Dunedin, Fla. – Left-hander Matt Boyd made positive strides in his previous three starts, each was more impressive than the last.
On Thursday, he took a step back.
“I just had no rhythm out there,” he said, after the Tigers lost 6-4 to the Blue Jays. “I didn’t put myself in a position to win. I couldn’t repeat my delivery. Kind of shot myself in the foot in that way.”
He fell behind too many hitters, which forced him to reduce his five-pitch repertoire. Even without big boppers Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion or Troy Tulowitzki – all out of the lineup – the Jays pounded out seven hits and four runs off Boyd in 3u2153 innings.