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Chapter 1: What are the Blue Jays' chances to sweep the Angels?
Welcome to Blair and Barker. Brought to you by Capital One. Capital One giving Canadians credit for 30 years. Kevin Barker. My Blue Jays are in position to sweep the series. They've already won a series. The first series win since Oakland, I believe.
No, not on athletics.
The athletics. Since the athletics. The Jays 4-2. I did that intentionally. Yeah, no, you didn't. I did so. The Jays 4-2 winners last night.
Chapter 2: How did the Blue Jays manage a shaky outing from Jeff Hoffman?
They are 10-13 going into this afternoon's game. 3-0-7 will be the first pitch on Sportsnet 590. The fan on Sportsnet. And we'll be on following the game with Blue Jays talk as the Jays, as I said, look to sweep a series from the Angels. They are facing, however, a dude who has essentially been unhittable this year in Jose Soriano. Eric Lauer on the mound for the Blue Jays. No opener today.
I guess partly because of what transpired in the previous couple of games against the Angels. We'll be joined in a few seconds by Dylan Cease, who's been striking out all sorts of people. 12 strikeouts through five innings in his last start. It gets the ages. I mean, it just rolls off the tongue. It really does. 44 strikeouts in 25 and two-thirds innings, which is an insane number. Crazy.
Chapter 3: What insights does Dylan Cease share about his pitching experience?
That, by the way, was his first win as a Blue Jay on Monday night. And he'll join us in a few minutes. We've also got tickets to give away to see the Jays and Red Sox on April 28th at the Rogers Center. A lot to talk about from last night's game. Obviously, we will probably get the most of it in the second half after we talk to Dylan.
But the talking point immediately out of last night's game, Jeff Hoffman comes in, gets a strikeout, gives up a hit, hits two batters, gives up a single, down to two runs. John Schneider brings Louis Varland in one pitch, first pitch changeup, double play game over. Now... You made the point when we were talking before the show.
That's great, but there are people out there screaming, Louis Varland in the ninth, Louis Varland in the ninth. Kevin, I just don't think it's that easy. I don't think it's as easy as putting him in the ninth inning because as you pointed out, he's like their fireman right now.
Yeah, well, I think he's one of the main reasons why Jeff keeps getting save opportunities is because Louie gets him to that opportunity. Yeah, I mean, it's not that easy. You know, even if you listen to John, which we're going to play a little bit of his media availability today, where it's just he's trying to work through it. Yeah, we'll play that later on.
He's trying to always say the right thing about his players, what his player's going through. You know, I know last night Jeff took that pretty hard. You know, he was a little bad luck. It was a little trying to aim the sinker.
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Chapter 4: How does Dylan Cease balance strikeouts with soft contact?
You know, he's throwing more sinkers last night just because ā He hadn't done that all year. Like, you know, he's trying to invent things to get people out. He got ahead. He hit a guy. Like, there's things he's just going through. But he's not getting it done. I mean, that's reality of life. You know, it's not the other guy's fault that he's going through this.
That's a great point.
And every once in a while you just do it because you have to do it. I think that's where they're at. I'm not saying you put Louie by no means in the ninth inning. There's no chance I'm doing that. There's no chance. But, you know, if it works out the way I'm pitching him in the ninth, Yeah. I mean, for me, he's available when the game starts.
If that's the ninth inning, the seventh inning, the sixth inning, the eighth inning, that's when I'm throwing him. And that thing, if I have to use him in the sixth inning, that ninth inning's by committee.
Chapter 5: What is the impact of the ABS system on pitchers?
You got a herd of khakis. Use them. That way it's bat pass and how this guy throws and what arm angle he releases the baseball from. You got seven other dudes down there. That's why you hire the herd of khakis, just to try and figure out who to match up against who. For me, that's the way you're going to do it.
So, yeah, I mean, it's going to be interesting going forward, but I do think it's time. You know, this little day off couldn't have come at a better time.
Let's take a quick peek at the Jays' lineup as we await Dylan Cease. Nathan Lucas, Ernie Clement, Vladdy Jr., Jesus Sanchez, Lenine Sosa. Dalton Varshow, Okamoto, Jimenez, Heinemann. We mentioned Eric Lauer on the mound. Well, I'll tell you what. They're getting some mileage out of Sosa, out of Jimenez, and out of Sanchez, who's been pretty consistent since he's been up here.
They're getting some mileage.
some stakes from those guys yeah you got a good manager good manager knows how to put his players in the right spots that's what he's doing like last night in the eighth inning you know Eloy's had some run producing opportunities in the big leagues before knows how to hit the ball the other way stay inside of baseball I always try and party out front especially with you know you got to sort of eliminate half the field when you're trying to be a run producer Eloy knows how to do that and Sosa
You know, again, it gets back to that. John, she's pulling her string at the right time. That's what you need to do when you know you got a good feel of your team. And good for them to sort of have this starting to go the way they want it to go.
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Chapter 6: What challenges does Trey Yesavage face in Triple-A Buffalo?
A two-run pinch hit double by Slosa last night was tremendous. Just what the doctor ordered. So is our next guest. He is Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays. Of course, coming off a terrific start on Monday night. 12 strikeouts through five innings. Dylan Cease through five games as a .210 ERA, a 1.29 whip. And as I mentioned a little earlier, 44 strikeouts in 25 and two-thirds. That's all?
That's all. Dylan Cease joins us in Blair and Barker. Dylan, thanks so much for taking time out to talk to us today. We really appreciate it.
When you signed with this organization, one of the points that you and Scott made was the fact that the Jays did a good job of showing you how they can help you continually develop as a pitcher, whether it's analytics, the pitching lab approach, whatever it is. I'm just wondering if the experience so far, again, through five games started, has it been what you expected?
Yeah, thanks for having me, by the way. But, yeah, I mean, you know, they've kind of had a plan for me. And I got done in spring early, got working with everybody. And, yeah, I think, I mean, it's a continuing process for sure. You know, I mean, we're learning basically, you know, every start, every bullpen, every start.
Chapter 7: Who will close games for the Blue Jays moving forward?
I feel like we're learning something about the way I throw the ball and, you know. Just by seeing how hitters react to things and seeing how things work, we're learning every day and working on things every day.
One of the things Pete has talked about in the past, especially with starting pitchers, is he likes to see what he has before you start really tinkering with things. You want to see what you do well, how you react to situations, all that stuff. It's a learning process. You can't always see it on video. Have you noticed the...
that the approach with you has changed a little bit the more games the JCU pitch?
Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I think it's the same approach. It's, you know, we're all on the same page that we want to maximize what I'm doing and we want to figure things out. But, you know, I think it's just a continuation of seeing how batters are reacting to my stuff. Learning maybe what the pitch mix needs to be and really just getting comfortable with how things are playing.
But yeah, I mean, I mean, there's constant communication, you know, throughout the week where we're tinkering, working on things and coming up with the plan for our next opponent. So, you know, it's. It really is just an everyday process and something we're working on continuously.
Dylan, is it hard not to chase strikeouts when you've got the stuff that you've got, how hard you throw, how much your stuff moves, how late it moves? Now all of a sudden you're adding a changeup that's pushing 15-mile-an-hour difference between your hater. Hard not to chase strikeouts?
Yeah, I mean, there's certain situations where I really wouldn't mind contact.
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Chapter 8: What are John Schneider's thoughts on managing the bullpen?
It's just I feel like I can go through spurts where my stuff's not really getting put in play. And then, you know, maybe I'm, I'm not pinpoint and I throw a ball here, a ball there. And, and, you know, all of a sudden it's, it's, it's two, two, but you know, I mean, I like strikeouts. If I can get Oh two, one, two, you know, I had an account.
I don't mind maybe chasing it for a pitch, but you know, I really would rather go deeper. And, you know, for instance, last start, I mean, I was, I was talking to Max about this, you know, it's, it's, If I can go 6 and 10, I would probably take that over 5 and 12.
But, you know, sometimes that's not always me as much as, you know... I mean, at the end of the day, I always like to look at it from a point of view of what do I need to be doing? What can we do better? But, you know, sometimes I do really feel like, you know, maybe there's a lot of foul balls or things, balls are falling for hits or whatever, but...
You know, I mean, undoubtedly, I've got to clean up the fastball command a little bit. I've got to get ahead in the count a little bit better. But, you know, I really like where I'm at now. Now it's just fine-tuning, really.
Yeah, Ken, a guy like yourself that has the stuff that you have, can you talk yourself into ā it kind of sounds like when you're saying these things out loud, it's kind of like you're trying to talk yourself into forcing contact. Can you do that early in counts?
Yeah, of course. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm really not opposed to it all. You know, I'm you know, I will say it's like, you know, if the game situation is it's a tight game and, you know, maybe the punch outs required, then I will really specifically chase it. But I mean, other than that, I'm trying to attack with my nastiest stuff, really.
It's working. Yeah, I was going to say. It's working. It certainly is working. Dylan, when you have stuff like you have, do you learn more from the batter's swing or the batter's takes? Is there something that maybe teaches you or gives you greater indication of where you are in that particular day?
That's actually a great question. I would say my gun instinct is to say the swings. You know, I mean, figuring out if maybe they're sitting on spin or if they're sitting on a certain side of the plate. You know, you'll have games where, you know, maybe I start incorporating the two seam and I see that basically it's a free strike to right anytime I want.
And, you know, then it makes me think, okay, well, they're probably sitting outer half because historically I have really, you know, mostly been in outer half positions. pitcher to righties. But, you know, I mean, most of the time it's all pretty similar where if I throw spin early in the count, I'm probably getting free strikes.
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