Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look at the Blue Jays 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre – the tenth straight victory for the Bronx Bombers. The guys discuss the decision to not pinch run for Alejandro Kirk in the seventh inning, the Yankees employing the pinch runner for the game-winning run, and what they noticed from Yimi Garcia in the ninth inning. Jayson Stark of The Athletic shares his thoughts on the lack of offense across the majors, his read on the Angels and Twins currently atop their divisions, and the pitch clock being used at the minor-league level (31:28).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates

The NY Post’s Jon Heyman joins Blair & Barker to examine the hot starts by both the Yankees and Mets, the mindset behind the Mets' designating Robinson Cano for assignment, and which team’s start is more sustainable (04:49). Later on, four-time MLB All-Star and former Blue Jays' Special Assistant Dante Bichette breaks down what he’s seen from Bo at the plate and how George Springer has helped him this season (26:35).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open by reacting to another series win for the Toronto Blue Jays, stealing the rubber match against the Houston Astros 3-2 at Rogers Centre led by starter Kevin Gausman, who has yet to walk a batter this season! Blue Jays Central’s Joe Siddall talks about what to expect from Ross Stripling, George Springer’s fantastic play, Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s recent stretch at the plate, and Kevin Gausman’s sequence of pitches when facing hitters (29:53).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff and Kevin take a deep dive into why offence has decreased in the early part of the MLB season with The Score’s Travis Sawchik (12:19). With the Blue Jays facing Houston for the second time in a week, the guys ask Astros TV analyst Geoff Blum who has the advantage: pitchers or hitters? Blum also weighs-in with his thoughts on Yusei Kikuchi and what makes him effective and what to expect from the Astros' lineup minus Jose Altuve (31:16).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker react to the Blue Jays' 1-0 win over Boston, taking 3 out of 4 games from the Red Sox in the series. They examine Alek Manoah’s performance, how impressive his stats have been since making his MLB debut, and what they need to see out of Yusei Kikuchi when he takes the mound tonight against Houston. 'The Mayor' Sean Casey joins the show with his thoughts on offence being down across baseball, what he’s seen out of the Blue Jays' hitters, and if Joey Votto would ever consider leaving the Reds (25:46). 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker start off breaking down the lineups ahead of the Blue Jays - Red Sox finale, including days off for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Xander Bogaerts (00:05). WEEI's Rob Bradford stops by to break down the game of pitcher Garrett Whitlock and why Bogaerts still doesn't have a long term deal (11:14). Sportsnet's Ben Wagner joins from Rogers Centre to shed some light on the foot injury for Vladdy Jr., and what injury replacements could fill in if Teoscar Hernandez is unable to go in the next few weeks (33:17).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Host of Off The Mound and World Series Champion pitcher Ryan Dempster weighs-in on Mets starter Chris Bassitt’s comments on the game’s “bad baseballs” and how teams can elevate their game when a particular pitcher is starting on the mound (01:34). Later on, former Blue Jays' All-Star Ricky Romero discusses Kevin Gausman’s splitter, what it’s like as a pitcher to possess a devastating pitch like it, and his thoughts on Bassitt’s comments and the Blue Jays in the early-going (29:14). 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff and Kevin recap the Blue Jays’ thrilling 6-5 comeback win vs. the Red Sox at Rogers Centre. The guys focus in on George Springer’s big game and game-tying home run, his flair for the dramatic, Raimel Tapia’s at-bat in extra innings to win it, and Kevin Gausman’s second consecutive strong start against Boston. Afterwards, MLB Network’s Bill Ripken joins the guys to share his perspective on the game and how good hitters like Bo Bichette work out of slumps (31:21).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Blair and Barker are joined by Toronto Blue Jays' GM Ross Atkins to provide his thoughts on his team’s play in the early portion of the season. The guys discuss Bo Bichette following his big game, the energy of the home crowd at Rogers Centre, Alejandro Kirk’s defence behind the plate, and the overall feeling of excitement around the clubhouse.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Jeff and Kevin recap the Blue Jays' 6-2 win over the Red Sox - led by Bo Bichette’s tie-breaking grand slam in the eighth inning! They discuss how big of a hit it was for both the team and Bichette personally, Toronto’s strong start with the potential to see even more from Alek Manoah and Jose Berrios, and the effort from Adam Cimber and the bullpen (00:36). Sportsnet’s Dan Shulman discusses the Blue Jays’ team camaraderie, league-wide likability, Charlie Montoyo putting the bullpen in positions to succeed, and Berrios’ demeanour on the mound (26:40).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.