Rowley arrives right on time
Jays rookie starter holds Pirates to five hits in winning introduction to major leagues
There was some familiarity to the scene that unfolded for Blue Jays starter Chris Rowley on Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.
He had, after all, pitched a game to catcher Raffy Lopez back in April with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
But the Rogers Centre isn’t Manchester, N.H., and an early season start in double-A was nothing like fulfilling a lifelong dream of pitching in the major leagues.
With that in mind, the 26-yearold right-hander had an afternoon to remember, giving up just one run in 51/3 innings to make his big-league debut a successful one.
Rowley exited with a 4-1 lead and standing ovation from the sold-out Rogers Centre crowd, who appreciated the urgency for a strong starting outing and recognized the magnitude of the moment in his life.
“When I came off, it was a little emotional,” Rowley said after the 7-2 win in which the Jays improved to 55-61. “You’ve got 45,000 people standing on their feet ... it was the first time I’ve seen that. My family’s out here, so it’s pretty special.”
It was a special outing indeed for Rowley, who became the first member of the U.S. Military Academy to play in the majors. That he did it so efficiently added to the moment.
“Debuts are never easy and I thought he did a tremendous job,” Jays manager John Gibbons said. “He should be proud of himself and excited. He definitely helped the team, that’s for sure.”
To Gibbons’ point, multiple injuries to starters have exposed the lightness in organizational depth at pitcher this season. Rowley was the 12th to start for Toronto, one shy of the club record set in 1979 and matched in 2002 and 2013.
Rowley was clearly up to the task, however, a memorable pinnacle to what has been an impressive 2017 campaign.
After a stint with the U.S. army, Rowley signed with the Jays for the second time on March 18, 2016. He began the current season with the Fisher Cats, pitching primarily out of the bullpen.
But when shifted to a starting role in New Hampshire, he built a 3-1 record and an 0.92 ERA, quickly earning a promotion to triple-A Buffalo. With the Bisons, Rowley was 3-3 as a starter with a solid 2.39 ERA.
That was enough progress for Jays management to recall Rowley for a shot at The Show on a team anxious for a quality start from wherever it could be found.
“(Friday) night I was a little nervous and had butterflies, but I got up this morning anxious more than anything,” Rowley said. “Once I got out there, it was the same game. These guys are pretty good and I’d like to think I am too.”
COOL CATS
So what about that first inning of the year back on April 8?
Did Rowley ever imagine that both Lopez and him would form the same battery in the bigs on Aug. 12?
“Of course not,” Rowley said. “I don’t think you can, no way. Obviously that’s the dream. Ideally this is where you want to be, but I don’t think I had it in my mind I’d be here right now.”
Lopez, who like Rowley advanced to the triple-A Bisons as the season progressed, recognized the achievement. During the game, however, both tried to pay little mind to the surroundings.
“It felt like another game with more people watching in a nicer stadium,” Lopez said. “It was a blast. We were both just calm and relaxed and trying to go pitch to pitch and have a good time.
“We were talking about it in the dugout, that (when) we both started the season we weren’t necessarily where we wanted to be ... a few months later we’re up here starting.”
GAME ON
The Jays got out to an early lead in the first when a Steve Pearce ground out scored Jose Bautista from first. After the Pirates tied it up in the second, the Jays regained the lead in the bottom half when Josh Donaldson drew a bases-loaded walk ... That was the beginning of the calamity on a sloppy defensive outing for the Pirates. The Jays added a pair in the fifth when Kendrys Morales ground out into what could have been an inning-ending double-play. Instead, the hustle from the big man and a throwing error by Pittsburgh second baseman Adam Frazier helped Donaldson follow Bautista home ... The fun continued in the seventh when the Jays broke it open with three more. This outburst started with a single by catcher Mike Ohlman (who replaced Lopez when Morales pinch hit for him in the fifth) actually advanced him to third after a throwing error by Josh Harrison. While the Pirates were chasing that down, both Justin Smoak and Pearce scampered home.
QUICK HITS
The Jays have allowed just two earned runs in their past three games ... Gibbons on whether Rowley’s military background might have aided in the nerves department: “It’s gotta help. He’s been through some things.” ... Nice bounce-back game for the Jays’ Rob Refsnyder, who had four strikeouts and two errors in Friday’s 4-2 loss. Refsnyder was 3-for-4 at the plate, all singles ... Bautista scored two runs (his 769th and 770th with the Jays) giving him sole possession of third in club history. Bautista actually reached base three times without a hit — two walks and a hit by pitch. It was just the seventh win for the Jays in games that they didn’t hit a home run.