Blue Jays get some encouraging signs in hunt for consistency

When the Blue Jays swept the doubleheader from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, it felt like I was watching the team I expected to see all year long. Kevin Gausman was excellent in his start in the first game while Jose Berrios looked good in the nightcap. The bullpen was solid in holding the leads. The defence was strong. Offensively, they got a huge day from Bo Bichette with six hits and seven RBI on the day including a three-homer performance in game No. 2. George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. all contributed throughout the two games. The Jays looked like the Jays!

The team has been very streaky all season long. So, it is premature to believe that they have found themselves completely. It was great to see Bichette carry the offence. It’s been a bit of a down season for him both offensively and defensively. If he can carry this newfound success through the rest of the season and into October, it could make all of the difference. The Jays needed another big bat to get hot and Bichette is it. The offence has been the most inconsistent part of the club all year. The better the offence, the better the pitching will be. Pitchers are always more aggressive and successful when they get run support. It provides a margin for error that usually motivates them to attack the opposition without fear of giving up too many hits or home runs. By throwing strikes and attacking hitters, pitchers are much more effective than when they nibble the corners and try to miss bats. 

The darn fifth spot in the rotation showed its ugly head again on Tuesday. Mitch White, acquired at the deadline from the Dodgers, emerged as the answer in that role after Yusei Kikuchi had been so inconsistent most of the season. But White has struggled miserably over his last three starts, allowing 18 runs in 12 innings, and was optioned to the minors on Wednesday. Kikuchi hasn’t fared much better as he has allowed runs in four of his six relief appearances. Because of the off-day on Thursday, the Jays won’t need their fifth starter until next Tuesday when they have a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays in Toronto.

The latest on Pearson

In an ideal world, Nate Pearson would occupy that fifth spot. Pearson should have used the first half of the season getting himself back on track for what was supposed to be an impactful major league career and the second half to be making that impact in Toronto. However, he has only thrown 8.2 minor league innings this season while working his way back from a right lat strain. He threw a clean inning for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Thursday, touching 100 MPH. Still, it’s a lot to ask to think that he can be ready to pitch any important innings this year. 

Injuries have hampered the big right-hander over the past few years and it has stunted his development. It is a shame that he hasn’t been able to put it all together yet, but there is still time. He just needs to stay healthy. I think his future will be as a reliever. Because of the injuries, he will need his workload managed. The bullpen is the place to do that. 

The schedule for the Jays will not be easy to navigate overt the last 26 games. Twenty of them will be against teams over.500 including nine with the Tampa Bay Rays, six with the Orioles, three with the Yankees and two with the Philadelphia Phillies. The schedule is a challenge but it will sharpen their teeth as they prepare for playoff baseball. 

Judge's pursuit of history

Aaron Judge hit home run No. 55 on Wednesday night to pass Alex Rodriguez as the Yankees’ single season leader for a right-handed batter. He is on pace for 66 homers and is just seven away from breaking Roger Maris’ Yankee and American League record.

Judge seems unaffected by the home run chase. He is so focused on helping the Yankees win games and keeping from collapsing and losing their lead in the AL East. He is going to have to really earn the record as his protection in the lineup has been severely diminished with injuries to first baseman Anthony Rizzo (back/migraines), infielder DJ LeMahieu (left big toe),  outfielder/DH Giancarlo Stanton (bruised foot) and outfielder Andrew Benintendi (broken hand). I am not sure why anyone would ever Judge a pitch to hit. 

Judge will break Maris’ record and I fully expect the Yankees to hold on to their division lead because of his production.

Spitting Seeds

- In addition to the Judge single season home run chase, there are a couple of other extraordinary statistical pursuits. Albert Pujols is one home run away from tying A-Rod for fourth most in career homers at 696. Pujols is also just five away from 700. He would love to get to that nice round number in his final season. 

Also, Paul Goldschmidt, the first baseman of the St. Louis Cardinals, is leading the NL in two of the three triple crown categories. Goldschmidt leads the senior circuit in batting average (.328) and RBI (109) and is second in home runs (35), just one shy of Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (36).

- Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen currently has a 41.1 inning scoreless streak. It is the eighth longest streak since 1920. Orel Hershiser set the record of 59 scoreless innings in 1988.  Gallen is one of the best kept secrets in baseball. He is an outstanding young pitcher that no one seems to know about.

- Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez is the model of consistency. He has had 23 consecutive quality starts, meaning he has started 23 straight games in which he has thrown six innings or more and given up three earned runs or fewer. Valdez, along with Justin Verlander, Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy make up the best rotation in the American League statistically.

- The Tampa Bay Rays have had 26 different pitchers win at least one game this year. That leads all of baseball. The Rays have had a bunch of injuries to pitchers this year so it has been a season of “next man up.”  And everyone they bring up is capable of winning. The Rays also lead baseball in winning the most games (26) in which they did not hit a home run. This just shows that the Rays do everything a bit differently.

Power costs big money in free agency and arbitration. The small market Rays overwhelm the opposition with one quality pitcher after another. While not everyone is an ace, every pitcher is above average. The Rays can’t afford big power bats or front-line starters, so they find other ways to score and keep opposing offences at bay.