TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays endured a miserable weekend with their third straight loss on Sunday.
A day after their popular first base coach Mark (Bud) Budzinski and his wife Monica lost the oldest of their three children, 17-year-old daughter Julia, to a sudden and unexpected death, the Blue Jays fell 7-3 to the Tampa Bay Rays before 35,757 at Rogers Center.
On Saturday, Budzinski, 48, left the Blue Jays in the third inning of the second game of the team’s doubleheader against the Rays after learning the tragic news.
The Blue Jays released a statement saying Budzinski will take some time away from the team to grieve with his family. There was also a moment of silence for Julia before the game as players and coaches from both teams stood outside their respective dugouts.
The emotional damage was evident in the Blue Jays’ words and body language.
“My heart breaks for Bud,” Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said, his voice shaking with tenderness. “There are good men and great men. He’s a great man. He’s a special man. His family is great. The only thing I can share about what happened is he left a note to the team. He did this while a tragedy was going on and this tells you all about him.”
The Blue Jays responded with reciprocity, with many players writing to their coach in support. The outpouring was felt around the league, with Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Detroit Tigers counterpart AJ Hinch offering their condolences. Hinch was Budzinski’s minor league roommate.
“He’s someone I consider a dear friend,” Hinch said. “His daughter is the same age as my daughters.”
“I just found out his daughter died in an accident,” Cora said. “It puts everything into perspective.”
Montoya also left the doubleheader nightcap to be with Budzinski while he found a flight home to Richmond, Virginia. Montoya returned later in the match.
Blue Jays bullpen catcher Luis Hurtado has been practicing first base in Budzinski’s absence.
Blue Jays management considered the possibility of not playing Sunday.
“I didn’t know about that,” Toronto starter Ross Stripling (4-3) said. “I think Bud would want us to play, try to win the series. But things didn’t turn out that way.”
The Blue Jays (44-36) lost their third straight game to the Rays (43-36) to drop the five-game set 3-2 and split their week-long eight-game homestand at 4-4.
The Blue Jays were tied 1-1 through four innings after leaving eight runners on base, including six stranded in scoring position.
In the fifth inning, the Rays scored six times. Stripling gave up a leadoff double to Taylor Walls, who scored on Yandy Diaz’s single to right field.
Harold Ramirez hit a two-run shot into right field to end Stripling’s day. He lasted 4 ⅔ innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Stripling had not allowed more than two runs in five straight starts.
Toronto reliever Trent Thornton replaced Stripling and was greeted with a solo homer by Ji-Man Choi and a two-run blast to right-center field two batters later in the Arozarena.
The Rays enjoyed a 14-hit offensive performance, with Choi leading the way with three. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is also enjoying a three-hit tour.
Tampa Bay starter Shane Baz (1-1) pitched shutouts in the first four innings, leaving the bases loaded in the first and fourth frames.
GAUSMAN UPDATE: The Blue Jays will wait to see how Kevin Gausman’s ankle injury feels after the club’s charter flight to California before determining whether he will make his next scheduled start on Thursday. Gausman felt some stiffness and soreness a day after spraining his right ankle on a 100-mph drive that forced him to leave the Blue Jays’ opener in the second inning on Saturday.
UP NEXT: The Blue Jays travel to the West Coast to open a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics, followed by a four-game set against the Seattle Mariners. Alec Manoa (9-2) will start for the Blue Jays on Monday. Lefty Cole Irvin (2-6) will take the mound for the Athletics. The series opener in Oakland will mark the halfway mark of the Blue Jays’ schedule, their 81st outing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 3, 2022.
Add Comment