Erik Swanson’s nightmare start to the 2024 season continued Friday.
With the Toronto Blue Jays holding a 3-1 lead over the Washington Nationals thanks in large part to a stellar six innings from starter Yusei Kikuchi, Swanson was handed the ball to start the seventh.
But things couldn’t have gone much worse for the 30-year-old reliever.
Swanson failed to record an out before he gave up a three-run home run to Luis Garcia Jr. that completely flipped the game. The Nationals took a 4-3 lead, and Swanson’s night was finished.
The rough outing for Swanson has been a common theme for the reliever this season, as he came into Friday’s game with a 12.60 ERA over just five innings pitched.
It’s a far cry from his 2023 season when Swanson was one of the Blue Jays’ best out of the bullpen. He finished last season with a 2.97 ERA over a career-high 66.2 innings.
Swanson started the season on the 15-day IL with thoracic spine inflammation and has yet to regain last year’s form.
The other problem for the Blue Jays? The rest of their bullpen hasn’t been much better. After Garcia’s homer off Swanson, the Blue Jays’ relievers have now allowed 21 home runs this season, tied for most in MLB.
For a team that has also struggled to score runs in 2024, a leaky bullpen is not helping their case.
