Jays lose battle of the bullpens to Yanks
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Should the Blue Jays and the New York Yankees battle into the fall for first place in the American League East, it will be the Yankees who have at least one clear-cut edge: their bullpen.
That fact — something that every Jays fan was afraid of entering this season — was driven home in New York’s 3-2 win over the Jays before 28,819 at the Rogers Centre on Tuesday night.
Right now, the Yankees’ bullpen is not only superior to Toronto’s edition, it’s the best in baseball, and that’s without suspended closer Aroldis Chapman. After shutting the door on the Jays — four New York relievers held Toronto hitless over the final four innings — the Yankees’ pen boasted a major-league leading 0.84 ERA, having allowed just two earned runs in 21 2⁄ innings.
3 The Jays’ Brett Cecil was tagged for the game-winning run in the seventh, after six solid innings from Aaron Sanchez. Cecil allowed a single, a walk, a sacrifice and a bloop RBI single by Jacoby Elsbury with the infield drawn in.
It wasn’t a dramatic way to lose one but, for now, Cecil is having trouble finding his usually devastating curveball and it’s creating some confusion with the way Toronto rolls out responsibilities in the crucial sixth and seventh innings.
“I think (the opposition) has an understanding of what he wants to do, so it’s up to myself and the pitching coach to tell (Cecil) to not be too predictable out there,” catcher Russ Martin said.
Cecil was lights out after June in 2015, but has yet to find that form this season. His ERA is at10.13 after Tuesday.
“His (velocity) on his curveball may be a tick off,” Martin said, “so it could have an affect on the way guys are chasing after his pitches.”
Cecil looks like he is over-striding and off-balance on his landing foot, but the Jays are confident he will sort out his mechanics.
“The pitch he threw to (strike out Brett) Gardiner was a great curve, so let’s hope it gets him going,” Jays manager John Gibbons said. ‘But, let’s face it, if he’s not good this year, it’s a big hole.”
As the Jays started their second week, with losses in five of their first eight games, there’s a bit more that’s raising eyebrows than Cecil’s mechanics issues.
At least three of their hitters are off their usual standards — with Troy Tulowitzki hitting .107, Chris Colabello at .067, and Martin at .087.
In essence, the defending division champs are out of whack. The Yankees, meanwhile, are at 3-3, with the best bullpen in baseball. And with catcher Brian McCann hitting .500 so far, including a solo blast off Sanchez that tied the game at 2-2 in the sixth.
“I thought I made a good pitch to McCann, but he’s a good hitter, that was a McCann hit,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez wasn’t happy with himself, despite dominating the Yankees at times. He allowed just three hits and one earned run (two overall) in six innings, while striking out five against a Yankees lineup that entered the game averaging a majorleague leading seven runs per game.
What rankled Sanchez was his second inning. He walked two and made a throwing error to second to help the Yankees score first on Starlin Castro’s ground ball to the right side of the infield.
“You don’t expect to be good in the major leagues going ball, ball, ball, then strike, strike, strike,” Sanchez said. “Maybe I wasn’t getting calls, but at this level, you can’t let things like that get to you. I’ll learn from that for the next time.”