JAYS’ BATS FINALLY GET HOT
HUTCHISON COMES THROUGH IN SPOT START
TORONTO • As the weather cooled down in Toronto over the weekend, the Blue Jays’ bats heated up.
For the third game in a row, the Jays pounded Oakland A’s pitching. On Sunday, with Drew Hutchison called up from Triple- A Buffalo for a spot start, Toronto batters posted 11 hits en route to a 6- 3 victory at the Rogers Centre, the club’s second straight. The win brought the Jays back to .500 at 10-10.
Every Blue Jay in the starting lineup, with the exception of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, picked up a hit. Ezequiel Carrera, starting in left field again for the inj ured Michael Saunders, hammered the ball hard for the second straight day. After recording his careerfirst four- hit day on Saturday, Carrera banged out two more on Sunday, including a third- inning home run to spark the offence.
“I think it starts with the contribution of Carrera,” said Toronto centre- fielder Kevin Pillar, who also picked up two hits, his third straight multiple hit game. “The last couple of days he’s really added some offence. I’ve been in his position before and I know how tough it is to come off the bench and make contributions and what he’s been able to is really getting us going.”
Jose Bautista slugged a two-run homer in the fourth, his fourth of the season.
“Everyone is making contributions and we kind of had the Hutch effect today,” Pillar added. “He keeps us in games and we score runs when he’s in the building, so it was good to see him out there do his thing.”
Hutchison was called up to give the Toronto rotation a rest, and he did his job, going a tidy 5 2/ 3 innings, giving up four hits, two home runs, three walks and striking out five to pick up the win. He received a nice ovation from the Rogers Centre crowd when he was pulled in the sixth for Jesse Chavez, touching his heart in gratitude as he walked toward the dugout.
The 25- year- old righthander was in the mix to become Toronto’s fifth starter out of spring training, but lost out to Aaron Sanchez. He was subsequently sent to the Bisons. Hutchison recorded 62 appearances ( 60 starts) and 335 innings with the Jays in 2014-15, but has struggled to prevent runs ( 4.97 ERA) despite a quality K/ 9 ( 8.41) rate and decent BB/9 (2.79) rate. Last year he went 13-5 despite posting an ERA of 5.57, often benefiting from the potent Jays’ offence.
“The kid just wins, that’s all. He always has,” said Jays manager John Gibbons. “And he really helped us today. We were backing everybody (in the rotation) off, let everybody catch their breath a little bit and he came down and won a big game for us. He won a lot of games last year, but he had his struggles up and down, things like that.
“But he executes when he needs to, he always does, and he brings out the best in the offence. We always score. So he’s also the good luck charm.”
Hutchison admitted following Sunday’s start that he is not thrilled to be in the minors. What’s particularly frustrating is the fact he got sent down to Buffalo to start the season despite a solid showing in spring training where he put up a good fight to make the rotation. The Lakeland, Fla. native didn’t seem to appreciate being reminded by the media on Sunday that he seems to pitch on days when the Jays score a lot of runs.
“I’m well aware of what our offence can do,” said Hutchison. “I think you guys saw that last year and had fun writing about what they did when I was on the mound. So I’m more than aware.”
Hutchison didn’ t f eel he was particularly sharp against the A’s — giving up home runs to Khris Davis and Josh Reddick — but he managed to prevent any big innings by the visitors. It’s likely he’ll get sent back down to Buffalo this week where he’ll continue to work hard and be ready for when the Jays call on him again.
“You need to take advantage of every opportunity you’re given, but at the same time you can’t put too much on one start because that’s not the way you go about things,” said Hutchison. “I just tried to go out there and do what I’ve been doing and the guys did great and it’s great to get a win.”
Darwin Barney, filling in at second for Ryan Goins, went 2- for- 4 and made two excellent fielding plays for the Jays.
Reliever Drew Storen started the eighth in relief and got the A’s out in order. Toronto closer Roberto Osuna pitched a clean ninth, striking out third baseman Chris Coghlan for the final out to pick up his sixth save.
(HUTCHISON) BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN THE OFFENCE.