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	<title>Toronto &#187; Molly Tissenbaum</title>
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	<description>Comprehensive coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays</description>
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		<title>Recap: Royals 4, Blue Jays 2; Royals Rake on Sanchez</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/08/06/recap-royals-4-blue-jays-2-royals-rake-on-sanchez/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/08/06/recap-royals-4-blue-jays-2-royals-rake-on-sanchez/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Aug 2016 01:58:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kansas City Royals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=5238</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With his spot in the new six-man rotation solidified, Aaron Sanchez took the hill tonight against the Royals to try and keep the Jays undefeated against the Royals in 2016. But before he stepped over the white line tonight, he had a 1-0 lead courtesy of Devon Travis, who hit the Jays&#8217; 16th straight solo [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With his spot in the new six-man rotation solidified, Aaron Sanchez took the hill tonight against the Royals to try and keep the Jays undefeated against the Royals in 2016. But before he stepped over the white line tonight, he had a 1-0 lead courtesy of Devon Travis, who hit the Jays&#8217; 16th straight solo homerun to lead off the game. Travis has been on a tear lately, adding two more RBI for the Jays tonight. Sanchez was as consistent as ever, working through the early innings with ease. In the 4th he surrendered back to back one out singles, but was able to get Kendrys Morales to strike out, and Salvador Perez grounded out to end the inning. Sanchez ran into trouble in the 5th, giving up a leadoff single to Alex Gordon, and then throwing a wild pitch which allowed Gordon to advance to second. Paul Orlando then singled, and Paul Mondesi bunted his way aboard to load the bases with nobody out. When the lineup turned over for the Royals, Escobar hit an infield single which scored one run, and the inning appeared to be taking a positive turn when Sanchez got Cuthbert to line out softly to second base. He then got Cain to hit a ball on the ground to Donaldson, who threw Paul Orlando out at home. Hosmer extended the inning with a two out, RBI single into centerfield. Sanchez gave up another run in the 6th inning after Orlando singled and rookie Raul Mondesi smacked a triple, his first extra-base hit as a big leaguer, which plated Orlando. Devon Travis was the only offense that the Jays could muster tonight, as Bautista, Donaldson, Encarnacion, and Martin all went without a hit.</p>
<h3>Top Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>With the bases loaded in the 5th inning and 1 out, Aaron Sanchez got Lorenzo Cain to hit a ground ball to Josh Donaldson at third base. Donaldson opted to get the lead runner at home, and Russ Martin did not attempt to turn a double play (-.112).</p>
<h3>Bottom Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>Also in the 5th, Eric Hosmer picked up a two out base hit and RBI, which put the Royals ahead of the Blue Jays (.266).</p>
<h3>[Power at the top]</h3>
<p>In the last 15 games, Devon Travis is hitting .345, with an OBP of .387, and he is slugging .603. In the last two nights, he&#8217;s got 4 RBI, while going 4 for 9.</p>
<h3>Up Next</h3>
<p>Coming off a great start last time out against Houston, Marcus Stroman will take the hill tomorrow afternoon at 2:15 pm in the series finale against the Royals. He will face Yordano Ventura, who has not faced the Jays this year.</p>
<p><em style="line-height: 1.5;text-align: right">Lead Photo: John Rieger-USA Today Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Looking for the Royal Flush: Royals Series Preview</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/08/05/looking-for-the-royal-flush-royals-series-preview/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/08/05/looking-for-the-royal-flush-royals-series-preview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:01:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Series Preview]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=5196</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays @ Kansas City Royals August 5th &#8211; August 7th Written by Joshua Howsam and Molly Tissenbaum Coming off a series win in Houston, the Jays arrive in Kansas City tied for first place with the Baltimore Orioles. The pitching is flying high, with both the starters and relievers delivering consistently good performances, but the hitting has [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 style="text-align: center">Toronto Blue Jays @ Kansas City Royals</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center">August 5th &#8211; August 7th</h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><em>Written by Joshua Howsam and Molly Tissenbaum</em></p>
<p>Coming off a series win in Houston, the Jays arrive in Kansas City tied for first place with the Baltimore Orioles. The pitching is flying high, with both the starters and relievers delivering consistently good performances, but the hitting has still been somewhat shaky. They set a major league record for strikeouts (as an offense), and only scored 10 runs in the four game set.</p>
<p>The defending World Series champions come into this series heading in the opposite direction, having lost six of their last eight and finding themselves eleven games out of first place in the AL Central. They have dealt with injury and ineffectiveness, so Toronto is definitely catching them at the right time.</p>
<h3>Pitching Matchups:</h3>
<h4>August 5th – 8:15 PM ET</h4>
<p><b>Francisco Liriano vs. Dillon Gee</b></p>
<p>The recently acquired Liriano will be making his first start as a Toronto Blue Jay, so there will be a lot to take away from this game. The power lefty has certainly had his struggles this year, as he possesses career worst walk, K/BB, and home run rates, as well as a 5.46 ERA. On the plus side, he is still striking out hitters at an above average rate and his stuff is as good as it ever was. This is also an ideal first opponent for Liriano. The Royals are really struggling right now, and they happen to be the least patient team baseball with a team walk rate of 6.2%.d</p>
<p>Dillon Gee will be making his fifth start since coming out of the bullpen in this game, but he has only made it through six innings once. He doesn&#8217;t miss a lot of bats, and he is extremely homer prone with 14 long balls allowed in just 73 1/3 innings. The Blue Jays bats have struggled somewhat of late, but this should be a pitcher they can handle with some ease.</p>
<h4>August 6th – 7:15 PM ET</h4>
<p><b>Aaron Sanchez vs. Danny Duffy</b></p>
<p>Sanchez will be making what was recently viewed as his likely final start of the season, but recent developments have put that to rest. Aaron Sanchez will indeed be staying in the rotation, just as part of a six man group instead of five. This will make the Jays players and fans alike very happy, as the young righty is having a Cy Young-level season. His 2.71 ERA leads the league, and he is currently working on a streak of eight straight starts where he has allowed two or fewer runs. Look for him to continue his strong season against the free-swinging Royals.</p>
<p>When watching Danny Duffy throw, it&#8217;s hard to imagine he has spent so much time as a reliever. Armed with a big time fastball (averaging over 96 mph) that he complements with a hard slider and a solid changeup, Duffy has accumulated 126 strikeouts this season in just 108 2/3 innings of work. He is also coming off his best start of the season, an absolutely dominant performance against the Tampa Bay Rays; he gave up no runs in eight innings with 16 strikeouts and just one hit. He also generated a whoppong 34 swings and misses in that outing, which tied Clayton Kershaw&#8217;s record for the most all-time by a left-hander. He is going to be very, very tough to hit.</p>
<h4>August 7th– 2:15 PM ET</h4>
<p><b>Marcus Stroman vs. Yordano Ventura</b></p>
<p>Stroman has definitely not lived up to expectations this season, but recent events look like they may signal a bit of a turnaround for the diminutive righty. He is coming off an excellent outing against the Astros where he struck out 13 batters across seven innings, allowing just a solitary run. In that outing, 43 percent of the pitches Stroman threw could be classified as either cutters or sliders. When Stroman shut down the Royals in early July, he did something very similar, throwing 48 percent sliders and cutters.  It seems that he has more success when he has pitches that move opposite his power sinker, so hopefully we see a bit more of that.</p>
<p>Yordano Ventura is something of an enigma. He is armed with a big time fastball, a very hard, sharp curveball and a solid changeup, but his overall numbers are quite poor. His 6.8 k/9 is well below league-average, and his 1.3 H/9 isn&#8217;t exactly something to write home about. When coupled with his hotheaded demeanor and tendency to start on-field fights, the act can wear very thin at times. Recently however, Ventura seems to be turning things around. He has a 3.66 ERA in his last five starts including some tough opponents (Texas twice, Detroit, Seattle). The Jays can&#8217;t afford to take this one lightly.</p>
<h3>Additions and Subtractions</h3>
<p><strong>Jays</strong><br />
After acquiring RHP Mike Bolsinger from the Dodgers, the Blue Jays optioned him to AAA Buffalo on August 3rd, after activating Francisco Lirano. On August 4th, the Brewers claimed RHP Ben Rowen off waivers from the Jays.</p>
<p><strong>Royals</strong><br />
The Royals optioned RHP Brooks Pounders to the Omaha Storm Chasers, and recalled Billy Burns from the Storm Chasers on August 3rd.</p>
<h3>Keep an Eye On</h3>
<p><strong> Wow-K </strong><br />
Despite taking three of four from the Astros, the Blue Jays struck out an unfathomable 61 times. The long ball was the saving grace for the Blue Jays, coming to the rescue for the starting pitchers.</p>
<p><strong> Edwing Continues Flight </strong><br />
In the 9th inning of last night&#8217;s game, Edwin Encarnacion hit his 30th homerun of the season. For the Jays slugger, that gives him 30+ homeruns in each of the last 5 seasons. He is the only player in the game to have 5 straight seasons with 30 or more homeruns, ahead of marquee names like David Ortiz and Mike Trout. In 2016, Encarnacion is hitting a whopping .417 against the Royals.</p>
<p><strong>Thing 3</strong><br />
Over the last 7 games, Russell Martin is hitting .375, slugging .625, and has an OBP of .531. He went 4 for 13 in the series against the Astros, including a homerun in the game on Monday night.</p>
<h3>Probable Lineup</h3>
<table style="background-color: #ffffff;border-collapse: collapse;border: 1px solid #000000;color: #000000;width: 100%" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">
<h3>Toronto Blue Jays</h3>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center">
<h3>Kansas City Royals</h3>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">1 Devon Travis &#8211; 2B</td>
<td style="text-align: center">1 Alcides Escobar &#8211; SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">2 Jose Bautista RF</td>
<td style="text-align: center">2 Cheslor Cuthbert &#8211; 3B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">3 Josh Donaldson 3B</td>
<td style="text-align: center">3 Lorenzo Cain &#8211; CF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">4 Edwin Encarnacion &#8211; DH</td>
<td style="text-align: center">4 Eric Hosmer &#8211; 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">5 Michael Saunders &#8211; LF</td>
<td style="text-align: center">5 Kendrys Morales &#8211; DH</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">6 Russell Martin &#8211; C</td>
<td style="text-align: center">6 Salvador Perez &#8211; C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">7 Troy Tulowitzki &#8211; SS</td>
<td style="text-align: center">7 Alex Gordon &#8211; LF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">8 Justin Smoak &#8211; 1B</td>
<td style="text-align: center">8 Paulo Orlando &#8211; RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">9 Kevin Pillar &#8211; CF</td>
<td style="text-align: center">9 Raul Mondesi Jr. &#8211; 2B</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><em>via <a href="http://www.rosterresource.com" target="_blank">Roster Resource</a></em></p>
<h3>Final Thoughts</h3>
<p>The Blue Jays starting pitching has been fantastic of late. In the series against the Astros, Stroman, Dickey, and Estrada all threw 7 innings, giving up just one run. Happ, on route to becoming the second 15 game winner in the Major Leagues, threw 6 innings, and surrendering just a single run. If the Jays bats can heat back up and the starting pitching continues to dazzle, the Blue Jays will be a tall order for any opponent.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Recap: A&#8217;s 5, Blue Jays 4; Dickey Done In By Davis&#8217; Dual Dingers</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/07/16/recap-as-5-jays-4-dickey-done-in-by-dual-davis-dingers/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Jul 2016 22:58:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Justin Smoak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Khris Davis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oakland Athletics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[r.a. dickey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=4633</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After the bullpen couldn&#8217;t hold on for the win last night, the Blue Jays looked to rebound in an afternoon contest where Sonny Gray took the mound against R.A Dickey. Gray has struggled this year, coming in to today&#8217;s game with an ERA of 5.17, which is the highest in the American League. Josh Thole [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After the bullpen couldn&#8217;t hold on for the win last night, the Blue Jays looked to rebound in an afternoon contest where Sonny Gray took the mound against R.A Dickey. Gray has struggled this year, coming in to today&#8217;s game with an ERA of 5.17, which is the highest in the American League. Josh Thole had started the afternoon with a bang, hitting his first double of the season, and sending Troy Tulowitzki and Darwin Barney across the plate. R.A Dickey looked good in the first inning, but got himself into trouble in the second inning giving up a lead off home run to Khris Davis. Stephen Vogt then singled, and Dickey walked Marcus Semien. With one out, Ryon Healy got his first major league hit in grand fashion, crushing a 3-run home run to put the A&#8217;s in front of the Jays 4-2. Despite going just 1 for 11 against Gray coming in to this afternoon&#8217;s ball game, Edwin Encarnacion hit his 23rd homerun of the season, giving up a league leading 80th RBI. Dickey gave up a second home run to Davis in the 6th which put the A&#8217;s ahead 5-3. Dickey went 6 innings plus one batter, who he walked, before handing the ball to Drew Storen. Storen then hit Smolinski putting runners at first and second with nobody out. Ryon Healy came to the plate and singled through the left side and Marcus Semien was safe at the plate on the initial call, but after review the call was overturned, giving Saunders an outfield assist, and closing the book on Dickey&#8217;s afternoon. Aaron Loup came in to close out the 7th, despite hitting Alonso to load the bases. In the top of the 9th, Justin Smoak drilled a solo homerun to right center field off Ryan Madson to put the Jays within one of the A&#8217;s, but the Blue Jays rally couldn&#8217;t come through, as the Jays lost their second in a row to the A&#8217;s for the first time since 2014.</p>
<h3>Top Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>In just his second big league game, Ryon Healy was still searching for his first hit as a Major Leaguer. He got it in the bottom of the second inning, whacking a three-run homerun off Dickey, putting the A&#8217;s in front 4-2. (.269)</p>
<h3>Bottom Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>With one out in the 6th and Darwin Barney on first after a walk, Josh Thole grounded into an inning ending double play (-.083).</p>
<h3>Smoak Another One&#8230; Or Two</h3>
<p>Before the start of the ball game today, news broke that Justin Smoak had signed a 2 year deal with the Jays worth $8.25 million. The deal also includes a $6 million club option in 2019. Smoak said he was happy to get the deal signed, but that he didn&#8217;t want to make a big deal of it; he just wants to continue to play and win games with the Jays. He celebrated his day by hitting a home run in the ninth inning.</p>
<h3>Trend to Watch</h3>
<p>Kevin Pillar reached safely in 8 consecutive games coming into the game this afternoon. Over his last 8 games, Pillar is hitting .414, slugging .483, and has an OBP of .452. He&#8217;s got 6 RBIs over the 8 game stretch.</p>
<h3>Up Next</h3>
<p>J.A. Happ will take the mound tomorrow afternoon at 4:05 pm against Rich Hill in the final game of the series. Happ is coming into this game sporting a 3.36 ERA, going 6-1 over his last 7 starts.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Neville E. Guard-USA Today Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Recap: Blue Jays 6, Tigers 1; Dickey and Donaldson Dominate Detroit</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/07/10/recap-blue-jays-6-tigers-1-dickey-and-donaldson-dominate-detroit/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jul 2016 20:13:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Detroit Tigers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=4529</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[R.A. Dickey took the hill this afternoon looking to help the Jays bounce back after their seven game win streak was snapped yesterday afternoon. Following a celebration of the greatest moments in the first 40 years of Blue Jays Baseball, the Jays went to work on finishing off the first half on a winning note. [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>R.A. Dickey took the hill this afternoon looking to help the Jays bounce back after their seven game win streak was snapped yesterday afternoon. Following a celebration of the greatest moments in the first 40 years of Blue Jays Baseball, the Jays went to work on finishing off the first half on a winning note. Dickey got Kinsler to ground out to first base on the very first pitch of the game, and Dickey continued to work efficiently throughout the afternoon. Josh Thole got the offense going in the bottom of the second inning with a two out, two-run single. Kevin Pillar was three for five, and Troy Tulowitzki had two more hits in this afternoon&#8217;s contest. Josh Donaldson hammered a three-run homerun in the fourth inning, to extend the Jays lead to 5-0 at the time. Dickey threw seven strong innings, and gave up just one run on five hits. All nine starters had hits in the ball game this afternoon.</p>
<h3>Top Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>With just his second and third RBIs of the year, Josh Thole was the hero this afternoon; he knocked a two out single into right field which scored Troy Tulowitzki and Kevin Pillar and gave the Jays a 2-0 lead in the second inning (.176).</p>
<h3>Bottom Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning, Darwin Barney was unable to break the game open when he struck out, lowering the Blue Jays&#8217; chances of winning by 7.7 percentage points.</p>
<h3>Donaldson Makes History</h3>
<p>In his second at-bat of the afternoon, Josh Donaldson came to the plate with two outs and two runners on base. With an 0-1 count, he smashed a homerun to center field, and became just the sixth player in the history of the game to have 80 runs scored and 20+ homeruns before the All Star break. Lou Gehrig did it in 1936, and had 92 runs scored and 20 homeruns. Ted Williams accomplished the feat 10 years later, in 1946. Reggie Jackson had 37 homeruns and scored 84 runs at the All Star break. Frank Thomas, in the first of his back to back MVP seasons, scored 93 runs and had 32 homeruns before the break. Alex Rodriguez did it in 2000, with 84 runs scored and 24 homeruns. This short list now includes Josh Donaldson, who after today&#8217;s game had scored 80 runs and hit 23 homeruns.</p>
<h3>Trend to Watch</h3>
<p>Troy Tulowitzki might not be thrilled with the timing of the All Star Game and the resulting four days off this week. In his last 15 games, Tulowitzki has been red hot at the plate, hitting .305, with a .364 OBP, and slugging .576. He&#8217;s got 17 RBI and five home runs in that time as well.</p>
<h3>Up Next</h3>
<p>The Jays will break for the All Star game after a great home stand, where they went 8-3. Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, Marco Estrada, Aaron Sanchez, and Michael Saunders will travel to San Diego to represent the Blue Jays in the midsummer classic. Following the All Star Game, the Jays will head to Oakland to take on the A&#8217;s in a three game series.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Recap: Blue Jays 13, Orioles 3; Michael Saunders for MVP</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/06/17/recap-blue-jays-13-orioles-3-michael-saunders-for-mvp/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Jun 2016 02:34:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Saunders]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3940</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Blue Jays have scored 51 first-inning runs this year, including three tonight against the Orioles. Michael Saunders hit his first homerun of the night to left field in the top of the first inning, cashing in Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion. Aaron Sanchez labored through the first inning, and the Orioles got one back [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Blue Jays have scored 51 first-inning runs this year, including three tonight against the Orioles. Michael Saunders hit his first homerun of the night to left field in the top of the first inning, cashing in Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion. Aaron Sanchez labored through the first inning, and the Orioles got one back in the bottom half of the inning. He managed to put together six quality innings, before he gave way to Drew Storren. Josh Donaldson continued to be locked in tonight, starting with a homerun in the 3rd and a 2-run RBI triple in the top of the 4th, his 4th triple of the year. He then scored, which brought his run total to 59 on the year, the second best in the league behind Mookie Betts of the Red Sox.</p>
<p>Mike Wright didn&#8217;t make it out of the 4th inning, unable to beat the Blue Jays in his 8 career starts against the Jays. Michael Saunders then homered for the second time to left field to push the Jays&#8217; lead to 11-2, and he wasn&#8217;t finished with two. Saunders got the hat-trick in the top of the 6th inning, hitting a homerun to right field. He tied the record for most RBI for a Canadian in a single game, sending 8 runners across the dish.</p>
<h3>Top Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>Michael Saunders got the Blue Jays night going early with a three-run homerun to left field in the first inning (.188).</p>
<h3>Bottom Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>In the bottom of the third inning, the Orioles loaded the bases and Johnathon Schoop came to the plate with one out. He hit a ball down the right field line into no-man&#8217;s land, but Darwin Barney tracked it down, and made a spectacular throw to Russel Martin to get Manny Machado who had tagged at third base (-.177).</p>
<h3>Bautista Boo-Boo</h3>
<p>The Blue Jays will have to continue smashing the baseball around the park without Jose Bautista who has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after he ran into the ball trying to track down a ball in Philadelphia on Thursday night.</p>
<h3>Trend to Watch</h3>
<p>The two, three, and four hitters for the Jays have gotten hot in the last 2 weeks. Over their last 15 games, Donaldson, Encarnacion, and Saunders have combined for 16 homeruns and 47 RBI. The Jays are 10-5 during that stretch.</p>
<h3>Up Next</h3>
<p>The Jays are back at it tomorrow afternoon against the Orioles. R.A Dickey will take the hill against Yovani Gallardo, who is coming off the disabled list, tomorrow at 4:07 pm.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Recap: Phillies 7 Blue Jays 0; The Home Team Doesn&#8217;t Show Up</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/06/13/recap-phillies-7-blue-jays-0-the-home-team-doesnt-show-up/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jun 2016 02:23:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[loss Blue Jays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phillies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan Howard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scott Diamond]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shoutout]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3780</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After a weekend filled with home runs and leaping grabs, the Blue Jays sent R.A Dickey to the mound to face off against Jerad Eickhoff in the first of two games in Toronto against the Phillies. Jose Bautista was back in the lineup tonight after missing the last three games against the Orioles with a [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After a weekend filled with home runs and leaping grabs, the Blue Jays sent R.A Dickey to the mound to face off against Jerad Eickhoff in the first of two games in Toronto against the Phillies. Jose Bautista was back in the lineup tonight after missing the last three games against the Orioles with a hip flexor strain, but the Blue Jays offense lacked the urgency and spark they displayed on the weekend. Dickey didn&#8217;t have his best stuff tonight, and had to mix in his fastball more than he would have liked, but he managed to work through 6.1 innings. He battled, and gave up 5 hits, and just two runs both on solo home runs, one in the third inning and one in the seventh. Things didn&#8217;t get better for the Blue Jays after Dickey exited the game. Joe Biagini came into the game after Dickey, and Peter Bourjos hit a ground rule double which allowed Cody Asche to score, which pushed the Phillies ahead 3-0. Odubel Herrera then singled and scored Bourjos to extend the lead to 4-0. Scott Diamond pitched the 8th in his Blue Jays debut, and allowed three runs in a disaster of an inning. After tonight, the Blue Jays bullpen has allowed 38 inherited runners to score. The Blue Jays left nine runners on base tonight, and couldn&#8217;t find a way to score against the Phillies.</p>
<h3>Top Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>On a 2-0 count in the 7th inning, Ryan Howard, who is hitting just .154 on the season, took Dickey over the wall in right field to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead (+.124).</p>
<h3>Bottom Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>In the 8th inning with no outs and runners on first and second, Kevin Pillar grounded into a double play to third, which erased Michael Saunders at third and left Justin Smoak at second base dropping the Blue Jays already low chances of winning by another (-.097)</p>
<h3>Trend to Watch</h3>
<p>In the month of June Michael Saunders is earning his time in left field, hitting .405 with a .452 OBP while slugging .757. In that time he&#8217;s got 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 2 homeruns.</p>
<p>Also, as a certain tweeter tells us, he&#8217;s been great from the 7th inning on.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mentioned it before, Saunders is having the greatest late inning performance in MLB history. Long way to go though. <a href="https://t.co/HiEOVXD7Xg">https://t.co/HiEOVXD7Xg</a></p>
<p>— James G (@james_in_to) <a href="https://twitter.com/james_in_to/status/742038823765315591">June 12, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<h3>Up Next</h3>
<p>Marcus Stroman takes the hill tomorrow hoping to get back on track after some less than impressive starts of late. He will face Zac Eflin in his Major League debut for the Phillies. First pitch flies at 12:37 pm at Rogers Center.</p>
<p>Lead Photo &#8211; Dan Hamilton &#8211; © USA TODAY Sports Images</p>
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		<title>Recap: Blue Jays 10, Orioles 9; Two Unlikely Homers Lead the Jays to Victory</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/06/12/recap-blue-jays-10-orioles-9-two-unlikely-homers-lead-the-jays-to-victory/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jun 2016 20:29:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russell Martin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3730</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With four doubles, the Blue Jays put up five runs in the bottom of the first inning and appeared to be on their way to a smooth Sunday win. Ubaldo Jiminez made his shortest start of the season, getting just one out and giving up five runs before giving way to Vance Worley. Aaron Sanchez [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With four doubles, the Blue Jays put up five runs in the bottom of the first inning and appeared to be on their way to a smooth Sunday win. Ubaldo Jiminez made his shortest start of the season, getting just one out and giving up five runs before giving way to Vance Worley. Aaron Sanchez took the hill this afternoon looking to pitch deep into the ball game like he did last time out against the Tigers. In 8 of his 12 starts this year, he has allowed just two earned runs or less, but that was not the case for Sanchez today. He labored through the first four innings but only gave up one run in the second. But things would get ugly for Sanchez as he gave up four home runs in the top of the 5th inning, to bring the Orioles back within one run of the Blue Jays. Kevin Pillar extended his hit streak to five games, including a towering homerun off the fourth deck in left field. Jason Grilli came into the game in the 9th and picked up his first save as a Blue Jay. In the 4 game series, the Jays and O&#8217;s combined to hit 19 homeruns.</p>
<h3>Top Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>Russel Martin hit his 5th homerun of the season this afternoon, with Michael Saunders and Edwin Encarnacion on base which put the Jays ahead 10-6 in the bottom of the 6th inning (.173)</p>
<h3>Bottom Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>Following 4 Oriole homeruns in the 5th inning, Ryan Flaherty came to the plate with runners on first and second and struck out looking to end the inning (-.061).</p>
<h3>Kevin Pillar&#8217;s Week</h3>
<p>Kevin Pillar extended his hit streak to five games straight today. In the last week, he&#8217;s hitting .391, with a .462 OBP and he&#8217;s slugging .609. He&#8217;s had two homers and batter in five runners over that time. He&#8217;s also walked twice and scored six times.</p>
<h3>Up Next</h3>
<p>Coming off a series win and three game win streak, the Blue Jays are set to start a four game series against the Philadelphia Phillies (29-33) who come to town Monday. Jerad Eickhoff will face R.A. Dickey at 7:07 pm at Rogers Center.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Recap: Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 4, Passed Balls and Replays</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/06/04/recap-red-sox-6-blue-jays-4-passed-balls-and-replays/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Jun 2016 23:53:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boston Red Sox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dustin Pedroia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Josh Donaldson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcus Stroman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steven Wright]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3347</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On an extra day of rest, Marcus Stroman took the mound in Boston this afternoon looking to redeem himself after his last less than impressive outing against the Red Sox, where he went just 5.1 innings and gave up 11 hits. The Red Sox had lost their last three games, while the Jays were looking [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On an extra day of rest, Marcus Stroman took the mound in Boston this afternoon looking to redeem himself after his last less than impressive outing against the Red Sox, where he went just 5.1 innings and gave up 11 hits. The Red Sox had lost their last three games, while the Jays were looking to extend their four game win streak. They took the field today without the help of Josh Donaldson, who jammed his thumb in last night&#8217;s game, and is now listed as day to day. Stroman worked out of trouble in the first inning, stranding a pair of base runners, and continued to battle throughout the game. He showed his off speed pitches more frequently early in the game, but he was unable to complete an inning without seeing a base runner. Dustin Pedroia continued to be a thorn in the side of the Blue Jays, extending his hit streak against the Jays to 25 straight games. The Red Sox took an early lead, but the Jays battled back all afternoon. Stroman toughed it out through 5.2 innings, giving up nine hits, and six earned runs. The Blue Jays continued to struggle with men on base, going just one for seven this afternoon with runners in scoring position, and collecting just four hits on the afternoon.</p>
<h3>Top Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>The Jays put together a two out rally in the 5th inning, when Ryan Goins singles and Jose Bautista walked. Michael Saunders then struck out, but on a passed ball by Ryan Hanigan, Goins scored from third, and Bautista scored all the way from second base (.129). Yes, the Blue Jays big play was a strikeout that scored two runs.</p>
<h3>Bottom Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>In the 9th, Russell Martin lead off the inning with a single to left field with the Jays trailing 6-4. Kevin Pillar then grounded into a double play on a ball to third (-.142).</p>
<h3>[No(e) MVP]</h3>
<p>In the 9th inning of Friday night&#8217;s game, Noe Ramirez threw a fastball that jammed Josh Donaldson, before grounding out to third base. He was in visible discomfort after the at bat, but he finished the game. He did not play in Saturday&#8217;s game, and is listed as day-to-day. He told reporters that his hand had been bothering him for a while, but that the swing in the ninth really aggravated the area.</p>
<h3>Up Next</h3>
<p>The A.L East battle continues tomorrow at Fenway, beginning at 1:35pm with Marco Estrada taking on Eduardo Rodriguez, who is 1-0 on the season.</p>
<p><em>Lead Image &#8211; Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Recap: Blue Jays 3, Yankees 1; Jays Score Enough to Get Happ the Win</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/26/recap-blue-jays-3-yankees-1-jays-score-enough-to-get-happ-the-win/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2016 22:57:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recaps]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=3107</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was a lefty-lefty match up between the Blue Jays and the Yankees this afternoon. The Blue Jays tried to keep the offensive momentum from last night&#8217;s game when all nine hitters in the lineup had a base hit. The Blue Jays sent J.A. Happ to the hill to face C.C. Sabathia who made just [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It was a lefty-lefty match up between the Blue Jays and the Yankees this afternoon. The Blue Jays tried to keep the offensive momentum from last night&#8217;s game when all nine hitters in the lineup had a base hit. The Blue Jays sent J.A. Happ to the hill to face C.C. Sabathia who made just his seventh start of the season. Happ gave up an early home run to Starlin Castro, the seventh home run surrendered this year, but then settled in and pitched 7 complete innings. He located his pitches well, and managed to work out of trouble efficiently in the fifth inning.</p>
<p>Jose Bautista extended his hit streak to seven games since he was moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup. The Blue Jays took advantage of a third inning error by the Yankee shortstop, loading the bases and scoring two runs, which would be all they needed to get the win. J.A Happ was great this afternoon, giving up just five hits and walking just three. Gavin Floyd came in and pitched a scoreless 8th, and then in the top of the 9th, the Blue Jays faced the Yankee closer Aroldis Chapman and strung together three two-out singles, topped off with an RBI by Devon Travis that put the Jays ahead 3-1. The Blue Jays then handed the ball over to Roberto Osuna who shut things down for the victory.</p>
<h3>Top Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>Following an error by Didi Gregirous that allowed Devon Travis to reach, the Blue Jays put together a two out rally when Jose Bautista singled, and Josh Donaldson walked, which pushed Travis to third. Edwin Encarnacion then smacked a line drive single to left field that scored Travis and Bautista (.194).</p>
<h3>Bottom Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>With one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Chase Headley and Didi Gregorius both singled, the first hits surrendered by Happ since the first inning homerun by Castro. Happ got Austin Romine to ground into a double play, Barney to Travis to Smoak (-.133).</p>
<h3>Trend to Watch</h3>
<p>Runs have been hard to come by for the Blue Jays this season, and the Yankee series was no different. Despite coming out with the series win, the Blue Jays left 19 runners on base against the Yankees in the three game set, including the middle game of the series when they scored 8 runs. The Jays have been getting runners on base, but continue to struggle to get the timely hit to break open a game.</p>
<h3>Up Next</h3>
<p>The Blue Jays will head home and get ready to take on the Red Sox starting tomorrow night at Rogers Center. Aaron Sanchez will start for the Jays, facing Joe Kelly, who is 2-0 on the season, despite carrying a 5.28 ERA.</p>
<p>Lead Photo: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports</p>
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		<title>Recap: Blue Jays 3, Twins 1; Successful Stroman Silences Minnesota</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/05/22/recap-blue-jays-3-twins-1-successful-stroman-silences-minnesota/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 22 May 2016 20:51:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota Twins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=2963</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After a disappointing 8th inning in yesterday&#8217;s game, the now last place Blue Jays were all business this afternoon in Minnesota. Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson went back to back to start the game in a three run-first inning, the first time that the Blue Jays have gone back to back to start a game [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After a disappointing 8th inning in yesterday&#8217;s game, the now last place Blue Jays were all business this afternoon in Minnesota. Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson went back to back to start the game in a three run-first inning, the first time that the Blue Jays have gone back to back to start a game since 2006 when Alex Rios and Frank Catalanatto did it. Marcus Stroman took the hill looking to rebound after a less than stellar start against the Rays his last time out. Stroman looked comfortable and in control, and he pitched into the 8th inning, which eased the pressure on the struggling bullpen, which has allowed 27 of 62 inherited runners to score this year.</p>
<p>Things got heated again for the Blue Jays in the 5th inning when Twins starter Phil Hughes threw two pitches at Josh Donaldson, which prompted John Gibbons to exit the dugout, argue with the homeplate umpire, and get ejected again. In that same 5th inning, Kevin Pillar continued to dazzle in the outfield with another diving catch, taking away what looked like a sure extra base hit from Brian Dozier and kept Kurt Suzuki, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning, from scoring on the play.</p>
<p>Michael Saunders continued to swing a hot bat this afternoon going two for three, and scored a run. Roberto Osuna came in with two outs in the 8th inning and retired the batter on one pitch, ending the threat that started with Stroman surrendering back to back singles. Stroman gave up just three hits, two walks, and struck out three over seven and two thirds innings. Osuna got the four out save, and the Jays took three of four from the Twins.</p>
<h3>Top Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>In the 8th inning Danny Santana singled, sending Kurt Suzuki, who had just record this 1000th career hit, to second base with nobody out. This had a WPA of .122.</p>
<h3>Bottom Play of the Game by WPA</h3>
<p>The Twins threatened in the 8th inning, with back to back singles from Suzuki and Santana to start the inning. Brian Dozier then hit a ball on the ground to Josh Donaldson at third, who turned a double play by stepping on the bag and throwing across the diamond to Justin Smoak, with a WPA of -.236.</p>
<h3>RISP</h3>
<p>The longball was the saving grace for the Blue Jays this afternoon, as they continued to be unable to produce with runners in scoring position. They were 0 for 8 today with runners in scoring position, and left seven runners on base. In Saturday&#8217;s loss, the Jays left five runners on base. But it&#8217;s not all bad news, as the Jays are starting to be more consistent all the way through the lineup. Russel Martin and Edwin Encarnacion were the only two Blue Jays who went without a hit in Sunday&#8217;s ballgame.</p>
<h3>Up Next</h3>
<p>The Blue Jays will leave Minnesota and head to New York to prepare for a three game set against the Yankees starting on Tuesday. The Blue Jays will send R.A. Dickey to the hill, who is 2-5 on the year, to face Nathan Eovaldi, who is 4-2 on the year with a 4.44 ERA.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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