Jays Lose, Hoffman Struggles, Scherzer Shines

On April 19th, the Blue Jays dropped another tough one in Phoenix, falling to the diamond

backs and slipping to seven wins and 13 losses in this.

Rough 2026 start.

The game unraveled in the eighth when closer Jeff Hoffman faced his first four batters

with a single, another single, a walk, and then a devastating, grand slam that handed

over the lead for good.

Earlier this week, Hoffman had already blown a save with three walks, and now his earned

run average sits at 7.71 after these shaky outings.

Fans are fired up, especially remembering that playoff Homer he gave up last year, even

if his strikeouts stay elite on better days.

Meanwhile, Max Sherzer bounced back strong, going six innings and allowing just two runs

while looking healthy again.

Before the game, he was banging out rat beats on the clubhouse piano from Dr. Dre to

M&M and Meek Mill shaking off old thumb and forearm issues, like a true vet.

Kazuma Okamoto flashed some promise too, ripping an RBI single in the sixth to tie things

at two runs apiece, showing the power he's been missing with.

His 0.576 on base plus slugging so far.

He's got the tools but needs to commit fully more often.

The Jays keep finding ways to stumble late, but sparks like Sherzer's groove and Okamoto's

drive hint at a turnaround if they lock in soon.

That's your update from Toronto Blue Jays News today, powered by AI.

I'm Corey with The Story.