HOUSTON – Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons called Friday night’s loss to the Houston Astros a good ol’ Texas ass-kicking, and really that’s what his team’s entire four-game stay in the Lone Star State turned out to be.
The American League West leaders completed a series sweep with Sunday’s 4-2 victory, sending their visitors home reeling after a 1-6 road trip left them 17-22 overall, mired in the AL East basement, and it’s very possible changes to some degree – at least minor, if not moderate or major – are coming soon.
Options for the Blue Jays are limited right now, but internal roster adjustments are the likeliest place to start. Whether it’s a significant move like recalling left-hander Daniel Norris, who struck out nine over six innings of two-run ball for triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, or something less invasive like a bullpen tweak is unclear, but what’s happened over the past week is untenable.
The Blue Jays didn’t beat themselves – they simply got beat.
“I’m stating the obvious, right now we stink, and we’re not playing very good in every aspect,” said Mark Buehrle, who deserved a better fate in pitching a complete-game loss. “When we’re pitching good we’re not hitting, when we hit and score runs, which we’ve done for most of the year, we’re not doing a good job of pitching, we’re not holding them.
“I don’t feel we’re as bad as we’re playing, I feel like we have a better team than this, but we’ve got to go out and start playing better. It is early, luckily we’re only five games out of first, so that’s something we can take out of this – we’ve pretty much been terrible this year and we’re only five games out of first place. Use that as an advantage and we’ve got to turn it around quick before we fire sale and start selling guys and trading guys out, or sending guys up and down.
“We’ve got to do something in here because we have the talent that’s here, we’re just not playing very well.”
A similar message was at the heart of Josh Donaldson’s pointed words after Saturday’s setback, when the third baseman said: “This isn’t the try league, this is the get it done league. Eventually they’re going to find people who are going to get it done.”
Gibbons welcomed the frustration of his players, and the comments from Donaldson.
“I love everything about Josh Donaldson, I’ve been saying it since he got here,” said Gibbons. “The guy plays to win, Russell Martin the same way, Buehrle – that’s what they do. They’re pros pros, we can never have enough of those guys.”
There are no silver linings from this past week, and the Blue Jays clubhouse right now is stocked with players covered in icepacks, playing hurt or trying to find their game. Devon Travis is now among the walking wounded, sitting out with shoulder irritation, although Jose Reyes may be set to begin a rehab outing as soon as Tuesday.
Still, the Blue Jays are a bit undermanned right now, on top of everything else.
“I’m an optimistic person,” said Martin who had two hits and was stranded both times. “I’ve been through situations where a team isn’t playing so well, you’re five games under .500 and then you find some life, you win a couple of games in a row, you start feeling better about yourself, hopefully get some guys back from the DL and the next thing you know you’re right where you need to be.
“I feel like the division is going to be wide open for the whole year, I don’t think anyone is going to run away with it, I definitely feel like we have the elements to have a successful season, we’ve just got to go out there and play better.”
Buehrle joined Drew Hutchison as the only Blue Jays starters to go eight innings this season, but given a two-one lead in the top of the fourth inning, he immediately gave it back in the bottom half on Jonathan Villar’s two-run double, and was then ambushed by Colby Rasmus on a first-pitch changeup in the bottom of the sixth that gave the Astros a 3-2 lead.
“Changeup right down the middle, probably up and in when you’re trying to get it down and away,” lamented Buehrle, who allowed four runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
With Collin McHugh shoving for seven innings and the Houston bullpen again locking things down – although Luke Gregerson allowed two batters to reach with one out before recovering for his 10th save – the hill was too high to climb.
Still, the offence needs to take a share of the blame this time, as the Blue Jays went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and both their runs scored on outs. Jose Bautista hit a sacrifice fly in the third that tied the game up 1-1 while Ryan Goins’ fly ball in the fourth gave them a lead.
The timely blow, much like the timely out, just isn’t there for them right now.
“I feel like this is a time where we’re just not playing very well,” said Buehrle. “I mean look at this Astros team, I feel like we rank just right up there with them, but they’re getting those key hits, they’ve got great pitching and they get those hits when they have to. I mean this whole series, they’re not putting these big innings together where they’re getting a bunch of base hits, they’re coming up with key hits in key situations and that’s why they’re playing as good as they are.
“We just need the ball to roll our way a few times and get on a little streak, I feel like we have it in us, I don’t feel we’re as bad as we’re playing right now. But obviously you can only go off the record and the way we’re doing it – we’ve got to turn things around sooner than later.”
Things won’t get any easier with the Los Angeles Angels arriving Monday for the start of a four-game series in Toronto. They’re 7-3 in their past 10 games and while they don’t hit much, their pitching will be tough.
Regardless of the matchup, nothing is easy for the Blue Jays right now, with no easy fixes or answers.