Instant Reaction: The Blue Jays let up seven runs in the second inning to drop the series opener versus the Guardians.

On Friday, the Toronto Blue Jays dropped 7-1 to the Cleveland Guardians, dropping their season record to 35-40, poorest in the American League East.

The first inning and a half saw nine up and nine down, before the Guardians put up a seven spot in the inning that the Blue Jays usually dominate. Canadian Josh Naylor started up the inning with a hit, and it spiraled from there. Yariel Rodríguez would walk the next three hitters before getting the first out of the inning.

Catcher Austin Hedges would single to score two more, making it a 3-0 game and chasing Rodríguez from the game. Next in was Bowden Francis, who got an out against hit first hitter, before an error from Orelvis Martinez and two more singles. The club ultimately got out of the inning, giving up seven runs.

Toronto’s only run came on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s seventh home run of the season. The pitch was far inside, but Guerrero Jr. was able to get enough wood on it to haul it 407 feet. Good things happen when you pull it.

The Blue Jays threatened to score more in the top of the ninth, as Guerrero Jr. singled while Daulton Varsho and Danny Jansen walked to load the bases with one out. However, George Springer grounded into a double play, ending the game.

Toronto now stands five games below .500 and is in the midst of a four-game losing run with a challenging schedule ahead. It’s been pretty plain to us fans that the simple move at the deadline is to sell. Hopefully, management is starting to recognize that as well.

Orelvis Martinez hit his first big league hit, a line single that came 86.6 mph off the bat. It was a mixed bag for Martinez though, as he also committed an error at second base.

Bowden Francis pitched in the second inning, but finished with a line of 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER (2 R), 2 BB, 4 K to improve his season ERA to 5.28. Not a fantastic outing, but the Martinez error didn’t help.

Yariel Rodríguez had a terrible start, pitching an inning and a third and giving up four earned runs and three walks. The start looked promising after a 12 pitch-first inning, but things unraveled in the second.

Speaking about the second inning, Toronto still leads all clubs with the most runs in the second inning with 55. However, with seven runs, Cleveland has now moved to second with 52 runs in the inning.

It took 70 pitches for Blue Jays pitchers to get out of the second inning. That is the most since the 2014 Detroit Tigers on August 22, 2014. Funnily enough, Robbie Ray was tagged with the loss in a 20-6 setback. Difference is, the 2014 Tigers won their division, but the 2024 Blue Jays will not.

Up next: Blue Jays play again on Saturday, as they’ll attempt to avoid losing their second-consecutive series, as well as look to avoid going down to six games below .500, the most they’ve gone this season. José Berríos will get the ball when that game starts at 4:10 PM ET.