“He’s being too hard on himself” “Hopefully won’t be his last outing of the season” - Toronto Blue Jays fans rally around pitcher Alek Manoah after loss to Seattle Mariners leaves him despondent

It was a rough start to the postseason for the Toronto Blue Jays and Alek Manoah on Friday. With nearly 50,000 rambunctious fans in attendance, the organization had hoped to give the fans something to dream about. Unfortunately, that dream quickly turned into a nightmare for Alek Manoah. The home team gave up three runs in the first inning and never recovered in the 4-0 loss.

The Seattle Mariners took advantage of what may have been nerves and pressure. They went after Manoah early in the game. The Toronto Blue Jays pitcher looked shaky early on and never really found his groove. He gave up all four runs to the Mariners and was pulled after 5.2 innings.

The Toronto Blue Jays took a gamble by starting the 24-year-old pitcher in game one. It was a rough debut for a player who has looked so controlled during the regular season. Playoff baseball, though, is a whole different animal. Blue Jays fans have come out in support of Manoah after a rare poor outing from their ace.

The Blue Jays started the game on the back foot. Manoah hit the leadoff hitter, Julio Rodriguez, to immediately put a man on base. Eugenio Suarez later doubled to drive in the first run. A Cal Raleigh home run capped off a torrid first inning for the Jays and Manoah. They trailed 3-0 without Luis Castillo even throwing a single pitch.

Alek Manoah cannot be held solely responsible for this loss. In one of the biggest games in years for this organization, the Blue Jays' bats didn't turn up. With All-Star talent such as Vladimir Guerrero, Bo Bichette, and George Springer, fans expected more from the offense.

The Toronto Blue Jays were shut out and never looked threatening. The team had seven hits on the night. All of those were singles except for one double from Springer. If Toronto hopes to have any chance of progressing, they will need to provide some run support to their pitching core.

Toronto Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah had a nightmare start to his playoff career giving up 4 runs

Alek Manoah walks off the field after being taken out of the game against the Seattle Mariners

It's hard to question the decision to start Alek Manoah. He has been one of the standout pitchers this year in the MLB. Although he is still relatively young, Manoah has proven himself in high-pressure situations. He has a 16-7 record and an astonishing 2.24 ERA this season.

For the Blue Jays ace, this was a traumatizing start to his playoff career. He looked completely dejected after the game. Unfortunately, this may be his last appearance of the season. In any three-game series, game one is extremely important.

The Blue Jays will now rely on Kevin Gausman to lead them to victory in game two. Gausman will face off against former Toronto Blue Jays star Robbie Ray in game two on Saturday. It is a must-win game for a team that remains in search of its first World Series championship since 1993.