The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Toronto Blue Jays – INSIDE PITCH
It was a breakout game of sorts for the Blue Jays. Scoring six runs in a game is no big deal, especially for a team like the Blue Jays when they are at full strength.
But in their six-game losing streak they had been held to one run three times and two on another occasion and their hitting was showing the effects of not having players like Jose Bautista, Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia in the lineup.
And they needed 11 innings to scrape out a 3-1 win over the A’s on Saturday to stop the losses.
So Sunday’s 6-5 victory that included a three-run fifth inning seemed like a feast. It was the highest run total by the Blue Jays since they defeated Detroit 8-3 on July 27.
In Oakland, the Blue Jays twice needed ninth-inning home runs to tie games against the A’s. Jeff Mathis hit a three-run homer on Friday, but Oakland won 5-4 in 15 innings. David Cooper tied Saturday’s game 1-1 with his homer in the ninth and the Blue Jays capitalized on that chance.
The ninth-inning heroics on Sunday came from Yan Gomes, who moved from first base to third base for the final inning and snared a line drive that turned into the game-ending double play.
It helps to get good pitching. Aaron Laffey overcame a three-run homer by Josh Reddick in the third inning on Sunday and got through six innings with no further damage when the rebuilt bullpen took over.
“Aaron Laffey did his job – he worked deeper into the game — and our bullpen once again pitched some solid baseball for us,” manager John Farrell said. “The biggest thing is: Given how much we’ve had to pitch out of the ‘pen with the extra-inning games the last two days, he gave some guys some rest and the guys that were available ended up getting in the game today.”
The Blue Jays have Monday off before finishing their trip with a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
They expect to have third baseman Brett Lawrie (rib cage) and center fielder Colby Rasmus (groin) back for that series. But some of the other regulars will still be missing.
———————————————–
MLB Team Report – Toronto Blue Jays – NOTES, QUOTES
–DH/1B Edwin Encarnacion sets a career high with each home run he hits. He hit his 29th of the season in the fourth to score two runs as he went 2-for-4 with an intentional walk in Toronto’s 6-5 win at Oakland. “It was very big,” Encarnacion said of his homer. “We’ve been struggling the last couple of games. We haven’t been hitting the ball good. So with that homer everybody could have a little bit more emotion and we started swinging better.” He helps in other ways. He has 12 stolen bases, two coming in the 11th inning of the 3-1 win on Saturday. He stole second and then third. On his steal of third he continued home on a throwing error for the tiebreaking run.
–INF Adeiny Hechavarria was 0-for-3 with a walk when he made his major-league debut in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Oakland. The Cuban shortstop, known for superb defense, played third base for the first time in his life. He was replacing 3B Brett Lawrie, who was forced him from Friday’s 5-4 loss with a strained rib cage. Lawrie also missed Sunday’s series finale. Hechavarria was called up from Class AAA Las Vegas, where he was batting .312 with six homers and 63 RBI. He was hitting .381 for his past 10 games. “We think he’s ready,” assistant general manager Tony LaCava said. “I think he’s been ready for probably about a month now. It’s just been a matter of getting an opportunity.” Hechavarria was 0-for-3 in Sunday’s 6-5 win and was removed for a pinch-hitter in the ninth.
–LHP Brett Cecil will continue to be a starter at Class AAA Las Vegas, where he was assigned on option after Friday’s game in Oakland. Because of his success against left-handed hitters, there was speculation that he could be used out of the bullpen. “Anytime someone gets sent down, they’re certainly not going to be pleased with it,” manager John Farrell said. “Whether it’s envisioned or not by the individual, sometimes that news can be shocking in a way. But his role is to continue to start while in Las Vegas. If there needs to be a discussion a little bit later on as it relates to his (major-league) role going forward, we’d certainly talk to him before making any kind of an announcement or give him some further insights as to what our thinking is on where he could be most effective at the major-league level.”
–LHP J.A. Happ, who has worked out of the bullpen since he was acquired in a trade with Houston on July 20, will join the rotation. He will start Tuesday in Tampa Bay and RHP Carlos Villanueva, who is in the Dominican Republic for personal business, will start Wednesday.
–CF Colby Rasmus came out of Friday’s 15-inning, 5-4 loss at Oakland in the 12th inning with a groin injury. He did not play Saturday as the Blue Jays won 3-1 in 11 innings to end a six-game losing streak. He was hoping to play Sunday in the series finale but again was not in the lineup, and he did not get into the game with OF Anthony Gose again in center field. “I don’t want to say it’s nothing, but to me it’s nothing serious,” Rasmus said. He suffered the injury making a catch in the 11th inning on Friday but stayed in the game and hit a double in the 12th. He was removed from the game in the bottom of the 12th.
–RHP Chad Jenkins was promoted from Class AA New Hampshire for Sunday’s game against Oakland but did not appear in the 6-5 victory. Jenkins, 25, was a first-round pick, 20th overall, in the 2009 draft. He was 5-9 with a 4.96 ERA at New Hampshire, but was 3-3 with a 3.84 ERA in his past 10 starts.
–RHP Jesse Chavez was returned to Las Vegas to make room for Jenkins. Chavez, 28, had an 8.44 ERA in nine games but picked up the win Saturday when he pitched the 10th inning in a game won 3-1 in innings.
BY THE NUMBERS: 5 — Appearances by RHP Casey Janssen without a save opportunity before he earned his 14th save of the season in Sunday’s 6-5 win at Oakland. It was his first save and save opportunity since July 14. He is 14-for-14 in save opportunities since taking over as closer on May 9.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We don’t feel and I don’t think Jose feels his season is over. But at the same time we don’t want to rush something that ends up causing further damage and potentially leads to something else being needed.” — Manager John Farrell on RF Jose Bautista, who has been on the disabled list since suffering a sprained left wrist on July 16.
———————————————–
MLB Team Report – Toronto Blue Jays – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–CF Colby Rasmus (undisclosed) left the Aug. 3 game.
–3B Brett Lawrie (ribcage tightness) left the Aug. 3 game.
–1B/DH Adam Lind (mid-back tightness) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 26. An exam found no structural damage.
–C J.P. Arencibia (broken right hand) went on the 15-day disabled list July 26. He is expected to be out until early September.
–RHP Jason Frasor (right forearm tightness) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 17. He was shut down from throwing until early August.
–RF Jose Bautista (left wrist inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list July 17. He began swinging a bat July 28. There is no timetable for his return.
–RHP Robert Coello (right elbow inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list June 30, as the Blue Jays rescinded his option to the minors. He was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 20.
–RHP Drew Hutchison (sore right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list June 16, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 25. He was diagnosed with an ulnar collateral ligament sprain, but he won’t have to undergo Tommy John surgery. He was expected to start playing catch in late July. It’s not certain when, or if, he will be able to return this season.
–RHP Brandon Morrow (strained left oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list June 12, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 17. He threw on flat ground for the first time June 25. He threw his first bullpen session July 13. He made rehab starts for Class A Dunedin on July 29 and Aug. 3. He is expected to make two starts for Class AA New Hampshire before rejoining the Blue Jays.
–RHP Dustin McGowan (plantar fasciitis in right foot) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 25. His throwing program was shut down in late April due to right shoulder inflammation, but he resumed throwing in Dunedin, Fla., in mid-May. There is no timetable for his return.
–RHP Jesse Litsch (right shoulder tendinitis, right shoulder infection) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 20. He learned May 22 that his infection was gone, but he still had a sore shoulder. There is no timetable for his return.
–RHP Sergio Santos (right shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list April 21, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 24. He resumed throwing in mid-May, and he threw a 25-pitch bullpen session June 1. He threw his third bullpen session June 7 but then experienced a setback in late June. He underwent season-ending surgery July 24.
–LHP Luis Perez (torn left elbow ligament) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to July 9. He underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery July 17.
–RHP Kyle Drabek (sprained right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 14, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 22. He had season-ending Tommy John surgery June 19.
ROTATION:
LHP Ricky Romero
RHP Henderson Alvarez
LHP Brett Cecil
LHP Aaron Laffey
RHP Carlos Villanueva
BULLPEN:
RHP Casey Janssen (closer)
LHP Darren Oliver
LHP Aaron Loup
LHP J.A. Happ
RHP Brandon Lyon
RHP Drew Carpenter
RHP Brad Lincoln
RHP Steve Delabar
CATCHERS:
Jeff Mathis
Yan Gomes
INFIELDERS:
1B David Cooper
2B Kelly Johnson
SS Yunel Escobar
3B Brett Lawrie
DH Edwin Encarnacion
INF Omar Vizquel
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Rajai Davis
CF Colby Rasmus
RF Anthony Gose
OF Moises Sierra
———————————————–
