Takeaways
Nearly a week has passed and it's left a girl tired, moody and lazy. A girl finds it difficult to write words. A girl will resort to the laziest form of blog post- a links post.
Sweeping the Yankees and taking two of three from the Red Sox, as well as finally beating David Price, made for an excellent week of Toronto Blue Jays baseball. Let us explore.
Jose Bautista is awesome: Part One.
Jose Bautista is awesome: Part Two.
Jose Bautista is awesome; Part Three
The only loss of the last week came from Marcus Stroman's start on Saturday. It was not good. Stroman gave up nine hits, six runs and five walks over 5 2/3 innings.
The thing with Stroman is that he needs to pound down with his pitches to be effective. If he isn't doing that, it's not very much fun to watch. People are starting to worry and jerks are starting to grumble that Stroman isn't pitching like an "ace", like the kid is somehow reneging on a contract.
He seems at a bit of a loss to explain what is happening. We have to remember he's young and has never pitched an entire big league season. He's feeling it a little. He's got to figure out what is making him leave his pitches up. I have't watched enough video of it, but Nolan Ryan argues here that most pitching issues begin in the lower half of the body.
To note:
I'm guessing the Jays are going to start with feet and work their way up. That whole site linked above with Nolan Ryan is designed for teenage pitchers and their parents. If you want to understand mechanics, it's good.
Pat Tabler has some insight on what some of the Blue Jays think is going on, notably to do with Stroman's landing foot. Kevin Barker thinks Stroman needs to simplify his approach and use his sinker more.
Here is Pat Tabler talking about it to Barker and Blair on Baseball Central.
Tabler also says ".....he flattens his balls out a little...." which I enjoyed.
One of the reasons I'm not wailing about Stroman is that the rest of this Blue Jays rotation has been pitching their faces off.
Let's take Marco Estrada. He took a no-hitter in the 8th inning yesterday. This was no joke because, as every media outlet across North America loves to point out, the Boston Red Sox are the best hitting team in baseball. Turns out, baseball players like to say this, too.
Steve Buffery wrote about Estrada, the women who inspire him and his childhood for the Toronto Sun. He also talks about the tough part of LA he grew up in.
Estrada on his LA vs Kevin Pillar's
Reading about Estrada's rough background makes me laugh a little because what I noticed when I saw him in person was both how almost cat-like he is, like a leopard, and also how beautiful. He does not look hard scrabble or tough. Book by cover, I guess.
It's a great read.
You know what else is awesome? Everything Roberto Osuna and Russell Martin did when the game was over and the lead was preserved. I mean, the Red Sox kept pounding and it looks scary. But it was ok! We're all ok!
Also, Osuna thanking God for Russell Martin and also using the longest hashtag ever.
Big brother!
Stoeten tweeted (and possibly deleted because I can't find it) that Osuna is way too hardcore for this "Osuna Matata" stuff and I kind of agree. Ice in his veins.
Speaking of Stoeten, he writes lots of stuff. Including this about that letter school children wrote to Rob Manfred about that Jays-Rangers brawl.
I love that they all signed it. I love that Manfred wrote back.
Also, I love this.
Finally,
That's the stuff right there.