The Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves start what I like to call a very strange four-game series. It is not strange that they are playing interleague baseball as it has been a norm for quite some time now. What makes this series strange is that it’s a four game series where the Jays and Braves will each have home field advantage for two games. The first two will be in Toronto and the last two will be in Atlanta.
Now game one of the odd series started off with Mark Buehrle on the mound against the always-strong pitcher Tim Hudson. This game, however, would not be a pitchers duel as the Jays scored early and often off of Hudson. Colby Rasmus started the scoring with a two-run homerun in the bottom of the second. Then the Jays got 2 more in the third thanks to Edwin Encarnacion who was unfortunately tagged out at second trying to get a double – he still cashed two. The Braves finally got on the board in the fifth inning with an RBI single hit by Andrelton Simmons – this would be the only run given up by Buehrle.
With the score at 4-1, the Blue Jays seemed to want to score a few more runs so that they could support their starter. In the bottom of the sixth JP Arencibia hit a 2 run homerun, his 12th of the season. In the seventh inning Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run shot which was his 14th of the season. Evan Gattis followed with a two run blast in the eighth for the Braves, but that would be it as the Jays won it 9-3. Apparently when Gattis crossed home plate he said something to Arencibia and the two dugouts were giving each other crazy signals. Hopefully we will find out what Gattis said in the end.
Tim Hudson as mentioned, did not have a great game against Toronto as he picked up his fourth loss of the season. Hudson went 6.0 innings with 8 hits with 6 runs against him with only 1 strikeout and 2 walks. Mark Buehrle on the other side pitched a gem going 6.0 innings with 5 hits and 1 run against with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts to win his second win of the season.
I know I use the term “exciting” a lot, especially in the past couple of weeks, but game two of the 4-game home and home series was exactly that. The game started off with a three run top of the first for the Atlanta Braves, followed by a Jays 4-run explosion in the bottom of the first to take the lead back. James Schafer of the Braves tied the game with a solo homerun to make the score 4-4. Brandon Morrow was the starting pitcher for the Jays, but left the game after 2 innings pitched because of soreness in his forearm. Morrow hopes to pitch his next start, but only time will tell if the soreness leaves him.
With Morrow down the Jays looked to Ramon Ortiz to pitch in for the injured starter, he pitched his first three innings well and was in the running for a win after Jose Bautista hit a solo shot, his 12th homer of the season. The Jays lost the lead after Ortiz gave up two straight solo homeruns to Evan Gattis and Brian McCann. After a walk to Dan Uggla, Aaron Loup came in to replace Ortiz. The Blue Jays would tie the game 6-6 thanks to a JP Arencibia RBI double that drove in Jose Bautista. The game went to extras and the top of the tenth inning did not go in favour of the Jays as Brian McCann hit a solo shot to take the lead 7-6 and ultimately win the game.
Pitcher Cory Gearrin got the win and Jays pitcher Thad Weber earned the loss for the Blue Jays as they wrapped up the first two in the series before heading to Atlanta.
I know, I know its technically two different series, but I still look at it as a four game series even if it is a home and home. The third game and first one in Atlanta was a bullpen kind of game. The game was not a blow out by any stretch, and in fact only three runs were scored in the entire game, and they came in the first two innings. In the first inning JP Arencibia grounded in the force out, but Melki Cabrera scored to make it 1-0. Then in the top of the second Melky Cabrera hit a 2-RBI single to make it 3-0 and that is all the Jays would need to win the game. Cabrera would go 3-3 with a walk and Edwin Encarnacion would go 3-4 with a walk in this game.
Nine pitchers were used for for the Blue Jays and five for the Braves. Esmil Rogers started for the Jays and went 3.1 with 3 hits, 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. He ended up with a ‘no decision’ for this game. Juan Perez, who had been recently called up, got the win and Casey Janssen got his 11th save of the season. Kris Medlen earned the loss and only lasted 2.0 innings with 4 hits and 3 runs against with only one walk and a strikeout. The Jays still managed to get 8 hits this game and their pitching staff struck-out 11 batters.
The fourth and final game for the Toronto Blue Jays was not the kind of game they were hoping for, as Toronto would lose 11-3 to the Atlanta Braves and end this wacky four game series at two games a piece. RA Dickey started for the Jays and went the first five innings with just 3 runs against him. He even singled in the top of the sixth inning and later scored with a Jays rally that tied the game, 3-3. Mark DeRosa drove in the other two runs with a double, but those would be the only runs that the Jays could get. Toronto only had 7 hits this game as well.
Going into the bottom of the sixth inning is where game unravelled for the Jays. Three more runs were scored against Dickey and that would be the end of his game. He went 6.0 innings, giving up 11 hits, 6 runs, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Dickey earned the loss. The Bullpen for the Blue Jays gave up another 5 runs, and the Braves made sure that the Jays did not have another great comeback.
Mike Minor was dominant going 7.0 innings with only 6 hits, 3 runs and 2 runs against. He struck-out 5 batters and walked none. Minor got his seventh win of the season. The Blue Jays didn’t have a single player with multiple hits in the contest, while on the other side of the plate Gatties went 3-4 with 3 runs, and Ramiro Pena also went 3-4 with 4 RBI’s and one run.
The Jays will now play a three game series against the San Diego Padres, and Chad Jenkins is slated to pitch the first game. Let’s hope the Jays can rebound from this loss. All in all this was a good series against the Braves, but could have ended on a better note.
Nick’s Notes
Brett Lawrie had another unique game, this time injuring his ankle sliding into second base. The slide was very similar to Jose Reyes’ injury, and he has been put on the 15-day DL. So that is an ejection by the ump, strikeout not swinging in the bottom of the ninth, confrontation between Lawrie and the coach on Sunday (forgot to mention that one last time) and now this injury. The guy has not had the best week, has he? Maybe a few days off the field will do Lawrie good.
In the first game Colby Rasmus hit a double off of his brother, Cory Rasmus, who recently got called up by the Braves. Cory pitched 2.0 innings and gave up 3 hits, 3 earned runs, no strikeouts and 2 walks in that game. Was not the best for him, poor guy’s ERA so far this season is 12.27. Hopefully he gets some innings without any runs being scored soon and that he gives a better interview than his brother. If anyone saw Colby’s interview the other day about his brother they will know how awkward and brutal that was…
After the second game, Thad Weber was sent back to Buffalo and Ortiz was designated for assignment. It was also announced that Casey Janssen had be out of the game with soreness in his shoulder. Hopefully the Blue Jays injury woes will not get any worse. If Morrow has a worse injury then I hope Alex Anthopolous has the phone ready and seeing if there are some pitchers available that are not rookies, or guys well past their prime. For the bullpen, maybe they can add Brian Wilson if he is 100% ready to play ball again. This season is not over for the Jays but they need more than just RA Dickey and Mark Buehrle to turn the rest of this season around.
He is not a Jay, but what the heck happened to the five-tool player Jason Heyward? This season he has an average of 153 with only 2 runs and 8 RBI’s. He is not the only top player struggling, but it is a bit crazy to see someone with Heyward’s skill playing so poorly this year offensively.
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