Despite flashes of promise, the Toronto Blue Jays still can't find their groove. MLB play began Friday with the Jays residing closer to the AL East basement than competing for the third and final AL wild card, leaving them in no-man's land.
Dylan Cease took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, while three separate hitters—including the besieged Vladimir Guerrero Jr.—took pitchers deep on a day the Blue Jays capped off a series win by routing the San Francisco Giants 10-0. Two straight wins decided by a combined margin of 19-3 made it look like things were moving along well for the Jays as a three-game set in San Diego began Friday before the MLB all-star break.
Cease's Near No-Hitter and Dominance
Heliot Ramos broke up Cease's no-hit bid with a leadoff single up the middle. Cease attempted to join Dave Stieb as the only pitchers in franchise history to toss a no-hitter. Prior to Ramos's hit, Cease struck out three times on a day he recorded a total of 11 strikeouts. While his pitch count grew, Cease later told reporters he had 130 pitches in him. For the record, Cease had a 118-pitch outing.
To his credit, Cease was more preoccupied with the process. "It's impossible for (a no-hit bid) not to be on your mind, but I was more focused on sequencing and what I wanted to do," he conveyed to reporters, "as opposed to thinking: 'Oh god, I've got a no-hitter.' You saw it there, that any little thing can be a hit. Until you have it, it's really far away."
Okamoto's Rising Star
Kazuma Okamoto also was lured to Toronto following years of stellar production in his native Japan. On Wednesday, he hit his first big-league grand slam, giving him 21 homers on the season, which leads the Jays, as does his 59 RBI. "Twenty-one homers and I think the record for a rookie Japanese player is 22," manager John Schneider said during his post-game availability. "We're not even at the all-star break yet. He's been everything we could have hoped for and maybe a little bit more."
Guerrero Jr.'s Struggles
The same can't be said for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Whether or not he has found something at the plate, only time will tell. He made the right call in deciding not to participate in the coming all-star game, knowing his play did not warrant inclusion, though his popularity among fans, mainly Canadian, can't be dismissed. Homers will never be dismissed, but his dinger came in the ninth inning of a game that was well out of reach by the Giants. Still, it was Guerrero's first long ball since June 18, when he went deep in Boston, and his fifth overall on the season—with none produced at home. In the 16-game stretch between belts, Guerrero had recorded a total of two extra-base hits. In Toronto's back-to-back wins over the Giants, the franchise face went a combined 2-for-10.
Youth Movement and Lineup Changes
One batter after Guerrero's homer, George Springer went deep. When offences are scuffling, lineup tweaks become necessary. In Toronto's 9-3 win over the Giants on Tuesday, the starting lineup featured three youngsters in Brandon Valenzuela, Sean Keys, and Jonatan Clase. Combined, the threesome had six hits, including Clase's first homer of the season—a three-run shot that got the Jays off and running. Ernie Clement doesn't profile as a leadoff hitter, but his bat-to-ball skills are second to none. Nathan Lukes hardly has a bad at-bat, which makes the two ideal candidates to continue serving in their current roles atop the lineup.
Inconsistency and Playoff Hopes
Prior to winning back-to-back games, the Jays lost three of four when three combined runs were scored. Hitting was an issue, pitching, defence—just about anything that could go wrong did go wrong for a club that has yet to reach any level of consistency and sustained winning. A glimpse of the club's potential was provided Wednesday, though it came against a weak opponent. When it came to pitching, Cease was Cy Young Award-worthy. As bad as the Jays have played, the reality of their lot in the American League is that they are not that far away from a wild-card spot. When play began Friday, the Jays were 2.5 games back of Texas for the third and final wild card.
If Alejandro Kirk and perhaps Daulton Varsho can find their footing in the box, the lineup will only lengthen. The return of a healthy Addison Barger also will help, but no clarity on his potential availability has been provided. In baseball, momentum is measured by the next day's starting pitcher. Varsho's grand slam at home to beat Tampa was viewed as a momentum changer, but it quickly fizzled. The latest arrived in the Bay Area capped off by the three-homer explosion, Cease's brilliance, and the club's overall attention to defence in the series rubber match. It might carry over into San Diego.
All that's known is the all-star break beckons and, when play resumes on July 17, the Jays will be back home for the first time since Canada Day. By the time baseball's Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches, who knows whether the Jays will be in sell mode or poised to emerge as buyers. For a middling team, there sure seems to be many balls at play and just as many storylines.
