TORONTO – Three hours before first pitch Wednesday, as his relief pitchers loosened up in left field, John Gibbons spent a good portion of his pre-game office availability downplaying the notion that Roberto Osuna looks less than 100 percent. By the time the game ended, Gibbons had more than his 21-year-old closer to defend.
Jason Grilli allowed an eighth-inning home run and Osuna allowed a ninth-inning home run as Blue Jays relievers blew a ninth-inning lead for the third time in four days on the way to a 3-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. While the Blue Jays remain well-positioned to claim a wild-card berth with four games remaining, their bullpen now looks particularly vulnerable.
In the span of four games, the Blue Jays have seen their setup man allow three home runs, their closer blow two saves and their seventh-inning guy tear a calf muscle. Physically drained at the end of a long season, Blue Jays relievers are feeling the grind.
“It’s tiring,” Grilli said. “Everybody’s tired. We’re all on an even playing field that way.”
“This is the time when it’s the hardest,” Grilli continued. “You go on pure adrenaline, pure guts. You try to make pitches and that’s what’s happening. We’re doing that. The effort hasn’t changed.”
Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, the results have. The torn calf muscle Joaquin Benoit sustained while running to join Monday’s Blue Jays-Yankees melee will sideline him for the remainder of the regular season and then some. Grilli’s run of dominance has given way to some September struggles, with four home runs allowed in 11 appearances this month. Even Osuna has allowed more hard contact than usual.
For what it’s worth, Grilli and Osuna have both maintained their velocity during the month of September, according to PITCHf/x data at Brooks Baseball. That’s just part of the equation, though, and there’s no denying some fatigue creeps in at this point in the season.
“These guys are carrying a pretty good workload, pitching in a lot of tight ballgames,” Gibbons said. “That can catch up to you.”
For Gibbons, it’s a nightly jugging act depending on who’s available. Joe Biagini needed rest Wednesday. Osuna will presumably be unavailable Thursday when the Blue Jays play another pivotal game against Baltimore. That would leave Grilli, Biagini and Brett Cecil on an increasingly short list of relievers the Blue Jays appear to trust.
Don’t be surprised if Cecil, who has a 1.37 ERA since July 22, is asked to face right-handers as well as left-handers.
“I’ve got confidence to do it,” Gibbons said. “He’s on a nice little roll and with guys beat up he’s going to have to do some of that.”
The loss of Benoit looks particularly costly, since he had pitched to a 0.38 ERA in 25 appearances with Toronto. His injury essentially reduces the Blue Jays’ stable of trusted relievers from five to four.
“It’s not fun to lose a teammate, no matter who it is, but our morale is good,” said Grilli. “This is what September baseball’s like, right?”
The Blue Jays may soon have to determine who’s next on their depth chart. Ryan Tepera was warming up Wednesday, an indication that the Blue Jays could turn to him in close games to come. Gibbons also listed Bo Schultz and Danny Barnes as options he’d consider late in games.
Ultimately, though, the success or failure of the Blue Jays’ relievers will depend on the pitchers they’ve relied on so far, Osuna, Grilli, Cecil and Biagini in particular. From the outside looking in, that amounts to a bullpen with question marks.
Within the clubhouse, there’s hope that what the bullpen has left after a gruelling season will be enough to push them through to October.
“I feel good,” Osuna said. “No worries at all.”
