Jun 8, 2018
The Mitchell Report: Blue Jays win consecutive games for first time in 33 games
J.A. Happ holds the Orioles to just two hits over seven innings while the slumping Blue Jays’ bats wake up as Toronto whips Baltimore 5-1 at Rogers Centre on Friday night. TSN Baseball Reporter Scott Mitchell provides his key takeaways from the game.
J.A. Happ holds the Orioles to just two hits over seven innings while the slumping Blue Jays’ bats wake up as Toronto whips Baltimore 5-1 at Rogers Centre on Friday night. TSN Baseball Reporter Scott Mitchell provides his key takeaways from the game:
GAME 63, JUNE 8: ORIOLES at JAYS
RESULT: 5-1 win
RECORD: 28-35
STREAK: W2
1—Jays finally go back-to-back
To understand how the last five weeks have gone for the Blue Jays, you only need to know one stat: The last time they won consecutive games was April 29 to May 1 when they won three straight.
That mercifully came to an end Friday when they put together back-to-back wins against the sorry Baltimore Orioles, a squad that’s now 19-42 on the season.
No matter the opponent, the Jays will take it after going 33 games between consecutive wins, the second-longest stretch within a season in franchise history, behind only a 49-game period way back in 1979.
There’s a long way for this team to go to make anyone believe they can get back in the race, but at least they can have a moderate amount of success against the teams they’re supposed to beat.
Against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees this season, the Jays are 5-14.
Against everyone else, they’re 23-21.
2—Happ’s brilliance continues rotation run
Looking for five straight quality starts out of the rotation, the right guy was on the hill Friday night for the Jays.
J.A. Happ, as he’s been in the majority of his outings this season, was excellent, holding the Orioles to just two hits over seven innings.
Just one run crossed the plate, and it was unearned, lowering Happ’s ERA to 3.71.
Thanks to the offence pouring it on late, Happ collected his 100th-career win, saying after the game he’s keeping his jersey and a couple of balls to mark the occasion.
Contenders around baseball are likely salivating at the chance to potentially add the veteran lefty in a trade deadline deal, but the Jays are going to hold out hope a little longer that he can help pitch them back to relevance.
Happ’s scheduled to go again next Wednesday on the road in Tampa Bay.
3—Martin’s best day of season leads way
A lot of slumping Jays bats seem to be waking up at the same time, and Russell Martin is one of them.
Coming into the night, Martin had collected hits in seven of his last 10 starts, but Friday he broke out with his first multi-hit game since May 13 and his first home run since May 10.
The solo shot in the sixth inning off O’s starter Andrew Cashner was Martin’s sixth of the season, and it gave the Jays a cushion at 3-1.
Martin finished the night 2-for-3 with a walk to push his slash line to .176/.316/.331.
4—Bottom of the lineup comes up big
I was lamenting the lack of production from the bottom of the lineup in this space during the series against the Yankees, so I should probably point out when they produce.
Martin was a big part of that, as the 6-7-8-9 hitters combined to 7-for-14 on Friday with three runs driven in.
It was another big night for seven-hole hitter Randal Grichuk, who homered for the second time in four games, while No. 8 hitter Aledmys Diaz went 3-for-4 and Devon Travis picked up a base hit out of the No. 9 spot.
5—Donaldson not yet ready to return
On his 56th birthday, John Gibbons didn’t get to unwrap Josh Donaldson, who was eligible to come off the disabled list Friday.
Instead, the 32-year-old third baseman will continue to work his way back from left calf tightness over the next couple of days.
He still hasn’t run the bases, a needed step to make sure the injury he suffered May 28 in Boston is fully healed.
After initially believing he’d be ready to go when eligible, Donaldson is now shying away from putting a timeline on it.
“Today I did some nice work running-wise and I was able to get it to a certain point but it’s not not quite there yet,” Donaldson said. “It’s a day-to-day thing. I don’t really know how long or what it’s going to be.”
In other injury news, Marcus Stroman (shoulder) got through his three-inning simulated game Friday in Dunedin, and he’ll continue to ramp up his game action next week.
UP NEXT: RHP Kevin Gausman (3-5, 4.63) vs. RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-5, 4.48) on Saturday, 1:07 p.m.
VLAD JR. WATCH: The Jays sent Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to their facility in Dunedin on Friday to get his “left knee pain” checked out by team doctors. That was the extent of the update, but more information is expected to be available Saturday. He’s on the MiLB seven-day disabled list.