A season of gaffs to this point, with no end in sight.

As the boos rained down from all levels of the Rogers Centre, Shohei Ohtani stepped into the box. And then, less than a minute later, stepped out and took a stroll around the bases after putting a Chris Bassitt offering well over the fence in right field.

In a world of glaringly obvious outcomes amidst the headache-inducing world of Toronto sports, this was certainly a top-five ‘we all knew it was coming’ moment. Of course, Ohtani would smack a homer. Of course, Teoscar Hernandez would have multiple hits. Of course, it was a blowout, and of course, Vlad and Bo went a combined 0-7.

Heck, even in wins the team is unable to score. It’s a pathetic, futile attempt at staying the course, culminating in a nearly unwatchable team take the field. The latter half of 2023 has stretched into the start of 2024, a seemingly inexplicable outcome according to John Schneider, Ross Atkins, and Mark Shapiro. The problem, and I’m talking about the overarching one here, is that everybody else has identified the issues that management continues to turn a blind eye to. The top of the lineup sucks, have no qualms about it - Springer, Vlad, and Bo are putting in AAA-level performances night in and night out. Wild swings, weak contact, swinging through middle-middle fastballs, and that’s just the hitting. Toronto’s “big stars” have lost more games than they’ve won, between terrible throws from Bichette and chest-high drops from Vlad. The solution? Keep hitting them one-two-three. A bus missing its wheels won’t roll, no matter how many times you try starting the engine - a simple fact that Schneider and his cronies cannot comprehend.

It doesn’t matter how comfortable stadium seats are when those sitting in them are forced to watch this gong show and are witness to the likes of Dan Vogelbach in the Blue Jays dugout. For goodness’ sake, a sold-out stadium booing John Schneider on Opening Day so loud that Sportsnet - plagued with its issues - has to turn down the volume within the stadium is a disgrace in and of itself. That wasn’t a sign of things to come. The second-best hitter on the team right now is Ernie Clement, for crying out loud.

Starting Addison Barger in a position he’s never played before - like, ever - in his MLB debut? How stupid do you have to be to OK a decision like that? Half the bullpen’s underperforming too, so it’s a Christmas miracle that when poor management of it doesn’t choke away a lead, those out there won’t either.

Compared to the Dodgers, Toronto looks like a farm team. It’s an abomination to the intense, unrelenting support that fans show this organization every single day, as we pay exuberant prices for both food and drink, while the three stooges run our beloved team right into the ground. I said it then and I’ll say it now, nobody cares if you almost signed Ohtani, or if you almost traded for Juan Soto. Nobody cares, not one single person. Definitely not now, when the Buffalo Bisons would have a fair shot at taking them down in a three-game series.

It all stinks and the smattering of Los Angeles Dodgers fans in attendance of this series have every right in the world to revel in our misery. The hitters don’t hit, our catchers don’t throw anybody out, and our usually-good defense makes boneheaded mistakes that cost games.

Sigh, it’s only April and half the country’s ready to move on already. It shouldn’t be like this.

As if on cue, Evan Phillips strikes out the side in the bottom of the ninth. Los Angeles goes for the sweep on Sunday.