MINNEAPOLIS – A busy couple of days in Minneapolis ended with a quiet game for Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista and Mark Buehrle, the former going 0-for-2 in five innings of work, the latter not making an appearance in the all-star game won 5-3 by the American League.
Noteworthy for the Blue Jays was the way Bautista chased a foul ball in right field off the bat of Troy Tulowitzki and how he charged up the line on a groundout to third base in the fourth. Any lingering concerns about the hamstring injury he suffered last month are starting to ebb.
“It feels pretty good,” he said. “I don’t think there are any limitations right now. I don’t want to throw out a 90 per cent number, but I still haven’t pushed it 100 per cent. It feels great.”
As for the play in right field, it was reminiscent of his charge into foul territory at the 2011 all-star game in Arizona, when he slid into the wall to make a catch. This time there was no slide and no catch, but also less risk.
“I was actually thinking that the ball was going to land in the stands and I was going to have to reach in there,” he said. “When I realized it wasn’t, I got scared by the fans, I thought they were going to get their hands in there and they didn’t, they gave me a clean shot at the ball and I had a last-minute panic situation and I dropped it. I should have caught it. (Yu) Darvish picked me up and came out of the inning with no harm.”
As for Buehrle, it was decided Monday that he wouldn’t pitch.
He remained in consideration to start the game as recently as last week, when Red Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves spoke with Blue Jays counterpart Pete Walker, surprising Buehrle, who had already given up on the idea.
“A month ago it was (possible), when I was 10-1,” said Buehrle. “What I did over the last few weeks, I feel like there were other guys that were more deserving of it.”
As for not pitching, Buehrle said Monday that wouldn’t be a big deal if it played out that way.
“If I don’t throw it’s not going to be the end of the world,” he said. “I’ve been here and thrown in these games before and if there’s some younger guys they want to get in there, or some hometown guys, guys that play in Minnesota they want to throw, they come over and say we’re not going to throw you, I’m not going to argue or it’s not going to be the end of the world.”
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The all-star game may have been the last great sequel to the movie-like franchise that is Derek Jeter’s career.