The May 24 birthday team is pretty crappy, but somehow the combination of Queen Victoria, Bartolo Colon and Bob Dylan speaks to me...

Paredes is 2-6 with 2 walks and a homer against Eovaldi; Goins is 0-6 and Barney is 0-3.  I imagine we might be seeing Paredes out there tonight.  Not that this is a good idea.

the May 24th birthday Bbox all-posting team is epic, however.

I very interesting week for the jays - First they play a series in which the Yankees get 9 innings to win the game while the jays essentially get 6 innings - then the overachieving starting rotation gets a real test against the best offense in baseball - a chance to make a statement or have things go south in a hurry.

By that argument Yanks only get 8 innings to win the game.

Sounds like A-Rod will be playing our AA team tonight.

Chase Headley has been miserable (OPS .576)

Headley had his Brady Anderson year in 2012 when he led the NL in RBI with 115. His next highest total was 64.

To continue with the Brady Anderson narrative, I should mention that Headley hit 31 HR in 2012 with his next highest total being 13.

Smoak getting a rest, Paredes the DH.

Again Goins sits vs the RH, which makes me happy.

I still find it weird that they haven't just stuck with Saunders at leadoff all year given he's been our best hitter all year, but then again I'd be happy to see Bautista-Donaldson-Encarnacion at the top of the order for the rest of the season.

Yeah it was against Minny, but anyways here's how the first series with the new order went:

1.Bautista 1.192ops
2.Donaldson .981ops
3.Encarnacion .690ops
4.Saunders 1.327ops
5.Tulowitzki .667ops
6.Smoak .513ops
7.Martin .423ops
8.Pillar .417ops / Carrera .250
9.Barney 1.500 / Parades 1.100 / Goins .000

Last 50pa:

Tulowitzki: .306babip, .304avg, .340obp, .304iso, 155wrc+

Again Goins sits vs the RH, which makes me happy.

Not sure what the time table is for Travis to finally return to the majors (we miss you!), but as much as Goins needs some time in AAA, is he really going to be the guy who is sent packing? I know that Barney is portrayed as a utility man by Buck and Pat, but to me he's really just a second baseman and almost certainly not a shortstop in anything other than a pinch. Goins, on the other hand, is a major league calibre defensive shortstop and the only real backup for Tulo in the organization.

Barney's been an SS his whole life, though.

and while he's barely played there in MLB his defensive numbers are off the chart at SS:

As SS

Barney: 149.1inn, 36.1 drs/150, 40.0 uzr/150
Goins: 566.1inn, 23.8 drs/150, 8.3 uzr/150

I'm not sure how this will play out in real life, but Dan Shulman was interviewed on Calgary sports radio last week and he offered the view that when Travis returns, it won't be as the everyday second baseman as they will be easing him back in, given how little he has played in the last twelve months.  So to the extent that's correct, that suggests a significant role remains for Goins as a platoon partner, at least initially. 

Barney's been an SS his whole life, though.

HAD been a SS his whole life. With little experience doing so since 2010, and with him now over 30, I'd be reluctant to confidently play him at SS. And I'd be especially reluctant to cite fielding stats from so long ago.

Not to mention that Barney looks like a different player than he was- a better hitter and a lesser fielder (even at second base).  Goins does have options so you could send him down and call him up in the event of a Tulowitzki injury.  It's not obvious what they should do, but whatever they choose, the return of Devon Travis will be most welcome. 

If Travis came back tomorrow I could see the Jays sending Goins to Buffalo to "clear his head".

I expect Goins is going down, even though he makes sense as a platoon lefty to go with Travis. He's been so brutal this year that he's even losing ABs vs right handers to Barney, which indicates to me that the team has little to no confidence in him. He could probably use the time in AAA to figure things out, as I very much doubt he's this bad.

last 3yrs

2B

Barney 760.2inn, 7.5uzr/150, 19.5drs/150
Goins 1208.0inn, 3.8uzr/150, 10.1drs/150

SS

Barney 18.0inn, 38.4uzr/150, 0.0drs/150
Goins 556.1inn, 8.9uzr/150, 24.3drs/150

3B

Barney 46.2inn, 12.6uzr/150, 0.0drs/150
Goins 4.0inn, 25.7uzr/150, 0.0drs/150



numbers say the guy with the gold glove is pretty good out there.

and i also think Goins' fielding mistakes get somewhat overlooked and ignored.

and of course with Tulo at SS the backup doesn't play anyways. and goins sits in AAA in case of injury.

and Goins isn't a platoon option. He has a career 66wrc+ vRHP.

Hey, don't shoot the messenger - just passing on what Shulman had to say.  I'd personally be delighted if Goins was shuffled off to Buffalo and the Jays mixed and matched Travis and Barney until they were confident enough in Travis's recovery to give him the job full-time.

Pretty good job by Dickey to minimize the (Bautista-aided) damage in the first.

For those of us following on Gameday, what did Bautista do this time?

Misjudged a line drive to right, then foolishly tried to dive for it and was nowhere close.

If Ellsbury only singles, and the rest of the inning plays out the same way, the run still scores, except this time on the passed ball. Possibly more damaging was Dickey's poor stretch on the double play ball.

Jays are currently hitting .214 with RISP.

Jays are currently hitting .214 with RISP.

And all of about .240 in non-RISP situations. Just plain stinky no matter which way.

Another painful showing by the offense. I'm just assuming they don't do much against their best bullpen arms.

This offence makes many starting pitchers look like Cy Young candidates. No idea what the solution is or what the issues are causing this team wide slump. Easily turning into the most frustrating two months in Jays history. How does an offence regress so badly so quickly? It's mind boggling. Meanwhile the BoSox continue to pile up the runs & the W's, while the Jays are falling deeper into the AL East basement. It's extremely difficult baseball to watch for Jays fans right now.

sorry, it should read: frustrating opening two months in Jays history

Maybe once Colabello finally gets to the bottom of how the juice got into his system, he can advise the rest of the Jays as to how to get it in theirs.

Tough to make hay with Paredes/Thole/Barney constituting a third of your lineup.

Several weeks ago I predicted 77-87 wins for the Jays abd I stand by that prediction.

I'm sure Shapiro is getting nervous that fans are going to lose interest and that the momentum from last year will dissipate. As he should be - the Jays haven't been a particularly enjoyable team to watch this season. I know I've been watching fewer games and innings.

It's stunning how bad the Jays look; thank god for the starting pitching or they'd be fighting the Twins for the cellar.

It's part of the reason I'm tired of hearing about last year's or this year's FO, drafting history, prior year trades, yada yada yada. I don't blame either GM for this debacle. It's all on the players. This team should be much better if the players were earning their paycheques.

I would rather see Justin Smoak at first and Edwin as DH than watch that iineup again. Richard Griffin made a good point on twitter, noting that Edwin knew the shift was on, yet moved to his right forcing Dickey to cover. A minor point in a game when the team didn't score, but Smoak should be playing first.

As an older person I recall 1985, the first ever division title and the aftermath quite clearly. After the season our manager left to be replaced internally with a much, much, much worse option it would turn out while the ideal option was left as hitting coach.

The team in 1986 dropped from #1 in run prevention to #7 despite the amazing year Mark Eichhorn had (1.72 ERA in 157 relief innings) largely thanks to Ace Dave Stieb (who was a serious contender for Cy Young for 3+ years by any objective measure but writers were really win addicted back then) dropping from ace to a bullpen stint. Doyle Alexander who was the #2 guy on the staff in 1985 became a pumpkin with a 95 ERA+ and was traded mid-season (for Duane Ward so it worked out in the end). Jimmy Key who had a great year the previous season (141 ERA+ in 212 innings) had a good but not wow year (119 ERA+ in 232 innings). The pen saw Dennis Lamp go from 11-0 and solid inning eater to an 84 ERA+ and was released after the season. Bill Caudill fell apart completely, from a 142 ERA+ to a 69 and released.

So the team went from 99 wins to 86 despite having most guys from the year before and the offense stepping up a notch. April and May were both sub 500 June July August all well above, giving hope but September/Oct ended that with a 13-18 finish.

Boy do I see similarities. The 2015 team was a 'woohoo' winning the division for the first time in a generation and getting close to the WS before being knocked out by KC ala the 1985 team. But instead of a league leading pitching staff it was the league leading offense that has collapsed mysteriously. EE going from a 153 OPS+ to a 105, Martin from 115 to 18, Goins from 86 to 19, Pillar from 96 to 79. Donaldson & Bautista are still hitting well but not like last year with both down around 20 points in OPS+. Saunders improving LF drastically isn't enough to offset that much blech. So 2 months of sub-500 ball if the Jays can't do well in the next week (at 500 for May right now) ala '86. Lost GM to match lost manager but we've yet to see if the new GM will be as big a disaster as the manager in '86 was (doubt he could be that bad - hope those aren't famous last words).

The good news? In 1987 we saw possibly the most exciting team in Toronto as it charged in September to take a commanding lead and needed a historic collapse to miss the playoffs (under today's rules they'd have been in). Then a meh 1988 followed by a division title in 1989, a meh 1990, a division title in '91 and 2 WS in 92/93. Then 20+ years of meh. Lets hope this team can have as much success from now until 2023 then not go through another 20+ years before doing it again.

"Maybe once Colabello finally gets to the bottom of how the juice got into his system, he can advise the rest of the Jays as to how to get it in theirs."

This made me laugh.

Yeah guys, I don't know. A month or so ago someone asked me if I was worried and I said I wasn't close. I'm still not worried I don't think... But I think now I'm close.

I really hope this is the nadir.

Blair tweeted that Edwin at first could be in response to the Lucas Duda injury. Which, sure.

The best lineup that the club could field as of now would feature Pompey, Pillar and Saunders in the outfield, Donaldson, Tulowitzki and Travis at 3B, SS and 2B, Bautista at first base and Encarnacion and Smoak sharing the DH role. A.J. Jimenez looks like he's ready to give Martin the DL stint he needs to get healthy.  I am ready for the infusion of youth any time. 

The Yankee announcers yesterday were shocked that Donaldson, the reigning MVP,  laid down the sacrifice. Is it demanding too much to ask Bautista to recognize that playing right field is not good for either him or the club?

People keep saying the offense will come around but we may have to accept that this present performance is closer to what the 2016 offense will be.
Thank goodness that Shapiro did not extend Bautista & EE, else we would have 4 aging hitters earning close to 100m and putting a real drag on rebuilding.
I think the team should move on from Gibbons - not because he deserves firing but I think that he will be gone sometime this year (too close to the last regime) and this team seems to be in a malaise waiting for the other shoe to drop - even Gibbons body language seems to convey he is a dead man walking.
I hope Shapiro doesn't wait until July to start the fire sale- the FO should get moving right after the draft (unless there is a miraculous turnaround) and I hope it's a full throttle sale and not a half-assed effort - Bautista & EE will likely says yes because it moves them to a contender and removes the QO, Saunders, Smoak, R.A etc.
If the FO goes into a rebuild, I think they need to make a decision on Osuna - if they see him as a future starter, then I'm for stretching him out in Buffalo and then coming up later in the season - if they think his future is as a closer, that's a luxury on a rebuilding team, they should put him on the market - look at what the Phillies got for Giles - that has really speeded up their rebuild.

Donaldson didn't lay down a sacrifice; he was trying to get a hit. The official scorer was very generous in giving him a sacrifice.

Thanks, James W.  I joined the game late.  I don't have any difficulty, by the way, with Donaldson bunting for a hit with runners on first and second and nobody out down by a run (with advancement as the Plan B).  It's a smart move. 

In any event, the bunt showed a little more creativity and a little less macho swagger.  Bautista moving to first base would be in that vein.

People keep saying the offense will come around but we may have to accept that this present performance is closer to what the 2016 offense will be.

This might well be true. And this might be why AA pushed all his chips into the middle in 2015 - maybe he saw that this was his only chance.

"It's stunning how bad the Jays look; thank god for the starting pitching or they'd be fighting the Twins for the cellar."

It's getting to the point I almost wish the Jays were fighting for the cellar.

All signs pointing to another year of mediocrity to add to the 20+ years I've grown accustomed to.

It's funny. In hindsight, Ben Zobrist would have looked very good in a Blue Jay uniform in 2016.  Need a second baseman for a while?  Check.  Need a right-fielder after that?  Check.  It's really too bad that the budget wasn't there for a little more depth. 

In the off-season I suggested Zobrist as a potential target, both as a bridge to Travis's return and for the purposes of depth/flexibility. This idea didn't get much traction on the site.

It's the front office that needed the traction.

I hope Shapiro doesn't wait until July to start the fire sale- the FO should get moving right after the draft (unless there is a miraculous turnaround) and I hope it's a full throttle sale and not a half-assed effort - Bautista & EE will likely says yes because it moves them to a contender and removes the QO, Saunders, Smoak, R.A etc.

Well, if we're doing a "full throttle sale", gotta include Happ and Estrada as well. Both are on the other side of 30, signed to well-below-market-value contracts compared to their production for at least this year and next - and who knows? Their arms could fall off tomorrow.

Know any contenders who want a solid 3rd/4th starter? We could probably do something like:
-Estrada + Martin for a serviceable catcher.. (Estrada's surplus value covers most of Martin's contract)
-Happ + Osuna + Tulo for a C prospect

The only problem is: we'd basically be trading anyone good not named Donaldson. Wonder how long he'd want to stick around once he's the only good player during a rebuild? Just ask Carlos Delgado.. Or, trade Donaldson too and start all over.. I think there's a guy in Florida who could help us with that.

I'm not saying it's not the right thing to do if we flounder for another 2 months, but I'm not there yet. We just finally put it all together for a bit.. Then again, I've always been one for throwing good money after bad...

The team plays 19 of 24 games at home in July and has a relatively soft schedule in August, but go ahead and give up on them before Memorial Day if you like.

Yeah, the schedule suggests a second half surge could happen easily. As does the massive slumps by guys like EE and Martin who should be much better.

Time to shoot the macho crap in the toilet (as I feel that is where it belongs) and put Martin on the DL and see if that gets him to 100%, even if just for the 2 weeks and give AJ Jimenez a shot as he can't hit any worse since Martin is already hitting like a pitcher. Put feelers out to see if there is interest in any of the Jays pending free agents but only pull the trigger if it is a killer deal. A shame no one in AAA or AA is pounding on the door this year. A few pitchers look good but I don't see Gibbons giving any a big role or enough innings until/unless Dickey is traded.

The team plays 19 of 24 games at home in July and has a relatively soft schedule in August, but go ahead and give up on them before Memorial Day if you like.

Thank-you johnny.  And to those with the idea of exploring options for trades for pending free agents and/or flushing the season:

"Holy lack of faith Batman"

Does anyone remember that team that was historically good in the latter part of 2015? 

I get the disappointment -- but the lack of faith I find astounding.

Travis up, Venditte down.

All right then.

TRAVIS CALLED UP - SEASON SAVED

No pressure.

At the moment, we have a 6 man pen, which some might like.

of course, that'll change if tulo is DL'd.

I imagine that Aaron Loup will be called up shortly (likely for Goins if Tulo is OK or Tulo if not).

"Holy lack of faith Batman"

First, I'd like to point out that I didn't say I was in favor of it right now. And I was just saying that a "full throttle" rebuild should include pitchers we can get a good return on, even if they are part of our starting rotation. Someone like Estrada or Happ right now would go for top dollar.. I didn't say I was in favor of a full throttle rebuild, just that if we were doing one, we shouldn't have any 30+ untouchables.

Also, I said that if they continue to flounder for 2 more months. So far, 2 months in, they're 7 games out. In 2 more months, they would then be 14 games behind, if current results hold. I don't see them making up 14 games in 2 months, even if they brought in 3 or 4 players again - which they won't.

Last year, the signs were there - all season long, fangraphs kept saying they were the best team, run differential, etc.. I lost 25 cuttlefish on that bet, taken right around this time. Except, this year is different. This year? Fangraphs has us catching the Yankees by 1 to 1.5 games to end up 4th with 78.8 wins to Boston's 97.3. IF WE KEEP PLAYING LIKE THIS. Which was my point. If we keep playing like this, scoring 0 runs on 2 hits against a guy with a 4+ ERA, we ARE done. If we're 45-52 end of July, we are done. No way you win 48/65 in the AL East after the trade deadline.

Tulowitzki out of the lineup tonight.  Travis bats 8th with Bautista again in the leadoff spot.  It's not what I would do.  If Travis is ready physically, I would have him in the leadoff spot.  If he's not ready physically, he ought not to be here.  Travis is by all accounts a mature player and has been so from the outset.

vs_fan17 - boy, short memory there.
"No way you win 48/65 in the AL East after the trade deadline. "

Err... 2015, Aug 1st to end: Jays 40-18 (a 45 win in 65 game pace) despite giving away the last part of the year (1-4 after clinching). Yeah, 48 wins in 65 games is hard (that would be a 120 win pace or just a bit better than the Seattle Mariners did in 2001 when they won 116, so they almost did that pace for a whole year - a few years after losing A-Rod & Griffey Jr & Randy Johnson).

In the off-season I suggested Zobrist as a potential target, both as a bridge to Travis's return and for the purposes of depth/flexibility. This idea didn't get much traction on the site.

I must have been asleep at the wheel for that post, cause I love me some Zobrist.  He sealed the deal for KC when they got him last year and he was one my fave moves of the offseason when the Cubs got him.  That versatility offers so much freedom to construct an ideal roster.  Now is Gibby the guy to think that creatively though ....?

If we're 45-52 end of July, we are done. No way you win 48/65 in the AL East after the trade deadline.

Wouldn't you want to know how other teams are doing to know what is reasonable at the end of July?  In the AL last year, 86 wins gave you a wild card berth and in the NL it was 97 wins.  With the two wild cards and given the absence of dominant or extremely weak teams in the AL, it is (I think) more likely going to take 90 wins or possibly fewer to make the playoffs than 93 wins or more. 

It seems to me premature to be thinking about selling. 

As recently as yesterday the Jays had no intention of calling up Travis this quickly. The injury to Tulo caused them to reassess. I have to say I am not a fan of this move. Travis has been out of baseball for a year and now after a handful of games he is back in the majors. I would have left him in the minors for longer to get his game form back. This move seems like a bit of a panic move.

Astounding? One might even say... disturbing:

https://youtu.be/F1xAUfdK9FE

I'm not so worried, Gerry. He was out for 9 months and has been back hitting now for 5 full weeks. If he's good to play in AAA every day I don't see much issue in calling him up now.

But I don't see why he needs to be hitting leadoff, Mike - he wasn't our leadoff guy last year, and as good as he may be he's no Bautista, and has never hit as well as Saunders is hitting now either.

I'm somewhere between panic and shrug on Travis' speedy return. Let's go with 'sub-optimal'. 9 games isn't much of a spring training - he's still being taken out in the latter part of the games. In more ideal circumstances, I would have been looking for another 5 days.

jerjapan, my bad. The post I was thinking about was actually from April 9th (after Zobrist signed with the Cubs). Which would explain why it didn't gain any traction :)

greenfrog - Saturday, April 09 2016 @ 06:30 PM EDT (#320746) # The Jays could really use a Zobrist-type utility player - someone who can play multiple positions competently and give the team quality PAs. The team now has a lot of veterans who may (or should) be limited to about 130-140 games (instead of the 140-150 games they've averaged historically) because of injury issues. In a go-for-it year, it would be good to have a high-level veteran to replace some of those PAs and innings on defense.

Things should be a lot better if/when Travis returns, of course.

I had actually wanted Zobrist as a "DH" (a super-sub to give everyone else half-days off) and use Encarnacion to acquire pitching. I have no idea if I mentioned it (probably not, since it was a pipe-dream, 'it would be crazy if...' thing). Of course, I also wanted them to make a run at Heyward (also in the pipe-dream category) as a youthful, defensively superb Bautista replacement beyond this year. So I guess I'm 1 for 2 in crazy ideas (well, probably about 1 for 30, but we won't talk about those other 28).

I still love the concept of the super-sub 'DH', but I can't think of anyone beyond Zobrist who hits well enough to wear the DH-in-name-only label while is also good at a variety of positions.

With a great offer from the Chicago Cubs i doubt Ben Zobrist had any interest in moving to a team in Canada.

Totally agree with both you guys on the value of a Zobrist for an aging team.  Rotate him through the lineup and give older guys a day off.  That was my fantasy scenario for Yan Gomes back in his days as a grade C prospect too- 3B, 1B, C.

That said, aside from the necessary evil of Thole, our bench guys have been great so far. 

The Jays added 5 wins at the deadline last season via trade, and were having an insane positive run differential that at least gave some hope that a turnaround was possible. Right now, they are at a negative RD and this regime is not going to trade prospects at the deadline when they'll have to rebuild/retool next season. So in other words, the Jays are either going to have to keep this group together and hope they figure things out, or trade vets at the deadline. The latter would help speed up the transition period that they figure to be in post-2016, and the former has two outcomes with the more likely outcome given where the team currently stands is missing the playoffs entirely. Do you want to risk keeping this team together, missing the playoffs, and then losing so much talent for nothing? They'd have to be at least 10 games over .500 by mid/end of July for me to be comfortable with status quo. If they are even .500 in July, I'd consider trades for JB/EE/etc. Obviously if they are below .500, then you go complete sell mode.

I had this team winning the division prior to the season, but we're nearly two months in and I'm not seeing that anymore. The offense has aged overnight.

I was worried Travis was going to collide with McCann. Not what his healing body needs.

that would have been a real nice time for the top of the lineup to pile on. damn.

i mean, we really shouldn't be worried about Travis' health. they did anything but rush him back.

It's surprising that the Jays would accelerate Travis's rehab timetable, given his lengthy recovery and incremental (until now) rehab process. Because I think the Jays are likely to miss the playoffs this year, I'm in favour of prioritizing long-term health over iffy quick fixes.

not sure what you mean by 'great offer' CBDC, but I assume you mean it was more money than he was worth - funny then, just how many commentators viewed that signing as one of the 10 best front office moves of the offseason. 

Ah, Dewey, Shulman is thinking of you. After the nightly, grammatically challenged "Here's Jamie Campbell and Greg Zaun" from Buck Martinez, Shulman swoops in with "Here are Jamie Campbell and Greg Zaun."

With a great offer from the Chicago Cubs

I imagine part of the attraction was being reunited with his old boss.

he wouldn't have started rehab if he wasn't healthy - and they took their sweet time before starting rehab.

MLB is not a bigger injury risk than AAA or A+.

the thing to worry about is him being rusty, and potentially getting in a slump as a result.

not health.

why can't our commentators stop talking about the red sox? it's weird.

Travis's was an unusual injury that required a long recovery. I don't think any of us know whether the Jays took their sweet time starting his rehab, or whether they started it too quickly (or whether they got it just right).

What we do know is that the team initially said "three weeks" when asked how long he would need to get ready for a promotion to the majors. And that that timetable promptly went out the window when Tulo got hurt.

yeah but those three weeks have nothing to do with the injury. AAA is no safer than MLB.

Raptors down 16 in the 1st. Back to the Jays.

Sure, if you think facing pitchers like Randy Wolf and Scott Copeland is the same as facing pitchers like Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller.

What a year Saunders is having.

what does the opposition have to do with injury risk.

warm weather is heating up the bats.

Not technically, but if Travis experiences any issues or soreness, it's easier for him to sit a day or two in the minors, as opposed to try to play through it in the majors and risk aggravating it (like he did initially last year, as an example). Also, there was a lot of caution initially to talk timeframes during the spring. That says to me they might not have had the best handle on the rehab schedule of an injury of this nature (which is understandable, given it's not a common injury for a ballplayer). I'm not hugely concerned by it, because I suspect they had a much better idea when he got a few games under his belt, but I can understand the apprehension.

Side note - I'm starting to get on the Extend Saunders bandwagon... I'm a sucker for a LH hitter who can hit LHPs.

Travis is the key.

Possible headline for tomorrow: "Sunk Cost Sinks Yanks"

I am very glad to be wrong about Martin and the DL.

Well, two home runs so far for Martin is exactly what the Jays needed. Travis getting a hit in his first game back is nice too. In fact everyone in the starting lineup has a hit right now (7th inning) which is beautiful. Estrada having a good game too. This is what the Jays desperately needed right now.

Hey, way to listen there, Chuck!  Shulman is one of my heroes.  Guy has class.  Plus, he's grammatical. (And he's not Jerry Howarth.)

A note to the capricious Baseball Gods, the headline offering was only to provide commentary on the notion that Martin was washed up, not to imply the game was all but over in the 7th. Please, no more smiting.

(ahem)

to write him off given his track record just seems silly. I mean it's possible his skill level just jumped out of a plane with no parachute, went for a barrel ride down Niagara Falls, fell out of the sky like a Led Zeppelin -- but not too darn likely.  Stay tuned people.

Hubris is a bitch.

didn't go out but very nice to see that easy oppo power from travis.

That was one of the fun things about the lineup last year when it was going right. It had the dead-pull guys in Bautista and Encarnacion, the guys with opposite field muscle in Martin, Travis and Colabello, and power to anywhere in Donaldson (and Tulowitzki, when he's hitting right).

It must have been a misunderstanding with baseball divinity, because it wasn't hubris - I've seen enough wacky stuff that I'd never consider a game done until the last out is in someone's glove, especially in Yankee Stadium (well, or Fenway).

When you're living on a cloud, idling away infinity controlling baseball games, everything looks like hubris or apostasy.

Fair enough. I guess I'll have to go ram shopping. Umm, does anyone know where I can get a ram this time of night? Also, a ceremonial dagger?

Shulman's assessment of Biagini might be the best one yet, "He's just goofy enough to not know that he's supposed to be scared out there."

I am such a sucker for that audi ad.

Phew, the blinking 'never win when allowing 4 runs' thing is over. Thank you Girodo for giving up that solo shot.

So 3 curses on this season are done. Travis back, Martin hit 2 home runs, and the Jays won when allowing 4 runs. Lets see a 10-0 blowout tomorrow just to make sure things are good. :)

it's easier for him to sit a day or two in the minors, as opposed to try to play through it in the majors and risk aggravating it (like he did initially last year, as an example.

Not sure. You can play Barney at 2B and rest Travis all you like.
There wasn't anybody else to bring back up to replace Tulo and with Goins back at short they needed a backup 2B.

So, is Biagini the setup guy now?

Using a LOOGY in the 9th is seldom a good idea. That's when you can expect a pinch hitter.
Osuna ready to go with a 5 run lead?

Only the second win for Marco? Sheesh.

i like girodo but that 85mph heater might not hack it.

Not sure. You can play Barney at 2B and rest Travis all you like.

At the cost of roster space, and having to play your Tulo Backup, sure. Also, he was still on the DL in the minors, so he wouldn't need to sit out 15 if he had to be shut down for a few days. Not to mention, it's the minors so, *shrug*, it's not like it has major ramifications if some shenanigans needs to happen for a game.

1-0 with Devon Travis in the lineup

so hey why don't we try hutch in the bullpen?

Hutch is going to start next year at a very affordable cost. Also there's no way the team doesn't need a 6th starter before the season is over. Not happening.

I'd like to see Hutch make a few more spot starts to push back those innings on Stro and Sanchez.

Two questions about last night's game:

- Did the Jays give Martin the silent treatment after his first home run? I thought I noticed them all heading for the clubhouse.

- How long have the Yankees been rippling the stadium lights after a Yankee home run? Is it just me that thinks that is extremely annoying?

hutch in the bullpen doesn't stop him from starting next year or spot starting this year.

and if we're counting on him being good and cheap next year, why would we deliberately choose not to take advantage of that this year?

i like girodo but that 85mph heater might not hack it

Maybe a warmer is more like it?  Or as Stringer Bell might have said, "It's like a 40 degree day in Baltimore, do you feel me?".

Dave, I was expecting the silent treatment, too, but they dugout was pretty normal after a HR, normal congrats and head tapping. A nice hug from Estrada. Nothing unusual. And I hadn't noticed the light thing at Yankee Stadium before, I assume it's new.

Big game today, need the bats to pick on the old lefty. Would be a nice time for them to start beating lefties into submission the way we're used to seeing. Hopefully Tulo's back, too.

They always told us that Starting Pitching was everything.....



SP (* = AL)

IP/GS

1.TOR* 6.5
2.SFG 6.4
3.CHC 6.3
4.WSH 6.3
5.CHX* 6.2

ERA-

1.CHC 65
2.WSH 75
3.TEX* 80
4.TOR* 87
5.SEA* 89

FIP-

1.CHC 78
2.NYM 78
3.PHI 85
4.LAD 85
5.WSH 87
6.SFG 89
7.BAL* 93
8.TOR* 94
9.CHX* 94
10.CLE* 96


Best starting staff in the AL so far. Good for 4th in the division.

Might be without Bautista and Tulo today.

Jorge Posada on catching.

I especially liked the parts on the tiny hole in Ortiz' plate coverage, and the Molitor at-bat in Wells' perfect game. 

Good article. Great team and great era.

The Jays finally won a game in which they surrendered 4 runs.  Not that this is of any monumental significance.  Estrada had to fight hard until the 7th, and he was getting any help from the home plate umpire. 

Estrada's BABIP the last two years- .216 and .213.  That's what a low line drive rate, a high fly ball rate, and a high pop-up rate will do.  I have really enjoyed watching him develop.

Watching Estrada is oodles of fun (at least three or four oodles). They know the changeup is coming, but they are still fooled by it and swing and miss.

Hutch had 3 years 128 days of ML service time coming into 2016. He has added just 1 or 2 days to that since. I suspect the Jays will keep him down until September other than a 1 day up for a spot start here and there otherwise. That gives them another year of control.

Barney starts at SS today.

As of now Tulo's ouchie still not considered serious.

clutch 2 out hits. i could get used to that.

Big test for Gavin Floyd coming up in the 8th inning.  The Jays need more than Joe Biagini as a reliable set-up man. 

The bullpen? Hold me. I'm frightened.

Floyd passes the test.  Good outing, even if the tying run did get into scoring position.

"....The bullpen?...."

When the Jays need only 2 relievers to finish a game, and one of them is Osuna, their chances seem to increase considerably.

Having said that:  I would definitely feel a lot more comfortable with an insurance run or two.   Osuna has been superb, but he is human.

I think the television radar gun is broken. The Yankees have some new pitcher on the mound and "101 MPH" keeps appearing In the pitch tracker box.

100 mph ain't no big deal for Smoak and Pillar.

Chapman just hit 103.

Wow, Travis catches up to a 102-mph fastball and gets the insurance run in.   Great hitting!

An excellent win.  Great pitching, timely hitting, and no fear of the Yankee bullpen.  The Jays have now won two consecutive series on the road.  The sky might not be falling.  Not just yet, anyway.

2 hits in 7ip v Sabathia, 4 hits in 2ip v Betances/Chapman.

Travis really adds something to this lineup...he's a pesky hitter. Hopefully Tulo will be back for the Boston series.

Can't say enough about the job Happ has done this year. Osuna too.

Barney's error-free game at SS, along with the nine innings by Travis at 2B, are pretty strong indications that Goins will be demoted as soon as Tulo is healthy.  Goins would be a nice guy to have around as a late-inning defensive replacement, but it's a luxury that the Jays can't afford when they need to squeeze production from every possible bit of the lineup.

I'm not a believer in "chemistry" in a lineup, but somehow Travis seems to add something that helps the Jays. 

I haven't looked it up, but I wonder how much better Floyd is when he starts an inning rather than comes in with runners on base. Gibbons some times has a tendency to let a starter give up one or two base runners before pulling him, and that puts the reliever at a disadvantage when he comes in. For someone like Floyd who has started his whole career prior to this, that might make a difference.

I'm not even going to look at the standings or team record at this point. Get to mid-July and be at least 10 games over .500. That should firmly put them within striking distance of the division and in the thick of one of the two WC spots. Right now they have to dig themselves out of this hole. It doesn't even feel like they've won 5 of their last 7, but that's a good start. Have to keep the momentum going with more Boston and NYY coming up.

2-0 with Devon Travis in the lineup

Unfortunate that Happ and Estrada won't be going against the Red Sox this weekend and we won't see Buchholz.

I watched the last couple of innings. Some impressive hitting off Chapman - hitter after hitter just taking him to the opposite field for base hits. Especially Travis, who hit a chip shot off a low fastball.

It might not have helped Russell Martin's cause to have hit two home runs the other day. He tried to launch Chapman's 101 mph heaters to the moon and didn't catch up.

A-Rod can't hit Osuna's fastball, and it wasn't for lack of trying. Mind you, A-Rod made his major league debut not quite seven months before Osuna was born.

I was half expecting Goins to come in as a defensive substitute for Travis, especially after Travis didn't quite get to the leadoff ground ball in the 8th. The fact that he didn't get to go out there is probably a sign that he is a dead man walking.

Colorado is beating up on Buchholz and the Sox, 6-2. Let's hope they go on to win and trim Boston's lead over the Jays to six games in advance of the weekend series.

Unfortunate that Happ and Estrada won't be going against the Red Sox this weekend and we won't see Buchholz.

It's extremely fortunate we won't be seeing Clay (Best Pitcher in MLB When He Pitches in Toronto) Buccholz.

JBJ grounds out in what looks to be his last ab of the night. Looks like won't see the streak this weekend.

Bautista's double off Betances was a thing of beauty. Taking the ball away just to the right of the second base bag, he ran hard out of the box and surprised Hicks in centerfield by not stopping. Take that, Kevin Kiermaier.

It's nice to see some creativity and energy back on the club.

Trivia question: someone in mlb is on pace to shatter a single season record for a counting stat. Who is it?

Hint: record is from 1896

Good question snider. My first thought was triples, but that is far more recent. Hit by pitch or sac bunts? Dummy Hoy had 33 sac bunts, Hughie Jenkins had 51 hit by pitch so both are figures you don't see everyday. Guess there could be a pitching record but any set back then would probably be insane. Could be a 'fewest xyz in a season' record too.

Ding, ding, ding

It's HBP. Brandon Guyer has 13 in 31 games. If he keeps up that pace and plays all the rest of the games he breaks the record. Of course being hit by that many pitches likely means he won't play all the games. He has missed a bunch already.

Anyway, I was surprised by that stat.