When the big picture looks so daunting, even small victories must be cherished.
While the offence didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard against an average Pittsburgh Pirates team this past weekend, the Blue Jays managed their first back-to-back series wins with a 5-4 victory at the Rogers Centre.
The Jays took two of three against the Pirates after sweeping the woeful White Sox in Chicago earlier in the week.
The skill level of the Jays competition, however, takes a sharp turn upwards with the Baltimore Orioles in town for a four-game set beginning on Monday.
In Sunday’s rubber match, the Blue Jays changed it up by having Vladimir Guerrero Jr. start at third base for the first time since his rookie year, a move designed to add some punch to the batting order with Justin Turner at first base and the suddenly hot Daniel Vogelbach — the offensive catalyst on this afternoon — at DH.
Up 5-3, and with closer Jordan Romano on the injured list, Yimi Garcia started the ninth inning and gave up a leadoff double to Oneil Cruz as the Pirates brought the tying run to the plate.
A two-out base hit by Rowdy Tellez plated Oneil, his fourth RBI against his former team. But the game ended on a strikeout, Garcia’s third of the inning as he earned his third save.
Jays starter Chris Bassitt never completed a clean inning through his five-inning outing, a stretch that saw the right-hander give up three runs on eight hits, while hitting three batters.
He was credited with the win to improve to 6-6 on the season, even though he didn’t pitch well.
When the Jays trailed, 1-0, they drew even following a wild pitch.
Trailing 3-1, the Jays quickly responded by taking their first lead courtesy of a Vogelbach double.
When Vogelbach is on, much like he was Sunday, he will hit the ball hard and deserves to be in the starting lineup at DH when facing right-handers.
A two-base throwing error on an attempted pick off at first base set the stage for the Jays adding to their advantage.
HOT-CORNER STUFF
Guerrero hadn’t started at baseball’s hot corner since Sept. 27, 2019, a home date against Tampa. The Rays won 6-2 to clinch a playoff spot.
The decision to start him at third on Sunday underscored the team’s desperation. But prior to Sunday’s first pitch, embattled Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins made an appearance on MLB Network Radio.
“It’s really going to be a lot of fun to see Vladdy playing third base, but that’s been something we’ve been working on collectively,’’ said Atkins. “He’ll get some starts there.
“He’s got an incredible ability and feel for the game of baseball. I think his arm and his hands will allow him to play some third base for us.
“That’s another way to deploy a lineup that maybe creates a little more offence.”
Guerrero didn’t get chance to make a play at third until the seventh inning, when he cleanly fielded a ground ball and threw a rocket to first for the inning’s first out. In Pittsburgh’s next at-bats, with Vladdy positioned closer to shortstop, he again fielded a hard-hit ball and cleanly launched a fastball to Turner for the out.
RUMOR HAS IT
It’s inevitable when a top-10 payroll underachieves to hear rumors being bandied about.
There’s been no shortage of banter surrounding the Blue Jays, whether it involves pending free agents or just about anyone else for that matter depending on what direction the team ultimately decides to take.
The team’s highest-profiled players in Guerrero and Bichette have not been exempt from the on-going rumor mill.
“We believe in them, we believe in their futures and hope there’s a way they can play here for a long time,” added Atkins during his radio interview.
Only time, as the saying goes, will tell if the Jays emerge as buyers or sellers as the July 30 trade deadline approaches.
The same applies for the long-term futures of Vlad Jr. and Bichette, players who have yet to win a single post-season game.
The word fans should key on is “hope.”
They should also know, if they don’t already, is that Atkins may not be the one making the call.
BIRD’S EYE VIEW
No one is suggesting the Blue Jays are anywhere close to residing in baseball’s high-end district that features Baltimore as one of its occupants.
Having said that, the Orioles and Blue Jays played an epic set in Baltimore last month, a three-game set reduced to two when rain forced a postponement of the second game. Each team earned one win, each decided by 3-2 scores.
Adley Rutschman went yard three times in two games, including a walk-off blow in the finale.
Daulton Varsho hit a home run, saved a home run and knocked in the winning run in the series opener.
In the intervening weeks, both teams have dealt with pitching setbacks.For Baltimore, John Means and Tyler Wells will miss the rest of the season because of elbow problems that require surgery. For the Jays, Alek Manoah and Jordan Romano, who gave up the walk-off bomb to Rutschman, are each dealing with elbow injuries. Of the two, Manoah’s is the most serious.
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