Blue Jays Talk

On this episode of Jays Talk Plus, Blake Murphy kicks off the show recapping the Blue Jays' 8-3 victory over the White Sox and "pitching coach" Matt Chapman's impact on Alek Manoah. Blake is then joined by The Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath to anticipate the return of Tim Mayza to the bullpen, what that might mean for the Jays' high-leverage relievers, and looks into how the lineup turned itself around in such a dramatic fashion (06:42). Later on, Brandon Warne of Access Twins joins Blake to play a little Blue Jays-Twins trivia, before discussing Minnesota's season so far and which roster pieces will be absent in Toronto due to the COVID 19 protocols (26:37). ESPN's Joon Lee joins afterward to discuss his feature on Bo Bichette, encapsulating his leadership abilities in the Blue Jays' clubhouse (51:13). To wrap up today, Blake breaks down what to look forward to this weekend, looks back on the last time the Jays saw Chi Chi Gonzalez, and shares the freshly released Twins lineup for tonight’s game (01:10:50). The

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 8-3 win over the White Sox at Rogers Centre! They take your calls, and get into yet another terrific performance from Alek Manoah that saw him go deep once more - where does your confidence fall whenever Manoah is on the mound? They discuss the bats staying hot, Santiago Espinal providing some insurance late amidst a good game, and Matt Chapman's defensive prowess. Plus, could there be a trade in the starting rotation with Hyun-jin Ryu on the IL? The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-3 win over the White Sox at Rogers Centre. They take your calls and texts, get into the recent stretch of play by Danny Jansen, and how he made a conscious decision to make some changes offensively when he was rehabbing from his early season injury. Afterwards, they discuss the injury to Hyun-jin Ryu, the walks from Bo Bichette, and the late-inning blast from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Plus, a chat on how valuable is Ross Stripling in the bullpen vs. in the starting rotation. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Blake Murphy opens the show with a quick look back at the Jays' series-opening win against the White Sox. MLB.com's Julia Kreuz jumps on to discuss an ideal plan for splitting time between Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen, Teoscar Hernandez getting back on track, and how the team is finding ways to win 1-run games (05:03). Spin Rate's Drew Fairservice breaks down Kirk's at-bats, an interest in Bo Bichette's plate approach, and Charlie Montoyo finding a spot for Julian Merryweather to pitch in relief (25:03). The Athletic's Keith Law shares his impressions on Jays prospect Gabriel Moreno, why he's hesitant to call up the young catcher, that position's value in the trade market, and LHP Ricky Tiedemann cracking into the pipeline's top 100 prospects (50:54). Finally, The FAN Drive's Ben Ennis stops by to chat about his confidence level in Hyun-Jin Ryu this season, why Matt Chapman is due for a big game, the thought of trading away one of their catchers, and how the team is finding a way out of their offensive slu

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays 6-5 win over the White Sox at Rogers Centre! They take your calls, break down some timely defensive plays, and get to the pitching performances of Kevin Gausman and the bullpen. They discuss the urgency from Julian Merryweather on the mound, and also debate what they've seen from Jordan Romano. Plus, Alejandro Kirk looks terrific - Blair and Barker break down his bat looking quicker, and how Kirk can focus on his offensive development with Danny Jansen back on the roster. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Blake Murphy is joined by Chris Black, Blue Jays on Sportsnet Producer, to take us through his role working on MLB coverage, the integration of Statcast in the broadcasts, Jose Berrios' up and down starts, and makes the case to carry three catchers at a time on the lineup (02:09). Photo Director at West End Phoenix Jalani Morgan shares his ongoing photo essay called "Black Jays" and his experience mentoring photojournalists (29:06). The Athletic's Eno Sarris weighs in on the best ballparks that offer the top craft beer options, why the vulcan grip isn't used often by pitchers, the death of the fastball count and the use of more sliders (50:26). Finally, MLB.com's Mike Petriello breaks down Vlad Jr.'s slide in May, how he recognizes when a player is coming out of a slump, and a look at battle of the aces tonight between Chicago's Lucas Giolito and Kevin Gausman (01:15:57). Finally, Blake gives the scouting report for Toronto's upcoming series against the White Sox (01:33:55).   The views and opinions expressed

Blake Murphy hosts the first episode of Jays Talk Plus and opens the show by outlining what's on tap and sharing his baseball background, before getting into former Blue Jay catcher Russell Martin announcing his retirement, and what it takes to be a good game caller behind the mask. Ben Shulman, who made his play-by-play debut for the Jays this weekend, stops by to chat about his first experience working those four games, when he knew he wanted to get into broadcasting like his father, and calling games for the Fort Wayne TinCaps (26:25). Later on, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith shares his thoughts on Jose Berrios' latest outing cut short to just under three innings, the bullpen's weekend workload, if its time to carry three catchers with Gabriel Moreno's looming call up, and if Nate Pearson has a path to help out the pen (50:26). Finally, PUP guitarist Steve Sladkowski jumps on to discuss the creation of the Jays Talk Plus theme music, how he keeps up to date on his favourite sports team while touring on th

Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 11-10 win over the Angels to complete the four-game series sweep! They take your calls and texts, get into the five RBI from Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and discuss the offensive contributions from Raimel Tapia over the last four games. They also break down the wild play by Matt Chapman to avoid the tag at first base, the impressive offence from Alejandro Kirk, and where Santiago Espinal belongs in the batting order. Plus, Sho thinks the 'Ryan Borucki Experiment' is over - what comes next for the lefty? The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 6-5 win over the Angels! They take your calls and texts, get into the decision to pitch Jordan Romano for a third straight day, and Ross Stripling coming in to shut the door in the ninth inning. They discuss the luck of Matt Chapman, who finally had one fall his way in the eighth, and another deep flyout by Danny Jansen. Plus, Sho and Ben debate the call to use Julian Merryweather in a high leverage situation, and whether or not that should (or will) happen again going forward. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 4-3 win over the Angels! They take your texts, and discuss Charlie Montoyo pushing the right buttons with both pinch-hitters and the bullpen to grab the victory. They get to the performances of Yimi Garcia and Trevor Richards, and discuss the very impressive season that Alek Manoah continues to author. Plus, a discussion on Nate Pearson and whether or not he can be a good addition to the bullpen upon his eventual return. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 6-3 win over the Angels at Angel Stadium! They take your texts, and get to another game where both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Danny Jansen smash home runs, the approach by the offence at the plate, and the smooth swings by the top of the order. They also discuss the off night for Shohei Ohtani, another decent game by Hyun-jin Ryu as the team's fifth pitcher, and break down the embarrassment of riches the Jays have at the catcher position (including Gabriel Moreno). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 8-1 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. They take your calls, and exhale after one home run from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and two from Danny Jansen. They also get into the first at-bat by Vladdy Jr. and how he looked a little more relaxed at the plate, George Springer walking twice, and the general approach by the whole team with twelve hits and eight walks on the evening.   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 7-3 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. They take your calls, and discuss the continuing issues with runners in scoring position, including the team only managing three runs, and Santiago Espinal batting second overall in the order. They get to the parade of relievers in extras, and discuss the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at-bat that saw him ground out after two bases loaded walks. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-2 loss to the Reds to wrap the series at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss Yusei Kikuchi regaining his command after a rough first inning. They also get into the slightly shuffled batting order, and the struggles of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the plate (even after being moved up to second in the order). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Sho Alli breaks down the Blue Jays' 3-1 win over the Reds at Rogers Centre! He takes your calls, gets into Alek Manoah's start that took him through eight complete innings, and discusses why he may not have come back out for the ninth inning sitting at 83 pitches. Sportsnet's Ben Ennis stops by to discuss the Manoah ninth inning decision, the offence and approaches at the plate, and whether or not Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is closer to his 2020 form than that of his MVP-caliber season in 2021 (0:53). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Sho Alli and Ben Nicholson-Smith break down the Blue Jays' 2-1 win over the Reds at Rogers Centre. They take your calls and texts, get to the offensive performances from players like Raimel Tapia and Bradley Zimmer, and kick around some potential trade target help in the outfield. They also break down another encouraging pitching performance by Hyun-jin Ryu, who went six strong innings in his second stint back from the IL, and take a look down in the minors at someone like Jordan Groshans.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 5-1 loss to the Mariners at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and they get into the strange start from Kevin Gausman, if he was tipping his pitches and whether or not he should have come back out having thrown just 85 pitches. They discuss the relief pitching as well, including Trevor Richards being asked to go two innings, and the plate approach from Bo Bichette.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-0 win over the Mariners at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and discuss the José Berríos start that saw him go seven strong innings without allowing a run. They get into his fastball and whether or not this was the best start of the season for Berríos, and also chat the bats beginning to wake up, including the Springer triple (the first of the season for the entire team).The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker breaks down the Blue Jays' 6-2 win over the Mariners down at Rogers Centre. They take your calls, and break down the terrific start from Yusei Kikuchi vs. his former team. They discuss Bo Bichette with a three hit night at the plate, including a home run, and Matt Chapman also clobbering a solo homer as well. Plus, a discussion on Jordan Romano being unavailable, Tim Mayza heading to the IL, and who gets the high leverage innings out of the bullpen.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays' 3-0 loss to the Rays to wrap up the series at Tropicana Field. They take your calls, break down the uncharacteristic errors for Matt Chapman in a close game, and chat about how much blame should be shifted around on those plays. They discuss the start from Alek Manoah (and look back to Hyun-jin Ryu's start from Saturday), and get into how the Jays bats continue to experience problems with approach and swings.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.