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		<title>Steve Pearce on Breaking Through an Early Season Slump</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/25/steve-pearce-on-breaking-through-an-early-season-slump/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Apr 2017 11:02:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Peaslee]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=10322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO &#8212; Baseball can be a funny game. The harder you try the more the game tends to slip away from you. The entirety of the Toronto Blue Jays roster has frustratingly dealt with this all season with the team breaking out of the gates to a dismal 5-13 record. They know they’re a good [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO &#8212; Baseball can be a funny game. The harder you try the more the game tends to slip away from you.</p>
<p>The entirety of the Toronto Blue Jays roster has frustratingly dealt with this all season with the team breaking out of the gates to a dismal 5-13 record. They know they’re a good team, but when they press and try to overcome their slow art in a single game nothing seems to break right.</p>
<p>Few individually have felt this more than newcomer Steve Pearce. After a scorching Opening Day start where the 34-year-old got three hits and scored a run, Pearce managed to equal his first game output of three hits in his next 32 at-bats.</p>
<p>What Pearce has been trying to focus on during this rut is simple, “just getting better.”</p>
<p>“Bottom line we got to get better, individually and as a team.” Pearce said prior to the Jays’ 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox last Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.</p>
<p>Pearce has admitted to pressing in the opening weeks of the season and trying to do too much at times. What he’s lost during that time is his feel for the game. The feel of the game coming to him instead of chasing it. Seeing the ball out of the pitcher’s hand and making solid contact on a consistent basis.</p>
<blockquote><p>“Bottom line we got to get better, individually and as a team.” &#8211; Steve Pearce</p></blockquote>
<p>As funny as it may sound, in baseball sometimes less is more. When you start to try to do too much you end up pressing and making things more complicated for yourself.</p>
<p>“That’s when everything gets tense. You can’t play the kind of game you want to play when you’re tense,” Pearce said. “The looser you are, the better you feel, the better your production’s going to be, the better you’re going to feel, the better chance you have to get a base hit.</p>
<p>“This game can move so fast. The pitchers are so good that you really have to be in the best position in order to get base hits. They’re throwing 95 mph and if you’re tense that’s going to get blown right by you. You need your body free, and you need to be able to see the ball and unload on it.</p>
<p>“You know what they say, ‘if you’re thinking, you’re stinking.’ …You got to go up there and just see the ball and hit the ball.”</p>
<p>Manager John Gibbons knows this too.</p>
<p>“Baseball’s a different sport. In other sports you can run harder, you can hit somebody harder, you can give a better effort and that can work to your benefit. (In) baseball the harder you try the worse it gets sometimes,” Gibbons said.</p>
<blockquote><p>Baseball’s a different sport. In other sports you can run harder, you can hit somebody harder, you can give a better effort and that can work to your benefit. (In) baseball the harder you try the worse it gets sometimes.” &#8211; John Gibbons</p></blockquote>
<p>For Pearce that has led to a dreadfully slow start to his season slashing a meagre .162/.205/.162. It’s not for lack of talent either as Pearce has averaged 93 games, 16 home runs, 41 RBIs with a slash line of .267/.347/.493 over the last three seasons. All spent in the AL East.</p>
<p>His familiarity of the division however has not benefitted the Lakeland, FL. native, despite all but two of Toronto’s first 15 games coming against the AL East.</p>
<p>Even left-handed pitchers, Pearce’s bread and butter, have kept his offense at bay. Pearce hit .309 with seven home runs in 81 at-bats last season against lefties, and has slashed .264/.347/.489 in his career versus southpaws, but is just 2-for-19 with eight  strikeouts against them this season.</p>
<p>The sample size is small, and the stats magnified this early in the season, but there’s no denying that the first few weeks of the season have been less than ideal for Pearce.</p>
<p>When he’s slumping Pearce relies on video, stats sheets, pitching tendencies, and any other source available to Major Leaguers these days to try and break out of it, but at the end of the day it essentially comes down to feel.</p>
<p>“It’s mostly about feel. You just got to find a feel,” Pearce said. “Your mechanics they could be on or off, but if you feel good that’s really the most important part.</p>
<p>“If you get in that box and you feel good it’s definitely a heck of a lot better than anything. You could be mechanically sound, you could have the perfect BP, the perfect cage swing, but underneath the lights it’s a completely different ball game.”</p>
<p>With three hits in his last four games, Pearce is is at his best production level since his first game as a Blue Jay. A baby step in the right direction.</p>
<p>It’s more than enough for his manager, who has full confidence in his team, and the men on it.</p>
<p>“Pearcey is going to hit,” Gibbons said. “He’s going to hit some home runs, he’s going to swing it for us pretty good.”</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo: © Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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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>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/10/10/donaldsons-bold-move-pays-off-for-jays/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2016 16:02:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Peaslee]]></dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=7363</guid>
		<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>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>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/10/06/blue-jays-vs-rangers-alds-game-one-preview/#comments</comments>
		<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>This is Why they Play the Game</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/10/05/this-is-why-they-play-the-game/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/10/05/this-is-why-they-play-the-game/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2016 13:20:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Peaslee]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Edwin Encarnacion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Gibbons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kevin Pillar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postseason 2016]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roberto Osuna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto Blue Jays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild card]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=7254</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[TORONTO – This is why they play the game. A common message that echoed through both clubhouses prior to Tuesday’s Wild Card game between the Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles. The pressure of the postseason, playing with everything on the line. Everything to lose but also everything to gain. No player would want it [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TORONTO – This is why they play the game.</p>
<p>A common message that echoed through both clubhouses prior to Tuesday’s Wild Card game between the Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles.</p>
<p>The pressure of the postseason, playing with everything on the line. Everything to lose but also everything to gain. No player would want it any other way.</p>
<p>“This is the only reason a lot of us play,” Blue Jays centerfielder Kevin Pillar said. “This wasn’t what we had in mind getting to the postseason, but&#8230; we got a chance to do something special and it starts today.”</p>
<p>And do something special they did.</p>
<p>In a game that had it all: plenty of great defensive plays, spectacular performances on the mound, some gigantic moon shots, a plethora of nervous moments, and a curious pitching decision; this game will be remembered for one swing of the bat.</p>
<p>Already among the all-time hitters in franchise history, the man they call Eddy entered Blue Jays playoff lore with one swing of the bat on Tuesday night in Toronto. Like Jose Bautista, Roberto Alomar, and Joe Carter before him, Edwin Encarnacion can now count his name among Toronto legends after depositing a massive shot into the second deck in left field at Rogers Centre to win the Wild Card game for the Jays, 5-2 over the Orioles.</p>
<p>The long-term weight and significance of Encarnacion’s game-winning home run in the 11<sup>th</sup> inning of the team’s first ever Wild Card game will be determined by the success of these 2016 Blue Jays, but in the short term there’s not a single moment in all of baseball that stands bigger right now.</p>
<p>The always subdued 10-year veteran called his home run “a very special moment and very special opportunity for me to get. Thank God I did the job, and it worked out for us pretty well.”</p>
<p>Encarnacion is not one to give much recognition or praise to his own performances, but his teammates have no filter for their appreciation for the man who’s called Toronto home over the last eight seasons.</p>
<p>“He’s one of the elite hitters,” manager John Gibbons said after the game. “He’s done that many times for us.”</p>
<p>“I can’t say enough (about him). We had the right guy up at the right time,” Pillar said. “He’s been the one guy throughout the whole year that’s been in the lineup, healthy, carried this team when guys were out. He doesn’t get enough credit for what he does. This guy should be in the MVP conversation.”</p>
<blockquote><p>“He’s been the one guy throughout the whole year that’s been in the lineup, healthy, carried this team when guys were out. He doesn’t get enough credit for what he does. This guy should be in the MVP conversation.” &#8211; Kevin Pillar</p></blockquote>
<p>After a season that saw him finish third in Major League Baseball with 42 home runs, and second in the league with 127 RBIs, there’s no doubt he’ll garner some attention on the MVP ballot. But in reality, despite his terrific regular season, Tuesday’s swing is what people will remember most about his year barring further heroics. It may even end up his signature moment with this franchise.</p>
<p>This is why they play the game.</p>
<p>Every kid dreams of hitting that big home run, or make that perfect pitch when the stakes are highest. Encarnacion actually lived it. Even a Roberto Osuna, who was in the trainer’s room nursing an injury to the front of his right shoulder that he sustained in the 10<sup>th</sup> inning, couldn’t contain himself in that moment.</p>
<p>“I was so excited,” Osuna said. “I was jumping in the training room. I forgot that I have ice on my shoulder. George was like ‘Hey Osuna, stop jumping around.’ ”</p>
<p>Just five days ago no one could have ever envisioned this moment for Encarnacion. Following a disappointing 4-0 loss to these same Orioles last Thursday that put their playoff lives in jeopardy, Encarnacion left the Jays dugout worried he might have played his last game in a Blue Jays uniform at home. In that moment he took his time in the dugout, soaking up the moment and the gravity of the situation. When he finally left to the clubhouse he gave a subtle wave to the crowd on his way out.</p>
<p>Now, no matter how this season plays out or what the future holds, there will always be this moment. His own bat flip heard ‘round the world.</p>
<p>This is why they play the game.</p>
<p><i>Lead Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</i></p>
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