Shi Davidi

There's a lot to work through, then, which is what made the 6.1 innings of one-run ball Chris Bassitt threw at them Monday night in a 3-1 Toronto Blue Jays victory so impressive.

His first outing of the season capped an impressive win in which Yusei Kikuchi allowed one run over six high-octane innings while Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s two-run single was the key blow on a grind-out-the-runs kind of night at the plate.

A post-batting-practice feast awaited Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the visitor’s clubhouse at Petco Park, courtesy of Fernando Tatis Jr. This was no random treat. The two childhood friends have been sending over meals for one another for years. Since Guerrero and his Toronto Blue Jays are the Padres’ guests this weekend, Tatis was on the hook.

The playoff drought is at 13 years now for Ernie Clement’s Buffalo Sabres, but that hasn’t kept the Toronto Blue Jays infielder from following the annual chase for the Stanley Cup. Clement and several of his teammates make their picks for Round 1.

SAN DIEGO – Before we get to Saturday and the latest hit-stealing exploits of Daulton Varsho, let's appreciate the remarkable, 10 per cent probability, 126-feet covered catch he made Friday night off the bat of Xander Bogaerts.

A key driver for the Toronto Blue Jays during their run of four straight series wins over the past couple of weeks has been the dominant work of their starting rotation. Ten times in the past 12 games, their starters have allowed one run or less, and even Sunday, when Chris Bassitt allowed four runs, three earned, in 5.1 innings of a 6-3 loss to the San Diego Padres on Sunday, they were very much left in a position to win.

The way the relentless A.J. Preller cleverly remade the San Diego Padres' roster this off-season offers an interesting case study for the Toronto Blue Jays, who figure to be contemplating similarly difficult choices.

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres faced a daunting task during the off-season after a disappointing 82-80 finish in 2023.

As much as this was a night of what-might-have-been for both the Blue Jays and Shohei Ohtani, their first encounter since an unfulfilled winter dalliance was also about what is in the here and now. Unfortunately for the Jays, Ohtani and the Dodgers look far better at the moment.

Whatever approach the pivotal duo and their teammates try right now — be aggressive and attack early, be patient and grind — nothing seems to work.