Stroman ‘getting back to myself ’
Falls to 0-4, but turns in his first quality start
The Stro Show hasn’t exactly been feature material so far this season, but Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman vows the plot is just beginning.
The record of Toronto’s would-be ace fell to 0-4 Wednesday as the normally reliable Jays run support went missing in a 4-0 loss to the Twins.
But Stroman, who allowed just two runs over seven innings of work in the matinee at Target Field, believes he’s close to returning as a force in the beleaguered Toronto rotation.
“I compete. I trust my work ethic,” Stroman said after the Twins avoided the sweep in the three-game series. “I’m going to do everything in my power to get better each and every start like I always do.
“I feel like I’ve been making adjustments and getting back to myself. I know I’m a horse and get stronger and stronger as the year progresses.”
To help that along, Stroman has re-introduced a cutter to his arsenal for the first time since 2015, a pitch he feels will help him to better attack the lower portions of the strike zone.
Stroman takes pride in making adjustments and vows not to stagnate, particularly when struggling.
“I’m always tinkering,” Stroman said. “It’s a pitch I’ll start to use effectively going forward.”
Though he essentially held the Twins in check, scattering six hits, the seven-inning workday was his longest of the season and his first quality start.
“He made some good adjustments after the first couple of innings and got in the strike zone,” Jays bench coach DeMarlo Hale said. “His tempo was good and he pitched to situations. I thought it was a good sign for sure.”
The big blast by the Twins was a solo home run by Eddie Rosario in the second to stake the home squad to the only lead it would need.
Overall it was a welcome improvement for a pitcher who before Wednesday had the second-highest ERA (8.88) among pitchers with 25 innings or more of work.
“I’ve felt like myself these last few starts,” said Stroman, who lowered his ERA to 7.52. “Things haven’t gone my way and snowballed from there. My stuff is getting better each and every start.”
SUPER MAN START
The lone bright spot for the Jays offensively was centre-fielder Kevin Pillar, who had two singles and a walk in three at-bats to extend his hitting streak to seven games.
Pillar leads the team in hits with 36 and has hit safely in 16 of his past 19 games combining a .361 average with 13 extra-base hits in that span.
“When you look at him, his pitch selection has been good,” Hale said. “He’s been laying off some pitches and putting the ball in play. Hopefully he keeps up on this run.
“It started in spring training when you really go back. He was playing well and doing some things that carried over to the season here.”
There was some mild concern with Pillar following the game as he was favouring his left hand after landing hard while making one of his signature diving catches in the seventh.
Pillar, who batted in the ninth, wasn’t offering details, but suggested that things will be fine for Thursday’s doubleheader in Cleveland.
RUN WITH IT
It took a while, but Jays manager John Gibbons was ejected for the first time this season when he argued a call in the bottom of the second inning during a Teoscar Hernandez at-bat.
After home plate umpire Dan Bellino called Hernandez out on a check swing, Gibbons let him have it from the dugout. To add to the pain of the call, Aledmys Diaz, who was running to second on the pitch, pulled up because he thought it was ball four and was caught stealing for a double-play.
The ejection was the 45th of Gibbons’ career.
ROOKIE BRINGS THE HEAT
The Jays faced a buzz saw in Twins starter Fernando Romero, who made his major-league debut in sensational style.
The flame-throwing right-hander gave up four hits and three walks in 52/3 innings and had a fastball routinely clocking in the 94-97 m.p.h range.
“He has good stuff,” Pillar said of the 23-year-old. “He throws hard and he changes speed and the ball was moving all over the place.”
Romero certainly had the Jays batters, who had scored seven runs in each of the last three games, on its heels.
Toronto was shut out for the first time of the season, not a bad debut for the highly touted Romero.
AROUND THE BASES
The Jays left Minneapolis for Cleveland following Wednesday’s game for a scheduled makeup doubleheader against the Indians Thursday.
It’s part of a gruelling eight games in seven days and to help get through it, starter Joe Biagini has been recalled from triple-A Buffalo. He’ll get the ball in Thursday’s nightcap if the weather holds.
The Jays are 3-13 on the season in games they score fewer than five runs … The win was a bit of relief for the Twins, just their second in the past 13 games.
In taking two of three from the Twins, the Jays have won seven of 11 series this season … The Twins added to their lead, getting a run off of Aaron Loup in the eighth when the Toronto reliever could retire just two of the six he faced.
He exited with the bases loaded and one run surrendered, but in his season debut with the Jays, Carlos Ramirez walked Gregorio Petit to make it 4-0.