ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Marcus Stroman picked a good time to deliver his best performance of the season. Pitching on his 25th birthday, Stroman looked like an ace for eight innings, providing the Toronto Blue Jays with a much-needed shutdown outing that allowed them to improve their record to 12-14 with a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Stroman said it was ‘awesome’ to pitch the Blue Jays to a win on his birthday, especially after a tough loss. With just three hits allowed and a career-best nine strikeouts, he put together one of his more impressive outings yet.
“I didn’t know I had that many, but I think me and Russ (Martin) had a really good mix all day,” Stroman said. “I feel like I mixed my pitches better today than I had the entire year. It was more diversity, more variety.”
More innings, too, as Stroman matched a season high with eight. “The second I step on the mound, my mindset is to go nine,” he said. The Rays had no answers for Stroman, who allowed two walks and one run, a solo shot to Evan Longoria that tied the game.
“He’s effective,” Longoria said. “He throws four or five quality pitches. He was on the corners today and didn’t make too many mistakes.”
The right-hander pitched to contact at times, escaping the second inning on just five pitches. His stuff also had enough movement to miss plenty of bats, as he showed by striking out the side in the third inning.
“He’s a special kid,” manager John Gibbons said. “He’s got so many things he can attack you with. He was on today, under control. He got some big strikeouts at some nice times against some pretty good hitters.”
“He was great out there,” Troy Tulowitzki added. “He’s very poised. He has ability, but knows he has to slow the game down.”
One night after getting just three hits, the Blue Jays’ offence continued to struggle early, with just one run on two hits through eight innings. It wasn’t until the top of the ninth that they broke out thanks to a four-run rally sparked by Darwin Barney’s pinch-hit double. Tulowitzki capped the inning off with a three-run home run — the first hit of the series for the struggling Blue Jays shortstop.
“I feel good out there,” Tulowitzki said. “Obviously things aren’t going my way, but it’s a long season, just keep on grinding.”
Gibbons has seen signs of progress from Tulowitzki, who’s now hitting .172 with a .648 OPS.
“He hit some balls on the money,” Gibbons said. “Didn’t have a lot to show for it, but he keeps battling, I know that.”
Despite the Tulowitzki home run, many Blue Jays continue looking for results at the plate. Martin, back in the starting lineup after resting his sore neck for most of Saturday, flied out in each of his three at-bats. Ryan Goins has a .169 batting average and .210 on-base percentage after striking out twice. Edwin Encarnacion now has an OPS of just .667.
Staying positive during those struggles can be a challenge, particularly for younger players.
“That’s how it should be, too,” Tulowitzki said. “We care deeply about this game, so you’re always trying constantly to pick up someone in the locker room as they’re going through a little bit of a rut. It’s easier, I think when you’re a veteran player. It’s part of the game (but) it’s tough.”
Donaldson took over the American League lead in homers with his ninth of the year, a solo shot over the left field wall. It took just one year and one month for Donaldson to hit his 50th home run with the Blue Jays, and that’s not counting the three hit hit during the 2015 playoffs.
The Blue Jays head back to Toronto having taken two of three and matched the Rays’ impressive trio of starting pitchers.
“As tough as it’s been, to win two out of three against those three pitchers out there, you feel pretty good,” Gibbons said. “That wasn’t a must-win game, but for crying out loud after the one last night and how things have been going lately, it was a big, big win for us.”
The kind of win frontline pitchers deliver.
