Spencer Miles and Blue Jays bats impress in win over Giants

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The Blue Jays hit rock bottom Monday night against the host San Francisco Giants, with as many errors as hits — three — in a dreadful 10-1 loss to an equally abysmal opponent in the series opener.

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The Rock is the popular nickname for nearby Alcatraz, the one-time notorious federal penitentiary turned tourist attraction.

The way the Jays have been playing in dropping to a season-low seven games below .500, they were deserving of a residency.

Clemency was achieved Tuesday night.

No one should get too giddy, considering the Giants entered the night 14 games under .500 and went with a starter in Trevor McDonald, who, to be blunt, was brutal.

In comparison, Spencer Miles, who started for the Jays, was Cy Young Award worthy.

Amid mounting frustration and losses, the Jays needed some kind of break and they received it.

They also earned it by stringing together some professional at-bats in the game’s early innings when the visitors took complete control, albeit against an inferior starter.

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To illustrate the urgency of the moment, the Jays had closer Louis Varland on the mound to start the ninth inning with Toronto leading by six runs.

He needed 19 pitches to put the exclamation mark on the Jays’ 9-3 win as an odious three-game losing streak came to an end.

The following are three takeaways on a night Ernie Clement, who hit leadoff for the Blue Jays, recorded three hits as the all-star second baseman increased his season total to 101.

MILES IS ALL SMILES

For Miles, Tuesday night represented a homecoming of sorts for the right-hander, whom the Blue Jays drafted 10th overall in MLB’s Rule 5 draft.

While the Jays have been generally pathetic as the all-star break mercifully awaits, Miles has emerged as one of the club’s best feel-good stories.

His foray as a professional was forged by the Giants after the club selected Miles in the fourth round of the 2022 draft.

Miles was beset by injuries, but with the Jays he has been one of the few bright lights.

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Tuesday’s start was the third for Miles as he made his 25th appearance.

Each time he’s on the mound amounts to an audition for a Jays club in need of starters.

Given his small body of work, the Jays have been prudent in how they use Miles, who, barring any physical setback, profiles as a potential fifth starter in the rotation.

San Francisco loaded the bases with none out in the third on three successive singles when Miles was pitching with a seven-run lead.

He induced a double play that scored a run, but that was the extent of the damage.

Despite surrendering seven hits in completing four innings, Miles made the right pitch in key moments to limit the Giants to two runs.

He has been better, but at least the Jays’ offence provided a wider margin for error.

YOUNG AND DESPERATE

Credit, if one is so predisposed, the Jays for at least trying just about anything to help provide some kind of an offensive spark.

In the club’s past three losses entering Tuesday, the Jays recorded a combined seven hits and were outscored 25-1.

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Brandon Valenzuela, a rookie with pop, Jonatan Clase, a fringe player who has yet to leave a mark in the majors, and rookie Sean Keys were each in the starting lineup.

Clase got the start in left field, while Valenzuela started the second inning with a single.

Two batters later, Keys singled.

Up next was Clase, who promptly drilled a ball into right field for a three-run homer, his fourth career dinger and first of the season.

In the Jays’ previous four games, three total runs were mustered, including the club’s series-opening 2-0 win Friday night in Seattle.

Through two innings Tuesday, the Jays had recorded five hits off McDonald.

It improved against an inferior pitcher whose stuff did not fool Toronto’s hitters.

The young guns added to their hit totals in the third inning, when the Jays mauled McDonald, whose night officially ended after he gave up hit No. 11 in his 2.1-inning outing.

Finally, the Jays faced a starter who was even worse than their offence.

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IS VLAD REALLY THIS BAD?

Prior to the game, the assembled media at Oracle Park chronicling all things Blue Jays gathered with David Popkins, the club’s hitting coach.

In short, he used the word “jumpy” when trying to dissect Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s ongoing woes at the plate.

A rare encouraging start would see the Jays have runners at first and second following a leadoff single and a walk.

One pitch later, the Jays would be reduced to their final out in the first inning after Vlad Jr. hit into a tailor-made double play on the first pitch he saw in his at-bat.

His batting average dropped to .263, while his OPS dipped to .691.

Hitting hard balls into the ground, regardless of exit velocity, doesn’t do the Jays any favours.

Vlad Jr. did bounce back in his second at-bat by taking the first pitch and going the opposite way for a leadoff single in the third inning.

The Jays batted around in a five-run frame, which ended on a first-pitch Vlad Jr. groundout.

To recap, in his first three at-bats, Vlad Jr. saw a combined three pitches.

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In his fourth plate appearance, Vlad Jr. swung through the first pitch and would strike out in a non-competitive at-bat against reliever Adrian Houser, who retired all 17 hitters he faced.

Vlad Jr.’s 1-for-5 night ended in the ninth when he grounded into his second double play.

UP NEXT

Series finale has all the earmarks of a pitchers’ duel; on one side there’s Dylan Cease, who will represent the Jays at the mid-summer classic, on the other side is fellow all-star Logan Webb, two elite right-handers each capable of shutting down any opposing lineup; Wednesday’s first pitch in the series rubber match is scheduled at 3:45 p.m.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

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