Extended early-season hot streaks are nothing new for the Toronto Blue Jays. They won nine consecutive games last May and reeled off 11 wins in a row in June of 2013. But John Gibbons says this edition of the Blue Jays is different.
“One thing we noticed about this group in spring training was that it was made up of a bunch of winners,” the Blue Jays manager told Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker on Sportsnet 590 The FAN Friday. “It was definitely a different feel than it was the last few years.”
The Blue Jays have won eight consecutive games to pull above the .500 mark at 31-30 as they arrive in Boston for three games against the Red Sox. Toronto started slowly before taking a series against the Washington Nationals then sweeping both the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins.
“Even through the bad times it’s a group that pulls for each other,” Gibbons continued. “There’s something better – something definitely better about this.”
What’s better about this year’s team? Players like Josh Donaldson and Chris Colabello contribute to a focused, positive clubhouse. The team is disappointed when losses pile up, and Gibbons says “that’s the way it should be.”
The Blue Jays went on to finish the 2013 season 74-88 before going 83-79 in 2014. They send Drew Hutchison to the mound against Boston’s Joe Kelly in Friday’s series opener.
