The first thing you would have noticed looking at the lineup from tonight’s critical game against the Yankees was the clean-up hitter. For the first time this season, Jose Bautista hit as low as fourth in the order. If you decide that you want Travis leading off, that’s really not the worst idea. Donaldson and Encarnacion have been the linchpins of the offense this year and moving them down in order to favor Bautista isn’t the best idea, and Jose has been clear he’s willing to hit wherever he best helps the team. In fact, this may be the most logical batting order Gibbons has used this year. With the Blue Jays tied for first with a persistent Boston team that enjoys the benefit of playing the Padres tonight, the fans were looking for a better outcome than last night’s exciting but ultimately heartbreaking result.
With the Yankees forced to resort to recovering young starter Bryan Mitchell, Jays fans might normally have assumed they’d have a leg up with Marcus Stroman on the mound, but these are not normal times. Memories of Jays hitters stifled by the likes of Wade Miley and Jared Weaver in recent weeks are still fresh in everyones’ minds. On the plus side, the Blue Jays beat up the Yankees’ bullpen last night and started this game knowing they wouldn’t see anything of Dellin Bentances tonight.
With that recent track record in mind, the game started in an all too familiar fashion, a quiet turn through the batting order until the last two hitters walked to lead off the third, who were then promptly stranded thanks to a double play and a ground ball out. The Yankees then went to work on Stroman in the bottom of the third after two outs were in the books. Homer, double, walk, single and the Yankees lead 2-0. Stroman’s laboured in that inning, and again in the fourth when he gave up back-to-back two-out hits, and drove up his pitch count. He was at 97 pitches through five innings.
The Jays got something going in the seventh after a hurting Russell Martin made the first out, Troy Tulowitzki doubled sharply to left and Michael Saunders was called safe on a single right behind him. However, first and third with one out, turned into a runner on third and two outs when Saunders was ruled out on the appeal of the play at first base. The Yankees’ Luis Severino then proceeded to strike out Melvin Upton, Jr. to snuff out the threat.
Even with the two threats, the Blue Jays never looked or felt like they were in this game despite being only two runs down.
Top Play of the Game by WPA
With two outs in the third and the bases empty, Marcus Stroman who’d been rolling to that point hung a curve to Starlin Castro and the Yankess’ second baseman cranked it just over the wall in left to give the New Yorkers all the lead they would need. That one run increased their chances of winning 12.4%
Bottom Play of the Game by WPA
The bottom play of the game came early courtesy of a Devon Travis double play grounder in the third inning. With runners on first and second with no outs, Travis’s grounder to third was the major factor in crushing the best scoring opportunity of the hight. It dropped their chances of winning by 11.5%
Russell Martin…Knee Injury?
At bat in the fourth, and again in the seventh, Martin looked very much like his left knee was giving way on him as he swung the bat, and in both at bats he was moving gingerly after making contact. Surprisingly, he stayed in the game even after the second ugly at-bat and it’s not impossible the Jays will not have his services Friday night as the Jays open the most critical series of the year.
Offensive Struggles Continue
A lot was said by the announcing crew tonight about the current road trip, but the Blue Jays have been flat for three full weeks now. They are 8-10 over that span while playing mostly opponents that should have been fodder for building their division lead. Most concerning is the lack of offense. The three game pounding of the Twins’ bullpen excepted, in the other 15 games they scored a mere 57 runs (3.8 per game) and that trend absolutely must reverse before they take the field again.
Up Next
As of this writing, the Boston Red Sox are tied with the lowly Padres 2-2 in the third and it remains to be seen whether they will end the night one game up on the Blue Jays as they come to Toronto over the weekend for what looks to be a white-knuckle affair for Jays fans. Whatever is causing their offensive doldrums, the Jays need to sacrifice a chicken or something.
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