With the Blue Jays already trailing in the 7th inning, Guerrero struck out against reliever Kevin Kelly, following a borderline strike call from home plate umpire Laz Diaz. After the at bat, Guerrero slammed his bat in frustration, indicative of the Blue Jays recent offensive struggles.
It was enough for Schneider to offer up rare, public criticism of his superstar.
I think he kind of just gave that at-bat away against Kelly. Vlad is one swing away. He's one swing away basically all the time We let things snowball here a little bit the last two days.
While the Blue Jays still have a comfortable lead in the AL East, scoring one run in two games is not great, momentum-wise. While no one player is responsible for that, Guerrero's recent 3-20 skid hasn't come at the most optimal time.
Offence struggling to maintain momentum
While the Blue Jays have become very good at winning ballgames, they always seem to be coming from behind, which may not be sustainable come October.
The Blue Jays need Guerrero to go on a streak. As great a offensive team as they are, they often rise and fall with Vladdy.
The Blue Jays have a couple of pivotal series remaining against the Red Sox and Royals. Let's hope Vladdy can find his stroke in time.