DETROIT — The latest turn through the Toronto Blue Jays’ rotation makes it clear that they have more questions than answers when it comes to starting pitching.
R.A. Dickey became the latest Blue Jays starter to struggle Saturday, allowing four first-inning runs in a game the Detroit Tigers won 8-3. To the knuckleballer’s credit, he rebounded from the rough first inning, but the final line wasn’t pretty: 11 hits, two walks and five earned runs allowed in 5.2 innings.
“I just didn’t have a real good feel for it today,” Dickey said. “It was probably one of the worst knuckleballs I’ve had all year. I was just trying to play with the speeds and do the best I could to pitch around a bad knuckleball. You kind of feel naked out there when that’s your main pitch and you’re not getting the movement you hope to get on it.”
“Sometimes you just have clunkers and today was one of those games for me,” he added.
The outing comes after Marco Estrada (2.1 innings, two earned runs), Matt Boyd (0 innings, seven earned runs) and Drew Hutchison (4.2 innings, five earned runs) each turned in disappointing starts of their own. Only Mark Buehrle pitched well in his most recent turn.
“I don’t think anybody’s panicking,” Dickey said. “I think we’re in a good spot. We’ve had a tough few days with the rotation, but at the same time we all know what we’re capable of. We’ve done it before already this year and it’s just a matter of being consistent throughout a 162-game season. We have a lot of guys with a lot of experience in here. Nobody’s panicking. We’re right there in it. We’re OK.”
Dickey’s last month does suggest he’s capable of more. He posted a 3.32 ERA in six June starts, limiting opponents to 35 hits in 38 innings, an indication that he’s capable of providing mid-rotation innings the way he did for the 2013-14 Blue Jays.
But the fact remains that halfway through the 2015 season, Dickey’s still searching for answers. He’s generating fewer strikeouts this year — he whiffed just one Saturday — and he’s one of six American League starters with an ERA over 5.00 (Hutchison’s also part of that group). One reason for the drop in strikeouts may be that on days like Saturday the knuckeball doesn’t have as much movement as usual.
Even aside from Dickey, the questions remain plentiful for the 42-41 Blue Jays. Estrada’s most recent outing reminded everyone that he’s hittable, and while manager John Gibbons expresses confidence in Hutchison, the right-hander continues to struggle.
Further complicating matters, the Blue Jays still don’t know who’s starting Tuesday’s game. Felix Doubront could start if he’s not needed much Sunday; otherwise another arm from triple-A Buffalo could be tabbed Tuesday. In the more immediate term, the Blue Jays could call up an arm for the series finale against the Tigers and strengthen a depleted bullpen.
The Blue Jays couldn’t take advantage of the fact that the Tigers’ best hitter is injured. Detroit placed Miguel Cabrera on the disabled list Saturday with a calf strain that’s expected to sideline him for six weeks.
“He’s arguably the top hitter in the game,” Gibbons said before the game. “There’s something about him not being in the lineup that makes you feel better if you’re on the other side, but it’s still a tough lineup. There’s not many guys that are feared more than he is. Because he’s not just a slugger, he’s a great hitter, too. So he’s not going up there swinging out of his ass all of the time.”
Light-hitting catcher Alex Avila replaced Cabrera at first base, reaching base twice and making a spectacular catch on a pop up that should have landed in the stands.
So often Toronto’s MLB-best offence has made up for questionable pitching and defence, but aside from home runs by Kevin Pillar and Chris Colabello Toronto’s bats were quiet. The Tigers’ early lead stood up for the second time in as many days.
“It’s not easy, but it happens. You just deal with it,” Gibbons said.
David Price held the Blue Jays’ bats in check, pitching seven impressive innings while allowing just one run and striking out seven in front of the July 4 crowd of 37,214.
“That many runs that early against a guy like Price, it gets that much tougher,” Gibbons said. “He’s one of the best in the game and there’s a reason why.”
It’s the kind of performance the Blue Jays would love to get from their starters, but not one they can reasonably count on at this stage.
Improving the starting rotation has been a priority for weeks. With each passing day the need for quality starters becomes more apparent, but if anything finding answers is becoming harder.