TORONTO – Another bat would have helped, sure, ideally one providing an additional threat in the lineup that might prompt teams to challenge Vladimir Guerrero Jr. a little more often and split the heavy lifting a bit more evenly. Still, it wouldn’t have fixed everything for the Toronto Blue Jays, especially now that Bo Bichette is on the injured list with right knee patellar tendinitis.
Really, the American League East’s most confounding club won’t hit full stride until its hitting with runners in scoring position – a season-long issue – and underperforming bats come around. Think about how different the Blue Jays’ dreadful in-division record would look if they sprinkled 10 more hits across those 22 losses, alone, let alone closed the gap between their batting average of .259 and their hitting with RISP mark of .238. Think about how quickly things change if Guerrero or George Springer or Daulton Varsho or Alejandro Kirk suddenly get hot.
Easier said than done, obviously, and in the interim, the Blue Jays must continue to find a way, the way they did in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Springer did break out of an 0-for-35 slide by dunking an RBI single into centre field that opened the scoring in the fourth inning, but the decisive three-run sixth was accomplished without a single base hit, three walks followed by two bases-loaded hit by pitches and, finally, an error.
An unorthodox rally, to be sure, though one underpinned by the type of sound process they need to carry forward.
“I don’t think anybody got out of themselves,” said Springer, whose walk loaded the bases. “We looked for something to hit and if it wasn't there, didn't swing. (Brandon) Belt getting it started and then a tremendous at-bat by Vladdy – I can’t say enough about how good that at-bat was – me and then just kind of passing it on to the next guy. … It’s a good inning for us. It's not necessarily how you draw it up, but, hey, who cares?”
Credit to Yusei Kikuchi, who limited the damage against him to one fifth-inning RBI single by Adley Rutschman that might have been prevented had he scrambled to cover first, for setting a tone early and going six strong innings, and to Yimi Garcia, Jordan Hicks and Erik Swanson for following with dominant relief work before a crowd of 36,924.
Having watched the Orioles come out hot in the first two games of the series, pouncing on both Chris Bassitt and Hyun Jin Ryu in the first inning, Kikuchi eschewed his typical gradual entries and turned the notch up immediately, wanting to gain momentum for his team.
“Usually I go a little bit slower at the beginning and see how my body is and stuff,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “Obviously, they have that goal of getting through six innings all the time. But today I wasn't even thinking about that, just giving my all from the get-go.”
The Blue Jays needed that as they went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and are now just 4-for-49 through the first six games of this homestand. Against the Orioles, who they’re now 2-7 against, they are 13-for-89 with runners in scoring position and left at least three wins on the table as a result of that.
Early in the season, an emphasis on executing with runners in scoring position was harped on and perhaps that helped created a snowball effect of pressure that continues to now. There have been high points, for sure, but the Blue Jays’ season is littered with unrealized opportunities to either ease leverage in games or turn losses into wins.
The current approach from the coaching staff is to ease the reins.
“Sometimes talking too much about it puts more pressure on the players and they try to do more than they need to,” said hitting coach Guillermo Martinez. “There are times that we show good signs. Last week we thought we had a pretty good road trip. But every day is different, we don't really try to make it a big, big focus, just try and calm anxiety down.”
To that end, the messaging has been simplified. Get a good pitch to hit. Hit a single up the middle. Take your base if they don’t pitch to you.
The Blue Jays did some of all three Wednesday.
Springer’s slump-busting single – his drought matched Danny Jansen and Ed Sprague for longest in team history – was dropped into centre and he threw his arms up to the heavens as he reached first base, pumping his fists toward a dugout enjoying the moment with him.
Celebrating in jest?
“No, there was no joking. Genuine happiness,” said Springer. “Obviously it’s no secret, it’s been a hard stretch for me and not the time to go through it but, that's the game, I'm just glad I could help in that spot. It felt good, obviously, to see the ball hit the grass and I'm able to stay on base and to score Belt right there, too, was awesome.”
In the sixth, Belt, Guerrero – after fouling off four 100 mph pitches from Grayson Rodriguez – and Springer each spat on borderline pitches to load the bases and Shintaro Fujinami then hit both Matt Chapman and Danny Jansen to plate runs. Varsho’s broken-bat grounder up the middle was then booted by Jorge Mateo to make it 4-1.
“The results were a little bit different,” said manager John Schneider, “but the way they were going about it was correct.”
And if the Blue Jays can continue to replicate that, along with some other internal gains, they can survive Bichette’s absence and make up the difference at the plate to fully leverage their tremendous pitching and defence.
“When you've got guys in scoring position, they're not just trying to throw cookies in there – it's going to be a tougher at-bat,” said Martinez. “That's something we've got to understand. And the team aspect, too. If they're not going to give you the pitch, pass it on to the next guy behind you. You've got to trust that. …
“We’ve got to be ready for our pitch – the good strikes, because not every strike is created is equal, right? Borderline or anything on the black, that's an out for the most part. There are players that we've seen like Bo, do it, but still, you want to get pitches closer to the middle of the plate because that's where the damage is. That's where the production is.”
For the Blue Jays, that’s also where the remaining pathway to a more consistent offence lies, too.
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