GEORGE SPRINGER AND THE BLUE JAYS MAKE MINCE MEAT OF YANKEES IN SERIES OPENER
The night began with the odds of the Blue Jays making the playoffs pegged at 4.8%.
Well before Friday’s first pitch was thrown, beleaguered GM Ross Atkins held court lamenting how his hand-picked lineup has been so offensively challenged.
“I just expected us to score more runs,’’ he said. “I think everyone in the building did and we need to find out why that didn’t happen.”
When the actual game began, all was well with the Blue Jays, who looked like world-beaters following their 9-2 rout of AL East-leading New York Yankees, who came into this four-game series having lost nine of their past 11 games, including four in a row.
“Ten days ago, we were feeling like there was positive momentum and that has gone away,’’ said Atkins, whose team at the time was one game under .500. “The fact that we are in this position squarely lies with me and I’m accountable for that. All of our energy and focus is on improvement and getting better with the group that is here.”
Good on Atkins for coming clean, but this mess of a season requires the kind of work an organization cannot properly address in the short term.
“We recognize that we don’t have much time left,” he added.
Following Thursday’s 9-2 win, the Jays improved to 37-44 on the season, while the Bronx Bombers dropped to 52-30 having lost nine of their past 11 games, including four in a row.
Against Yankees starter Carlos Rodon, the Blue Jays exploded for five runs in the first inning, then three more in the second inning as they built an 8-0 advantage.
Besieged veteran George Springer went deep in each of his first two at-bats, both three-run blows as he recorded his first multi-homer game of the season, and third in his past two games.
In his third at-bat Thursday, Springer stroked a single up the middle, giving him back-to-back three-hit games and raising his batting average back above .200 for the first time since June 11.
Perhaps he’s back, but as always only time will tell.
It’s way too premature to say the Blue Jays, as a team, are poised to make some kind of run, even with consecutive nine-run outbursts.
“We believe in these hitters,’’ said Atkins during his availability. “We believe in these players.”
A realist would say that Atkins has no other choice, knowing, after all, it was he who orchestrated this roster construction.
Despite ongoing rumours — the latest involving Houston being interested in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — no trade appears to be on the horizon.
Speaking of Vladdy, it’s interesting to note the timing of how he changed his stance on possibly playing for the Yankees when he spoke with a well-heeled media outlet during the Jays’ stay in Boston earlier this week, with Toronto scuffling and about to play host to the same Yankees. Those believing it was a mere coincidence are asked to think again.
The trade deadline kicks in on July 30.
“We have not received many or a significant number of calls asking for our players that are on short contracts,’’ added Atkins. “It’s more downloading where we are from a strategy standpoint.”
The GM must have enjoyed what he saw in the series opener against the Yankees, as did the announced crowd of 36,423 at the Rogers Centre on Salsa Night.
Following the Yankees’ four-game stay, the Astros will be in town for a four-game set before the Jays hit the road for a nine-game trip out west.
One of the few mistakes made by Jays starter Jose Berrios resulted in a two-run homer in the fifth inning by Trent Grisham, New York’s No. 9 hitter, cutting the Jays lead to 8-2.
Guerrero got one of those runs back when he belted a solo home run in the home half of the sixth inning. It was his 11th home run of the season and third in his past four games.
Offence was not an issue on this night. And to be fair, the Jays’ bats have been much better of late, in part due to Guerrero and Springer’s power surges. That’s 18 runs in two games after mustering just 24 in the wretched seven-game losing streak.
Berrios went seven innings, an outing that included just two hits surrendered, two runs, three walks and eight strikeouts recorded.
As for Atkins, he can say all he wants and his words will always be interpreted and misinterpreted by some, but actions speak much louder.
The white flag to this season hasn’t officially been erected, but time is running out, even when a win as dominant as Thursday is produced.
Still, everyone expects the Jays to be sellers before the trade deadline, though no one is quite sure when that time will arrive.
As always, stay tuned.
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