SAN DIEGO PADRES NOTES:
4 Padres homer & Musgrove goes 6.0, 1-run innings as Friars take Game 1 over Toronto
- The Padres claimed the 1st of the 3-game set in Canada 9-1 yesterday over the Blue Jays…starter Joe Musgrove got his 9th win, tossing 6.0 innings of 1-run ball with 5 hits and 1 walk allowed…he punched out 7 Blue Jays en route to his 9th quality start.
- San Diego saw homers off the bats of Juan Soto (1st inning) Manny Machado (5th inning), Gary Sanchez (5th inning) and Trent Grisham (8th inning)…Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth both doubled, and Soto had a 3-RBI game.
Friars look for 1st road series win since June 6-11
- The last road series San Diego won was when they took 2 of 3 from the Rockies in Denver from June 6-11…including last night’s win, they have gone just 4-11 on the road after that Rockies’ series.
This date in our history: Mr. Padre makes his debut
- 41 years ago on this day, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn went 2-for-4 with a double, a sac fly and a run scored in his MLB debut at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, hitting fifth and playing CF…he went on to play 2439 more games in his career (all for San Diego), logging 3,141 hits and a .338 career average.
Keeping it quality
- SD starters lead the NL in quality starts (44) and rank T-4th most in MLB with the Astros, trailing just the Blue Jays (45), Mariners (47), and Twins (47)…with yesterday’s 6.0 IP of 1-run ball, Joe Musgrove is tied for the 3rd most quality starts on the club with Michael Wacha, trailing Blake Snell’s 10…in their last 10 G since July 4, they’ve thrown 6 quality starts and have gone at least 5.0 IP in 9 of those 10.
Manny heatin’ up
- Manny Machado currently has a 1.350 OPS in July, which so far is the highest of any player in baseball this month and the highest in Padres’ club history in any calendar month, min. 50 PA (highest was Ryan Klesko’s 1.293 in June of 2000)…he also leads the Majors this month in home runs (9), RBI (19), SLG (.900)…Machado’s previous high in OPS in any calendar month was his 1.189 OPS in July 2021.
- Machado is 1 of 20 players this year to have at least 52 RBI and 18 home runs, and of those 20 players, 6 of them are 3rd basemen…among that list of 20 players, Machado has the 3rd fewest games played of the lot at 79 G…only J.D. Martinez (78 G) and Max Muncy (77) have fewer with 52+ RBI and 18+ HR.
Who else is hot? Who’s not?
- Trent Grisham has logged a hit in 8 consecutive games entering today, batting .357 (10-for-28) since July 7 with 5 doubles, 2 homers, 4 walks, and 8 RBI for a 1.188 OPS…in Ha-Seong Kim’s last 7 games, he’s hit .323 (10-for-31) with 2 doubles and a homer….in his 5 games after the All-Star break, Xander Bogaerts has hit .286 (6-for-21) with a homer and a double, and also since the break, Juan Soto has a team-leading 7 RBI.
- Despite doubling and drawing a walk yesterday, Fernando Tatis Jr. has been off to a slower start since the All-Star break, batting .200 (4-for-18)…and since the break, Jake Cronenworth has gone just 2-for-17 (.118), having gone 1-for-13 in their prior Phillies series.
Trouble in extras, 1-run games
- The Padres have yet to win an extra-inning game this year (0-9), the only team to not have at least 1 in 2023…they’re also 5-16 this year in 1-run games, and that .238 winning percentage is the lowest in MLB in such games.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS NOTES:
THE LATEST: The Blue Jays were limited to six singles last night as they fell, 9-1, to the Padres…Are now 16-15 in series openers. Toronto has still won eight of its last 10 games and has gone 27-17 over the last 44…Toronto’s .614 win% over that span (since May 26) is the best mark in the AL (2nd: CLE – .565).
CHAP’S STICK: Matt Chapman drove in Toronto’s lone run last night with an RBI single in the 1st inning…Also walked in the 4th to finish 1-for-2…Over his last 21 games, has batted .278 (20-for-72) with 11 extra-base hits and seven RBI (.923 OPS). The Victorville, CA, native is currently 1st in the AL in doubles (30) while tied for 5th in extra-base hits (43)… Ranks 2nd in MLB with a 58.5 hard-hit percentage (1st: Aaron Judge – 62.6), 8th in average exit velocity (93.9 MPH), 10th in barrel rate (10.9%), and T-12th in hard-hit balls (138).
AN AVERAGE GUY: Bo Bichette singled in the 1st and 5th innings last night…Marked his 36th multi-hit game, trailing only Masataka Yoshida (37) for the AL lead. The two-time All-Star currently leads the AL with 128 hits, 17 more than any other batter in the junior circuit, and trailing only Luis Arraez (132) for the most in the Majors…Has moved back into 1st in the AL in batting average at .318, percentage points ahead of Yandy Díaz and Yoshida…Also sits 3rd in total bases (200), 10th in SLG (.498), and 11th in XBH (39).
FEELING GEORGEOUS LATELY: George Springer scored Toronto’s only run of the game last night after he started the game off with a single…Has led off an inning with a hit on 46 occasions this year, more than any other AL batter (2nd: Marcus Semien – 40)…Exteded his hitting streak to seven games while going 11-for-31 (.355) with three doubles, a homer, and six RBI over that span…Over his last 29 contests, is batting .331 (39-for-118) with 19 runs scored, nine doubles, four home runs, and 16 RBI (.883 OPS).
BUNTING WITH THE BEST: Daulton Varsho went 1-for-4 on a bunt single last night…His eight bunt hits lead all AL batters, behind only TJ Friedl (10) for the most in MLB.
JUST GO WHIT IT: Whit Merrifield picked up a single in a 1-for-3 night… Has reached base safely in each of his last 10 contests while hitting .368 (14-for-38) with a double, four home runs, and 12 RBI (.405 OBP, .711 SLG). The three-time All-Star has kept a .315 (56-for-178) batting average over his last 49 games, including eight doubles, five homers, and 26 RBI (.813 OPS)…Among AL players this season, is currently 9th in AVG (.292) and 9th in stolen bases (19).
GET ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT: A season-high 42,680 fans packed Rogers Centre last night…The group combined to consume a record-breaking 75,173 Loonie Dogs.
HOME WORK: The Blue Jays are kicking off the unofficial 2nd half of the season with a six-game, seven-day homestand (3-1 so far)…Have gone 26-19 this season at Rogers Centre…The .578 win% at home is 4th best in the AL… After this series with the Padres, will head out west for a six-game trip to visit the Mariners (47-47) and the Dodgers (55-39). Toronto batters rank 3rd in the AL in home AVG (.264), 4th in home OBP (.335), 5th in home OPS (.750), and 8th in home SLG (.415)…The pitching staff ranks 2nd among AL teams with 3.49 home ERA, while sitting 2nd with a .220 home opponents’ average and 3rd with a 1.16 home WHIP.
BEEN BERRÍ GOOD LATELY: José Berríos gets the ball tonight, coming off 5.1 frames of one-run ball last Friday vs. ARI…Over his last 17 outings, has gone 8-4 with a 2.69 ERA (31 ER/103.2 IP) and a 1.09 WHIP…His ERA over that span (since April 14) is 3rd best among American League pitchers…The Blue Jays have now won 22 of
his last 26 starts at Rogers Centre.
HITTING IT: Toronto batters have notched 852 hits this season, 3rd most in the AL…Are also currently 3rd in the AL in team AVG (.261), 5th in OBP (.328), 6th in SLG (.417), 6th in OPS (.745), and 7th in extra-base hits (289).
STARTING SOMETHING: Toronto pitchers have combined for 45 quality starts, 3rd most in the Majors…The starting rotation ranks 3rd in MLB in strikeouts (535), 5th in innings pitched (518.2), 9th in ERA (3.97), and 12th in AVG (.245).
0 TO 100 REAL QUICK: John Schneider has recorded 99 wins in 169 games at the helm of the Blue Jays…With a victory tonight, will reach the 100-win mark the fastest in team history, ahead of Cito Gaston’s 171 (courtesy Stats Perform).
INTERTAINMENT: Toronto is playing its 10th interleague series of the year…Has gone 19-8 vs. NL clubs so far…The .704 win% in interleague games is the best among MLB teams (2nd: MIA – .667)…Have set a club record with the 19 interleague wins (14 in 2021). The Blue Jays have hit 666 home runs all-time in Interleague Play, the most among all 30 teams (2nd: NYY – 643).
VS. THE PADRES: All-Time: 8-8
2023: 0-1 Home: 3-4
Home: 0-1 Rogers Centre: 3-4
The Blue Jays are meeting the Padres for the first time since 2019 when they dropped two of three games in Toronto…Only one matchup between the 30 current MLB teams has seen fewer meetings than Toronto vs. San Diego’s 15 coming into this series (White Sox vs. Mets – 13)…Are now 3-4 all-time here at Rogers Centre, having also gone 2-1 in 2016. Brandon Belt leads all current Blue Jays with 162 career games against the Padres, hitting .264 (140- for-530) with 33 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs, and 64 RBI (.816 OPS)…In seven games against his division rival last season, went 8-for-21 (.381) with two doubles, two homers, five RBI and five walks for a .536 OBP and a .762 SLG. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 3-for-12 with a double and a walk in his only series vs. San Diego as a rookie in 2019.
Cavan Biggio was 3-for-10 also as a rookie in that series, including a home run and two RBI.
STARTING PITCHER – José Berríos, RHP #17
TODAY’S GAME: Making his 20th start of the season and his 9th at Rogers Centre…Gave up one run over 5.1 innings his last time out, on 7/14 vs. ARI, scattering 7 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts. Over his last 17 starts, has gone 8-4 with a 2.69 ERA (31 ER/103.2 IP), 93 strikeouts, and a 1.09 WHIP…The 2.69 ERA is the 3rd-lowest mark among AL pitchers over that span (since 4/14). The Blue Jays own a 22-4 record in Berríos’ last 26 starts at Rogers Centre, dating back to 2021.
2023 HIGHLIGHTS: Took a no-decision on 7/6 at CWS(1), throwing 7.0 scoreless innings with a hit, a walk, and 6 strikeouts…Gave up just 1 hit over 7.0 frames for the 2nd time in his career, also doing so exactly 2 years prior against the same team as a member of the Twins (7/6/21 vs. CWS). Took the loss on 6/30 vs. BOS, surrendering 4 runs on 5 hits (3HR) with 8 punchouts. Picked up his 8th win of the year on 6/24 vs. OAK, giving up 3R/2ER over 6.0 innings (6H, 2BB, 8K). Improved to 7-4 on the year on 6/14 at BAL, taking a no-hitter into the 7th inning before allowing a leadoff single to Adley Rutschman…Marked the longest no-hit bid by a Blue Jay since Ross Stripling also tossed 6.0 hitless innings on 8/17/22 vs. BAL…Finished the game with a season-high 7.2 innings of shutout ball (3H, BB, HBP, 5K)…Improved to a perfect 10-0 lifetime against the O’s (13 starts), joining Jon Lester (14-0) and Red Faber (12-0) as the only pitchers in MLB history to win each of his first 10 career decisions against Orioles/Browns franchise. Won his 6th game of the year on 6/8 vs. HOU, tossing 6.0 innings of 2-run ball (4H, 2BB, 2K)…Marked his 7th quality start of the season. Took a no-decision on 6/3 at NYM, throwing 6.0 innings of one-run ball wiTh 4 hits, 3 walks, and 6 Strikeouts…Allowed 1 run or fewer in a 3rd straight outing. Pitched 5.2 frames of shutout ball on 5/28 at MIN (4H, 5BB, 5K)…Became the winningest pitcher in Target Field history, earning his 33rd career victory to break a tie with Kyle Gibson (32). Worked 7.0 shutout frames on 4/25 vs. CWS, scattering 4 singles and a
walk with a season-high 9 strikeouts…Completed 7.0 innings in consecutive starts for the 13th time in his career (last: 3G from 6/4- 15/22)…Has allowed 3 runs over his last 3 starts, posting a 1.42 ERA (3 ER/19.0 IP) with a pair of walks and 18 punchouts.
