Jays put opponents on red alert
Switching up Sunday look before first-inning explosion not coincidence, Goins says
There was no love lost when the Blue Jays ditched their traditional red jerseys on Sunday, after going 3-4 with a minus-27 run differential in the duds this season.
“We should probably shred ’em, burn ’em, I don’t know. Give them away to charity, something. They need to go,” Jays shortstop Ryan Goins said after a 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Rogers Centre.
That’s back-to-back victories for the Jays, and back-to-back series wins for the first time since late May.
It was a collective decision to move on from the red, worn for most Sunday home games in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary. Who knows whether it made any difference, but they scored five times in the first inning and got a quality start from lefty J.A. Happ. With six teams between the Jays and a wild-card spot, they’ll take what they can get.
“We’re not that far out of it,” Goins said. “We’re only four games back right now, so if we can put together a good stretch we might have a chance at the end.”
After the Pirates got on the board in the first with three straight singles by Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen and David Freese, the Jays offence went to work.
Josh Donaldson’s longest homer of the season, a 452-foot dinger, followed Jose Bautista’s leadoff walk for a 2-1 lead. Justin Smoak’s double and a walk to Ezequiel Carrera set the stage for Goins — Mr. RISP, batting a team-high .348 with runners in scoring position — who doubled both home. Goins wasn’t done. With Kevin Pillar on first, Goins on third and Raffy Lopez at the plate with one out, the Jays tried a double steal. Lopez struck out, but both runners were safe, Goins scoring for a 5-1 cushion.
“We’ve been known to do that, especially in good times,” manager John Gibbons said of the first-inning burst. “We scored early and gave the starter a little breathing room. That always helps.” Smoak and Darwin Barney would add solo homers in support of Happ, who delivered six innings of four-hit, one-run ball for his ninth quality start of the season.
The Blue Jays, 4-2 so far on their 10-game homestand, have benefitted from steady starting pitching recently. Starters have allowed one run or less in five of those six games, while combining for 361⁄ innings of work.
3 To keep any post-season hopes alive, Gibbons — who notched his 700th win as Blue Jays manager on Sunday — said more of that success on the mound will be key. It won’t be easy, though, with call-ups Nick Tepesch and Chris Rowley both making just their second starts of the season against the Rays in a fourgame series starting Monday night.
“You need to slug it out at times, but the teams that win — and, of course, they combine it — it’s pitching that gets you there, there’s no doubt about that,” he said.
After taking two of three from the Pirates with just one interleague series left on the schedule, the Jays also need to find a way to beat more of their American League counterparts. They’re 47-53 against AL clubs and 19-28 against the AL East. Nine of their 14 remaining series will be against divisional rivals.
Whoever they’re playing, fans shouldn’t expect to see them wearing red for any more Sunday home dates.
“They’re probably going to be done for the year,” Goins said. “Save your red. Just start wearing blue every day.”