The Toronto Blue Jays started off their West Coast road trip on a high note, taking two of three games against the Oakland Athletics to move to 4-2 since the All-Star break.
The Blue Jays’ fantastic offence was on full display in one of the toughest hitters’ parks in the big leagues, but a handful of missed opportunities Wednesday night prevented the club from sweeping the series.
Here are five takeaways from the series victory:
Blue Jays could use outfield upgrade: It’s obvious that the club has a need in the starting rotation, but another area the Blue Jays should look to address before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline is in the outfield, where the club could use another capable body. Chris Colabello and Danny Valencia, who have been regular starters in left field, aren’t natural outfielders from a defensive standpoint, and backup outfielder Ezequiel Carrera’s -0.2 wins above replacement (per FanGraphs) reflects his limited value.
One option the club could consider would be bringing up Dalton Pompey, who has seen time in left field with triple-A Buffalo, to replace Carrera, who still has options. Pompey would offer another left-handed bat and would certainly provide an upgrade from a speed and defensive standpoint on the aforementioned group. If the club still feels Pompey isn’t ready to return to the big-leagues, bringing in a veteran outfielder via trade is something GM Alex Anthopoulos should seriously consider.
Donaldson shines in return to Oakland: Josh Donaldson was a fan favourite in Oakland and he put on a show in his return to the Coliseum. The Blue Jays’ star third baseman recorded five hits, two doubles, a home run and three RBI while slashing .385/.429/.1.198 over the three-game set. It would’ve been natural for Donaldson to try and do too much in front of his former team, but the emotions certainly didn’t faze him. “I said before the series started, this wasn’t just a normal series for me.” Donaldson said following Tuesday’s Tuesday’s 7-1 win.
Bo Schultz has been a great addition: There’s been a ton of hand-wringing this season about the inconsistent production from the Blue Jays’ bullpen, but one reliever who deserves credit is right-hander Bo Schultz, who recorded his first MLB save in Thursday’s victory. Schultz didn’t allow a hit in two appearances against Oakland and the 29-year-old right-hander has only allowed three earned runs since June 12. He is undoubtedly earning a larger role.
Strong series for Russell Martin: Like Donaldson, Martin had a very impressive offensive series against the A’s, recording seven hits with two home runs and six RBI in 12 plate appearances. Martin has routinely struggled to produce offence while catching for R.A. Dickey, but he ended that slump Thursday afternoon, drilling a home run, a double, and a sacrifice fly while providing solid defence behind the plate for the knuckleballer. According to Richard Griffin of The Toronto Star, Martin had been 7-of-44 at the plate while catching Dickey entering play Thursday.
Starters holding their own: There’s no doubt that Anthopoulos should look to boost the rotation heading into the stretch run. However, the starters deserve praise for their recent production, going 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in six games following the all-star break. In Oakland, Dickey and left-hander Mark Buehrle allowed just three earned runs over a combined 15.1 innings while allowing a total of 13 hits. Yes, the Athletics and Rays aren’t exactly elite offensive teams, but those are pretty impressive totals.
