Frustration is building for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Their two top hitters were visibly upset during Sunday’s 2-1 extra-innings loss against the Tampa Bay Rays, and Casey Janssen and Sergio Santos — who began the season as Toronto’s top two relievers — were unable to shut the Rays down in high-leverage spots.
The Rays beat the Blue Jays in the 10th inning with Santos on the mound in his first appearance since re-joining the team after a month spent at triple-A. While he had difficulty commanding the ball, he didn’t get any help on defence from Nolan Reimold, who missed a catchable ball in right field for a two-base error that set up the game-winning run.
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Of course Reimold wouldn’t have been in the game at all unless Jose Bautista had been ejected for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Bill Welke in the sixth inning.
While Bautista declined to detail the conversation he had with Welke, he doesn’t believe his words warranted an ejection.
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Bautista said. “The only thing that matters is what [Welke] thinks. He made the call. That’s in the past.”
The Bautista ejection proved costly on two occasions. First, when Reimold made the two-base error and then when Reimold batted with two outs and two on in the 10th only to strike out. Manager John Gibbons said he needed Bautista’s bat in the game, even if it means showing restraint instead of stating his case.
“Bottom line we need him in the game,” Gibbons said. “Say your piece. Get the hell out of there. We’re trying to get to the playoffs. We need you on the field.”
Gibbons described Bautista as a “marked man” given his contentious history with umpires, but said Welke “had a pretty good [strike] zone.” Bautista acknowledged that saying nothing would have turned out better, but insisted that what he said shouldn’t have led to an ejection.
“If you want to stick to facts, the facts are because I did say something — anything at all — I did get tossed,” Bautista said. “I guess you would say yes [staying quiet would have turned out better]. But again, I feel like what I know I said was nowhere near warranting getting ejected.”
One inning later, Edwin Encarnacion loudly voiced his displeasure with Welke before manager John Gibbons took over the argument on Encarnacion’s behalf.
Starter Drew Hutchison gave the Blue Jays just what they needed Sunday, with six innings of one run ball in front of 38,869. But a quiet offence couldn’t pick him up and the resulting 2-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays cost the Blue Jays the chance at a series win, and gives Toronto a 6-14 record in August.
At this stage in the season, each loss hurts badly, but if there’s one positive for the Blue Jays it was Hutchison’s strong performance. It’s been in up and down summer for the right-hander, who had an ERA of 6.24 in the 10 starts leading up to Sunday’s series finale. He bounced back in a big way against the Rays, striking out seven while walking just two.
“It’s just part of the game, man,” catcher Dioner Navarro said before the game. “You’re facing the best hitters in the world — the best players in the world — and it’s not always going to be easy. He almost threw a no-hitter against one of the best teams in the league [Baltimore]. He’s had some rough stretches and personally I would love for a little bit more consistency.”
That’s exactly what the Blue Jays got from the 24-year-old, yet the offence and bullpen were unable to pick Hutchison up. “I thought I made some real good pitches,” Hutchison said. “Tough loss today.”
Janssen, who blew a save opportunity Saturday, allowed the Rays to rally in the ninth inning. “He’s definitely struggling right now,” said Gibbons, adding that the closer’s location has been off of late.
Gibbons said Santos looked relatively crisp in his first appearance after a month with the Buffalo Bisons. But he struggled with command early and Reimold’s error proved costly.
“I wanted to catch the ball and throw [the baserunner] out before I made the play,” Reimold said, acknowledging that he took his eye off of the ball for a split-second.
Rays starter Chris Archer was impressive over seven innings, allowing just six hits and one walk while striking out six. The Blue Jays were unable to generate many chances against the right-hander, who lowered his ERA to 3.09.
With series against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees coming up, the Blue Jays don’t have much time to re-focus.
Bautista’s plan?
“Coming out here and doing what I do every day,” he said. ” Show up, work hard, give my best effort. Try my best and hope for good results.”
All of a sudden the Blue Jays (66-64) are considerably closer to the Rays (64-66) than the teams they’re chasing in the Wild Card and American League East standings. It’s not the way they hoped to start the homestand, and makes it that much harder to envision the kind of late-season tear that would be required to reach the post-season.