Toronto sits at 26-26 following the series against Boston at the Rogers Centre, but things are looking up. The Blue Jays took two of three against the AL East–leading Red Sox, and have now strung together three straight series wins. Plus, the series was one of the most entertaining of the year, and it may just have showed the Blue Jays starting to turn the corner.
Price is right for Jose
Jose Bautista went deep against former teammate and friend David Price in Sunday’s eventual loss to the Red Sox. It was Bautista’s sixth career homer off Price, the most versus any pitcher in his career. (He also went yard in his first at-bat in Roy Halladay’s return to the Rogers Centre with the Phillies in 2011.) More importantly Bautista’s hit streak when leading off has continued, and is now up to nine games. Bautista also looked comfortable playing first base for the first time since 2014.
Tulo down again
Troy Tulowitzki was put on the disabled list Saturday because of a strained quadriceps. He hurt the quad stealing second base in New York on May 26. He said it was a low-grade strain and that he should return to action in 15 days. The 31-year-old has been plagued by injury throughout his career and that trend has continued during his time in Toronto. Tulo hit just .239 with 17 RBI and five home runs in his 41 games with Toronto to end last season. To start 2016 he wasn’t much better batting .204 with 23 RBI and eight dingers in 46 games. Considering the fact he hasn’t played more than 140 games since 2011 his advanced age and injuries coupled with declining production is a storyline worth monitoring. The other concern is the fact that the returning Devon Travis doesn’t have a chance to build chemistry in the infield with Tulowitzki. In the interim Darwin Barney takes Tulo’s spot at shortstop.
Dickey looks good but lacks backup
Dickey went five innings of no-hit baseball on Sunday, but unfortunately, the stellar start was for naught. The Blue Jays left 11 runners on base in Sunday’s loss, the most important one being in the 11th as they lost 5–3 in extras to the Red Sox. But Dickey said he isn’t overly concerned with the trend. “I’ve played long enough to understand that there’s a rhythm to these things. They’ll be a stretch where I get a bunch. It doesn’t happen until it happens, but at the same time I don’t look into it too much. I just think it’s coincidence.”
Floyd falling apart
Gavin Floyd has allowed one or more runs in five of his last six appearances. After doing a good job keeping the ball in the ballpark to start the season, Floyd put Boston’s go-ahead run on base when he walked Blake Swihart on Sunday in the top of the 11th. The 33-year-old was carving out a niche for himself as one of John Gibbons’s trusted high-leverage arms. Floyd has pitched in three of the last four contests and now Gibbons thinks he’s gone to the well with Floyd too often. “He’s been working and pitching a lot. There’s a lot of innings over his career and he’s had some arm issues, so we’re trying to be careful with him, but the way the games have all gone last week, they’re tight games and he’s been so good for us. I just think he’s a little bit out of gas.” Floyd is the best example of a tired Blue Jays bullpen that is catching up with them.
