Small Ball Rules the Day at an Open Dome

Is Kikuchi Not Making Enough In-Game Adjustments?: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-5 loss to the Orioles at Rogers Centre. They take your calls and texts, and get right into what they saw from Yusei Kikuchi - is it his mindset, is he too late to make adjustments on the fly, they discuss all the potential issues that continue to crop up when he starts for the Jays. They also get into Gabriel Moreno knocking in his first big league RBI, and the development they've seen from him in just a handful 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

28 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: 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

Jays Talk Plus: Sense of Urgency for the Pitching Staff?: Blake Murphy is joined by Blue Jays radio voice Ben Wagner who shares his impressions on Gabriel Moreno, Yusei Kikuchi's continuing struggle to start strong, how Hyun-jin Ryu's injury affects the pitching staff, and how Jose Berrios can build off his last few starts (02:33). Next, Blake reads your mailbag questions and looks at the Ryu void to identify what options are available, if Ross Stripling is the answer, and if this changes any future plans for Nate Pearson (25:54). In the second hour, The Athletic's Keith Law reveals what he looks for in catching prospects progressing from the Minors to the Majors, what makes the jump so difficult, why he's not high on RHP prospect Max Castillo, and how Keith scouts the stat line for young players (48:17). Finally, former MLB pitcher and VSiN host Josh Towers joins to discuss the transition from being a player to a part of the media, how pitchers can retain the trust of their coaching s by Blue Jays Talk

97 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: The Case for The Shift & Being an All-Star: Blake Murphy is joined by MLB.com's Julia Kreuz to discuss Alejandro Kirk's All-Star candidacy, which other Jays fielder could join the team, why Jordan Romano might get the nod, and if Gabriel Moreno has lived up to the hype since getting called up (04:56). Former Raptors forward and Milwaukee Brewers fan Sam Dekker jumps on to chat about his decision to pursue basketball over baseball, his relationship with George Springer, and how he relates to Rowdy Tellez's career in the Majors (26:13). MLB.com's Mike Petriello stops by to break down the effectiveness of the shift, the disparity in Jordan Romano's home and road splits, and his early take on how he sees the trade deadline playing out (50:04). To wrap up, Blake tees-up the weekend series against the Brewers (01:17:23). 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 by Blue Jays Talk

98 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

A Very Long Holiday Weekend as Bats Go Cold: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-3 loss to the Rays at Rogers Centre. They take your calls and texts, get to the performance of the bats against guys like Shane Baz, how there were a number of missed bases loaded opportunities, and discuss how the offence has now underperformed for three straight games. They get into the approach from the entire lineup, how trades must be on the horizon soon, and how the bullpen still requires a boost. Plus, a discussion on where to draw the line when criticizing Charlie Montoyo. 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

43 min listen

Berríos Gets Hit Hard, Road Trip Goes Awry: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 10-3 loss to the Brewers. They take your calls and texts, and discuss another consecutive disappointing start from José Berríos, who only managed 2.2 IP vs. in Milwaukee. Are these last two starts a sign of something more worrying? They get into the play of Max Castillo and Matt Gage as of late, take a look at the upcoming turn through the starting rotation, and discuss some of the potential starting options available on the trade market. Plus, a discussion on the All-Star play from Alejandro Kirk over the last week. 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

40 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Explain It Black with Joe Siddall + Artist Hour: Blake Murphy is joined by Sportsnet producer Chris Black and analyst Joe Siddall for another edition of 'Explain It Black' to touch on if Jose Berrios' struggles is a pitch setup or fastball location problem, what has gone wrong in Kevin Gausman's starts, and if Toronto is relying too heavily on the shift (01:52). White Sox radio analyst Darrin Jackson looks back at his playing days with the Jays and both Chicago ball clubs, before discussing if the Sox will find a way to break through following a down start to their campaign, how the team has handled their injuries, and what makes Dylan Cease a potential Cy Young candidate (27:02). Next hour, Chicago rapper Matt Muse jumps on to chat his White Sox fandom, what Tim Anderson means to him and the city, and where's his confidence level at for the baseball club to turn their season around (50:47). Painter and digital creator Kory Parkin stops by to chat about his recent desig by Blue Jays Talk

99 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Welcoming the Red Hot Yankees to Town!: On this episode of Jays Talk + Blake Murphy previews the Jays series against the Yankees before welcoming on former Blue Jays catcher Caleb Joseph (8:03) to talk about Kevin Gausman's struggles last game, the hitter's approach, and what we can expect headed into this series! Drew Fairservice from the Spin Rate podcast (27:09) then joins Blake to talk about Justin Verlander almost landing in Toronto this past offseason. Maury Brown from Forbes compares the Jays' season to the Yankees, and how he sees Toronto playing out their year (50:52). Finally, James Wagner joins Blake (1:11:00) to talk about his article on Charlie Montoyo’s love for music and how it translates to his managing ability, and the likelihood that a Cuban world baseball classic team could look like. Finally, Blake goes over the pitching matchup for tonight’s ball game and all the betting line information you need! The views and opinions expressed in this podcast a by Blue Jays Talk

99 min listen

Jays Talk Plus: Trade Partners + Doubleheader Call Up?: Blake Murphy is joined by Sportsnet's Arden Zwelling to chat about Ross Stripling's outing against the Red Sox, pitchers facing a lineup for the third time, the dependence on the bullpen, who will pitch Saturday's double-header, and his expectations for Sergio Romo (03:10). Afterwards, the guys look into the Kansas City Royals potentially becoming trade partners with the Jays (30:35). Later on, Future Blue Jays' Doug Fox discusses the potential bullpen reinforcements in the minors including Yosver Zulueta, who he sees pitching the second game of their doubleheader against Tampa Bay, and outlines his list of breakout hitters in Toronto's organization (50:15). Finally, co-founder of Strata Athletics and former Raptors and 905 coach, Brittni Donaldson stops by to chat about the use of analytics in baseball compared to basketball, and shares Strata Athletics' mission of aiding youth sports and player's development (01:10:02). The vi by Blue Jays Talk

98 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

What Is Going On With the Strike Zone?: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 7-6 loss in extras at the hands of the White Sox in Chicago. He takes your calls and texts, and gets right into the strike zone squeezing almost every Blue Jays batter, including Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman, and (especially) Santiago Espinal. He discusses the encouraging start from Kevin Gausman despite the loss, how Jordan Romano got beat up at the worst possible time, and if there are any true concerns with the star closer. Plus, a discussion on the backend of the starting rotation, the development of pitchers across the organization, and how Alejandro Kirk continues to deserve votes as a 2022 MLB All-Star. 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

An Inconsistent Night for Berríos: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 8-7 loss to the White Sox in Chicago. He takes your calls and texts, and breaks down the start from José Berríos, who gave up three home runs over four innings of work. Was Berríos struggling with his command tonight? Sho gets into the issues and takes a look at the starting rotation overall. Plus, some surprising stats on Raimel Tapia who clobbered a two-run bomb, and more on the umpiring issue that seems to be felt across Major League 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

23 min listen

Battening Down the Hatches at Rogers Centre: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 11-5 loss to the Rays, as Tampa sweeps the doubleheader at Rogers Centre. He takes your calls and texts, and discusses the idea of flipping the starts of Thomas Hatch and Kevin Gausman, and why the Jays may have been reticent to do that in the first place. He highlights some potential names to watch when the team goes shopping for bullpen help, gets into Hatch's start (12 hits and 10 earned runs), and discusses Bradley Zimmer who launched a home run for the first time at Rogers Centre. 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

Manoah is Magnificent Once Again: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 11-1 win over the Orioles at Rogers Centre! They take your calls and texts, and get right to another terrific performance from Alek Manoah, who threw six innings of one-hit ball. They discuss the idea that perhaps he should be in the conversation with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for a new mega-deal at some point in the not-too-distant future. Plus, they break down the double-digit offensive performance, including another towering home run from Vladdy Jr. 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

Sweep Put on Hold, Rally Falls Short in Extras: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-5 loss to the Red Sox in extras. They take your calls, and get to the beleaguered bullpen catching some heat yet again (especially David Phelps, after tonight). They also get to the 'brawl' after Nick Pivetta plunked Alejandro Kirk, and the performance from Alek Manoah on the mound. Plus, they look ahead to Yusei Kikuchi taking the hill vs. the Rays on Thursday. 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

16 min listen

Manoah Magic Bottled, Blue Jays Blanked at Home: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 4-0 loss to the Yankees at Rogers Centre. He takes your calls and texts, and gets into whether or not the 'Red Jersey Curse' is real (spoiler: it is). He gets into the outing by Alek Manoah, discusses if he struggled (in part) due to not using the PitchCom device, and whether or not he should consider adopting it going forward with the pitch clock eventually on its way to the majors. Plus, a chat on the game's umpiring and the prospects of robot strike zones/umpires at large. 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

28 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

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

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

How Do You Solve the Kikuchi Conundrum?: Sho Alli and Julia Kreuz break down the Blue Jays' 5-4 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee. They take your texts, and get right to another short outing for Yusei Kikuchi - what do you do at this point? They debate if he can be trusted with even one more start, and throw around some names in the minors that could take his spot. They also discuss the outing from Max Castillo, who notched seven strikeouts over four innings of work in relief - could Castillo take Kikuchi's spot in the rotation for a few turns through 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

38 min listen

Starting Rotation Gets Thinner with Gausman Injury: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 6-2 loss to the Rays at Rogers Centre. He takes your texts on an afternoon where starter Kevin Gausman takes a comebacker to his ankle, and was forced to depart the game after just two innings of work. Does this make the starting rotation the most pressing area of need come the trade deadline? Sho outlines a few pitchers who could be potentially available on the market, including someone from South Beach, Florida. Plus, a conversation on Casey Lawrence who let up six earned runs, but also saved the bullpen from being taxed too much ahead of the second game of the doubleheader. 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 Bo Doubt Grand Slam in Chicago: Blake Murphy breaks down the Blue Jays' 9-5 win over the White Sox to salvage the series in Chicago. He takes your calls and texts, and gets to another great start from Ross Stripling through six innings. He discusses the Bo Bichette grand slam, home runs from Alejandro Kirk and Teoscar Hernandez, and the bullpen being taxed once again - where's the swing and miss stuff? Plus, potential trade options for the bullpen (and team at-large) 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

31 min listen

Gausman Carves the Red Sox for Ten Strikeouts: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-2 win over the Red Sox at Rogers Centre! They take your calls and texts, and get to the outstanding performance from Kevin Gausman, who comes in as the 'stopper' as he grabs 10 strikeouts vs. the Red Sox. They discuss Gausman locating his pitches extremely well, his play against the Red Sox in 2022, and whether or not the larger glove helped him at all. Plus, they get into Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s team-leading 18th home run of the season, and have a chat on the bullpen - including Max Castillo and maybe...Yusei Kikuchi? 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

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

Cruising to a Big Win on Canada Day: Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 9-2 win over the Rays at Rogers Centre on Canada Day! He takes your calls and texts, and discusses the start from José Berríos, who allowed just two runs over five innings of work. He discusses position players pitching (thanks to the Rays' Brett Phillips), Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s three-hit day including a no-doubt bomb in the seventh inning, and the debut of Sergio Romo in a Blue Jays uniform. Plus, a quick discussion on the Russell Martin pre-game ceremony, as the former catcher was honoured by the team before first pitch. 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

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

Vladdy Jr. Comes Through With the Walk-Off: Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 6-5 walk-off win over the Red Sox at Rogers Centre! They take your calls and texts, and get right to the ninth inning as four straight Blue Jays reach base, including a pinch-hit single from Alejandro Kirk to get things started, and the game-winning RBI from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. They discuss how this could be a massive turning point within the AL East/AL Wild Card race, and how Ross Stripling held it down for another terrific start. Plus, a discussion on how the bats saved the bullpen from an embarrassing end to the game. 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 Talk Plus: Weekend Setup Against the Rays: Blake Murphy is joined by Blue Jays radio play-by-play voice Ben Wagner to chat about how Yusei Kikuchi's start against the Rays dictates the rest of the weekend series, if Jose Berrios can bounce back in his next outing, and how Toronto can take advantage of Tampa Bay's struggling bullpen (03:18). FanGraphs' Ben Clemens looks at the Rays' big bats heading to the IL, Tampa's roster depth both on the field and in their pitching staff, and what he makes of the Jays' pitching rotation (3:34). Blake then previews the 5-game series and focuses in on some of the starting pitchers Toronto will be facing (51:38). Finally, former Jays pitcher and MLB Network Radio's Ricky Romero stops by to discuss the response from the bench after Alejandro Kirk got hit by Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta, his relationship with Sergio Romo and what he brings to the Jays' staff, his experience starting on Canada Day, and what he expects from Berrios' holiday s by Blue Jays Talk

98 min listen

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Small Ball Rules the Day at an Open Dome

Small Ball Rules the Day at an Open Dome

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