BY MIKE CORMACK
sportsnet.ca
Moments after being named the leading vote-getter for the MLB all-star game, Jose Bautista said he just wanted to go out and get a win.
The Toronto Blue Jays slugger did more than his part in a wild 7-4 win Sunday over the Philadelphia Phillies in front of 26,204 fans at Rogers Centre.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Toronto and helped them avoid a sweep at the hands of the NL East leaders.
Bautista—who set a MLB record with over 7.5 million votes to earn a starting outfield job for the AL in the mid-summer classic—thanked his supporters by belting a towering, solo home run off Phillies starter Cliff Lee in the bottom eighth to give the Jays a 5-4 lead.
“I wish the people that voted for him had a little bit of a glimpse of what we know and see every day,” said Jays manager John Farrell. “To go about it in a way that’s completely selfless and do whatever the team asks of him, whether it’s on the field by changing positions, or off the field, he’s just a great ambassador to this organization.”
The blast by Bautista, his third of the series and his sixth in the past 12 games, gave him a major-league best 27 round-trippers on the season, a skill he said he hopes to display in the MLB home run derby.
“I have high hopes for that,” he said, dispelling any talk he might take a pass on the event. “I’ll treat it just like batting practice, as a one-day thing. I’m not superstitious and I don’t think it’s going to mess up my swing.”
The bottom of the eighth Sunday was a mini-derby in itself for Toronto.
After entering the frame trailing 4-3, a solo sot to centre by rookie Eric Thames tied things up before Bautista sent the crowd into a frenzy with his blast to left.
Thames—who is batting .410 over his current nine-game hitting streak—continues to draw rave reviews from his manager.
“The confidence that he has at the plate shines through,” said Farrell. “He has grabbed this opportunity and is running with it. What more can you say? He’s been a force.”
Thames, who done most of his damage batting in front of Bautista in the lineup, was asked what he’s learned from watching his veteran teammate.
“That he’s a freak,” he explained. “He’s just such a smart guy. He’s not a guy who just wakes up and rolls out and hits. He’s always studying video and looking for little things to fix in his swing.”
Two batters after the Thames blast, a resurgent Edwin Encarnacion—manning first base Sunday—followed up with a two-run shot to left to cap the scoring, and Lee's day.
The Philadelphia lefthander had entered the game on an impressive 32 consecutive scoreless innings streak and he extended it to 34 before a John McDonald RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom of the third snapped it and put the Jays on the board.
On the day, Lee (9-6) went 7.1 innings, giving up 10 hits and six earned runs while striking out nine. He and fellow Phillies teammates Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Placido Polanco were named to the NL all-star team Sunday.
Meanwhile, Toronto starter Jo-Jo Reyes was shaky early, giving up four runs in the second to stake Philadelphia to a 4-0 lead, but the lefthander settled down nicely from there, scattering eight hits and two walks over his six innings of work.
Octavio Dotel pitched a scoreless inning and two-thirds to close things out and improve to 2-1.
SNIDER’S BACK
After the game, the Jays designated Juan Rivera for assignment and recalled outfielder Travis Snider from triple-A Las Vegas.
Snider—who had another fine night at the plate for the Las Vegas 51s Saturday going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs—will play right field when the Blue Jays begin a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox Monday afternoon at Fenway.
"With the adjustments he's made, the most encouraging thing is even after the 13 days he missed with the concussion, he stepped right back in and in these (past) three days he's executed those adjustments." Farrell said prior to Sunday’s game.
Snider suffered the concussion back on June 17 when he was hit in the head by a pitch.
“He’s had three very good nights at the plate (in Vegas) and we feel like it’s time for him to get at-bats here,” Farrell said following Sunday’s game, adding Snider could see some time in centre field later in the week when the Jays visit Cleveland.
When asked whether Snider remains in danger of another demotion should he struggle again, Farrell suggested he believes the outfielder is here to stay.
“We have to stick with him,” he said. “He’s got a chance to be a well above-average major leaguer.”
In 49 games with the 51s, the 23-year-old Snider batted .333/.403/.488 with two homers, 21 doubles and 29 RBIs.
ROUGH OUTING FOR MCGOWAN
Dustin McGowan pitched against professional players for the first time in almost three years Saturday with single-A Dunedin, and despite a rough outing, Jays manager John Farrell said there’s no cause for concern.
The 29-year-old righthander made 34 pitches and lasted just two-thirds of an inning surrendering three hits, three runs and one walk with one strikeout.
Farrell explained McGowan was on a 35-pitch limit and that was why he was pulled so early—not because of any soreness.
“The velocity was consistent to where it was prior to joining Dunedin,” he told reporters Sunday. “Now it’s a matter of execution and facing a little bit better competition.”
As for McGowan’s timeframe, Farrell said: “Typically with this type of rehab it’s two outings at each incremental increase. Twice at two innings, twice at three innings twice at four (innings).”
NOTES: Farrell said Adam Lind’s start at DH had nothing to do with any lingering back problems and everything to do with simply giving his regular first basemen a day off from the field …Farrell added he does not expect reliever Jon Rauch to be suspended by MLB for actions following his ejection from Saturday’s game …The Rogers Centre attendance of 89,590 over Friday-Saturday.
