{"id":188459,"date":"2025-08-31T02:31:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T02:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/188459\/"},"modified":"2025-08-31T02:31:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T02:31:19","slug":"hoffmans-job-as-blue-jays-closer-safe-for-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/188459\/","title":{"rendered":"Hoffman\u2019s job as Blue Jays closer safe for now"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO \u2013 Jeff Hoffman stood on the mound at Rogers Centre, shaking his head as Christian Yelich rounded the bases.<\/p>\n

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It was the second consecutive home run that Hoffman, the Blue Jays closer, had given up in the ninth inning on Saturday, costing Toronto a 4-1 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers. Hoffman said he was shaking his head in disappointment as he allowed three runs in the inning and took his sixth loss of the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, just want to be better,\u201d said Hoffman, who took the mound with the game tied 1-1. \u201cWhenever you give up a lead, or it\u2019s a tie game and you give up that go-ahead run or whatever, it obviously doesn\u2019t feel good.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of guys that are trying real hard in there and you don\u2019t want to be the guy that ruins it for everybody for the night. Tomorrow\u2019s a new day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jackson Chourio hit a solo home run to lead off the ninth, then Yelich followed suit. Four batters later, Isaac Collins hit a double to left field that scored Sal Frelick. Hoffman was then lifted in favour of Yariel Rodriguez, who got the third out for Toronto.<\/p>\n

The win improved the National League-leading Brewers\u2019 record to 84-52, best in Major League Baseball. The Blue Jays started the three-game series leading the American League but back-to-back losses to the Brewers coupled with the Detroit Tigers\u2019 5-3 win in Kansas City on Friday night put Toronto down to second in the AL, but it still leads the East division.<\/p>\n

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The boos from the sold-out crowd of 41,424 at Rogers Centre grew with each run Hoffman allowed and continued when he trudged to the Blue Jays dugout. Hoffman said he actually appreciated the jeers.<\/p>\n

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\u201cEverybody here\u2019s trying to win. Everybody wants to win,\u201d said Hoffman. \u201cThat\u2019s a Blue Jays fan, so, I mean, it\u2019s understandable.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s what happens when you\u2019re on a good team: People expect you to win every night and that\u2019s good that they\u2019re booing. I like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoffman (8-6) has 29 saves and 75 strikeouts this year but a 5.11 earned-run average over 59 games. He\u2019s allowed eight runs in his past four appearances and has a total of seven blown saves.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe only numbers I look at are the ones that I\u2019ve blown. I don\u2019t really care about how many games that I\u2019ve won or saved or whatever,\u201d said Hoffman \u201cThe one that I always look at are the losses, are the blown saves.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, we need to do a better job of just coming in and doing my job and pounding the zone and doing it with good stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

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