The Toronto Blue Jays managed one win in three games against the Detroit Tigers over the weekend thanks to yet another double-digit offensive outburst Sunday. But questions about the pitching staff continue to linger for the 43-41 Blue Jays.
Some takeaways from the series in Detroit:
The starting rotation seems as vulnerable as the lineup is potent. Before Marco Estrada’s solid effort kept the Blue Jays in the game Sunday, both Drew Hutchison and R.A. Dickey struggled. Hutchison continues to get hit hard on the road and by right-handed hitters while Dickey’s drop in strikeouts is discouraging. Toronto’s starters rank 14th among AL teams with a 4.58 ERA.
“We need to start pitching a little better, no question about that,” manager John Gibbons said. “We had a nice stretch where we were. We’ve hit a little rough patch lately. That’s got to improve, because you can’t expect the offence to (carry the team) every time, especially when you’re running up against tough pitchers.”
The solution? Acquiring pitching would help, so there’s no question the Blue Jays should continue pursuing arms. But internal improvement is also a must. Even if they were to acquire another starter, the newcomer might just take over the fifth rotation spot that’s presently unaccounted for, so the Blue Jays seemingly have to get the most out of the arms they have.
The Blue Jays don’t seem intimidated when facing frontline arms. They didn’t do much against Anibal Sanchez or David Price, but they hit Justin Verlander hard and are actually looking forward to facing Chris Sale in Chicago Monday.
“We love that. We love those guys that are at the top of their games,” third baseman Josh Donaldson said. “We’re going to go out there and prove ourselves as an offence because — this isn’t just my opinion, I think it’s (agreed) around the league — we’re if not the best we’re one of the best offences around the league, especially against left-handed pitching.”
The Blue Jays lead MLB with 460 runs scored, well ahead of the New York Yankees and Houston Astros, who are tied for second place with 379 runs.
Kevin Pillar has rebounded from an unproductive May in a big way. The Blue Jays’ centre fielder is hitting .283/.312/.412, while average for the position is .262/.321/.397. Taking Pillar’s defence into account, he’s been worth 2.1 wins above replacement, ahead of Prince Fielder and Mark Teixeira.
Roberto Osuna’s back tightness didn’t seem to concern the rookie right-hander — he declared in no uncertain terms that he’d be available Monday — but the Blue Jays could choose to ease up for a bit. Osuna felt soreness in his lower back Sunday, but stayed in the game after a mound visit from the trainer.
The 20-year-old has been the Blue Jays’ best reliever this year, posting a 2.13 ERA in 38 innings with 43 strikeouts against just 25 hits and 10 walks. Letting him rest for a couple days could help him stay healthy throughout the second half.
Toronto’s part-time players kept on hitting, with Justin Smoak and Chris Colabello going deep in spacious Comerica Park. That kind of production makes the difference between a great lineup and an offence that’s merely good.
