Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider said miscommunication was the culprit in Jeff Hoffman's costly eighth-inning pickoff attempt during Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Houston Astros.
With the game tied 1-1, Hoffman attempted to pick off Astros runner Joey Loperfido, who had hit a triple. The pitcher's throw sailed past third baseman Kazuma Okamoto into foul territory, allowing Loperfido to score the go-ahead run.
Loperfido puts us back in front on a throwing error! pic.twitter.com/H9dpGN3HpO
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 25, 2026
"I think with Kaz not covering, it kind of threw Jeff off a little bit," Schneider said, according to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. "So just miscommunication with Kaz, really."
Schneider explained that Okamoto thought the throw was going to come from catcher Alejandro Kirk instead of Hoffman, who expected his third baseman was going to break for the bag.
Tuesday marked a second consecutive close loss for the Blue Jays (39-41), who are clinging to the final wild-card spot in the American League.
"It's frustrating when you feel like you leave a couple wins on the table against an American League team," Schneider said. "That's baseball sometimes, but there's definitely some areas where you can get a little bit tighter."
