After a hard time, Toronto began to strengthen its power by boldly spending money in the free agent (FA) market in 2020 after the rebuilding of the fielders centered on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bobiechet was completed to some extent. Along with the growth of young fielders, he was determined to recruit veteran players and produce results.
A case in point is that he poured a four-year total of $80 million with Ryu Hyun-jin ahead of the 2020 season and the highest amount of pitchers in Toronto club history at the time to fill the “ace” position that did not exist in the team. He then pointed to veteran outfielder George Springer (6 years and $150 million) as the “captain” to lead young fielders and spent the highest FA amount in the club’s history.
Toronto’s investment will then culminate in the signing of Jose Berrios on an extension deal ($131 million for seven years) and Kevin Gaussman ($110 million for five years). In addition, veteran pitchers such as Yusei Kikuchi and Chris Bashit were recruited from the FA market, and Wit Maryfield, Brandon Belt, Kevin Kiermeyer, and Dalton Basho were traded in the batting line to build a full power.
Toronto was selected as the favorite to win the American League East ahead of this season. The starting rotation was also selected as the strongest player in the world. The power of the batting line was never weak. Before the start of the season, I felt the strong will of the club and the team to “do something this year.” Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto), who was focusing on rehabilitation after elbow surgery, clearly shared the trend.
In an interview during spring training in February, Ryu Hyun-jin expressed faith in his teammates, saying, “All players, coaching staff, and the front desk always start with the same goal at this time,” adding, “We are also preparing to win the World Series and advance to fall baseball.” There was a lot of positive atmosphere that it could be done internally.
But Toronto’s goal is on the verge of being thwarted. He accepted the worst result of losing all four consecutive games against Texas at Rogers Center, his home stadium, from the 12th (Korea Standard Time) to the 15th. While the batters failed to use their strength, the mound melted into the Texas lineup, which boasts the league’s top batters.
▲ Toronto just donated four games to Texas, having suffered a crushing defeat in both offense and defense
▲ Ryu fought hard with a quality start, but all the rest of the starting pitchers collapsed
▲ Director John Schneider of Toronto
It was such a painful, shocking four-game losing streak. With Baltimore and Tampa Bay already winning more than 90 games, it was difficult to win the American League East. Then it was Toronto who had to survive the wild card race.
For now, either Baltimore or Tampa Bay comes down to the wild card race. And it was a picture in which one of the three teams (Houston, Texas, and Seattle) competing for the American League West title went straight to the postseason, and three teams, including the other two teams and Toronto, competed for two positions.바카라
Before entering the fourth straight game, Toronto was fiercely competing with Texas for third place in the wild card race. It started in almost the same position. The winner of this series was about to increase his chances of advancing to fall baseball. However, Texas won four consecutive games and became an absolute advantage.
For Toronto, it was a series where both pitching and batting had nothing to say. The total score of four consecutive games was only nine points. They lost 4-10 on the 12th, 3-6 on the 13th, 0-10 on the 14th, and 2-9 on the 15th. The hitters didn’t work. The mound was also marked by the sluggishness of the starting pitchers. Ryu Hyun-jin, who took the mound on the 13th, was the only one to make a quality start with three runs in six innings.
Chris Bassett, who played on the 12th, allowed 9 hits (one home run) in 5⅓ innings, Yusei Kikuchi, who played on the 14th, allowed 5⅔ hits (two home runs) in 5실ᄉᆞᅥᆷ innings, and even Kevin Gausman, who he trusted, collapsed with 46 innings and 6 hits (two home runs). In a way, Ryu Hyun-jin, who scored three runs in six innings, threw very well. However, it is not much comfort for Ryu Hyun-jin either.
Tampa Bay is the overwhelming No. 1 wild card race as of the 15th. Whether it’s Baltimore or Tampa Bay, the team that ranks second in the American League East is very likely to go to the top of the wild card. While the fight for the top spot in the American League West is also in the fog, Texas is second and Seattle is third at this point. Toronto is 2.5 games behind second-place Texas and 1.5 games behind third-place Seattle.
Now, the number of cases Toronto can go on its own is getting much slimmer. Toronto should run as best it can and hope the other teams don’t. Ryu Hyun-jin also has few remaining appearances. Toronto’s savior is needed more than Ryu.