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	<title>Toronto &#187; ALDS</title>
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		<title>Donaldson&#8217;s Bold Move Pays Off for Jays</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/10/10/donaldsons-bold-move-pays-off-for-jays/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2016 16:02:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Peaslee]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO – Ballsy. Reckless. Bold. Aggressive. Call it whatever you want, but Josh Donaldson’s decision to round third and attempt to score on a ball in the dirt that was laying at the feet of Texas Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland was certainly not your run of the mill play. As Donaldson laid out, doing [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO – Ballsy. Reckless. Bold. Aggressive.</p>
<p>Call it whatever you want, but Josh Donaldson’s decision to round third and attempt to score on a ball in the dirt that was laying at the feet of Texas Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland was certainly not your run of the mill play.</p>
<p>As Donaldson laid out, doing his best Superman impression, he touched the corner of home plate with his outstretched left hand to score the decisive run and win the ALDS for the Toronto Blue Jays.</p>
<p>“That’s a baseball player man,” Kevin Pillar said after the game as he and his teammates celebrated the Jays’ 7-6 walk-off win in Game Three of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers. “He’s got great instincts. Everyone wants to talk about what he’s able to do with his bat, or what he’s able to do with his glove, but what makes him an MVP type of player is his ability to run the bases.</p>
<p>“That’s a guy whose playing banged up. Probably not at 100 percent, but his instincts took over and he wanted it more than they did. That’s a play where someone can’t tell you to go, you just got to go on your own and he reacted, and boy it worked out.”</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Everyone wants to talk about what he’s able to do with his bat, or what he’s able to do with his glove, but what makes him an MVP type of player is his ability to run the bases.&#8221; &#8211; Pillar</p></blockquote>
<p>That it certainly did, as the Jays won the game on what was arguably the boldest baserunning decision in franchise history. When Donaldson broke for home, the Rogers Centre crowd held their breath as the play unfolded. Even last year’s MVP wasn’t sure he was going to make it home safely.</p>
<p>“That situation in the game, if he ends up throwing me out, making a great play you kind of have to tip your cap to him,” Donaldson said. “But I’m banking on the fact that I’m going to make it more times than not.&#8221;</p>
<p>While Donaldson was <i>relatively</i> sure his gamble was going to pay off, Michael Saunders was certain the game was over then and there.</p>
<p>“His instincts are off the charts. I had no doubt that he was scoring,” Saunders said. “When he makes up his mind on the base path it’s usually the right decision. He was aggressive. He understood the way the game was going that we needed to take our chances. The guy is an MVP for a reason.”</p>
<p>What may be more surprising than Donaldson’s decision to break for home in that situation was the fact that it’s no secret he’s nursing an assortment of ailments, some of which certainly affected his swing during a September where he hit .232 and only managed three home runs, but the 30-year-old looked awfully spry as he bolted for home.</p>
<p>“When you have 50,000 fans screaming it kind of numbs the pain a little,” Donaldson said. “It gives you that little extra jolt of adrenalin.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“When you have 50,000 fans screaming it kind of numbs the pain a little.&#8221; &#8211; Donaldson</p></blockquote>
<p>While the end result was what the Jays hoped for, the game itself wasn’t perfect. Few things in life are.</p>
<p>Aaron Sanchez struggled with his command all game &#8211; allowing six earned runs in his first postseason start, Kevin Pillar just barely missed a diving catch to end all diving catches that gave the Rangers a brief lead in the sixth, and the Jays only had two hits with runners in scoring position, scoring two of their seven runs on a wild pitch and an error.</p>
<p>That no longer matters. What matters at this time of year is simply the end result and that’s what the Jays are focused on.</p>
<p>“In the playoffs it’s all about getting wins,” Pillar said. “We just executed better and that’s what it comes down to in the postseason. We just played better baseball. We executed better.</p>
<p>“We’re going to enjoy the rest. It’s a long season. A lot of us are beat up. A lot of us are hanging on by threads. We’re going to enjoy the couple days off and take care of our bodies and we’ll be ready to go.”</p>
<p>Thanks to Donaldson’s bold baserunning decision the Jays get four days off before returning Friday for Game 1 of the ALCS against the winner of the Boston/Cleveland series &#8211; something that’s critical for the team at this time of year with so many bodies hurting.</p>
<p>“It’s been a long year. The extra days off will definitely benefit us as a team, I can tell you that,” Saunders said. “We’re just going to keep this momentum going. We’re going to enjoy some days off and come back ready to go.”</p>
<p>When they do come back the Jays will be looking for their seventh-straight victory, which would tie the club’s best mark of the season. Those types of streaks are awfully rare this time of year, but Toronto might be playing its best baseball at the most critical time.</p>
<p>Pillar talked before the Wild Card game about team’s who win that game tend to “ride that wave” of momentum into their next series. Thanks to Donaldson and company the Jays are still riding that wave and will look to continue to do so when the ALCS starts.</p>
<p>Friday. Be there.</p>
<p><i>Lead Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</i></p>
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		<title>ALDS Game 3 Recap: Blue Jays 7, Rangers 6; Tonight We Feast</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/10/09/alds-game-3-recap-blue-jays-7-rangers-6-tonight-we-feast/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2016 03:30:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Passador]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Aaron Sanchez was on the mound for Toronto. Colby Lewis for Texas. It wasn&#8217;t supposed to be a fair fight. Yet, it took extra innings for the Blue Jays to dispatch the Rangers in the third and final game of the ALDS. There were some tense moments and high drama but the Blue Jays worked [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Aaron Sanchez was on the mound for Toronto. Colby Lewis for Texas. It wasn&#8217;t supposed to be a fair fight.</p>
<p>Yet, it took extra innings for the Blue Jays to dispatch the Rangers in the third and final game of the ALDS. There were some tense moments and high drama but the Blue Jays worked around Sanchez&#8217;s struggles and handed things over to the big bats, who combined to score the winning run in the bottom of the tenth. The Toronto Blue Jays are going to the ALCS. The Texas Rangers are going home.</p>
<p>Texas took their first lead of the series without the benefit of a hit thanks to a leadoff walk to Carlos Gomez, a steal and two groundouts. The Rangers, desperate for something good, hoped to give themselves even a brief respite from the Toronto onslaught that dominated the first two games of this series. The lead was a sign of something positive finally breaking Texas&#8217; way and they turned to Colby Lewis in need of a shutdown inning. Even a one run lead headed into the second would present some forward momentum for the beleaguered Rangers.</p>
<p>Lewis made that lead last for all of 12 pitches. Ezequiel Carrera punched a leadoff single up the middle before Edwin Encarnacion delivered another moonshot into the second deck to give the Jays a 2-1 lead. Russell Martin finally got off the schneid two batters later, knocking a home run into the home bullpen for his first hit of the postseason and Toronto&#8217;s third run of the inning. The bullpen phone was ringing before Lewis recorded three outs.</p>
<p>After a quiet second inning, Elvis Andrus connected for Texas&#8217; first homer of the postseason, putting a nice swing on a pretty good Sanchez heater and scorching it over the wall. The Rangers entered the bottom of the third with the deficit down to one and some positive vibes if not signs of life.</p>
<p>Much like the first inning, Toronto responded quickly. Carrera collected another hit and stole second as Josh Donaldson curiously tried to lay down two bunts. He was swinging on the third pitch, slicing a high fly just fair down the right field line that bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. With four runs in and no outs in the third inning, Jeff Bannister went into the bullpen and Tony Barnette emerged from right field. Barnette, making his third appearance of the ALDS, avoided major damage on two healthy cuts from Encarnacion but conceded a single into center field that cashed in the reigning MVP.</p>
<p>Sanchez continued to struggle with his command, issuing a leadoff walk to Carlos Beltran and giving up a two run homer to Rougned Odor two batters later. Sanchez walked Mitch Moreland later in the frame but would exit the fourth with a five to four lead intact. The Blue Jays failed to continue the &#8220;call and response&#8221; pattern of the game&#8217;s early innings and couldn&#8217;t get anything out of a leadoff walk to Michael Saunders. Sanchez popped out of the dugout with tensions high in need of a quick inning and Joe Biagini loosening in the bullpen. The fireballer responded with three strikeouts and a little emotion to close the top of the fifth.</p>
<p>The Blue Jays got two runners on in the bottom half of the inning but former Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Jeffress coaxed a ground ball double play from Bautista to end the threat. Sanchez started the sixth with Brett Cecil warming in the bullpen behind him. The young righty picked up two quick outs before walking Odor and giving up a single to Jonathan Lucroy. That was enough for Gibbons to remove his starter and bring in Joe Biagini to take on lefty Mitch Moreland. Gibbons opted for Biagini vs. Moreland over Cecil vs. presumed pinch hitter Ryan Rua in a move that also preserved his lefty reliever for future at bats against Beltran and Odor.</p>
<p>It didn&#8217;t work, as Moreland cranked a double into the left-center gap just off the glove of a diving Kevin Pillar. Both runners came around to score on the play, closing the book on Sanchez and restoring a Texas lead.</p>
<p>All in all it wasn&#8217;t a particularly good start from Sanchez, who struggled mightily with command in his first career postseason start. His four free passes on the night led to three of the six runs scored and he allowed Texas to chip away at healthy leads on multiple occasions. To his credit, the fifth inning was a much needed shutdown frame and he struck out five but the Jays are surely disappointed by the evening&#8217;s performance from their ace. Five and two thirds innings with just three hits but four walks and six runs.</p>
<p>The Blue Jays tried their damndest to get the lead right back. Troy Tulowitzki singled to right, prompting Bannister to call on lefty Jake Diekman out of the bullpen. Gibbons countered by replacing Saunders with Melvin Upton Jr., who delivered with a first pitch double. Tulowitzki had a shot at scoring when Gomez bobbled the ball in the corner but was held up by third base coach Luis Rivera. With two runners in scoring position and one out, Kevin Pillar was intentionally walked to set up the double play with Darwin Barney at bat. Bannister plucked hard-throwing Keone Kela to take on the fill-in second baseman in a huge spot.</p>
<p>Kela overpowered Barney with three fastballs before inducing a popup to Adrian Beltre in foul ground. Ezeqiuel Carrera stepped to the dish looking to stay hot in one of the highest-leverage spots of the year. But Carrera needn&#8217;t even swing the stick, as a passed ball to open the at-bat brought Tulowitzki home from third and knotted the game at six. Carrera connected on the next pitch, sending a ball into the right field corner that looked good off the bat. Nomar Mazara ran it down, robbing two bases and two huge RBI from Zeke and the Jays.</p>
<p>Biagini and Kela worked clean sevenths and Jason Grilli came on for the eighth. The wily veteran got a first pitch pop up from Beltran and struck out Beltre on three pitches. Grilli&#8217;s four pitch night came against some tough batters but Gibbons didn&#8217;t dare risk leaving him in to face a second lefty. Brett Cecil came in and did the job, getting a pop up to the middle of the diamond. Matt Bush entered for Texas and struck out the side on just 13 pitches, preserving the tie and pushing the game into the ninth inning.</p>
<p>Enter Roberto Osuna. The closer, amidst discussion over whether or not he&#8217;s being overworked, took the bump and made quick work of Texas&#8217; hitters. Bush stayed in and did the same, sending the game to extra innings. Gibbons, rather than turn to Scott Feldman and the Bisons, sent Osuna back out for another inning of work. Fresh off some kind of cupping treatment, Osuna retired three more with two strikeouts to set the stage for Toronto&#8217;s biggest boppers.</p>
<p>They delivered off Matt Bush in his third inning of work. Donaldson&#8217;s third hit of the night was a leadoff double and was followed by an intentional walk to Encarnacion. Bautista struck out on a full count and Russell Martin poked a ground ball to Elvis Andrus at short. Andrus fielded the ball and tossed to Odor at second for the first out and it looked like the old double play monster would rear its ugly head. It wasn&#8217;t to be, as Public Enemy #1 and centerpiece of the series, Odor, threw a ball in the dirt that Moreland couldn&#8217;t pick at first.</p>
<p>Josh Donaldson- the reigning MVP, the Bringer of Rain, the hobbled heartbeat of the Toronto Blue Jays- never stopped running. He crossed home plate on an error charged to Rougned Odor and the Blue Jays are on to the ALCS.</p>
<h4>One Time</h4>
<p>One time for Josh Donaldson. This was an unbelievable performance that built on his Toronto legacy. Donaldson had three hits, drove in a run, scored the game winner on a tremendous aggressive read and made a pair of fantastic defensive plays. For all the talk of Toronto&#8217;s thunder, Donaldson won this game without leaving the yard. Josh Donaldson is a Toronto Blue Jay.</p>
<h4>Two Times</h4>
<p>Two times for Ezequiel Carrera. Zeke stayed hot, getting two more hits, a stolen base and a pair of runs in addition to a hard hit ball that would&#8217;ve fallen for a two RBI double against a lesser outfielder. Zeke&#8217;s perfectly timed hot streak contributed a ton to the Blue Jays efforts this series, and he will hopefully continue them over the rest of the month.</p>
<h4>Three Times</h4>
<p>Three times for the bullpen. Joe Biagini allowed two inherited runners to score but very nearly got out of the jam. Truthfully, and it may speak to how fortunate we are, many likely assumed that Pillar would run down that double in left center. Jason Grilli, Brett Cecil and Roberto Osuna all turned in fabulous performances without the safety net of Francisco Liriano and will get some well-deserved rest. Osuna in particular was marvelous, carving through Texas hitters with no troublesome contact. For all the guff they caught at the end of the season, the bullpen has been lights out in the playoffs.</p>
<h4>What&#8217;s Next</h4>
<p>The Toronto Blue Jays now wait with packed bags for some resolution in the Cleveland vs. Boston series. The rest days they&#8217;ll get from completing the sweep could pay off huge, as the nicked and bruised among them should get some time to relax following tonight&#8217;s champagne celebration.</p>
<p>For the second year in a row, the Texas Rangers will be sent packing with a long flight out of Pearson International and a laundry list of questions. The Rangers now have nothing to show for the second best regular season in franchise history aside from the memories of a right hand that was thrown in frustration following 2015&#8217;s embarrassing playoff departure. Some spoke warily of a potential comeback similar to the one Toronto delivered last season, but that narrative was whipped into the dirt in front of Moreland&#8217;s outstretched glove.</p>
<p>Some knockouts are better than others. Happy Thanksgiving.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Blue Jays vs. Rangers: ALDS Game One Preview</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/10/06/blue-jays-vs-rangers-alds-game-one-preview/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2016 13:21:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[BP Toronto Team]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers Thursday October 6th, 2016 Written by Mike Passador and Joshua Howsam Buck Showalter strode off the mound fresh off a conference with Ubaldo Jimenez. Perhaps he told the lanky right hander to take his chances with Edwin Encarnacion rather than issue a free pass and face Jose Bautista with [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 style="text-align: center">Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center">Thursday October 6th, 2016</h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><em>Written by <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Pandador" target="_blank">Mike Passador</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaHowsam" target="_blank">Joshua Howsam</a></em></p>
<p>Buck Showalter strode off the mound fresh off a conference with Ubaldo Jimenez. Perhaps he told the lanky right hander to take his chances with Edwin Encarnacion rather than issue a free pass and face Jose Bautista with the bases loaded. Perhaps he told Jimenez to serve up a middle-middle fastball so they could sleep in their own beds tomorrow. Whatever was said, Encarnacion planted the pitch in the second deck and himself in Blue Jays lore with a mammoth blast.</p>
<p>Those heroics bring us here.</p>
<p>Here, of course, is Arlington, the spot where so many (fans and impartial viewers alike) hoped the path would lead. Buckle up.</p>
<p>The Blue Jays toyed with disaster in the season&#8217;s final weeks but found a way to get it done. The same symptoms of distress persisted in the wild card game, namely the team&#8217;s continued ineptitude with runners on base. Aside from a clutch single from Ezequiel Carrera, all of Toronto&#8217;s runs came on longballs. Three double plays certainly didn&#8217;t help the cause, but the Jays found a way to get it done yet again and dispatched the rival Orioles in extras.</p>
<p>The Blue Jays will face the Texas Rangers in the ALDS for the second consecutive season and will be looking for similar results. In a bit of role reversal from last season, it&#8217;s the powerful Rangers who earned the AL&#8217;s top seed and enter the series as favorites. The Blue Jays went 4-3 in their seven games against Texas this season (though just 1-2 on the road) after eliminating the Rangers in a drama-filled Game 5 in last year&#8217;s postseason. Punctuated with Jose Bautista&#8217;s bat flip for the ages, the aggrieved Rangers would try to exact some revenge in the seventh and final game of the regular season set and things got physical.</p>
<p>With two good teams who don&#8217;t like each other much and two good pitchers on the mound, expect a close, fiery game to kick off the ALDS.</p>
<h3>Pitching Matchup:</h3>
<h4>Thursday, October 6th – 4:38 PM ET</h4>
<p><strong>Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.48 ERA, 4.40 DRA) @ Cole Hamels (15-5, 3.32 ERA, 2.65 DRA)</strong></p>
<p>Many assumed that this would be J.A. Happ&#8217;s start, allowing Sanchez to go in game two and thus be available for a game five, but the Jays have turned to last year&#8217;s postseason standout, Marco Estrada. The changeup specialist had a strange season, as he continued 2015&#8217;s dominance well into August, then suddenly went through a spell where he gave up 25 runs (24 earned) in 28 innings across six starts. That rough patch caused a lot of concern, as it was accompanied not just by a dip in velocity, but also a drop in the league-high &#8220;rise&#8221; on his fourseam fastball (see chart below). The common viewpoint was that his ailing back was finally starting to affect his on-field performance&#8230;when all of a sudden he turned right back into the pitcher from the first half. In his final three starts of the season, Estrada allowed just two runs on nine hits in 19 innings, striking out 19. Part of the turnaround was simply due to increased command and velocity, but he also began throwing fewer cutters. This seems like a good plan, as batters are slugging .535 on the pitch. If he continues to throw the ball as he has recently, the Rangers will be in some of trouble.</p>
<p><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/Brooksbaseball-Chart-15.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-7273" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/Brooksbaseball-Chart-15.png" alt="Brooksbaseball-Chart (15)" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>The Blue Jays managed to miss Hamels both times they played Texas, meaning the last time any of their hitters has seen the Rangers ace was in last year&#8217;s ALDS. Just in case they haven&#8217;t been paying attention, he&#8217;s still very, very good. Though he scuffled a bit down the stretch (6.75 ERA in his last six starts), Hamels was easily the Rangers&#8217; best starter on the season. He topped 200 innings pitched and 190 strikeouts (he finished with 200) for the seventh straight year. Like Estrada, Hamels relies on a plus changeup, especially when facing right-handed hitters as exist on the Blue Jays, but this year he has also heavily increased his use of the cutter. In fact, he now throws it almost as much as his fourseam fastball (see chart below). The heavily varied pitch mix will be an adjustment for the Blue Jays, who seem to have trouble with pitchers who rely on multiple offerings. They&#8217;ll have to force Hamels to get the ball up, or it could be another low-scoring output from Toronto&#8217;s offence.</p>
<p><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/Brooksbaseball-Chart-16.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-7274" src="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/10/Brooksbaseball-Chart-16.png" alt="Brooksbaseball-Chart (16)" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<h3>Keep an Eye On</h3>
<p><strong>Bullpen Pecking Order<br />
</strong></p>
<p>The much-maligned Toronto bullpen deserves full marks for their work in the wild card game. Brett Cecil, Joe Biagini, Jason Grilli, Roberto Osuna and Francisco Liriano combined for five shutout innings and bought the offense enough time to push the team through to the next round of postseason play. It would seem as though those are the pitchers in John Gibbons&#8217; circle of trust at the moment and they&#8217;ll be the ones counted on for the remainder of October.</p>
<p>The mighty Rangers present some more difficult matchups thanks to a fairly even left/right split throughout the entire lineup. It makes the matchup game a puzzling one for Gibbons and might necessitate some uncomfortable at bats. To wit, Brett Cecil was pulled in the 7th inning after walking Chris Davis. Right-handed Joe Biagini was brought in to take on righty Jonathan Schoop (who actually fares better against righties) and left handed Michael Bourn. Gibbons played the (traditional) matchups and it all worked out, but it might not be so easy against the Rangers.</p>
<p>The Jays probably won&#8217;t have the same luxuries against Texas, whose Odor-Lucroy-Choo-Moreland run seems like Cecil&#8217;s territory. That looks like the safest bet but will also require a tough at bat against the right-handed Lucroy. Could they turn to a righty to take on Lucroy and then work through the next two batters? Or will they let Cecil sink or swim? The context of the game will help make the decision but there will be some major risk-reward moves made deep in games.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see how Gibbons navigates the late innings with his limited slate of trustworthy relievers.</p>
<p><strong>The Running Game</strong></p>
<p>With the deadline addition of Carlos Gomez, the Rangers now feature four players with double digit steals (Elvis Andrus, Ian Desmond, Rougned Odor, and Gomez), not to mention part time speedster Delino DeSchields Jr. After catching a league-leading 43.8 percent of basestealers in 2015, following back-to-back years of 38.4 percent rates, Russell Martin&#8217;s caught-stealing rate plummeted to a league-worst 16.4 percent among catchers who caught at least 85 games. When combined with Estrada on the mound &#8211; he allowed the 10th most stolen bases in the AL (12) &#8211; look for the Rangers to attempt to take a few extra bags in this game.</p>
<p><strong>Power Displays</strong></p>
<p>The Rangers lineup currently boasts seven players who have hit 20 or more home runs this season, including two players who topped 30 (Odor and Beltre) and that&#8217;s not counting Carlos Gomez. Gomez has been on an absolute tear since being acquired from the Houston Astros, hitting .284/.362/.543 in a Rangers uniform with eight home runs in just 33 games. He is definitely showing the form that made him a two-time All-Star with the Brewers.</p>
<p>On the flip side, the Jays have a number of mashers of their own. Edwin Encarnacion led the way with 42 long balls (plus one notable postseason home run), with Josh Donaldson not far behind him at 37. In addition to those two top of the order mashers, five other players hit 20 or more bombs, two of whom hit 24 (Michael Saunders and Troy Tulowitzki).</p>
<p>Ameriquest Rangers Globe Life Ballpark in Arlington (close approximation) isn&#8217;t quite the home run park it is known for, but with Estrada and Hamels on the mound (neither of whom is particularly home run stingy), don&#8217;t be surprised if a few balls find their way to the seats in this game. You might see a bat or two flipped as well.</p>
<p><strong>Bad Blood<br />
</strong></p>
<p>When you think about it, Hero and Villain are relative terms.</p>
<p>Jose Bautista enters this series with a bullseye on his back from just about every angle after his franchise-shaping dinger and the immortalized bat flip that followed led into a mid-may dustup between the two squads. For those who need a refresher, the man they call Joey Bats authored a signature moment by crushing a Sam Dyson pitch deep to left for a three run home run that recaptured the lead in a crazy seventh inning in the deciding game of last year&#8217;s ALDS. The Jays and Rangers played six games without incident this season, only for the aggrieved Rangers to take out their frustrations in the final regular season meeting between the clubs. In what was presumably Bautista&#8217;s final at bat of the game, he was plunked by rookie Matt Bush. He slid hard into second and angered Rougned Odor, who promptly landed a hard right hook on Bautista&#8217;s jaw. A real brawl followed, as did a continued war of words.</p>
<p>This is one of the matchups that the baseball world seemed to be clamoring for. If X represents the number of times we&#8217;ll see the bat flip in the next week, X+1 might be the number of times we see Odor&#8217;s punch. Tensions will be running high on both sides and the conversation is already dominating coverage of this series. Sam Dyson <a href="https://twitter.com/bruce_arthur/status/783749495930490880" target="_blank">chose not to talk about it</a> while Bautista <a href="https://twitter.com/ArdenZwelling/status/783827041548316672" target="_blank">offered a lengthy response</a> to being disliked. The best quote on the matter comes from the Toronto slugger: &#8220;<a href="https://twitter.com/ArdenZwelling/status/783812549389070336" target="_blank">I&#8217;m not looking for revenge. I&#8217;m looking to win ball games.</a>&#8221;</p>
<p>Winning games is truly the best revenge. Hopefully both sides remember that nugget and set aside the frivolous macho crap to focus on a huge set of baseball games.</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>Texas Rangers</h3>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Devon Travis &#8211; 2B</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Carlos Gomez &#8211; LF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Josh Donaldson &#8211; 3B</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Ian Desmond &#8211; CF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Edwin Encarnacion &#8211; 1B</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Carlos Beltran &#8211; DH</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Jose Bautista &#8211; RF</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Adrian Beltre &#8211; 3B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Russell Martin &#8211; C</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Rougned Odor &#8211; 2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Troy Tulowitzki &#8211; SS</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Jonathan Lucroy &#8211; C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Michael Saunders &#8211; DH</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Shin-Soo Choo &#8211; RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Kevin Pillar &#8211; CF</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Mitch Moreland &#8211; 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Ezequiel Carrera &#8211; LF</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Elvis Andrus &#8211; SS</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 head to Texas with a pair of daunting pitchers waiting for their arrival. In what&#8217;s surely to be a heated series, the Jays could do themselves a major favor by getting off to a quick start and winning one on the road. While that&#8217;s no small feat against Hamels and Darvish, the Jays will be countering with top notch starters of their own. If they can knock a timely hit or two they can set themselves up nicely for the trip back home.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Brett Cecil is Enjoying Playing Meaningful September Baseball</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/09/20/brett-cecil-is-enjoying-playing-meaningful-september-baseball/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/09/20/brett-cecil-is-enjoying-playing-meaningful-september-baseball/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:40:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Peaslee]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ALDS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brett Cecil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pat Hentgen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roy Halladay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=6756</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO – It took 22 seasons for the Blue Jays to make the playoffs after winning it all in 1993. For every player that played in the interim, meaningful baseball in September was merely a myth. For a fan base, that’s an eternity. For players, that’s the length of a career, and then some. None [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO – It took 22 seasons for the Blue Jays to make the playoffs after winning it all in 1993. For every player that played in the interim, meaningful baseball in September was merely a myth.</p>
<p>For a fan base, that’s an eternity. For players, that’s the length of a career, and then some. None know this better than some of the long-time Blue Jays in those dark ages. Roy Halladay, Carlos Delgado, Vernon Wells, Adam Lind, and Casey Janssen were all drafted by the Jays, had varying levels of success in a Toronto uniform, endured the hardships, but never got to experience meaningful games down the stretch, despite their patience and faith.</p>
<p>For Brett Cecil, his patience is starting to pay off. A 2007 first round pick of the Jays, it took seven seasons and 276 Major League appearances before getting to experience it. With the club in the midst of another meaningful run in September and the American League East crown in the balance the left-hander is taking it all in.</p>
<p>“It’s a lot of fun playing in games like this, playing in September and playing in games that matter,” Cecil said last week before a game against the Boston Red Sox. “First four years or so of my career I was playing, I don’t like to call it meaningless baseball because you always want to try and improve yourself in some area every game that you go out… but, trust me, it’s a lot more fun to be playing real meaningful games and try to win a division.”</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Trust me, it’s a lot more fun to be playing real meaningful games and try to win a division.”</p></blockquote>
<p>That shouldn’t surprise anyone, obviously any competitor wants to win, especially one who gets paid to help a franchise win games. However, what might surprise you is that the team’s struggles before their enchanted postseason run last season made the Jays’ recent success a little bit sweeter for Cecil.</p>
<p>“I feel like for myself, personally, it’s been good for me to have those struggles that I’ve had in the past and even now in your career because you look for ways to get better,” Cecil said. “You learn from your mistakes. You learn how to get better. You better yourself as a person. You better yourself as a pitcher.</p>
<p>“I don’t think anybody can have 100 % success in this game. There’s going to be some downfall at some point. Whether it’s a team, whether it’s your career personally. I think it’s great for everybody to have that.”</p>
<p>While the Dunkirk, Maryland native has experienced his share of losses and failures, both personally and as a team, he’s also had plenty of success at the Major League level, especially since converting full-time to a reliever in September 2012. In the three full seasons that followed Cecil revolutionized his game to become one of the best relievers in the game, posting a 2.67 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 11.5 K/9 between 2013 and 2015.</p>
<p>Out of the bullpen Cecil has flirted with the club’s closer role on a couple of occasions, but nothing was quite as impressive as his stretch in the second half of last season. From June 24, 2015 and into the playoffs Cecil was arguably the most dominant reliever in all of baseball. Sporting a streak of 39 straight appearances without allowing an earned run that included a 0.68 WHIP, and 12.3 K/9.</p>
<p>It all came to a tragic end for Cecil in the eighth inning of Game 2 of the ALDS series against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre. After retiring the first two batters he faced, including a strikeout of Prince Fielder, Cecil gave up a single to Mike Napoli through the right side of the infield that scored Marcus Stroman&#8217;s inherited runner to tie the game at 4. Then Cecil caught Napoli off of first base with a pickoff attempt and became part of a run down between first and second. In the midst of tagging out the Rangers&#8217; first baseman for the final out of the frame he tore his left calf muscle. The injury forced him to miss the remainder of the playoffs, and left him cheering for his club from the sidelines as he voraciously attempted to overcome it.</p>
<p>While he chalked up just two innings of postseason experience as a result, it was more than a big enough bite for Cecil to want more. It’s that taste of success and finally experiencing meaningful baseball, combined with the club’s struggles earlier in his career that makes him want it even more this season.</p>
<p>“It’s both. It’s everything,” Cecil said. “It’s all the work you put off the field, in the weight room, and the off-season. You want it for your teammates. You want to do well for them</p>
<p>“We had a taste of it last year and we have a bad taste left in our mouth,”</p>
<blockquote><p>“We had a taste of it last year and we have a bad taste left in our mouth.”</p></blockquote>
<p>The Jays know how close they came last season, and that unfinished business has become a rallying cry for the team. But even with the contributions of Jason Grilli, Joaquin Benoit, and the ever-reliable Roberto Osuna at the back of the pen, a return to form by Cecil would drastically alter the Jays’ chances down the stretch.</p>
<p>The 30-year-old left-hander is trying to shake off an uncharacteristic season, and feels he’s almost there. Cecil, who hasn’t allowed a run since Aug. 21, now has a 1.72 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 12.6 K/9 in 22 games since July 22<sup>nd</sup>.</p>
<p>“I feel like my stuff’s been good all year,” Cecil said, who now has a 4.26 ERA on the season, nearly two full runs more than in 2015. “I feel like this year more than not it’s been bad pitches or poor pitch selection (that has hurt me). I feel like I’m going to fix that.&#8221;</p>
<p>“I felt really good my last couple of outings. I was telling people the other day that I don’t remember the last time I was consistently 94, 93, 94, 94 94 for two outings in a row. … It’s good for me to see that. Then obviously I know my breaking ball is where it needs to be. It’s sharp. I keep telling them, ‘guys, I have 30 innings. Throw me every day. I can go every other day for the rest of the season if you guys need me or want me.’ I’m a fresh arm right now. I’m feeling good so hopefully we can stretch this thing for a while.”</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I have 30 innings. Throw me every day. I can go every other day for the rest of the season if you guys need me or want me. I’m a fresh arm right now.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Regardless of where Cecil is slotted in the bullpen depth chart as the season winds down, or what the stats say about his year, the six-foot-three lefty’s main concern is the team record. You can throw away any personal stats and ignore anything he’s accomplished this year. At this time of season, when it matters most, it’s all about what the team can do.</p>
<p>“This isn’t an individual sport,” Cecil said bluntly.</p>
<p>Taking matters further, Cecil knows his role and what it takes to be a successful reliever. Part of that is having a short memory on the mound and not letting anything affect you. The other part comes from some advice given to him by former Blue Jays ace and current special assistant to the club Pat Hentgen.</p>
<p>“Hentgen always told us ‘you got to treat every outing like its Game 7 of the World Series,’” Cecil said. “If you’re a reliever coming in the fifth and getting the last out of the fifth<sup> </sup>inning or you’re Osuna getting the last three outs of the game. Every single out is important.&#8221;</p>
<p>“I know this team. The team knows itself, they know they can comeback from a pretty big deficit. We can come back in a short amount of time. That’s why I say every out is just as important as getting three outs in the ninth or being down 11-2 and getting outs in the fifth or sixth. It’s just as important.”</p>
<p>Whether or not Cecil will actually see Game 7 of the World Series in the future is yet to be seen, but he’s going to treat every appearance like it is. Until he gets there himself, he’s going to enjoy some meaningful baseball for a second consecutive season after a long stretch of losing and will try to avenge last season&#8217;s disappointment to wash that bad taste out of his mouth.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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