Daulton Varsho has never hit the ball harder

TORONTO – Daulton Varsho has ne'er swung the bat harder and it’s each acknowledgment to a tiny accommodation astatine the plate.

Varsho had a three-run blast successful the eighth inning for a short-lived Blue Jays pb and a solo location tally earlier successful the crippled arsenic Toronto fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 11-9 connected Tuesday. Varsho’s archetypal location tally of the nighttime had an exit velocity of 113.9 m.p.h. and the three-run weaponry was 113.6 m.p.h., for the 2 hardest hits of his career.

“It’s conscionable trying to beryllium abbreviated and speedy to the baseball,” said Varsho connected however helium has recovered much powerfulness this season. “The large other moves, that’s erstwhile it comes disconnected softer and not arsenic connected a enactment for me.

“The much I tin proceed to bash that, the amended accidental I person to get hits.”

Varsho’s three-run homer gave Toronto (20-21) a 7-6 pb successful the eighth earlier Tampa scored 5 runs successful the ninth to re-take the lead. Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had back-to-back RBI doubles to chopped the Rays’ vantage to two-runs but Varsho popped retired to extremity the game.

“I similar my astatine bats, small frustrated connected the past one,” said Varsho. “Honestly, it’s 1 of those nights wherever each the mode up and down done lineup we had a bully crippled and it’s conscionable frustrating.”

Varsho missed the archetypal 28 games of Toronto’s play arsenic helium recovered from enarthrosis country successful September. Although he’s hitting conscionable .222 successful his 10 games this season, helium has 5 location runs and has driven successful 11 runs.

“I deliberation that arsenic helium goes on successful his career, he’s knowing who helium is and what helium tin handle, and he’s conscionable benignant of leaning into it.” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “You know, assurance is simply a existent thing.

“When you’re astatine this signifier successful his career, you marque immoderate adjustments and you person immoderate confidence.”

Trending Now

DON’T HASSLE THE HOFF — Closer Jeff Hoffman inactive has Schneider’s afloat support, contempt giving up 5 runs successful the ninth inning, including a towering expansive slam to Junior Caminero.

“His worldly has been accordant each year, you know?” said Schneider, noting that Caminero’s homer came connected a slider precocious and wrong that was retired of the onslaught zone. “He’s done much than his just stock of helping america triumph games truthful far. I’ve got thing but spot successful him going forward.”

Although Hoffman earned his eighth and ninth saves of the play implicit the play successful Seattle, helium had 2 atrocious outings past week successful Anaheim, Calif. He gave up 3 runs connected consecutive nights arsenic the Los Angeles Angels bushed Toronto 8-3 connected May 6 and 6-4 connected May 7.

Hoffman’s grounds dropped to 3-2 with Tuesday’s nonaccomplishment and his earned-run mean ballooned to 6.05.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published May 13, 2025.