R.A. Dickey often describes his knuckleball in terms reserved for a mystical experience. On some game days, it appears. On others, it remains unseen and obscure.
Also, like God, it has a cruel sense of humour.
On Tuesday, in the biggest game of his career, Mr. Dickey could not properly conjure his only weapon. The result was his worst outing in three years as a Blue Jay and a humiliating 14-2 loss.
Toronto now trails Kansas City 3-1 in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series. To survive, the Blue Jays will have to win three consecutive postseason elimination games – something no Toronto team has done since the Jays managed it last week.
That's the upside this morning. Also, there is something poetic about the possibility of Kansas City-ing Kansas City. The Royals staged an identical comeback against Toronto 30 years ago.
It is feasible – just – to cognitively sustain the likelihood of that unlikely idea, but it's easier if you didn't see Tuesday's Game 4. It was objectively terrible, the most lopsided loss in Toronto's postseason baseball history. "Embarrassing" is an overused word in professional sports. This was embarrassing.
Dickey was two runs in the hole after four pitches. He gave up four runs in the first frame – one fewer than he'd surrendered in his previous four games.
In the second, former Jay and current Toronto hate-object Alex Rios hit a home run. It was his ninth. In two years. Mr. Dickey didn't make it through two innings.
"I had trouble arresting the damage," Mr. Dickey said afterward. "It was an anomaly, for sure. It was a poor time to have an anomaly."
Take note, friends – with that, we've reached peak R.A. Dickey.
The bullpen stanched the bleeding for a while, but it went completely bell-shaped once LaTroy Hawkins came in. He loaded the bases without managing an out.
Mr. Hawkins is a really nice guy who's had a great career that he will want to think about ending immediately, if not sooner. He's shot. For the first time since Toronto revamped its lineup in late July, you're beginning to think that about a few guys.
As they endured the dregs of the Toronto bullpen, the Rogers Centre faithful largely resisted the urge to really get on top of their own team. But they could have. Just be thankful they stopped selling tall cans in the upper deck.
Around the time utility infielder Cliff Pennington came in to close out the ninth, fans were reduced to a sort of befuddled acceptance. This was Mr. Pennington's first ever appearance as a major-league pitcher, and the first time any exclusively position player had ever thrown in a playoff game.
"I was impressed," catcher Russell Martin said later. "He actually has good stuff."
It was meant lightly, but it came off tone-deaf. Sometimes you lose. And then there are the times you lose the way Toronto lost on Tuesday.
"It was getting so ugly," manager John Gibbons said, hitting a more appropriate note. "You try to have a little pride anyway. I hate to use position players. Maybe we made history today, I don't know … [then, mournfully] … a big game like that, a position player pitches."
Sometimes they'll talk about playing the game "the right way." This couldn't have been any more wrong if they'd done it with a whiffle ball and croquet mallets.
Mr. Pennington got the last real ovation of the night. The last boo was saved for the offence, which was anemic for the third time in four games.
This performance does not suggest a small dip in form. This was a team folding up like a Saran Wrap tent when it really mattered. Though they took it right to the edge, the Jays never got anywhere close to that territory against the Texas Rangers.
Because Mr. Dickey got the earliest hook of his Toronto career, the Jays enter Wednesday's game in perilous pitching condition.
At this point, Mr. Gibbons only trusts three of his relievers – Mark Lowe, Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna.
For no good reason, Mr. Lowe was expended in Tuesday's lost cause. Mr. Sanchez has a blister on his pitching hand. Mr. Osuna has a cracked nail that makes some of his grips painful.
This means starter Marco Estrada – who was effective, if mediocre, in Missouri – has to carry the Jays deep into Game 5. Every starter has to do that from now on.
On the other side, the hitters must find a way to chip through Edinson Volquez, who utterly bamboozled them in the first game of the series.
All told, it's looking pretty bleak – and not in that "How wild will it be when this one gets turned around!" way.
For now, fans can fall back on Koppett's Law, named for legendary New York baseball scribe Leonard Koppett. It states that you can predict the outcome of any playoff game based on which result will inconvenience the largest number of sportswriters.
Koppett's Law would move this travelling circus back to Kansas City on Thursday.
You're welcome.
Beyond that, the Jays will have to help themselves.
Cathal Kelly