Jays Handle Their Business vs Yankees

Written By Joanna


Well, the regular season series versus the New York Yankees is over for the Blue Jays. The entire series has been some really insanely good baseball. I almost wished I didn't have a vested interest in either team so I could just enjoy it as a fan of intense, high stakes baseball. You know, without the peptic ulcer.

The most recent series was illustrative of the season as a whole. The Jays won two out of three, but other than a few innings here and there, it really felt like it could go either way. I think the Jays are the better team, but the Yankees have managed to stick around longer than some expected. And there is skill in that.
The Yankees have been a pretty large thorn in the side of the Jays for a very long time. There is probably a direct correlation between the dominance of the Yankees over the last two decades and relative mediocrity of the Jays.

In 2015, the Jays handled their business.

David Price won Game 1, pitching exactly the way the Jays dreamed about when they traded for him in July. He threw 87 of his 114 pitches for strikes on Monday and is now 8-1 with a 1.95 ERA in 10 starts with the Blue Jays. The Cy Young talk is getting louder, too.

photo by John Lott

"He's been unbelievable really," John Gibbons said. "Four times he has faced these guys, the team we're competing with right now, and that's not easy to do, they've seen a lot of him. What can you say really? That was the whole idea behind getting him. Trades don't always work out right, but this one worked out right."

Gibbons also had a message to Rogers about pending free agent Price : "I hope they pay him as much money as he wants,” he said.

(Apparently, there is a show on YES that follows Joe Girardi around. A Yankee fan Twitter buddy of mine said it was kind of dull. I would totally watch the shit out of The John Gibbons Show. Make it happen, Sportsnet.) 

Brett Cecil used his formidable curveball on Brett Gardner, Alex Rodrguez and Brian McCann. 

"Blacked out a little bit," Cecil said of his performance. "Three tough hitters. Just trying to make my pitches, trying to get ahead, get to the curveball."


Brett Cecil, who had sported a substantial beard through much of the season, told John Lott why it had to go. 

“It was getting annoying,” he said Wednesday. “I lay down on the bed one night and it felt like a bug in my ear. I realized it was my sideburns or whatever you want to call them. I just decided I’d shave. I told myself, my beard’s not making outs, I am.”

It would've been awesome if he'd just said, "I had bugs in it."




Game 2 was another insane game that could've really gone either way. Starter Marco Estrada had touch of bother early, but settled in. The Jays, however, left a small village on base and never got the hit for the knock out punch. Irritating rookie Greg Bird went deep off  Mark Lowe in the 10th, which sealed the win for the Yankees.

"Just a hanging breaking ball," Navarro said of the Bird homer. "It wasn't the pitch we were trying to throw. Stuff happens, man. We'll be OK. We have a great bullpen, they've been doing a great job for us all year long. Bunt single, catcher's interference and a homer. Three runs, it's just part of the game."

"It was a good baseball game. Two good teams going at it," Bird said. "It was a cool atmosphere, real intense here. Lot of back and forth. I think the fans definitely got their money's worth tonight."

The Jays' homers were nice, but the most exciting parts of the game were two vintage Jose Bautista cannon throws to preserve the score that many of us worried he couldn't do anymore. As John Lott put it, they were " long and firm and laser-like, with a spectacular putout on the other end."

“It’s feeling much better,” Bautista said. “I can’t say it’s 100 per cent. I don’t expect it to be 100 per cent until spring training of next year, but I feel good enough where I can make some pretty good throws. That was the result last night.

“I got some pretty good catch-and-releases, and those throws that I made were on target. I felt good about them when I made them and it ended up working out.”

This was just beautiful. Perfect throw, perfect tag. The umpire was temporarily insane, but it worked out.

Game 3 was just a gift to Jays fans and really, fans of baseball in general. It was a tight, tense pitchers duel.

Marcus Stroman pitches with so much energy. He is just thrilled to be back pitching, to be contributing to this run.

“I’m a very emotional person, I pitch with a huge chip on my shoulder,” Stroman said. “And I feel like every time I’m out there I have to prove a lot of people wrong. So I’m pretty determined and motivated.”

Cathal Kelly has my favourite Stroman description:

"Stroman hits any room like he gets paid by tips. You have never seen so much ass-smackin’, shoulder-slappin’ and fist-bumpin’ done in 50 metres. Stroman’s daily clubhouse strut deserves a Scorsese tracking shot."



“I guess he’s got soft hands, he can’t handle it,” Stroman said of Price wearing the glove. “Having that guy waiting on the top step after every inning is definitely motivating. He’s the man and I’m just lucky to be on his team.”

And then this:

“He spins the ball as good as anybody in the game in my opinion,” Russell Martin said of Stroman. “And he’s got a changeup. And he’s got five pitches that work for him so he’s a special cat.”

And how!


And also this:

A Martin homer? Yes, that's right.

Russell Martin hit a three run homer, putting the Jays up 4-0.

Josh Donaldson approved of it.





My favourite one is TVASports. So much joy. They keep chanting "Russell!" and throw in a "Bonsoir! Elle est partie!" for good measure.  It's basically the Quebecois version of those Donaldson pictures.

ETA, via Stoeten's comment section, a translation of the TVA call:

“1 ball, 2 strikes for Russell Martin and there’s the signal from McCann... the ball is hit with force to left field! Annnnd… She’s gone! Russell! Russell! Russell! Russell! Québec dances! Canada dances! and Russell (can’t make out what he says next). Good night! She’s outta here! Without a doubt! 3 run homer…and now it’s 4 nothing. First point with a walk we tacked on 3 and we were waiting and now, with reason, we’re celebrating but the party isn’t over! ”

We're celebrating but the party isn't over.

John Lott on the Jays' run.

“There’s both,” Pennington said. “It’s a very vocal team. A lot of guys having fun, but at the same time, getting ready for business. You lose a game and everybody’s coming in, and guys are saying, ‘Hey, we’ve won six out of the last seven. Let it go. Here we go tomorrow.’ Everything’s about winning that day.”
Baseball America on Mark Buehrle


Michael Grange on Stroman's love for Toronto



Also, Dioner Navarro was singing Robyn in the clubhouse. 



"So far away but still so near
The lights go on, the music dies
But you don't see me standing here
I just came to say goodbye"

Such a good song.


And if that's too dance-y, here's the Kings of Leon cover:



Caleb Followill's voice is just....

“Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.”

 Finally, baseball lost a genuine legend on Tuesday. Yogi Berra was one hell of a baseball player During his breakout season in 1950, a 25-year-old Berra batted .322/.383/.533, knocked in 124 runs, scored 116, crushed 28 homers, struck out just 12 times, and played in all but three games. He caught both ends of double headers 117 times. Ten rings. 

Yogi's wit inspires every single one of us who tries to be clever when talking and writing about this game.

It's not fair to be so good at playing and also that clever.



30 years later, they decided to let him talk.



I included that one because the assistant to the travelling secretary is in the background.


I think if anyone says those about you, you've done a good job in your life.

Will Leitch on Yogi Berra


The New York Times obit (hat tip to the title) 


And Jonah Keri


Joanna
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