It wasn’t exactly a storybook ending to the regular season for the Toronto Blue Jays.
No, dropping a 12–3 decision to the Tampa Bay Rays and giving up nine runs in the first inning alone isn’t a confidence-inspiring way to head into the post-season. Neither is losing two of three in the regular season series finale.
But game one of the ALDS with ace David Price on the mound is enough to erase those memories pretty quickly. Price gets the start against the Texas Rangers Thursday at the Rogers Centre (the time is TBA).
Here are five takeaways from the regular season-ending series:
Tulo’s back
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki made his return on Friday after missing three weeks, recovering from a back and shoulder injury he sustained after colliding with Kevin Pillar. Tulowitzki didn’t look rusty: He went 2-5 Friday, with a double and a single. After a planned day of rest on Saturday, he returned on Sunday and went 1-3, with a double. Having Tulowitzki back at short and Ryan Goins at second means Toronto’s infield is back to looking awfully good.
Kevin Pillar does it again
The centre-fielder does this so often, we take it for granted. So does he. He told reporters he thought this was “pretty good.” Pillar’s latest diving catch:
Blown home field advantage
Roberto Osuna, the 20-year-old closer who entered this season not even expecting to make the Blue Jays roster, blew his third save of the season on Saturday. Osuna gave up a two-run, bases-loaded single with two out in the ninth to give the Rays a 4-3 walkoff win.
That’s when Toronto lost its shot at sealing its own fate when it comes to home field. It put the Jays a game behind the Kansas City Royals for best record in the league, meaning Toronto needed a win Sunday (didn’t happen) and Kansas City needed a loss (didn’t happen), so they’d finish in a tie (which Toronto would have won by virtue of a 4-3 season head-to-head series record vs. KC).
Mark Buehrle’s streak falls short
The veteran left-hander needed two innings of work to become the fifth in MLB to pitch 200 frames in 15 straight seasons, and got the start on one day of rest to try to make it happen. But a brutal first inning on Sunday that included two Toronto fielding errors and a Joey Butler grand slam ended Buehrle’s final start of the season 1.1 innings short of that 200-mark.
It was disappointing, to be sure. But Buehrle was grinning and joking around in the dugout after his two outs of work. The 36-year-old also knows he won’t be on the Blue Jays’ playoff roster, but says he’s going to cheer really hard. (He also says he hasn’t yet decided whether he’ll retire or not at the end of this season.)
The long wait is over
Here’s the biggest takeaway: The post-season is here. The Blue Jays are in the playoffs for the first time in 22 years. A few things to know ahead of the ALDS: The Jays won head-to-head matchups against the Rangers 4-2 this season, including their last game set, which Toronto took 2-1.
And they’re confident about how they play in Arlington. As Jose Bautista told reporters: “Most of us do pretty well in that ballpark.”