Depair continues to pile up in desert as Hoffman falters again and power bats nowhere to be found<\/p>\n
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Published Apr 19, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n When it rains, it pours, and right now the Blue Jays are in the middle of a blinding rainstorm.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Jays dropped their fourth in a row, this one by a 6-2 score to the host Arizona Diamondbacks in a game the Jays were at least starting to think their luck might be changing.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n A 12-hit night, even if 11 of them were singles, may not have been the breakout bat night this club was hoping for, but it was an improvement over where they have been of late.<\/p>\n Six strong innings from Max Scherzer were another reason for optimism as Scherzer matched his longest and almost best night of the season thus far. In his personal 2026 debut, Scherzer also went six, allowing the visiting Rockies a single run in his only win of the year.<\/p>\n Even the defence, which has been rather suspect of late, held up with just a single error to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who admittedly made a handful of other plays to more than compensate for that one mistake.<\/p>\n The Jays entered the bottom of the eighth tied at two and, having just scored the tying run on a Kazuma Okamoto single that plated Eloy Jimenez, momentum appeared to be on their side.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Faced with the choice between Louis Varland and supposed closer Jeff Hoffman to hold things steady in the eighth, Jays manager John Schneider opted for Hoffman.<\/p>\n The move backfired in a big way as Hoffman did not retire a batter until the fifth Diamondback came to the plate. Singles to No. 8 and 9 hitters Ildemaro Vargas and Alek Thomas were followed by a walk to Ketel Marte and then a grand slam by Corbin Carroll that ultimately decided the game. It was Hoffman\u2019s second loss of the season, to go along with three blown saves in five save opportunities.<\/p>\n Numbers like that tend to get the attention of a fan base, and Jays Nation is howling right now for change.<\/p>\n Post-game, Schneider insisted he is standing by Hoffman and his role as the Jays\u2019 closer.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just one more area the Jays skipper has to worry about adding to the list of injury woes, a lack of hitting with men in scoring position and suddenly leaky defence.<\/p>\n At some point this storm has to break.<\/p>\n ONE MYSTERY EXPLAINED<\/p>\n Nathan Lukes\u2019 struggles through the first three weeks of the season have now been explained. Turns out, Lukes, until his 3-for-5 night on Saturday, was in a hitting funk because he was dealing with a case of vertigo. It explains a lot. Imagine trying to hit a darting baseball travelling at roughly 95 miles an hour while you weren\u2019t seeing straight. Once established that vertigo was the issue, Lukes and the Jays went to work attacking the problem and based on Saturday\u2019s turnaround have figured something out.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n His three-hit night Saturday bumped his average to .162 which doesn\u2019t sound great, but is still a lot better than the .094 he began the night hitting.<\/p>\n THE GOOD KIND OF RELIEF<\/p>\n Ignoring for the moment the relief effort that wasn\u2019t out of the bullpen Saturday evening, there was some positive relief in that Blue Jays dugout Saturday night.<\/p>\n It came with a two-hit night for Okamoto, who is desperately trying to adjust to what major league pitchers are doing to him since a pretty hot start.<\/p>\n Okamoto seems to be getting a pretty much steady diet of off speed offerings since he showed opposing pitchers what he can do with just about any fastball. The results have been disturbing for a club that needs Okamoto\u2019s bat to at least offset some of the loss of Bo Bichette\u2019s talent in the batter\u2019s box.<\/p>\n Okamoto\u2019s first hit of the night was an excuse me single poked through the hole on the right side of the infield, but it was his second hit of the night in which he lined a single sharply into left that had hitting coach David Popkins hammering the padding on the dugout railing in appreciation of the knock.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n It\u2019s no secret confidence is a huge part of hitting and Okamoto needed a little as he entered the game on a 2-for-27 skid.<\/p>\n It got the Japanese slugger back over the Mendoza line (a .200 average) so it\u2019s a start but Popkins knows he has to get the third baseman hitting with power, something he has done his whole career in Japan, if Okamoto is going to earn the $30-million deal he signed in the off-season.<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Injury bug refuses to leave Blue Jays alone as they fall to Diamondbacks<\/p>\n![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CP176163633.jpg\")
Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., centre, beats Arizona Diamondbacks’ Adrian Del Castillo (25) to first base for the out as Blue Jays starting pitcher Max Scherzer and umpire Roberto Ortiz look on during the first inning on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Phoenix. Photo by Ross D. Franklin \/THE ASSOCIATED PRESSArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.0.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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