Loss to Royals guarantees losing season
Even with nine games left, Jays will not finish at .500 for first time since 2013
Following Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the visiting Kansas City Royals, the only thing guaranteed for the Blue Jays with nine games remaining is that they will not finish at .500 for the first time since 2013.
In fact, unless the Jays run the table against the Yankees and the Red Sox, this will be only the second full season Jays manager John Gibbons has failed to reach 80 wins in his eightseason tenure. So what’s left then? “You try to win every night,” Gibbons said. “I don’t get caught up in the that. We’re more focused on seeing some of the younger guys play. But you play to win. You want to finish strong. At this point I don’t know if it’s going to make or break my off-season.”
But on this night, it was left-hander Jason Vargas (17-10) and the Royals’ bullpen that shut down the Jays on just two hits.
“We didn’t hit a lick, that’s for sure,” Gibbons said.
“(Vargas) is having a big year. If you don’t use the whole field he’s going to give you a lot of trouble, and I don’t think we did enough of that. But he keeps you off balance. He’s been around the game a long time and knows when to add, subtract on his pitches.”
Starting left-hander J.A. Happ (9-11) was thwarted in his effort to become the second Jays’ pitcher this season with at least 10 wins. He logged his third straight quality start, allowing one run in 62⁄ innings on seven hits,
3 with two walks and six strikeouts.
The loss snapped a three-game win streak dating back to his last defeat Aug. 25 against the Twins.
“I’m in a pretty good place physically and you always want to finish strong,” Happ said, of an injury interrupted season that saw him miss eight starts. “We’re still competing, no matter what the standings say. You still want to beat that team. You want to win ballgames, be there for your team and pitch well.”
The only run Happ allowed came in the third inning. Alex Gordon drew a one-out walk, went to third on a single by Lorenzo Cain and scored on a line drive by Melky Cabrera.
Happ has allowed one earned run or less in 11 of his 24 starts.
“We just tried to be aggressive using pretty much everything,” Happ said. “I felt like the ball had good life tonight. (Catcher) Luke (Maile) did a great job back there. I felt like we were on the same page getting ahead of those guys and trying to be aggressive. I feel confident out there, and confidence goes a long way in this game. That with feeling good physically is usually a good combination.”
The Jays would like to think they have not rolled up the sidewalk on their fans. Gibbons is still allowing key veterans to play — first baseman Justin Smoak, third baseman Josh Donaldson, centre fielder Kevin Pillar and right fielder Jose Bautista — while at the same time getting a good look at young players like shortstop Richard Urena and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.
The veterans still have personal goals and want to finish strong.
“We’ve had some sloppy games, no doubt,” Gibbons admitted. “But the effort’s been good. The focus has been good. I’ve been on teams where it’s just the opposite. They shut it down; I don’t think we have that problem with this group.”
In the top of the ninth, in what is likely his last homestand in a Jays uniform — even after having earlier set the franchise record with his 160th strikeout — fans behind him in the right-field stands serenaded Joey Bats with the chant of “Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose . . . Jose, Jose.” It was a nice moment.
The Yankees visit for three games to wrap up the disappointing home schedule. They have a chance to clinch the first wild-card spot.