MINNEAPOLIS — Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider made a massive mistake when he walked to the mound to remove José Berríos from Game 2 of the American League wild-card series on Wednesday.
It was a quick and decisive call — the type of decision calculated in a meticulous pre-game meeting — but it was still an egregious error. Target Field knew it. Blue Jays fans watching at home knew it. Even Berríos himself couldn’t believe he was leaving after three innings of his best baseball of the year.
Everyone but Schneider, it appears, knew this was an outlandish maneuver.