The Interlake Jr. Blue Jays have hit a rough patch for the first time in quite a while, dropping their second and third consecutive games last week.
The Jays entered last week’s Manitoba Junior Baseball League action looking to return to the win column after their season-high seven-game winning streak was snapped two weeks earlier by the St. Boniface Legionaires.
On Thursday, they fell 9-7 to the Pembina Valley Orioles (8-8) at Arctic Field in Winkler, marking their first back-to-back losses since May.
They then travelled to Steinbach on Saturday for an evening MJBL Showcase game against the league-leading Carillon Sultans (13-2). The contest ended in a 4-1 victory for Carillon.
The defeats dropped the Jays’ record to 9-7, though they remained in third place with a narrow two-point edge over both the Orioles and the Elmwood Giants (8-4).
With six games remaining, the Jays have reached a pivotal point in the season, where every game will carry significant importance in determining their first-round playoff opponent.
The schedule will not get any easier, either, with three games remaining against Carillon, two against Elmwood and one against the Winnipeg South Wolves (4-14).
The Jays will look to take advantage of home field in three of those contests, particularly this weekend when they welcome Carillon to Quarry Park for a Sunday doubleheader.
Upcoming games
• Monday, June 22 — at Elmwood Giants, 7 p.m., St. James Optimist Fields
• Friday, June 26 — vs. Winnipeg South Wolves, 7:30 p.m., Quarry Park
• Sunday, June 28 — vs. Carillon Sultans, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Quarry Park (doubleheader)
