Jays lost on road to .500
Rangers tee off on Stroman for series split and ninth defeat with break-even mark in reach
One in the first. Two in the second. Three in the third.
There was almost an algebraic synchronicity to it.
Although, if Marcus Stroman had continued at that pace of runs allowed, the Rangers would have won by 45-4 instead of 11-4.
But that’s how the Blue Jays “ace” — by default, if nothing else — rolled in the Thursday matinee at Globe Life Park, turning the tumblers on the clicketyclick long balls, decanting a trio of home runs for the second straight start.
Six runs through the front end three innings. Toss in that third jack — to No. 9 hitter Robinson Chirinos in the fourth frame — and a cornucopia of dingers for Toronto’s most reliable starter. Although these days, that’s not saying much.
Just as not much will be said here — because it’s turned into a brain-loop — about the Jays now 0-9 in their flailing — downright comical, at this juncture — busts to reach .500 for the first time this season.
Manager John Gibbons is sick of being asked. Reporters are sick of asking. But this is a team that can’t get over its .500 yips, away from the Holy Grail at every opportunity.
“Don’t say it, don’t ask,” Gibbons drawled, when the away-skipper’s office was opened up to media following a game which dropped Toronto to 35-37.
Let’s tip-toe around the matter instead, lob a softball about the fight the Jays showed, clawing back from a 7-0 deficit after four innings. Right over the middle of the plate, Gibby, smack it out of the park.
“We do that.’’
Nowhere near often enough, though, like that 7-6 ninth-inning rally in Monday’s win, to launch a Texas four-game set split down the middle.
Eleven runs on 11 hits for the Rangers, seven of them stripped off Stroman through the four innings he mustered before . . . hit the showers and hail the ’pen again.
“Tough day, tough day for Stro,” lamented Gibbons. “He left some pitches up. Hung a couple where they made him pay.’’
Then, broaching the subject that must not be named: “It’s been a battle trying to get back to that .500 mark.”
What “back”? Haven’t passed through the neighbourhood yet.
“The tough part, the disappointing part — seems like we get knocked around pretty good on that day, you know? But I guess, our starters, we took our lumps this series and came away with two wins, if there’s anything good in that.” Let’s unpack that. There has been a whole whack of blowouts in that 0-9 deadfall. To wit: 6-1, 11-4, 8-1, 7-0, 12-2.
Through the same 0-9 face-plant, the Jays have been outscored 73-24, Thursday’s result included.
What does that say about the essence of this team?
Here’s a thought: Sometimes, like when their big bats are cracking yard, they’re very good. But most of the time, especially when it counts most, they’ve been very, very bad.
And somewhere, we suspect, Mark Shapiro is smiling, itching to pull the pin.
The bullpen gets a hall pass here, scarcely responsible for all the crooked numbers Toronto has been gagging on, the team endlessly having to dig itself out of holes — scored on first in eight of their last nine games. Starters have been mush. Take this Texas series, for instance: Marco Estrada went 32⁄ innings,
3 giving up six hits, in the first game.
Francisco Liriano lasted 42⁄ 3, giving up five runs.
Joe Biagini, who isn’t even a real starter, endured through 52⁄ on
3 Wednesday, limiting the Rangers to four runs — but a brace of homers.
Flip the scorebook back a few extra pages and there’s Estrada again, six runs on 31⁄ innings. There’s Biagini,
3 seven runs in one inning. Close the book. It’s baseball porn. J.A. Happ, who’ll take the hill Friday night in Kansas City for the start of a weekend set before the Jays head home, has been rounding into form since coming off the DL with his elbow issue. But, in truth, it’s been Stroman who’s carried the starter ball for Toronto, a six-game win streak halted in his last start, against the White Sox. Ten quality starts ranks him fourth in the American League, allowing three runs or fever in 11 of 14 starts this season. On five occasions, the 26-year-old righthander has gone at least seven innings.
Not taking any of that away from him. But on this day, when the Jays really needed Stroman to stand tall, he came up small. Falling victim, apparently, to the same .500 flu that has afflicted his comrades in arms.
Stroman allowed 10 of 21 batters faced to reach, matched career highs in runs/earned runs (seven) and home runs (three). Six of 13 HRs allowed this year have raised their ugly heads in his last two outings.
To briefly review Thursday’s troika: two-run shot by Mike Napoli, turning on a 94-m.p.h. fastball; curveball that Carlos Gomez swatted, hooking off the left-field pole; a 2-and-2 changeup over the leftcentre fence by Chirinos. (A second homer for Gomez, in the seventh, off reliever Jeff Beliveau.)
Maybe the muggy conditions had something to do with it, a possibility Stroman jumped on when it was offered at the post-game scrum.
“It was hot out there. I think that had a little bit, maybe something to do with the feel at the end of my pitches. At the end of the day, I think I just wasn’t executing when I needed to.’’
Ground-ball pitcher that he is, Stroman induced three outs that way. The sinker wasn’t biting.
“Just not a good feel for my pitches out there,” he said. “At the end, everything didn’t feel like it was necessarily coming out the same. Not really worried about it. Just didn’t have a very good feel on my sinker and all my other pitches kind of play off that.
“I was battling all day. That’s something you’re going to run into as pitchers. They made we work a lot and they capitalized on some bad pitches I made. I wasn’t locating like I normally am, down. Like I said, I’ll make the adjustments and get back out there Wednesday.”
Toronto collected all its runs in the fifth via singles, walks, hit batter and fielding error, trailing 7-4 but any comeback notions were swiftly quashed as the Rangers kept fattening their lead.
Josh Donaldson was not party to any of it.
The third baseman removed himself from the lineup upon arrival at the ballpark with a sore left knee.
Banged it up a couple of days ago while doing stretching work; missed the floor pad, hit concrete with the hinge, jamming all his weight into it.
“After last night it kind of swelled up a little bit. I told Gibby, ‘I don’t think it would be a great idea for me to go out there and push it right now.’
“I feel like it’s day-to-day for sure, and hopefully I’ll be in there Friday.”