Jose Bautista is excited to be playing in meaningful September games for the first time in his Toronto Blue Jays tenure. Currently in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak, Bautista’s hot bat has been a big reason for the Blue Jays’ recent resurgence.
“These games mean a whole lot more because we are in striking distance of a playoff spot,” Bautista said Wednesday on Baseball Central on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “These games are fun. These games are important and hopefully we finish on a strong note because we have a lot of games left against teams that are in front of us or near us in the standings.”
Over his last 13 games, Bautista is batting .333/.390/.815/1.205 with eight home runs, 19 RBIs and 12 runs in 59 plate appearances, which is the primary reason why the Blue Jays have won eight of their last 10 games.
“Jose has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last few years,” manager John Gibbons told reporters Tuesday. “He’s got the knack of doing something big when it counts, when we need something.”
Bautista’s bat was especially important in Tuesday’s 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs when his bases-clearing double off of reliever Neil Ramirez in the seventh inning blew the game wide open for Toronto.
“With the count going full and the bases loaded, (Ramirez) was cornered,” Bautista explained. “He hadn’t shown me an offspeed pitch all at-bat so I didn’t think he was going to try it at that point in time. So I placed my bet on a fastball and I was going to swing at one in the strike zone and I did. He threw it over the heart of the plate and I was able to connect.”
Bautista is currently undergoing one of the best single seasons in Blue Jays history. He ranks in the top 15 in WAR (wins above replacement) and has amassed an OPS of .928 with 32 home runs, 96 RBIs, 88 walks and just 88 strikeouts in 603 plate appearances this season.
“It’s a result of a good approach,” he explained. “The secret is more in the execution than the preparation or the game plan. I try not to swing at off-speed pitches early in counts and try to force them to throw strikes. When they fall behind in counts, that’s when they have to throw the fastballs in the strike zone. And that’s when you cause the most damage.”
The Blue Jays have won three games in a row, but the club remains 4.5 games back of the second wild card position.
