Ah… it’s nice at the top. The Toronto Blue Jays secured sole possession of first place in the American League East with a series win over the Tampa Bay Rays this week, setting up what surely will be an easy coast into the playoffs. All those concerns about all the strikeouts? Resolved. Can a six-man rotation actually work? You betcha. Is Jose Bautista a broken vessel? Get the flip out of here…
OK, fine. The Jays are currently the best team in the AL East — fact — but three games against the lowly Tampa Rays didn’t exactly answer all the lingering questions about just how good this team can be. The Jays struggled last week in Houston and were bad in Kansas City over the weekend. Good news is, they were much better back at home in front of their adoring fandom. But there is still a long way to go.
Here some takeaways from the past three games.
Solo no more
Troy Tulowitzki’s three-run jack in the first inning on Wednesday night ended the Jays’ streak of 17-straight solo shots. The Jays hadn’t hit a home run with runners on base in 18 games, reaching back to July 20. Tulo’s 19th dinger of the season kicked off a five-RBI night for the shortstop, who looks to be in fine form after being beaned by a pitch and injuring his thumb last week.
Bautista on the mend, again
Jose Bautista took a spill in right field during Tuesday night’s 9-2 loss to the Rays and will spend 15 days on the DL with a sprained left knee. It’s a frustrating injury for the 35-year-old pending free agent who missed more than a month with turf toe earlier this season. The injury might have an impact on Bautista’s earning potential next season. But if he comes back and mashes a bunch of homers from late August through October (dare we say…), Joey Bats will do just fine when his next contract is signed. For the Jays, in the mean time, it means two everyday outfielders are out for the next little while, with Kevin Pillar also on the mend. Bautista’s temporary departure doesn’t bode well for a team that struggled at the plate recently, but aside from Tuesday’s loss the Jays hit well against Tampa. Junior Lake was called up for Wednesday’s game, and will likely remain to fill the void. Don’t expect to see Dalton Pompey until September. GM Ross Atkins is high on the prospect’s upside and wants him to play everyday down in triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons.
Travis continues to lead
Devon Travis continued his recent run as one of the Jays’ most reliable batters, extending his current hitting streak to seven games on Wednesday night. He had his first four-hit game in the Jays’ 7-5 win on Monday evening, which followed up his two-home run performance giving Toronto the win in Kansas City on Friday. Travis is hitting .305 on the season, with an .840 OPS. So all of the previous concerns about the Jays’ leadoff spot have been answered by the sophomore at second base.
Rotation, so far so good?
It’s impossible to determine how the six-man rotation is working out so far. Marco Estrada had a rough outing in Tuesday night’s loss, giving up three runs and seven hits over five innings. He described himself as “rusty,” raising concerns that he might have had too much time off between starts. But, hey, he also might have just had a bad game. Estrada is still rocking a 2.95 ERA and is in the midst of the best season of his career. Meanwhile, J.A. Happ was exceptional on Wednesday, picking up his 16th win of the season (and 10th straight) in a 7-0 romp. He gave up just four singles through six innings, shutting out the Rays. Happ dropped his ERA to 2.96 — joining Estrada and Aaron Sanchez in the sub-3.00 club. That puts three Jays among the top-five pitchers in the American League, making a persuasive argument that the Cy Young award could make its way north of the border this year.
The race is on
With a one-game lead over the Orioles for top spot in the AL East, scoreboard watching is about to kick into full force. The Jays have six games remaining with the rival birds, and despite Baltimore’s weak play over the last week, it’s likely going to be a battle right to the end. Right behind Baltimore, Boston sits just two-and-a-half games back of the Jays. Yes, the Red Sox have also struggled of late. But the race to October is just starting to heat up, and while the Jays certainly look like the best of the bunch, it’s going to be a tense two months.
