TORONTO – The plan for the Toronto Blue Jays late in Tuesday night’s 4-1 win over the New York Yankees was to have Joe Biagini take over in the seventh, throw a couple of innings and then pass the baton to closer Roberto Osuna.
Only a 24-pitch frame quickly laid waste to that notion, and with manager John Gibbons trying to give Gavin Floyd another day of rest, he turned instead to Jesse Chavez, who’s been unsteady of late but made quick work of Brett Gardner, Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran to hold a three-run lead.
As important as the three outs were in the victory, it was the way Chavez worked in carving through the Yankees on 11 pitches that may be more pivotal. Gibbons noted Wednesday the outing “might have been the best I’ve seen Jesse look in a while” and that “something jumped out at me, he was really attacking, he just looked better.”
The difference?
“Mechanically sound,” said Chavez. “My head wasn’t pulling off the target when I was in the middle of my descent down the rubber, something that I’ve been constantly trying to worry about that wasn’t a problem at the beginning of the year. Then it became the beginning of May and the suspension and all that stuff throws you for a loop, and you lose your mechanics a little bit. That was the biggest thing, me being able to stay over my backside and keep my head still to be able to make pitches down in the zone.”
Chavez headed into Wednesday’s series finale having delivered three straight outings without allowing a run, stranding four inherited runners over those 3.2 innings.
That came after a stretch of five outings in six appearances in which he allowed at least a run, including the decisive three-run homer to Drew Stubbs in the seventh inning May 15 just before the brawl with the Texas Rangers broke out.
Chavez came back out in the bottom of the eighth and hit Prince Fielder with his first pitch, earning an automatic ejection, a move that landed him with a three-game suspension. He had a rough outing in New York upon his return, allowing two runs in a third of an inning, before turning the corner.
“It’s been mentally frustrating not being able to get it corrected right away, it shouldn’t have lasted this long,” said Chavez. “I watched video and felt it in my back leg, I just felt weak, so to speak, even though the strength is still there. If you don’t feel that foundation, the building is going to fall. That’s kind of what I was doing, I was drifting to the plate, my arm was behind and the ball was up, tailing back over the middle of the plate. That’s not me, when I’m mechanically sound that shouldn’t happen.”
With the Blue Jays desperate for more bullpen depth, a return to form for Chavez would be a boon. Gibbons touted him as a potential late-inning option back in spring training but he’s pitched to a .958 OPS in high-leverage situations so far this season.
His work Tuesday is why the Blue Jays feel he can do more.
“You don’t want to have Osuna come in in the eighth every single time,” said Chavez. “I want to help take the pressure off of Floyd, Drew (Storen), now (Aaron) Loup is here, Biagini is throwing a lot. I just want to contribute and put that trust in Gibby. It comes with time and outings.
“It’s slowly starting to get there. The last couple of outings have been a little bit better, (Tuesday) was a good step in the right direction.”
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PUT HIM ON THE GRILLI: With Joe Biagini becoming ensconced as the club’s eighth-inning reliever, John Gibbons envisions using newly acquired right-hander Jason Grilli to help set-up his set-up man.
“We’ll get a look at him later in the game, see how he pitches,” said Gibbons, who won’t be deterred from giving Grilli full innings by the veteran’s splits (.604 OPS versus righties, 1.057 against lefties). “He’s done it before, it’s a new league for him … give him an opportunity instead of necessarily pigeon-holing him out of the gate.
“We ain’t got a whole lot of lefties down there anyway,” he added. “Righties got to get some lefties out.”
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STAY WITH EIGHT: In subbing Jason Grilli in for rookie lefty Chad Girodo, who was optioned to triple-A Buffalo, the Blue Jays remain with an eight-man bullpen, an alignment they’re likely to stay with until Troy Tulowitzki comes off the disabled list.
“Unless something crops up that we need to make a move, that’s the plan,” said John Gibbons. “We’re pretty set, we can get by with three guys (on the bench).”
To that end, Ryan Goins took some grounders at first base before the game to have him ready defensively in the event Justin Smoak is pinch-run for late in the game.
The Blue Jays also don’t have an obvious add for the roster at triple-A Buffalo. Jimmy Paredes, designated for assignment earlier this week, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday for cash or a player to be named later.
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PROPS FOR EE: Edwin Encarnacion was named the Blue Jays’ Honda Player of the Month for May as voted by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Encarnacion led the team with seven homers and 25 RBIs while collecting 26 hits. Marco Estrada (2-0, 2.14 ERA in six starts) finished a close second.
