Encarnacion sparks massive win
CLEVELAND — There is plenty for Blue Jays management to ponder over the next 10 days as the major league baseball trade deadline approaches.
But on Friday night at Progressive Field, it was time to wince at the one that got away. The big one, that is. Yes, the larger than life character and always popular Edwin Encarnacion had his way with his former team in a four-RBI night that sparked the Indians to a massive 13-3 win.
With thousands of Jays fans making the trek to the Ohio shores of Lake Erie, the loss of Encarnacion never stung more and never looked worse on his former team.
Jays fans feared it and the results are confirming it: When Toronto management didn’t open the Rogers vault and spend some of the riches fans bestowed on the company to sign Encarnacion, disaster was a possibility.
It’s pretty much a reality now or certainly looking that way as the Jays were humiliated by the Indians, a team that had been struggling over the past two weeks. And it was just the latest blowout defeat.
Already this month, the Jays have had losses in which they have given up 15,19,12,11 and now 13 runs. The only thing worse than how the losses are piling up is how alarmingly one-sided many of them have been.
But as the Jays record dipped to 44-52, this one had to have some extra sting to it.
Starter Marco Estrada had four solid innings of work but was chased in the fifth, a fate typical of too many starting efforts lately.
But it was the show put on by Encarnacion that added to the suffering of a Jays fandom that has become so prolific (and heavy spending) over the past few seasons. To start the fun, Encarnacion brought out the Ed-Wing for a trot around the bases in a solo homer in the second inning.
It was Encarnacion’s 20th homer of the season and it was just the beginning.
A two-RBI double in the fifth gave the Indians the lead for the first time and was the beginning of the end for Estrada. Encarnacion added another in the seventh, driving in one and his RBI total up with a single. But who didn’t? The Indians scored eight runs in that frame as they sent 10 batters to the plate and ran the score up to 13-3.
The loss continued what has becoming a gruesome 10-game post all star break road trip. The Jays are 3-5 so far, with two more to play at Progressive Field.
The loss dropped the Jays 9 1/2 games behind Boston in the AL East with the Red Sox playing in Anaheim late last night. With losses like this one and a starting rotation in disarray, it will soon be time to drop looking at the standings from your daily routine.
How bad has it become? In the 17 games they’ve played so far this month, the Jays have been outscored 123-66.
As for Encarnacion, he’s on a first-place team in another division. He’ll always be fond of his time in Toronto, but more and more it looks like his old team did him a favour. EVALUATING ESTRADA You didn’t have to look far to get a whiff of the urgency for a strong outing f Estrada on Friday.
For the pitcher himself, it has been a season of frustration and disappointment. For the team, a starting rotation in disarray needed the pitcher that was so formidable last season.
And then there’s general manager Ross Atkins. If he is indeed listening to offers for Estrada in advance of the July 31 MLB trade deadline he needed something to sell.
Estrada had a solid start, including a 1-2-3 first inning with two strikeouts and was still going strong through four. But if a starting pitcher can’t get through five, it’s an issue.
It all unravelled in the fifth, however when Abraham Almonte opened up with a standup triple after just missing a homer. Following a Roberto Perez walk Erik Gonzalez singled and the Indians were within one.
And then the fun began. Three more runs later, Estrada’s night was done and the Indians were in full rout mode.
Estrada went 4.2 innings allowing six hits and five earned runs. And whatever trade value he possesses could be diminishing by the start. QUICK HITS The Jays led off three of the first four innings with doubles and at the end of the second had handed Estrada a 2-0 lead … They went up 3-1 in the top of the fifth when Justin Smoak brought home Josh Donaldson on a two-out double … The sellout crowd of 34,284 was just the fourth of the year for the reigning American league champs … The official Indians Twitter account had some rub-it-in fun at the Jays expense with the following Tweet: “34,248. That’s the attendance, not how many runs we scored in the seventh.”