DISCOMFORTS OF HOME
Donaldson’s day-to-day after limping off while the Jays fell to 1-5 in Tampa — maybe tomorrow’s home opener will help club turn the corner,
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.— The Blue Jays will once again limp home from Tropicana Field after a 7-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
The Jays have lost five of six to open the season, matching the worst start in franchise history, and have to hope Tuesday night’s home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers will help turn things around.
They’re also hoping Monday’s offday gives Josh Donaldson enough time to heal from the calf injury that knocked him out of Sunday’s game in the sixth inning. The 2015 American League MVP missed weeks of spring training with an injury to his right calf. Sunday’s injury was in the same leg but a different spot, and Donaldson was considered day-to-day after post-game treatment.
Donaldson likened the pain to a cramp, which began as he rounded first base on a first-inning home run and worsened after trying to leg out a ground ball in the sixth.
“I’m not worried about it,” Donaldson said. “Honestly, I think it’s very realistic that I will be ready for the home opener.”
He might be, but J.P. Howell won’t. The Jays put their primary lefthanded reliever on the 10-day disabled list thanks to a sore shoulder and recalled Dominic Leone.
The Jays actually got off to a good start Sunday, with Donaldson’s second homer of the season, a solo shot with one out in the first, followed by a Jose Bautista walk and Kendrys Morales double. Troy Tulowitzki cashed in Bautista with a groundout, his sixth RBI of the season.
Staked to a two-run lead, Jays starter Marco Estrada breezed through the bottom half of the inning.
Tempers flared in the second after Tulowitzki balked at a hard, late slide into second by Steven Souza Jr. that almost caught the shortstop’s lead leg. Both benches emptied, but no punches were thrown.
There was more jawing in the third when, after a solo homer by the Rays’ Corey Dickerson, Kevin Kiermaier tripled down the right-field line. Jays manager John Gibbons thought it was foul and argued his point with Canadian-born first base umpire Stu Scheurwater, to no avail.
Jays catcher Russell Martin had words with the next batter, Souza Jr., while Rays manager Kevin Cash chimed in from the dugout until plate ump Mike Muchlinski intervened.
If Souza Jr. was rattled, he didn’t show it — promptly depositing a three-run homer over the wall in left for the Rays’ first lead of the afternoon.
The Rays’ Jesus Sucre added a solo home run in the fourth.
Kiermaier was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes. By that time, Ryan Goins had replaced Donaldson and Estrada was out of the game, after allowing five earned runs on 99 pitches over five frames.
Casey Lawrence worked the final 11⁄ innings, allowed the Rays’ final
3 two runs.
No one in the Jays clubhouse thought they’d be heading home with just one win to show for the opening week of the season — although they’ve lost 23 of their last 30 series at Tropicana Field — but they didn’t sound worried, either.
“We’ve got a good ball club,” said Tulowitzki. “There’s no panic in here. We’re going to be just fine, I can promise you that.”
And after a heavy workload Friday, when starter Francisco Liriano managed to record just one out, the Jays bullpen showed signs of improvement, Gibbons added.
Strong performances by relievers Ryan Tepera and Aaron Loup on Sunday gave late-inning man Jason Grilli the day off. Meanwhile, closer Roberto Osuna, who started the season on the 10-day DL with neck pain, is expected back by Tuesday.