Toronto Blue Jays: Data card fiasco with Rays adds fuel to rivalry

If Toronto Blue Jays fans needed any more reasons to dislike the Tampa Bay Rays, the data card fiasco should provide the necessary fuel.

There are times when baseball provides tremendous theatre for fans which is exactly what the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays provided on Tuesday.

According to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and Arash Madani, Kevin Kiermaier grabbed the data card shaken that came off Alejandro Kirk’s wristband during a play at the plate and when the Blue Jays tried to retrieve it, the request was laughed off. As Madani notes, Toronto was not too pleased with the situation.

This card is crucial for the Blue Jays to know how to pitch to a hitter and the Rays know that by keeping it, this would provide them with an advantage. Now while this doesn’t fall under the same category of the sign-stealing scandals, that have come out the past few years, it doesn’t look good on Tampa Bay.

Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters that Rays manager Kevin Cash apologized and said the incident is now considered water under the bridge. This is nice and all considering Montoyo and Cash have a personal relationship but with Toronto in the middle of a tight playoff race, this is not something that should be easily brushed off.

Alek Manoah grinds through tough win for Toronto Blue Jays

With Hyun Jin Ryu dealing with a neck strain, the Blue Jays need their other starters to step up and continue to deliver quality starts.

Alek Manoah got off to a tough start against the Rays but was able to overcome that and deliver another strong performance against a team the Blue Jays have historically struggled against. This was critical with the New York Yankees just a half-game behind Toronto for the second wild card.

Right now, the Blue Jays have three starters capable of delivering the type of elite performances needed in the playoffs. Beyond that is a bit of a mystery if Ryu isn’t able to return to form and Steven Matz not a sure thing at times.

While allowing six walks is not exactly ideal for Manoah, he did his best to limit the damage which turned into just two earned runs through six innings. This allowed Toronto to get the bullpen for the final three innings.

It was also nice to see Lourdes Gurriel Jr. get his 21st home run as he continues to be one of the many bright spots in the lineup in September.

What are your thoughts on the Rays taking the data card? Do you think this sets up for more dramatics if both teams play each other in the playoffs? Let us know in the comments below.