Needed That Desperately: Jays Drop Two of Three to Orioles

The game on June 27th between the Blue Jays and the Orioles had all the irritating hallmarks of this 2017 team.

Decent starting pitching, decent bullpen pitching, an offense ineffective against middling LH pitchers, a turning point in the game where a much needed hit with RRSP never comes and a solo homer to remind people that they can hit, they just can't when they really need it. And, of course, a loss to the Orioles. 

"Not many chances to get things going," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, whose team had just three at-bats with runners in scoring position. "A couple, and then of course Tulo's home run. A lean night."

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Marcus Stroman attacked down in the zone, went hard after a very tough Orioles' lineup and was generally fantastic. In short, he pitched like an ace.

"I work extremely hard between starts to put my body in a position where I'm able to go deep into games and maintain velocity," said Stroman, who walked off the field to a standing ovation. "I credit that to the work that everyone puts in. The training staff, the strength and conditioning staff here has been unbelievable. My body feels great. I feel like I could have went another inning, another two innings. I feel great where I'm at right now."

It was a great game. A dominant start from the starter, timely hits and a no nonsense appearance from the closer.

"A dangerous team, a tough team to shut down," said Gibby. "We needed that. We needed that game desperately." 

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"Early in the game, I felt really strong and thought I was getting some early outs, keeping the pitch count down," Happ said. "I think any time you keep any team in this league, especially this division, in this ballpark, in the ballpark, you give yourself a chance to win. So overall I felt pretty good about it."

Happ is the only who feels pretty good about it. Though the loss last night was nowhere near his fault. 

The general moaning about Jimenez and the Jays’ inability to beat him was a consistent theme last night, but here’s the thing: Jimenez, when on, is near unhittable.

Last night, he threw a tonne of strikes. The hitters could stand there and look at them, or swing at them.

 But Jimenez, when on, is near unhittable. Most contact turned into outs.

 The reason Jimenez went into that game with an ERA over 7 is that he isn’t consistently on. He’s wild, which leads to walks, which leads to missing over the plate, which leads to runs. If he had been wild and the Jays failed to score, it would’ve been more concerning. This was just irritating. 

 It’s frustrating and irritating.  It was terrible to watch. Looking at the ERA and thinking that the Jays “should” beat Jimenez.  But since when does “should” factor into baseball?

Highlight? Highlight.

Kevin Pillar hustles into the gap in right-center and crashes into the wall to make a tremendous catch on Ruben Tejada's long fly ball Check out http://MLB.com/video for more! About MLB.com: Former Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced on January 19, 2000, that the 30 Major League Club owners voted unanimously to centralize all of Baseball's Internet operations into an independent technology company.

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Josh Donaldson's face and demeanor have become barometers for this team.

More of this:

Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson jokingly punch each other in the stomach while in the dugout Check out http://MLB.com/video for more! About MLB.com: Former Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced on January 19, 2000, that the 30 Major League Club owners voted unanimously to centralize all of Baseball's Internet operations into an independent technology company.

Less:

More:

Less:

Make Josh happy again. 

Good Ground: Bautista and Liriano Team up to Salvage One from KC; Meeting Legends; Osuna and Anxiety.

The Blue Jays managed to salvage one from the Kansas City Royals on Sunday by hitting the baseball in a timely manner.  It seems so easy when they do it which makes it all the more frustrating when they don't. 

Francisco Liriano limited a very pesky Royals team to two runs over six innings and earning his 100th career win. 

“I was throwing strikes with it early in the count. It was working pretty good. I feel pretty good about it.”

— -Francisco Liriano to Sportsnet.ca

Bautista, who hit a beautiful homer to tie both the game and Joe Carter on the all-time Blue Jays RBI list, describes the homer as a bit of luck:

“It’s a feel thing. If you feel like the ball’s going to end up in the zone, you try to go after it. And, lucky enough, he put one right there on a tee for me. I’m sure he wants that one back and that he wasn’t trying to locate it right there. But sometimes pitchers make mistakes and hitters take advantage, and I feel like that was one of those moments.”

— José Bautista to Sportsnet.ca

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons talks about the play of Jose Bautista.

Despite what some in the media were saying, this was never actually the “soft” part of the schedule, particularly if you looked past the standings. The Rangers were hot. The Royals had won 11 of 13. 

The Jays now face the Orioles, the Red Sox, the Yankees and the Astros. It looks scary, but Bautista doesn't seem worried:

“It’s not going to be do-or-die type of baseball, but it’ll definitely be a good stretch of games heading into the break where we could make up some good ground. After a tough first month, I think overall our record has been pretty good. We’ve been having to battle a lot of things — guys going down and stuff like that. But for the most part, we’re healthy and we’ve just got to get in a groove where we’re all playing together and everybody’s doing what we’re capable of doing and the machine is running on all cylinders. Hopefully we get to do that here, especially during this stretch.”

— José Bautista to Sportsnet.ca

Just as an aside, the top definition on the Urban Dictionary for "José" goes like this:

Yeah. 

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I went to the Opening Pitch event in Toronto put on by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame last Thursday.

I had the pleasure of meeting Roy Halladay for the first time. I wrote so much about this guy in the early days of this blog (comparing and contrasting Halladay in style and substance to A.J. Burnett was an early preoccupation). Meeting him and interacting with him was surreal. The sense I got from Doc, which matches pretty much how I imagined him, was that while he was fully appreciative of people's admiration, but a part of him wondered what the fuss was about. Doc's the guy that throws a perfect game and still does the post-start workout he'd do if he gave up 10 runs. 

He laughed when I said, "You were always so great to watch. Even when you were terrible, you were great." I didn't know how else to say it. 

I also met Vladimir Guerrero. I don't know how much English Vlad speaks (though it's clear he understands plenty.) I put my hand out for him to shake and told him, among other things, that Jays fans were very excited about his kid. He took my hand and just looked at me. Not in a creepy or awkward or sexually charged way, but like he was contemplating. Contemplating me, contemplating what I'd said, contemplating life itself. It was a little unnerving but I kind of wanted to keep looking at him and have him look at me in the quiet, contemplative way he has. But it couldn't last.

I also met Pat Hentgen, who told me he has already read my blog (which, wow). He's very affable and, for whatever reason, something about him just made me want to tease him. Not in a mean way, but Mr. Hentgen inspired quippiness in me. The look he gave me when I explained "hum and chuck" to him was great. 

The view from Miller-Thompson. 

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"I don’t really know how to explain it. I just feel anxious. I feel like I’m lost a little bit right now. This has nothing to do with me being on the field. I feel great out there. It’s just when I’m out of baseball. When I’m not on the field, I feel just weird and a little bit lost.”

Somewhere in the 9th inning to post-game dank of Friday's game, there was a lot of talk about the health of Roberto Osuna.

It's not a massive conspiracy. People have days off. He's worked a lot.

— Joanna (@HumandChuck) June 24, 2017

This was a notable discussion:

Maybe the guy is sick.. Maybe hungover.. Maybe broke team rule and had unannounced suspension.. They didn't announce unavailable.. Seems odd

— James Brent Allan (@Jamieyaheard) June 24, 2017

Probably not... but if it was minor team rule.. Maybe missed curfew then he it's possible.. Just saying not feeling well just seems weird

— James Brent Allan (@Jamieyaheard) June 24, 2017

As soon as Gibbons said Osuna "wasn't feeling well" on Friday and then basically shut the discussion down, I knew what that meant. Because it's my code. It's how I articulate it. I actually made a joke about it on Twitter:

is he hormonal and bloated and tired of the humidity, because SAME.

— Joanna (@HumandChuck) June 24, 2017

my eyeballs are itchy and my calf muscles hurt. I'm also not talking to the media tonight.

— Joanna (@HumandChuck) June 24, 2017

Not because it's funny but because I, too, know the feeling of being lost and unsure. Like your skin is on inside out. That you are dumb or ugly or dull or just not right. Nothing feels good or right, no matter what anyone says or does. You can't make simple decisions because the imagined consequences are blaring at you. You can't pinpoint the issues because there is simultaneously no issue and every issue. 

You aren't feeling well.

One thing I will say is that while talking about it is a good thing, having to answer questions about it and having to take advice about exercise and sunshine and sleeping from every random person might not be. 

I, for one, hate talking about it, even though I understand the importance of sharing.  Mostly because I don't feel like it's anyone's business. 

And there is something to be said about minding your own damn beeswax. 

The one time I've met Roberto Osuna was at a signing in 2015- it was actually the day the Jays traded for David Price. Anyway, I had remembered that Osuna tweeted looking for good Latin, particularly Mexican, food in Toronto. I asked my friend Rodrigo, who happens to be Mexican, where he likes and told Osuna that my Mexican friend had recommended these places. Osuna looked at me with those ridiculously large, dark eyes of his and said, "I don't have any Mexican friends here." 

It stuck with me for a few reasons- one of them being that it was really funny (I fully believe he was trying to be funny) and also, yeah, moving to a whole new country where the language and the culture is completely different would be really lonely. 

#BlueJays closer Roberto Osuna said he feels better than he did yesterday, and that he appreciates all the support he's received. pic.twitter.com/Fx6TElJy5z

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 25, 2017

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A handful of reads:

Israel Fehr talked to Russell Martin for The Athletic on reading hitters' swings.  If you love either the minutiae of baseball  or just enjoy when Russell Martin talks about his craft, find an article that will do both. 

Eric Koreen, also from The Athletic, talking about Osuna's issue. 

Mark Buehrle got his number retired by the Chicago White Sox this weekend and wrote about it for The Player's Tribune. I know Chicago has his heart, but I will always love and appreciate Mark Buehrle for how he conducted himself while he was a Toronto Blue Jay. For all the advice and support he gave our current pitchers and for just being a chill dude who knows how to do it. 

One Buehrle start was so efficient, I was able to watch the whole game and still had time to get drunk on margaritas at my friend's goodbye party at El Catrin in the Distillery District. That's a direct line to a girl's heart. 

Some Really Nice Things: Jays Split Series with Yankees

That was a lot of baseball. 

Thursday

Marco Estrada didn’t have it. The changeup- too much up not enough change. Baseball is hard.

On the changeup: 

“When they’re down I get swings and misses, when they’re up like that they get hit a long way,” Estrada said. “That’s basically what happened. I wasn’t really locating much, missed a lot of my spots actually.”

Estrada needed 29 pitches to get through the first inning, an inning in which the Yankees scored four times. 

Aaron Judge hit a homer in the second, and nothing really got any better.

Estrada only lasted 3 2/3 innings, and was finally pulled when the Yankees were up 7-0.

Not the start Estrada wanted, #Yankees lead #BlueJays 7-0. https://t.co/EE2F1Ba3xf pic.twitter.com/hwmcccNu6U

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 2, 2017

12-2 was the final. Let's never speak of it again.

Friday

Francisco Liriano returned from the DL and was solid. 

Liriano allowed just two runs against the scary Yankees offense. He  struck out five with only two base on balls and allowed only two runs. 

The two runs were courtesy of Aaron Judge, who hit a mammoth two run bomb that chased Liriano from the game.

Judge is impressive. There are even arty pictures of him available on Getty. Look! 

He's large. He's agile. He plays catch with the local kids in the stands. He's swell. 

You know who else is swell?

Josh Donaldson. Also, Josh Donaldson's two homer game. 

"There's been some guys that have been doing that since before I even came [off the disabled list]," Donaldson said of the offense. "It's nice to be a part of it right now, and it's nice to see guys continue to have good at-bats and hitting balls out of the park."

Saturday

The optimism of Friday fizzled out on Saturday. Though the final was a painful 7-0, the game was actually a lot closer than the final score shows.

Four homers off a relief pitcher in the 8th will make a game look ugly, but Joe Biagini brought it.

Awkward questions surrounding roster moves and promotional Father’s Day grilling apron tie-ins may soon be upon us, but that will not be dwelled upon here.

Jason Grilli declined to speak after the game. Not shocking. He was just sitting and staring into his locker. #BlueJays

— Scott Mitchell (@ScottyMitchTSN) June 3, 2017

The Jays' offense hung Joe Biagini out to dry and allowed some left handed Yankee shaped rookie own them. The third inning was the key to the game- with two on and none out, Jordan Montgomery got Josh Donaldson to fouled out and Bautista and Morales to strike out on curveballs. 

Lost in this is that Joe Biagini pitched really, really well and has generally proven himself a very capable starter at the big league level. With Aaron Sanchez nearing a return from the DL, some are wondering where Biagini's place will be. He, of course, had something amusing to say:

"Everyone wants Aaron Sanchez to come back. I do, too, because he looks good in his jersey -- as we've talked about before. He's also really good at throwing baseballs, so I feel like we're a better team with that. I'm just trying to be really appreciative of the opportunity to go hang around on that mound every once in a while in whatever capacity." 

Yes Network played Word Association:

Word Association w/ Joe Biagini
✅ Aaron Judge
✅ @russellmartin55
+ more

Today's contribution to the baseball world:https://t.co/weFHNUJlCF

— Matthew Stucko (@MatthewStucko) June 5, 2017

His in depth discussion of Russell Martin's handsomeness is a highlight. As is Danny Barnes.

Sunday

From home, this game felt like a big deal. It is only June, but a series split with the first place Yankees would be a lot better than losing 3 of 4. 

It seems the Skip agreed.

“I think we needed it,” Gibbons said. “It would have been a kick in the teeth had we not won that one and you lose three out of four at home. That’s never good.”

You said it, Skip. 

Josh Donaldson hit the winning homer off Tyler Clippard late in the game. 

“So it was kind of nice to be able to go out there and contribute and help the team win. We had a lot of guys do some really nice things today,” Donaldson said.

One of the guys was Justin Smoak, whose two run homer to support Marcus Stroman tied the game. 

Justin Smoak has put together a very nice season offensively to go with his stellar defense and people have started to take notice of it, including Josh Donaldson. 

“It’s amazing,” Donaldson said of Smoak’s season. “It’s every day and that’s what we need, we need guys that are gonna come and have great at-bats and professional at-bats all day.

“He’s in one of those zones right now that you could say that, when he’s getting those pitches to hit he’s very rarely missing it.”

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General links of interest/ amusement from the weekend:

Fowles: What I Learned From the Brett Lawrie Hosted, Pringles Sponsored, Ketchup Slippery Slide. https://t.co/ZlmmQ1SM5O #Jays #MLB

— Blue Jays Nation (@thejaysnation) June 5, 2017

My latest at the Star -- Venezuelan big leaguers strike back amid turmoil back home https://t.co/D9saQM9BgM via @torontostar

— Morgan Campbell (@MorganPCampbell) June 4, 2017

How does a towel help #BlueJays starter Aaron Sanchez stay sharp on the DL? @israelfehr explains 🔓: https://t.co/AFRs8dH9Er

— The Athletic (@TheAthleticTO) June 4, 2017

Stanton asking the important questions😂 pic.twitter.com/K6EJ0p9qFx

— Daryl (@ateDARYL) June 4, 2017

Things I love: https://t.co/qt87KeTsIQ

— Britni de la Cretaz (@britnidlc) June 1, 2017

Watch Port Dover, Ont., John Axford open pack of old cards. Faces dilemma of trading Joe Carter for Larry Walker.https://t.co/gXkqQA0bof

— Kevin Glew (@coopincanada) June 2, 2017

He's 18, hitting .333/.422/.500. What's it like to watch a Vlad Guerrero Jr. at bat unfold? @jgoldstrass https://t.co/zBTCzRWiIE #BlueJays

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) June 2, 2017

pic.twitter.com/6tWvpMK5EV

— Daryl (@ateDARYL) June 2, 2017

Me if I don't get caffeine in my system by 8:00am. pic.twitter.com/wRYs9UeXDp

— Ian Hunter (@BlueJayHunter) June 2, 2017

The best part of a dugout freakout is the flying gum, The second best part of a dugout freakout is the completely chill reactions from the others.

Bautista patiently waiting for a lull in the tantrum before engaging really shows that Bautista has lived with toddlers.

Just Short: Jays Take Two of Three from Rangers

Sunday’s game was a bit of a let down. Joe Biagini pitched admirably well but the Jays just didn’t get the big hit that pushed them over to get the sweep. Two runs on seven hits and a walk, while picking up seven strikeouts over six innings should get it done with some offence. 

Biagini was a little hard on himself: "C plus. Maybe B minus, considering my expansion of pitches, but a lot of room for improvement. I would definitely categorize it as a learning experience." 

It was nice of the Jays to gift the Rangers a small bit of dignity on their way out of town because this weekend was, for the most part, not kind. 

Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki returned to the lineup Friday night but it was Devon Travis who was the star. Travis finished 3-for-4 with a grand slam and a double. 

"I just think the biggest thing has been able [I'm] to slow the game down," said Travis to MLB.com. "Stick with your approach. When you're having a little bit of success, it's a lot easier to believe in your approach and what you're doing. I'm just continuing to take it day by day, at-bat by at-bat. Bring something to the yard every day to help the team win."

Rougned Odor, because he is a pain in the ass, tightened the game (and the sphincters of Jays' fans) in the top of the ninth with a three run homer off Joe "Witness Protection" Smith. Roberto Osuna struck out Mike Napoli and the Jays won 7-6. 

Saturday featured one of the best games of the season. Marco Estrada, who has been a joy to watch this season, was in tough versus Rangers' ace Yu Darvish. 

Darvish was a tough customer, but he hung a slider to José Bautista in the fifth. Bautista, because he loves hitting 3-run go ahead homers versus the Rangers, launched that slider into the atmosphere. It was a classic "hang/bang" situation.

Estrada had his changeup working, helping him to eight strikeouts in the win.

To MLB.com,

"I liked everything," Estrada said of his outing. "We were locating fastballs, changeups. I threw some decent curveballs. I threw one good cutter, the other one wasn't too good, but overall, the pitches were just working."

Rangers fans really do hate Bautista. It's rather hilarious to watch him just step up and own the Texas Rangers. Rangers' fans cling to the punch and "classiness", but it's great how he manages to just drive them to distraction. 

Aaand, the Rangers Wikipedia page has been updated. pic.twitter.com/RlnoLAk77C

— Isaac (@IB_BlueJays) May 27, 2017

Basically. 

I was looking for Bautista pictures and I found this one from the spring posted by Ian Hunter. 

He's totally following you on Twitter in that pic. 

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Josh Donaldson had the day off on Saturday. He demonstrated why he should never be allowed to have a day off. GIFs by GIF Empress @ateDARYL.

It's such a dick move but Josh just looks so proud of himself.  Little boys with beards. Every last one.

Joe Biagini, who looks the most unimpressed, has close to thirty pounds on Donaldson. Resist a little if you are so inconvenienced. Make him work for it.

Also, I see you Josue!!!! 

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I feel oddly connected to Joey Votto. I’ve only met him once. I made him laugh, which was about as enjoyable as you’d imagine it to be. (If you have a bad imagination, imagine that it was awesome, because it was.) But it wasn’t life changing or something. At least not on my end. I can’t speak for him.

But I wonder if I were a baseball player whether I would be like him. And no, I don’t mean enormously successful with a ridiculous contract, supernaturally talented and great looking in my tight pants (though all of those, you best believe, totally true, especially the contract.) It’s more along the lines of  how he’s described in Gare Joyce’s piece on Sportsnet.ca. An introvert who is a little eccentric, with a biting sense of humour and not keen on tons of attention.

We are both Toronto-born September Virgos named Joe, with clinical Eeyore tendencies but with some snark and can grow luscious full beards. Well, most of that is true. I’ll let you decide what.