TORONTO – The 12th multi-home-run game of Josh Donaldson’s career came via two middle-middle offerings in hitters’ counts, which makes don’t fall behind the Toronto Blue Jays slugger the simple moral of the story.
But a closer examination of the two home runs, Nos. 14 and 15 this season for the third baseman, reveal what makes him such a dangerous hitter, one capable of carrying his team’s offence the way he did in Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees.
Take his first at-bat, which came after Jose Bautista led off with a double and Russell Martin bunted him over to third base. Donaldson took a four-seamer up and in for Ball 1 from CC Sabathia and then looked at a change-up up and away for Ball 2. Locked and loaded in a fastball count, he stayed back on a biscuit change and drove the ball to right-centre rather than trying to hook the ball to left, sending the ball over the wall instead of rolling over it for an out.
Score: 2-0 Blue Jays.
Donaldson’s second at-bat came after Martin opened the third with a base hit. This time, Sabathia started him with a belt-high slider outside before missing inside with a high fastball for Ball 2. Rather than giving in, the veteran lefty followed with a changeup low and away for Ball 3 before throwing a slider that Donaldson timed perfectly, ripping a laser into the second deck in left field.
Score: 4-1 Blue Jays.
Both times, in traditional fastball counts, he was ready for the other offerings that came his way.
“Some of it had to do with pitch location,” said Donaldson. “I was looking for something that was up in the zone and it happened to be an off-speed pitch and I was able to capitalize on the mistake.”
J.A. Happ and relievers Dominic Leone, Danny Barnes, Ryan Tepera and Roberto Osuna, bouncing back from an ugly blown save Sunday, made Donaldson’s swings stand up, holding down the Yankees in the opener of a three-game series to begin a 10-game homestand.
The left-hander walked four – two of them to Aaron Judge, who launched a 459-foot foul ball into the fifth deck before taking a base on balls in the first – but allowed only four hits, cleverly navigating around the traffic. He allowed Garrett Cooper’s RBI single looped into right field in the second but no more.
“The roof was open, wind was blowing out. It’s a stressful situation,” said Happ. “I ended up losing a few guys, probably a few too many walks. In that sixth inning I still felt good. I just wasn’t making my pitches there, maybe trying to do too much. Overall, we did a good job of limiting the damage and keeping the ball in the ballpark. With the early lead, that was enough.”
The solid outing from Happ was needed as the Blue Jays try to stitch together a rotation in the ongoing absence of Aaron Sanchez and while Joe Biagini builds up as a starter once again. Further complicating matters is that Cesar Valdez, due to start Wednesday, was placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder impingement. Right-hander Nick Tepesch, acquired from the Minnesota Twins for cash in a minor-league transaction last month, will have his contract selected from triple-A Buffalo to cover that outing.
The Blue Jays also need a starter Saturday, and Bisons right-hander Chris Rowley is expected to cover that outing. Biagini could be ready to go as soon as Aug. 17 in the homestand finale versus the Tampa Bay Rays, but he won’t be rushed and could make a third start in Buffalo instead.
No matter how things play out on the mound, some bumps should be expected, which is going to put additional onus on the offence to deliver. The Blue Jays managed only one hit with runner in scoring position in seven chances – Donaldson’s homer in the first – but two swings on two different pitches in the same place from their third baseman were enough.
“I know I definitely have the capabilities to have games like this,” said Donaldson. “The fact of the matter is you have to go out there and do it. Today was nice. The great thing about baseball is you have come back here and do it tomorrow.”
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