After a successful stretch of five straight series wins, the Jays faltered in Detroit. Monday night’s 11–0 blowout win for the Tigers set up a bad start to the week for the Jays. A blown lead in the ninth inning on Tuesday, leading to a 3–2 loss, piled on the misery. But the back-to-back losses were buoyed a bit on Wednesday afternoon with a convincing 7–2 win for the Jays.
The Jays will need to take any momentum they recovered on Wednesday into a four-game stretch at home against the division-leading Baltimore Orioles. The next couple of weeks present a key opportunity to gain some ground in the AL East. Seven of Toronto’s next 11 games are against Baltimore.
Here are a few takeaways from three days in Detroit.
Donaldson is back just in time
The reigning American League MVP had hit a rough patch of late, bogged down by an injured hand and unable to produce. Heading into the final game of the series, Donaldson was 0 for his last 11. But he broke out in a big way on Wednesday afternoon. Donaldson crushed a three-run shot in the top of the third inning. It was his first home run since May 27. In fact the dinger was Donaldson’s first extra base hit since then. He followed up with some stellar defence, taking a base hit away from Miguel Cabrera with an incredible diving catch at third. Back at the plate in the fifth, Donaldson added a triple. He finished the game a double short of hitting for the cycle. He looks to be back in MVP form just in time for one of the biggest series of the season so far.
Sanchez is for real (but for how long?)
Aaron Sanchez tossed one of his best games as a Major League starter in the frustrating 3–2 loss on Tuesday. He had 12 strikeouts through eight shutout innings, before giving up a couple of hits in the ninth, looking for the complete game. He was replaced by Roberto Osuna, who gave up a double to Cabrera that cashed in the tying run. The Tigers went on to win it in the 10th with Joe Biagini on the mound.
But final score aside, it was a statement game for Sanchez. He now has a 2.91 ERA posting a 1.14 WHIP through 80 innings this season. Any questions about whether he belongs in the Jays rotation have already been answered. Now the question turns to speculation that the team has put a cap on the number of regular season innings they’ll allow Sanchez to pitch. It will be interesting to see how they manage him over the next few months. Can they afford to rest him, or limit his innings, even as the team battles for the top spot in the AL East? It’s a problem all teams with young aces face. Sanchez’s performance this season has certainly put pressure on the team to back away and let him pitch.
No offence taken, but some needed
Here’s something obvious, but interesting. In their two losses to the Tigers on Monday and Tuesday, the Blue Jays went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position. The team’s sad lack of clutch was of particular detriment when they failed to give Sanchez the run support his efforts deserved, allowing the Tigers to stay in a game he had taken them out of. But what a difference a day can make. On Wednesday, the Jays went four for 10 with runners in scoring position. In the first two games, the Jays had eight hits combined. They put up nine on Wednesday. Related: Toronto had 17 strikeouts in the first two games in Detroit, but just five on Wednesday. Turns out that not striking out is a pretty big key to winning baseball games. And with the Jays, so is the long ball. Two home runs were the difference for Toronto in their 7–2 victory. It’s telling that 11 of the team’s last 14 runs were driven in by dingers.
