TORONTO — The margins are thin, the bullpen’s nearing a breaking point and the offence still hasn’t found its stride, but the Toronto Blue Jays keep winning.
It’s stressful and not necessarily sustainable, but at this point in the season it’s the results that matter most. The Blue Jays’ latest win, 5-3 over the Boston Red Sox in front of 42,419, gives them nine wins in their last 13 games and a season record of 58-63.
“At this point in the year, I mean, sustainable is out the window,” said manager John Schneider. “It's like, what do we have to do tonight? If this was April it'd be a different story … but right now it's sustained for tomorrow night, and then after tomorrow, it’s sustained for the next night, you know? It’s full send right now.”
Underscoring just how far this bullpen has been stretched, Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles finished this one off with his first career save. Credit to Miles, who rose to the occasion, but the Blue Jays aren’t using him in this spot unless their bullpen has been extremely taxed.
“He’s growing up right in front of our eyes,” Schneider said.
“He’s got great stuff,” added starter Dylan Cease.
Navigating multiple pitching injuries plus 17 games in 17 days clearly requires some creativity.
With Kazuma Okamoto on the bench again due to a sore knee, no one in the Blue Jays’ lineup had more than 12 home runs, so they weren’t likely to beat Patrick Sandoval and the Red Sox with power. It's been more than a month since the Blue Jays scored 10 runs and more than two weeks since they won by a margin of five or more.
Yet they keep getting just enough offence, and Brett Bateman was front and centre in those efforts Tuesday. The rookie centre fielder doubled home Nathan Lukes in the third inning then singled home Myles Straw in the fifth. With those two hits the 24-year-old showed off his plus contact skills and changed the complexion of the game.
Afterwards, Bateman credited Blue Jays staff and teammates, saying his experience at the MLB level has been “unbelievable”
“It feels like I've been here for a few years, honestly,” he said. “The fans, the team, the org, they just have a bunch of trust in me like I've been here for a long time.”
Bateman said he makes sure to remind himself he’s playing a kid’s game as a way to ease the pressure he might otherwise feel. And instead of staying quiet, he’s been sharing observations with his teammates in the hopes of helping them gain an edge on the opposition.
“He’s an easy guy to like,” Schneider said. “I like the contact ability and I like what’s going on between his ears.”
Straw and Alejandro Kirk also had two hits apiece as the Blue Jays assured themselves of at least a series split against Boston.
On a night the Blue Jays’ bullpen was already depleted, they were hoping for more innings from Cease. Yet he didn't have his best command, limiting him to five innings while allowing three runs and striking out seven. He walked four while allowing five hits, including home runs to Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela.
“I gave us a shot,” Cease said. “It’s frustrating to not bring your best, but ultimately they picked me up and we won so I feel pretty good, honestly.”
Meanwhile, before the game, the Blue Jays got some clarity on a pair of injured starters. Trey Yesavage’s now described as week to week after undergoing surgery on his left knee while an MRI revealed no structural damage in Jameson Taillon’s right forearm.
It’s possible Yesavage could return to action this season, though his recovery will ultimately determine how quickly the Blue Jays move him along. For context, Cubs starter Matthew Boyd missed only six weeks after undergoing meniscus surgery earlier this summer.
With that in mind, it’s possible Yesavage could return to help the Blue Jays or — if nothing else — continue his development. After all, each MLB start is a valuable learning opportunity for a 23-year-old who’s at just 93.2 big-league innings for the year.
Taillon will rest for three to five days after which he could resume throwing again. But his injury does open up a spot in the rotation Saturday with Simeon Woods Richardson one option to help cover innings against the Yankees.
Of course the Blue Jays have two more games against the Red Sox before turning their focus to their next division rival. On Wednesday, they’ll send newcomer Jose Soriano to the mound for his Blue Jays home debut opposite all-star left-hander Ranger Suarez.
"You just have to trust yourself and your abilities," Bateman said. “It’s ultimately up to you.”
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