Whenever a team is in a funk at the plate, the manager, the players, the home broadcasters and the loyalists that believe the sun rises and sets on their team will tell you, “Don’t worry – the hits will come.”
That’s the message that has been coming from the Blue Jays for the majority of the season so far as the high-powered offense has yet to find consistency and start posting the kind of production they have become known for in recent seasons. Thus far, Toronto has had far more games where they’ve posted big strikeout numbers, not hit totals and Wednesday’s finale with the Chicago White Sox was another one of those games.
After welcoming the South Siders to the Rogers Centre having won two straight from Oakland, the Jays bid the adieu after having dropped three-in-a-row as Chicago completed the sweep with a 4-0 victory last night.
The Jays couldn’t get anything going against Jose Quintana, who entered with a 3-0 record and an ERA under 1.00 in three previous starts in Toronto and improved on those totals Wednesday, going six innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out 10 before a trio of relievers put together three perfect frames with three more strikeouts to wrap things up.
What’s frustrating about Toronto’s struggles at the dish is that they have squandered some quality pitching performances already this season and that includes last night’s effort from Marco Estrada. While the final line isn’t great – 6.2IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 4BB, 5 SO – last season’s surprise standout cruised through the first six innings, blanking the White Sox while allowing just a single hit and those three free passes.
He even appeared to get through a rough spot in the seventh as well, freezing former Jay Brett Lawrie with a pitch at the knees that home plate umpire John Tumpane called a ball, much to the displeasure of the man on the mound and manager John Gibbons in the dugout. As is often the case in those instances, it came back to bite the Jays as two batters later, Dionner Navarro lashed one into the gap in right-center, clearing the bases and making it to third with a rare triple for the compact catcher.
When Tumpane appealed to third on a check swing call two batters later, Gibbons erupted and was tossed. Hopefully a day off today will help shake this squad out of its offensive funk.
Player of the Game: Josh Donaldson
Toronto collected four hits on Wednesday and Donaldson had two of them, a double in the first and a single in the fifth, to go along with a third inning walk. Much like Tuesday’s fiasco, however, handing out home team honours in this one feels a bit forced as a two-hit night on an evening where the team goes scoreless and looks flat is like being the Team MVP for the Philadelphia 76ers.
On Deck: After back-to-back series’ at home, the Jays hit the road for the weekend, heading back down to Tampa where the season started for a three-game set with the Rays. Aaron Sanchez takes the hill in Friday’s opener with Tampa Bay countering with lefthander Drew Smyly.
