the win streak at eight. He takes your calls and texts, gets into the short start from Yusei Kikuchi, and if there's cause for concern. He discusses the bullpen being stressed with no Tim Mayza, and whether or not there are some minor leaguers that could make their way to the majors before the end of the season. Plus, a conversation on some left-handed bats that could be available via trade, and whether or not Alejandro Kirk should be on the block. 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

21 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

Completing the Comeback on Father's Day: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 10-9 comeback win over the Yankees at Rogers Centre on Father's Day! They take your calls, and get into the importance of this series as a measuring stick vs. the Yankees within the division and the American League at large. They break down the start from Yusei Kikuchi and discuss if he's being too stubborn when it comes to throwing his fastball. Plus, a conversation on the bullpen at large and the decision to go from Yimi Garcia to Tim Mayza. 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

Manoah Busts Out the Brooms for a Sweep: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 8-3 win over the White Sox at Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and get into yet another terrific performance from Alek Manoah that saw him go deep once more - where does your confidence fall whenever Manoah is on the mound? They discuss the bats staying hot, Santiago Espinal providing some insurance late amidst a good game, and Matt Chapman's defensive prowess. Plus, could there be a trade in the starting rotation with Hyun-jin Ryu on the IL? 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

Yusei Kikuchi Rebounds on the Mound: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 4-1 win over the Rays at Rogers Centre! They take your calls and texts, and get to the six-inning, eight-strikeout performance from Yusei Kikuchi - can we be cautiously optimistic going forward? They discuss the bullpen showing up, including a bounce back outing from David Phelps, and Adam Cimber closing things out in the ninth. Plus, they get to more stellar defensive plays from Matt Chapman and how that has become so routine that it's expected. 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

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

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

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

Berríos Shoves + Bats Explode in Blowout Victory: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 10-1 win over the Tigers at Comerica Park! He takes your texts, and gets into the stellar outing from José Berríos, who allowed just one run and five hits over eight innings of work, and gave the bullpen a much-needed reprieve. He also discusses the work of Alejandro Kirk - is he a top ten catcher across Major League Baseball? Sho debates that with the listeners, and also gets into the decision to pull George Springer from the game a triple shy of the cycle. 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

21 min listen

Yes or No: Was Gausman Tipping Pitches?: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 8-6 loss to the Twins at Rogers Centre to wrap up the series. They take your calls and texts, and ask the question: was Kevin Gausman tipping pitches or was it simply a bad game? They debate the idea that Gausman needs to rely more on some of his non-splitter pitches, discuss the lack of sunglasses and whether or not that contributed to the defensive miscues early on, and get to the offensive performances of George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, and Santiago Espinal. 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

37 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Prepping for Another Big Debut and Tigers Series: Blake Murphy is joined by MLB.com's Keegan Matheson who shares what surprised him when learning about Gabriel Moreno's story growing up, and details Moreno's natural athleticism, how the Jays' front office views him, and why this was the right time to call him up to the Majors (08:22). Defector's Maitreyi Anantharaman discusses her fandom for Detroit sports including the Tigers, the ballclub's offensive woes and losing record, and the reasons for optimism for the team's future (26:30). Baseball Prospectus's Jeffrey Paternostro stops by to chat about Moreno's progression both with his bat and defensively, the difficulty of projecting catching prospects, where prospect Jordan Groshans would fit with the main team and his timeline to get called up (51:20). To wrap up the show, Blake previews the weekend series against the Tigers, Moreno pairing up with Kevin Gausman, and shares the scouting report for Detroit's starting pit by Blue Jays Talk

98 min listen

Splitting the First Series of the Year vs. the Orioles: Blake Murphy breaks down the Blue Jays' 10-2 loss to the Orioles to wrap up the four-game series at Rogers Centre. He takes your calls and texts, and gets to the rough start from Kevin Gausman, who got beaten up by his former team. He also gets to the offence getting largely shut out, the lineup (both at the beginning and end of the game) shaking out, and living to fight another day (especially with the Yankees coming to town). 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

Jays Talk Plus: The Confidence and Concern Index: On your Monday edition of Jays Talk Plus, Blake Murphy revisits the Blue Jays' weekend series with the Twins, Kevin Gausman's rough start yesterday, and George Springer's record setting season from the lead off spot (00:55). Ben Nicholson-Smith then joins to establish the Toronto Blue Jays Concern and Confidence Index, including Hyun-Jin Ryu's injury, the rotation going forward, Alejandro Kirk's All-Star case, and the need for an additional lefty bat (21:36). Later on, Senior writer from FanGraphs Dan Szymborski chats about the Royals' falloff since their World Series victory in 2012, the ongoing issues in the organization's re-building process, and the FanGraphs projections for this upcoming series (50:43). Finally, former Blue Jays catcher Caleb Joseph joins to talk break down Gausman's latest outing, before sharing his expectations for Ross Stripling on the mound tonight and thoughts on the Bo-Vladdy infield cross-up Sunday (01:14:46 by Blue Jays Talk

98 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Moreno Debut, Stripling Outing & Orioles Series Set-Up: Blake Murphy is joined by Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling in the first hour to recap the weekend series against the Tigers, Gabriel Moreno's debut catching Kevin Gausman and Ross Stripling, and highlight Moreno's impressive pop time (01:35). Afterward, Blake and Arden discuss Stripling's growing confidence on the mound, his use of the slider in comparison to his fastball, and the trust level the Jays have in the righty, before sharing their expectations for rookie pitcher Matt Gage (31:05). Later on, MASN's Paul Mancano stops by to chat about "the process" in the Orioles organization, if this will be another year of selling at the trade deadline, and if the Baltimore starters are getting comfortable with catching prospect Adley Rutschman since his call-up (50:42). Cadence Weapon (a.k.a. Rollie Pemberton), the author of "Bedroom Rapper", joins the show to talk about his newest book, his upbringing as a Canadian rapper an by Blue Jays Talk

98 min listen

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Varsho, Vladdy Jr. Both Wear the Jacket in Blowout Win

Varsho, Vladdy Jr. Both Wear the Jacket in Blowout Win

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