Estrada back to old form as Jays top O’s
SERIES OPENER: Crafty right-hander allows just four hits over seven innings in 5-1 win
The debate about the six-man Blue Jays rotation and, more specifically, how it has affected — or not — the work of Marco Estrada has been an ongoing source of irritation for Jays manager John Gibbons.
He’s been nagged about it for the better part of a month and the discussions that usually lead nowhere, more often than not, have ended with Gibbons declaring further debate off limits.
Monday afternoon, with Estrada scheduled to start against the Orioles on the normal four days of rest, it was Gibbons who broached the subject.
“Just hope he returns to his norm,” said Gibbons. “He’s due. He’s too good for this to linger. This might answer that debate. We’ll see how it goes on normal rest.”
Then realizing he might be opening up the discussion anew he gently closed that door.
“You want me to give you some more ammunition?” he asked, with a smile. “Not another word out of you guys.”
Estrada might have provided all the answers himself. After two lessthan-sterling outings on extended rest, Estrada looked like his old self in delivering seven strong innings to backstop a 5-1 Toronto win in the opener of a key three-game series.
Estrada gave up just four hits and a walk, and hit a batter. The only blot on his record was a solo home run by J.J. Hardy that opened the scoring in the third inning. After that misstep, only one baserunner advanced beyond first base against him.
His fastball command that had seemed to elude him the past couple of outings was crisp and effective, setting up his devastating change-up.
“His bread and butter is his change-up,” said Gibbons. “I do think the location of his fastball, which is very important, is a key to making the change-up so effective.”
Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista each hit a solo home run off Baltimore starter Wade Miley to provide all the run support Estrada needed, who received help from relievers Joe Biagini and Joaquin Benoit.
Troy Tulowitzki also chimed in with an RBI single for the first-place Jays (75-56), as did Justin Smoak in the top of the ninth.
Hardy gave the Orioles (71-60) a 1-0 lead, starting the third inning with his eighth home run of the year. Hardy redirected a 2-2 Estrada change-up into the first row of seats in left field, just over the outstretched glove of Melvin Upton.
The Jays tied the game, then took the lead in the top of the fourth. After Bautista struck out to lead off, Donaldson launched a high fly ball to right-centre that carried into the seats for his 34th home run to tie the score.
After Edwin Encarnacion walked and Russell Martin singled, Tulowitzki drilled a single into left field. As Encarnacion fled for home, Martin served himself up as bait, allowing himself to get caught in a rundown between second and third. Had third baseman Manny Machado let the throw from left field go through, the O’s probably had a play at the plate on Encarnacion, but Martin was too inviting a target. As a result, the Jays took a 2-1 lead.
After limiting the O’s to two baserunners — including the Hardy homer — Estrada got into a spot of trouble in the fifth. He hit Matt Wieters with a pitch leading off, then got the next two outs. Nolan Reimold’s single put runners at first and second for Jonathan Schoop. Estrada struck him out on four pitches to end the threat.
Bautista led off the sixth with a towering fly ball that landed just a couple of rows deep in the left field seats for his 16th home run, and his first since returning from a stint on the disabled list.
In the two-run Toronto ninth, Smoak’s single to right field scored Melvin Upton from second base. A moment later, Devon Travis’s ground ball to second scored Kevin Pillar to make it a four-run game.
Estrada came out for the eighth inning but when Hardy singled to lead off, Gibbons went to Biagini, who cleaned up that inning in order.
After the two-run Toronto ninth, Benoit came on in a non-save situation and retired the heart of the Baltimore order — Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo — to end it.