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	<title>Toronto &#187; Mike Wright</title>
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		<title>Know Your Enemy: A Look at Blue Jay Haters Around the League</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/06/22/know-your-enemy-a-look-at-blue-jay-haters-around-the-league/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jun 2016 14:22:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nick Dika]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baltimore Orioles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boston Red Sox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darren O'Day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Farrell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kansas City Royals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike Wright]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota Twins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Phil Hughes]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yordano Ventura]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[According to many people outside of Canada, the Blue Jays are not the most loved team in baseball. It’s starting to feel like every other week someone is spouting off, or throwing at, one of the Jays’ best players. I, like most Blue Jays fans, do not understand all of the hate. While I can [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>According to many people outside of Canada, the Blue Jays are not the most loved team in baseball. It’s starting to feel like every other week someone is spouting off, or throwing at, one of the Jays’ best players. I, like most Blue Jays fans, do not understand all of the hate. While I can understand that opposing players get frustrated with inflated international cell phone bills, Toronto still seems to be receiving a disproportionate amount of Major League Baseball’s vitriol. Most of the time, Blue Jay hate seems to be rooted in talk of disrespect, playing the game the right way and showing up opponents. But I have a hard time believing that Sam Dyson would throw the same shade at Mickey Mantle that he has at Jose Bautista.</p>
<p>In my opinion, all the criticism is just code for the underlying truth that the Blue Jays are good at baseball and appear to be excited and happy about it &#8211; an ethos that doesn’t sit well with some others around the league. It’s always important to know your enemy, so in case you’ve missed some of the more recent dust ups, here is a recap of current Blue Jay detractors, critics and haters throughout Major League Baseball:</p>
<p><b>Minnesota Twins – Joe Vavra/Phil Hughes</b></p>
<p>One of the more bizarre incidents of on-field feuding this season has to be Josh Donaldson’s clash with the Minnesota Twins. While grounding out in the first inning of a Saturday afternoon game, Donaldson ran down the first base line at a speed that was clocked by stadium radar guns at “not playing the game the right way.” This upset Twins’ bench coach Joe Vavra, who said something inflammatory to JD, laying waste to the reputation of the polite and friendly Midwesterner. The next day, when Donaldson took Twins starter Phil Hughes deep, he glared at Vavra as he crossed home plate. This led Phil Hughes to throw two pitches at Donaldson in the 6<sup>th</sup> inning, without being ejected from the game. After the game, Donaldson explained why both this situation and the Trial By Combat policy that Major League baseball adheres to is so maddeningly frustrating. The Twins dislike of the Blue Jays also proves that you don’t need to hit a franchise altering home run for someone to get irrationally offended. In my opinion, Twins pitchers should be more concerned with hitting 90 miles an hour instead of opposing players.</p>
<p><b>Texas Rangers – Rougned Odor</b></p>
<p>Oddly enough, the only person on this list to publicly declare their respect for Jose Bautista is the one who decided to punch him in the face. It seems as though Odor puts about as much thought into his on field actions as he does into his post game statements, deciding that slugging Bautista in the jaw was an adequate response to a late, but not dangerous, slide into second base &#8211; proving that you can’t spell Ranger without rage. Odor’s attack on Joey Bats, has made him public enemy number one in Toronto and the creator of a cottage industry’s worth of t-shirt and punch related memorabilia in Texas. The most recent chapter in the Jays-Rangers rivalry has anointed Texas as Toronto’s most hated rival and should provide plenty of fodder if the teams do happen to meet in the playoffs again this season.</p>
<p><b>Pete Rose – A Casino Somewhere</b></p>
<p>During last year’s postseason run, Doctor Pete Rose fired <a href="http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/10/pete-rose-josh-donaldson-alds-game-1-head-injury-collision-mlb">criticism</a> at Josh Donaldson for leaving Game One of the ALDS after potentially sustaining a concussion; comments that indicated Rose himself may have sustained a serious head injury at some point. While his criticisms of Donaldson as a soft player make it abundantly clear that Rose knows nothing about head injuries or Donaldson’s style of play, Rose should know plenty about staying in games too long – just look at his final season as a player in 1986.</p>
<p><b>Baltimore Orioles &#8211; Darren O’Day</b></p>
<p>The longest standing Blue Jay rivalry is the Orioles/O’Day conflict that dates back to a time so long ago (2013) that Jose Bautista wasn’t even sporting his signature beard when the dispute began. The issues centred on a circular series of brush back pitches, celebrated home runs and outs, and retaliatory beanings between Jose Bautista and Darren O’Day. Blue Jay historians also note that the Bautista/O’Day rivalry marks the first usage of Jose’s now famous catchphrases “you’ll have to ask_____(player/manager/front office member/reporter) about that, not me”, and “I couldn’t care less what ____(opposing player/manager) thinks.&#8221;</p>
<p><b>Mike Wright – Norfolk Tides</b></p>
<p>The newest addition to the list is Mike Wright, the <span style="text-decoration: line-through">Orioles’ rookie</span> Norfolk Tides pitcher who argued that Edwin Encarnacion is a less than stellar hitter, when stating “there’s a reason he’s hitting .240.” This was pronounced despite the fact that Edwin spent that very same Saturday afternoon grinding Wright and the rest of the O’s pitching staff into a fine pulp. With O&#8217;Day on the disabled list, perhaps Wright was trying to fill the antagonism void. Let’s hope for Wright’s sake that Oriole regulars Chris Davis, Adam Jones, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Flaherty, and Pedro Alvarez didn’t hear his disparaging comments about players who hit .240. I also can’t believe Mark Trumbo isn’t on that list.</p>
<p><b>John Farrell – Boston Red Sox</b></p>
<p>When someone breaks up with you, they usually have the tact not to mention they wanted to be with someone else all along. John Farrell didn’t give the Blue Jays and their fans the same courtesy. If leaving because you would rather manage a team with Dustin Pedroia on it wasn’t hard enough to swallow, Farrell made some <a href="http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/farrell-jays-approach-one-dimensional/">comments</a> that painted the Blue Jays’ front office in a less than positive light upon leaving. This was the very same front office that let him out of his contract to go and take the job he wanted all along. While most divorces involve the division of furniture, record collections or pets, this one saw the Blue Jays get Mike Aviles in the breakup. Be careful Boston, we wouldn’t want him to hurt you the same way he hurt us.</p>
<p><b>Goose Gossage – Wilton Grove Retirement Community</b></p>
<p>If you heard Gossage’s <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14943065/goose-gossage-rips-jose-bautista-toronto-blue-jays-nerds-ruining-baseball">rant</a> this winter, the one in which he calls Jose Bautista a “f&#8212;ing disgrace,&#8221; you were probably concerned for a man who had wandered away from his seniors tour just long enough to voice his displeasure with how the youths of today are ruining baseball. Jose Bautista knew as much, responding only that he was not going to get into it with him. Gossage was quickly reunited with his tour group and promptly offered a job in the Diamondbacks’ front office under Dave Stewart.</p>
<p><b>Kansas City Royals – Yordano Ventura</b></p>
<p>The stupidest thing about the Jays’ feud with Yordano Ventura is that it was born out of a game that he wasn’t even playing. After the Jays and Royals cleared benches on August 3<sup>rd</sup> of 2015, Ventura sent and then deleted a very critical tweet directed at Jose Bautista. Then, in the ALCS, he got bent out of sorts when Troy Tulowitzki asked for time too close to when Hurricane V wanted to deliver his next pitch. Ventura proceeded to stare Tulo down in little response. <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article82483682.html">This was not Ventura’s first or last altercation</a> with an opposing player or team. There’s an old expression that may be applicable here: If you run into an a—hole in the morning, you run into an a—hole. If you run into a—holes all day, maybe you’re the a—hole? After supposedly apologizing to Bautista about his comments, there have been <a href="http://bluejaysnation.com/2016/6/8/yordano-ventura-openly-talked-about-hitting-jose-bautista-is-an-idiot">reports</a> about his intentions to hit Jose Bautista the next time he faces him; proving that he has learned absolutely nothing.</p>
<p><b>Adam Dunn – Retired Because he Doesn&#8217;t Like Baseball</b></p>
<p>You know, this one just might be on Toronto. Well, General Manager J.P. Ricciardi more specifically. Ricciardi famously called out Adam Dunn for “not even liking baseball all that much” &#8211; the 2008 equivalent of calling someone ‘low energy.&#8217; Dunn responded by calling Ricciardi a clown, hilariously confirming with reporters that they could use the word clown if they liked. Sure, Adam Dunn is built more like Little John than your prototypical baseball player, having what my dad would describe as a ‘big middle,’ but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about baseball. Even a staunch Jays’ supporter like me would say J.P. was perhaps a little out of line on this one.</p>
<p>Since the Blue Jays emerged as a playoff and World Series contender over the past two years, the bad blood between Toronto and the rest of baseball has increased substantially. As annoying as it can be to hear yet another example of someone having a mostly made up problem with your favorite team, take solace in the fact that the Jays are good enough to take their revenge by winning games, and (hopefully) not throwing at people.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>These Birds are Flying: Orioles Series Preview</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/06/09/these-birds-are-flying-orioles-series-preview/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/06/09/these-birds-are-flying-orioles-series-preview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2016 17:15:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[BP Toronto Team]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Series Preview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[J.A. Happ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kevin gausman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcus Stroman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike Wright]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Orioles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tyler Wilson]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays vs. Baltimore Orioles June 9th &#8211; June 12th Written by Matt Gwin and Molly Tissenbaum After tearing through the Yankees and Red Sox over the last few weeks, one would have hoped that the Jays would be closer to the top of the AL East. Instead, while the Jays were doing their winning, the Orioles [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 style="text-align: center">Toronto Blue Jays vs. Baltimore Orioles</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center">June 9th &#8211; June 12th</h3>
<p style="text-align: center"><em>Written by <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/author/matthewgwin/" target="_blank">Matt Gwin</a> and <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/author/mollytissenbaum/" target="_blank">Molly Tissenbaum</a></p>
<p>After tearing through the Yankees and Red Sox over the last few weeks, one would have hoped that the Jays would be closer to the top of the AL East. Instead, while the Jays were doing their winning, the Orioles were keeping pace. As a result, Baltimore&#8217;s team now leads the division, and the Blue Jays are 4.5 games back. If they can pull off a series win, there&#8217;s a chance that the Jays will find themselves in the second wildcard spot, and thus a pole position for a postseason spot. However, that will require a very poor showing from the Mariners in their series vs. Texas. Slow and steady wins this race.</p>
<h3>Pitching Matchups:</h3>
<h4>Thursday, June 9th – 7:07 PM ET</h4>
<p><strong>Marcus Stroman vs. Tyler Wilson</strong></p>
<p>Thus far, Stroman has had mixed results. He currently holds a staff worst 4.82 ERA, but also a staff best 80.1 IP. Also, it could easily be argued that three of his last four starts included the three worst starts of his career. Call it a slump, if you will. I still firmly believe that regression and baseball smarts will fix Stroman&#8217;s season; <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/06/07/why-marcus-stroman-will-be-perfectly-fine/" title="Why Marcus Stroman Will Be Perfectly Fine" target="_blank">I iterated as much this past week</a>. However, in order to do that, he will have to start showing some changes eventually. Fortunately, the Orioles are a reasonably good candidate for Stroman&#8217;s revival. While they currently hold MLB&#8217;s fifth highest OPS, they also hold the third lowest contact rate. As we&#8217;ve seen, getting ground balls hasn&#8217;t been Stroman&#8217;s issue. Rather, it has been not stranding enough runners, and a few more strikeouts should allow him to do that.</p>
<p>In terms of major league pitching, Tyler Wilson is pretty much unremarkable in every way. Here are a few quotes from <a href="http://www.brooksbaseball.net/landing.php?player=592869" target="_blank">his pitch description on Brooks Baseball</a>:</p>
<p>&#8220;His fourseam fastball is straight as an arrow, generates fewer whiffs/swing compared to other pitchers&#8217; four seamers&#8221;<br />
&#8220;His slider comes in below hitting speed, sweeps across the zone, has exceptional depth, generates fewer whiffs/swing compared to other pitchers&#8217; sliders and results in somewhat more flyballs compared to other pitchers&#8217; sliders&#8221;<br />
&#8220;His change is basically never swung at and missed compared to other pitchers&#8217; changeups&#8221;</p>
<p>If that&#8217;s not unremarkable, then I don&#8217;t know what is. Now, with that said, over the last couple of months he has seemingly learned a thing or two from the Blue Jays&#8217; pitching staff. In 2016, he has consistently thrown ~65% fastballs (only slightly fewer than last year), but he&#8217;s throwing an increasing amount of sinkers, and a decreasing amount of four seamers. Against many teams, that&#8217;s likely to be an effective strategy. However, the Jays are rather good at hitting the fastball, so expect them to score quite a few runs.</p>
<h4>June 10th – 7:07 PM ET</h4>
<p><strong>Marco Estrada vs. Kevin Gausman</strong></p>
<p>It&#8217;ll be tough for Marco to top his last performance, wherein he took a no-hitter in to the eighth inning before it was broken up by a Chris Young home run. As a result of that homer (and Osuna&#8217;s near meltdown), Marco&#8217;s stat line didn&#8217;t quite look immaculate, but those who watched the game know just how good he was. In fact, that&#8217;s kind of been the case all season. Similarly to 2015, all of the traditional regression metrics like BABIP, HR/FB%, and LOB% all saw that Estrada shouldn&#8217;t continue to be as good as he&#8217;s been. However, he has done it for just over a year now. There&#8217;s bound to be some regression, as Estrada likely isn&#8217;t a sub 2.50 ERA pitcher, but a lot of it is very real.</p>
<p>Like Marco Estrada, Kevin Gausman is outperforming his FIP by a wide margin. However, unlike Marco, Kevin has no calling card to explain why exactly that is. Gausman&#8217;s strikeout and walk totals have been rather decent this season, but that&#8217;s never been his problem. Instead it is home runs that plague him, and 2016 has been no different. In two of his last three starts he&#8217;s given up three homers. Jose Bautista, it&#8217;s your time shine.</p>
<h4>June 11th – 1:07 PM ET</h4>
<p><strong>J.A. Happ vs. Mike Wright</strong></p>
<p>Of the Blue Jays&#8217; many pitching miracles, J.A. Happ is probably the one that we should believe in the least. In comparison to 2015, wherein Happ&#8217;s ERA was similarly great, he now has little peripheral footing with which to back it up. He&#8217;s posting a career low 5.71 K/9, and a respectable, but not superb 2.85 BB/9. Then, given that he&#8217;s not even producing a particularly high amount of soft contact, one shouldn&#8217;t expect his BABIP to remain so low. However, more than 90% of the pitches he throws should look like fastballs coming out of his hand. In a way, that&#8217;s one form of deception. Deception usually works for a while in MLB, but not forever, and not often against big fastball hitters like Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo. Happ will have to proceed with caution.</p>
<p>Mike Wright has a mediocre strikeout rate, a mediocre walk rate, and a mediocre ground ball rate. <a href="http://www.brooksbaseball.net/outcome.php?player=605541&amp;b_hand=-1&amp;gFilt=&amp;pFilt=FA|SI|FC|CU|SL|CS|KN|CH|FS|SB&amp;time=year&amp;minmax=ci&amp;var=pcount&amp;s_type=2&amp;startDate=03/30/2007&amp;endDate=06/08/2016" target="_blank">80% of the pitches he throws</a> should look like fastballs coming out of his hand. Essentially, his peripherals suggest he&#8217;s J.A. Happ, minus the shiny sub 4.00 ERA. Instead, Mike Wright has a 5.14 ERA, a 4.96 FIP, and 4.98 DRA. Both the real ERA and ERA estimators alike agree that he&#8217;s really not very good. The Blue Jays, good fastball hitters as they are, should have no trouble with him.</p>
<h4>June 12th – 1:07 PM ET</h4>
<p><strong>Aaron Sanchez vs. Ubaldo Jimenez</strong></p>
<p>In every single series preview I write from here on out this season, I will happily write that I, Matt Gwin, was wrong about Aaron Sanchez. He had a rough patch through the first half of May in which he looked like he might go off the rails. However, through the second half of May and in to the first half of June he has certainly righted the course. In his last start, against the Tigers, he had 12 strikeouts, and just one walk. After the game, <a href="http://m.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article/182759528/aaron-sanchez-takes-one-hitter-into-ninth?game_pk=447747" target="_blank">Tigers&#8217; slugger Miguel Cabrera noted</a>:</p>
<p>&#8220;Whew. Wow. Very impressed. Very impressed. &#8230; To pitch over 95 mph for eight innings, that&#8217;s impressive, with a good breaking ball. He showed a little bit of changeup, but he doesn&#8217;t need a changeup.&#8221;</p>
<p>That&#8217;s about as hearty as an endorsement gets.</p>
<p>For yet another time, Ubaldo Jimenez&#8217;s velocity has decreased. As late as 2010, he was throwing above 96 MPH regularly. Now, he struggles to touch 94 MPH. On top of that, his command is all but gone. While he can keep the ball inside the park, he struggles to keep it inside the strike zone. Those same results have been consistent across each of his starts this season. In turn, he has been limited to 5 IP or less in 75% of his starts. Because Ubaldo has a plethora of pitches that actually move pretty well, the Jays are unlikely to hammer a bunch of hits off of him, and that has been the trend. Every single Toronto player with 20+ PA vs Jimenez has a sub. 700 OPS, with Jose Bautista checking in with a woeful line of .091/.232/.121. Instead, for the Jays, patience will be key. I&#8217;m looking at you, Kevin Pillar.</p>
<h3>Additions and Subtractions</h3>
<p>There wasn&#8217;t a lot of movement on the Blue Jays roster these past few days. Matt Dominguez&#8217; brief return to the big leagues was short lived, as the was optioned back to Buffalo to make room for another reliever. That arm ended up being the switch-pitcher Pat Venditte, who is now already on his fourth stint with the club this year.</p>
<p>Similarly, the Orioles haven&#8217;t dealt with much in the way of roster changes. However, the great Darren O&#8217;Day/Jose Bautista rivarly will sadly have to wait for a little while to be renewed, as the submarine righty has been played on the 15 day disabled list with a hamstring strain. In his place, they have recalled RHP Mike Wright who will be starting Saturday&#8217;s game.</p>
<h3>Keep an Eye On</h3>
<h4>Wieters is Getting Hot</h4>
<p>Matt Wieters is giving the Orioles some much needed depth to the lineup that has been relying on the magic of Manny Machado and the resurgence of Mark Trumbo. In his last 15 games, Weiters is hitting .368 and slugging .614, with 14 RBIs. When he is hitting, the Orioles lineup has a lot more depth and can score a lot of runs in bunches.</p>
<h4>Darwin Barney&#8217;s Tulo Impression</h4>
<p>Over his last 15 games, Darwin Barney has posted a .333 batting average, .377 on base percentage, and a .458 slugging percentage. In that same time, he has seven RBI and hit three home runs, while filling in for the injured Tulowitzki. He is also playing a very good shortstop, which while not a total surprise, is nice to see given Barney&#8217;s lack of MLB experience at the position.</p>
<h4>Devon Travis</h4>
<p>On the other side of the keystone sack, things aren&#8217;t looking quite so healthy. Having cooled off significantly since he made his return to the Blue Jays, Devon Travis is now hitting just .174 on the season. In his last 3 games, he was 0 for 12 with three strikeouts and no walks. The expectation was that Travis would provide the offensive boost over what the Jays had been getting from Goins, but their numbers are almost identical. It will pose an interesting problem for the Jays when Tulo returns on Monday. Do they ride the hot hand in Barney, or do they roll with the long term answer? We&#8217;ll find out soon.</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>Blue Jays</h3>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center">
<h3>Orioles</h3>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Jose Bautista &#8211; RF</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Adam Jones &#8211; CF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Josh Donaldson &#8211; 3B</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Hyun Soo Kim &#8211; LF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Edwin Incarnation &#8211; DH</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Manny Machado &#8211; SS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Michael Saunders &#8211; RF</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Mark Trumbo &#8211; RF</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Justin Smoak &#8211; 1B</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Chris Davis &#8211; 1B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Russell Martin &#8211; C</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Matt Wieters &#8211; C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Devon Travis &#8211; 2B</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Pedro Alvarez &#8211; DH</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Kevin Pillar &#8211; CF</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Jonathan Schoop &#8211; 2B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Darwin Barney &#8211; SS</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Ryan Flaherty &#8211; 3B</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>After a tough three game series in Detroit where the Jays lost two of three, they are now 4.5 games back going into the series against the Orioles. In recent weeks, the Blue Jays have looked poised to continue climbing back towards the top. Things will get tough here, as Manny Machado continues to lead the first place Orioles offence while playing elite defence at both spots on the left side of the infield. There will be plenty of homerun power on display in this series as well, with Trumbo, Davis, and Machado matching up with Bautista, Donaldson, and Encarnacion. The Blue Jays need Marcus Stroman to bounce back from his less than stellar outings on the road and make a statement Thursday night against the O&#8217;s.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Birds in the Hand: Orioles Series Preview</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/04/19/birds-in-the-hand-orioles-series-preview/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2016 13:43:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dave Church and Molly Tissenbaum]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Series Preview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Tillman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marco Estrada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marcus Stroman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike Wright]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[r.a. dickey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ubaldo Jimenez]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=1126</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays @ Baltimore Orioles April 19th &#8211; April 21st The Blue Jays continue their tour of the American League East, as they head to Baltimore to face the Orioles, the only team in their division they’ve yet to face. Picked by many pundits to finish last in a very competitive division, the Orioles [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 style="text-align: center">Toronto Blue Jays @ Baltimore Orioles</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center">April 19th &#8211; April 21st</h3>
<p>The Blue Jays continue their tour of the American League East, as they head to Baltimore to face the Orioles, the only team in their division they’ve yet to face. Picked by many pundits to finish last in a very competitive division, the Orioles started the season on a tear, winning their first seven games before dropping three of the past four. The Jays are coming off a series split in Boston, with the starting pitching continuing to be good. The Jays only struck out five times in the finale against the Red Sox, but that still puts them at 141 strikeouts after 14 games, an alarming rate, even for a team with a lot of power hitters.</p>
<h3>Pitching Matchups:</h3>
<h4>April 19th &#8211; 7:05 PM ET</h4>
<h4><strong>Marcus Stroman</strong> vs. <strong>Mike Wright</strong></h4>
<p>The Blue Jays&#8217; ace Marcus Stroman is coming off a strong outing against the Yankees, where he went eight innings and allowed two runs. There’s a lot to like about his starts so far: he’s pitched eight innings twice, and walked only six batters. However, he’s only struck out 12 in just over 21 innings. That&#8217;s something to watch going forward, especially as he gets a longer track record, and hitters start to see him for the second and third time. Stroman has a career 3.00 ERA over 18 innings against Baltimore in his career, and should be able to hold them to a similar level on</p>
<p>Mike Wright is making his second start of the year, having won his first, a five inning outing where he allowed four runs and struck out four batters. The Jays are likely eager to face Wright, as he has a career 9.45 ERA against Toronto over three outings (two of them starts). At some point, the Jays’ offense will have a big game, and Wright provides an opportune chance for that to happen.</p>
<h4>April 20th – 7:05 PM ET</h4>
<h4><strong>R.A. Dickey</strong> vs. <strong>Ubaldo Jimenez</strong></h4>
<p>The usual April struggles for Dickey have continued this season, as he’s yet to pitch past the fifth inning in any of his three outings. Dickey has thrown the fifth-most innings in baseball over the last three years, so a lack of stamina would take away what has been his primary value to the Jays over his tenure with the team: his ability to throw innings. His catcher, Josh Thole, has also struggled in the last two games receiving the knuckleball, a trend which will hopefully right itself soon.</p>
<p>The Orioles counter with Ubaldo Jimenez, who is making his third start this year. He’s coming off a loss against the Red Sox, a game in which he threw five innings and allowed four runs (is there an echo in here?). Jimenez has a reputation as an inconsistent pitcher with mechanics that can be all over the place, but he’s generally given the Jays fits, sporting a shiny 2.83 ERA over 54 innings against them in the last three seasons.</p>
<h4>April 21st – 7:05 PM ET</h4>
<h4><strong>Marco Estrada</strong> vs. <strong>Chris Tillman</strong></h4>
<p>Expectations were high for Marco Estrada coming into this year, with his performance and a new two year deal cementing his place in the rotation. In his two starts against the Red Sox, Estrada was mostly good, with one bad inning in his second outing leading to his picking up a 4-2 loss. His changeup, one of the best pitches in baseball in 2015, has continued to be devastating in his two outings thus far. Estrada has a 3.42 ERA against the Orioles over three career appearances against them.</p>
<p>Chris Tillman has a 5.11 ERA over two starts and three total appearances this year for the Orioles. He lost his last start against Texas, allowing six runs and nine hits in five and a third innings. This is another matchup the Jays should be looking forward to: in six starts against the Jays in 2015, Tillman sported an ugly 11.72 ERA. Much like Wright in the series opener, this is a chance for the mostly dormant Jays’ bats to wake up.</p>
<h3>Additions and Subtractions</h3>
<p>The most significant news for the Orioles has been pitchers Kevin Gausman and Brian Matusz starting rehab assignments. Both players are expected to rejoin the team shortly, with Matusz being their primary left-hander out of the bullpen, and Gausman potentially rejoining the rotation. Given the dearth of left-handed hitters on the Jays, one assumes Matusz won’t be rushed back for this series. Although with their rotation as it is, the Orioles probably want Gausman back sooner rather than later</p>
<p>For the Jays, the only recent injury update has been this tidbit from Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, on lefthander Aaron Loup:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">LHP Aaron Loup throwing at 90 feet today, feeling normal, needs regular buildup now</p>
<p>&mdash; Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi/status/721729676130041856">April 17, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>There is no timetable for Loup’s return.</p>
<h3>Keep an Eye On</h3>
<h4>Pillar in the 8th Spot</h4>
<p>He’s only spent two games in the 8th spot since being moved from the leadoff spot, but Kevin Pillar seems to have found his groove in the last two games. On Sunday afternoon Pillar went 3 for 4 and on Monday put together an impressive afternoon going 3 for 3 with a walk, and he scored once during the Blue Jays 8th inning rally. Pillar spent spring training auditioning for the role in the lead off spot after Ben Revere was traded during the off season, but has been more effective of late towards the bottom of the lineup.</p>
<h4>Mark Trumbo&#8217;s Hot Start</h4>
<p>Mark Trumbo is off to a hot start for the Orioles so far. As of Sunday, Trumbo was hitting .386/.413/.750. On April 15th Trumbo had a two homerun night, both coming in the same inning in a 11-5 Orioles win over the Rangers. His defence has been spotty, which helped the Rangers beat the O’s the following night on a ball he overran, which allowed two runners to come around to score.</p>
<h4>Baseball&#8217;s Two Best Third Basemen</h4>
<p>With arguably two of the best third baseman in the league squaring off against each other in this series, the hot corner will definitely be fun to watch in this series. Despite saying that he is still trying to work out the kinks in his swing, Donaldson is currently hitting .309/.377/.691 in 14 games this year, including 5 homeruns. In 11 games this year, Machado is hitting .383/.431/.723, with 4 homeruns. When they’re not at the plate, keep an eye on the defence of both Machado and Donaldson, who are both known to flash the leather.</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>Blue Jays</h3>
</td>
<td style="text-align: center">
<h3>Orioles</h3>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Saunders (LF)</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Rickard (LF)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Donaldson (3B)</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Machado (3B)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Bautista (RF)</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Jones (CF)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Encarnacion (DH)</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Davis (1B)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Tulowitzki (SS)</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Trumbo (RF)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Colabello (1B)</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Wieters (C)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Martin (C)</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Alvarez (DH)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Pillar (CF)</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Hardy (SS)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center">Goins (2B)</td>
<td style="text-align: center">Schoop (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>For the second week in a row the Orioles are atop the A.L East, 2.5 games ahead of the Blue Jays coming into the series. The Blue Jays are hoping for more consistency scoring runs both early and late in games, while cutting down on the exorbitant number of strikeouts they’ve had thus far. The Blue Jays will need Stroman to continue to show why he is the ace, ahead of Dickey who has historically struggled in April.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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