Free-falling Blue Jays add to misery by getting pasted by visiting Orioles

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Another discouraging, dispiriting and disappointing night at the Rogers Centre for the suddenly reeling Blue Jays as their struggles continued.

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This time, the damage was inflicted by the Baltimore Orioles, a sporting revelation this season.

The Jays are inching closer to the stage of desperation given how this team needs a shot in the arm from a starter capable of posting shutout innings.

Yusei Kikuchi isn’t the answer and he couldn’t answer the bell Monday as the scuffling Jays lost 7-3 to the O’s, who posted their 60th win of the season. The Orioles won a total of 52 games in 2021, dead last in the AL East.

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The division’s second-worst team was Toronto, which came within a game of making the playoffs following a 91-win season.

The Jays will require 30 wins in their remaining 48 games to reach last year’s total.

No one is suggesting the Jays won’t make the playoffs, but at the same time they are not playing well — a combination of poor pitching, sub-par defence and not enough run production.

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In Monday’s series opener, the Jays created their first threat at the plate in the home half of the third.

The inning began when Danny Jansen drew a walk. George Springer, who was activated from the injured list earlier in the days, then sent a liner just inside the third-base bag for a double, putting runners at second and third with none out.

For Springer, it was his 18th hit in his past 16 games. He added an infield hit to lead off the seventh inning.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who saw his career-high 22-game hit streak come to an end Sunday, then stepped up to the plate. Guerrero worked a full count off Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish, fouled off a pitch and then drew a walk to load the bases.

A Lourdes Gurriel Jr. line drive to centre would score Jansen and Springer. A throwing error advanced Vlad Jr. to third as the Jays had runners at the corner.

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Bo Bichette then hit into an inning-ending double play.

Baltimore got the scoring ball rolling in its first at-bat when leadoff hitter Ryan McKenna hit a pop up into shallow right field for a double. He came around to score the game’s first run on an Anthony Santander single.

The O’s added to their lead in the third when Jays-killer Ryan Mountcastle launched a two-run rocket that landed in the second deck in left field.

A throwing error by Kikuchi in the fourth allowed Baltimore to advance runners to second and third with one out.

A hard liner off the bat of No. 9 hitter Tyler Nevin was handled by Bichette on a one hop. He threw home, but the runner slid under the tag.

Then came a hit to score Baltimore’s fifth run and Kikuchi’s night had officially ended when interim manager John Schneider summoned Trevor Richards from the bullpen. A sac fly scored Baltimore’s sixth run.

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The throwing error to Kikuchi would later be changed to Bichette.

Of the six runs Kikuchi yielded in his 3.1 outing, three were earned.

A seventh run would cross home plate in the fifth before Vlad Jr. belted his 24th dinger of the season as the Jays found themselves trailing 7-3.

In the eighth inning with a runner at first and two outs, Baltimore sent Rougned Odor to the plate as a pinch hitter.

The crowd showered Odor with boos that continued throughout his at-bat, a villain in the eyes of fans dating back to the infamous punch to Jose Bautista when Odor played for the Texas Rangers.

He grounded out to first and the crowd cheered wildly.

BY GEORGE, HE’S THROWING

With Springer back in his familiar leadoff spot, there’s no timeline when he’ll return to the outfield.

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For now, he’ll serve as the team’s DH as Springer continues to build up his throwing.

He played catch from 90 feet Monday with the goal of one day returning to the outfield.

Bradley Zimmer was designated for assignment once Springer was activated from the 10-day injured list.

Springer is dealing with inflammation in his right elbow.

TSUTSUGO A GO?

It appears Yoshi Tsutsugo and the Blue Jays are moving towards a minor-league deal.

“Obviously it’s an interesting add, a left-handed bat that can offer a variety of different things,” said Schneider during his pre-game availability. “Seeing how it goes and definitely like it.”

The 30-year-old Tsutsugo began the season on a one-year, $4 million US deal in Pittsburgh.

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The Pirates recently released Tsutsugo because he wasn’t hitting.

The Pirates will still be on the hook for Tsutsugo’s salary, allowing the Jays to simply fork over the prorated league minimum for any time spent in the bigs.

After spending 10 seasons in Japan, Tsutsugo joined the Tampa Bay Rays two years ago.

PITCH OUTS

The perpetually injured Nate Pearson, whose latest mishap involves his lat, will throw a bullpen session Wednesday … Tim Mayza, whose been a valuable left-handed arm in the pen, once again threw Monday, but has yet to play catch. He’s dealing with a shoulder injury to his right arm … Another lefty, Tayler Saucedo (hip), is in the 6ix and will play light catch.

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