The 2023 Blue Jays season has come to a heartbreaking conclusion, and one of the enduring images will be Vladimir Guerrero Jr., his right arm reaching out towards his own dugout in a desperate plea for a miracle, while the Twins celebrated jubilantly around him.
During one of the pivotal moments in Wednesday’s 2-0 loss in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series, which abruptly ended the Blue Jays’ postseason journey just 27 hours after it began, Toronto appeared to be on the cusp of a breakthrough. In that critical moment, a pickoff play was the last thing anyone anticipated.
This included Guerrero himself.
With Bo Bichette at bat, facing a full count with two outs in the fifth inning, Guerrero was stationed on second base, while George Springer occupied third. The crowd at Target Field seemed to collectively hold its breath, as if crowding around home plate in anticipation of the pivotal pitch. Unexpectedly, Sonny Gray pivoted and swiftly delivered the ball to second base. Carlos Correa made a lunging tag, and the eruption of cheers from the Twins’ fans echoed throughout the stadium as they left the field in triumph.
“I think that we can all look at each other in the face and say collectively we fell short of executing what we wanted to do,” said manager John Schneider. “It’s not for a lack of information or prep. In that moment, that can’t happen.” The 2023 Blue Jays
These issues have been persistent for Toronto throughout the season. Despite being an 89-win team that made it to the postseason, the Blue Jays must be evaluated in relation to their expectations. The organization has consistently emphasized the importance of playing clean and efficient baseball, from top to bottom, starting from the moment Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his teammates arrived in Dunedin, Florida, for Spring Training. However, when it mattered most, these principles seemed to elude the Blue Jays.
Guerrero, eager to score, much like Bo Bichette in Game 1 when a throw by Carlos Correa to home plate cut him down. And her even considered the possibility of a pickoff in that situation.
“No, not at all, especially with a runner on third base,” Guerrero commented through a club interpreter. “I wasn’t anticipating that. Obviously, they executed it.”
Gray’s post-game insights were intriguing, as he revealed that Carlos Correa had identified the pickoff play as a possibility as early as the first inning and planted the idea. It all began with the boisterous crowd, which made it exceptionally challenging for the Blue Jays to communicate effectively between bases.
“[Correa] comes up after the first inning and he says, ‘Hey, listen, listen, listen to me. They can’t hear the third-base coach yell ‘back.’ There’s going to be an option to pick,'” Gray explained. “He’s like, ‘The timing pick is going to be there. It’s going to be there.’ We were like, ‘OK, OK, OK.’ So the game unfolds how it unfolds. We get there in the fifth inning, 3-2 count, and I hear, ‘Timing pick, second base.'”
George Springer, who has a history with Correa from their time playing together in Houston. And is well aware of Correa’s baseball acumen. They even won a World Series together. Despite the heartbreak of the moment, Springer holds no ill will toward his young teammate, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
“That’s a good play by them,” Springer acknowledged. “They had executed that play in the past. It’s just two guys who have experience at this level and have been in these high-pressure moments. It’s a good play. I don’t blame Vladdy or anything like that. He was doing his best to score on anything. Hats off to them.”
The Blue Jays experienced a series plagued by missed opportunities. While an offense that manages to score just one run over two games is bound to face challenges. The opportunities to turn the tide were certainly present. In the inning following Guerrero’s pickoff blunder. The Blue Jays loaded the bases with just one out, setting the stage for Matt Chapman. However, despite coming close to a potential game-changing hit down the left-field line (which was perhaps only a foot wide of the chalk), Chapman grounded into a double play. Extinguishing the scoring threat.
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The 2023 Blue Jays