Red Sox prove just how far Blue Jays have to go
League’s top team toys with Toronto club in a downward spiral, writes Rob Longley.
RED SOX 8, BLUE JAYS 3
BOSTON It was perhaps a fitting snapshot of where this careening 2018 season seems headed for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Standing in left field as the sun started to peek through the clouds on a Memorial Day afternoon at Fenway Park, Russell Martin looked to the skies. Yes, you got that right, Russell Martin, Jays catcher, played in left field.
The object of his gaze was an Andrew Benintendi rocket that kept going, eventually clearing the Green Monster for a threerun homer in a fall-apart fourth inning for the Jays.
By the time the frame was finished, the Red Sox had trotted five across the plate and opened up a 6-1 lead. The best team in the majors essentially toyed with the Jays from then on for an 8-3 win, even though their starter, David Price, was labouring with location.
“They swing it over there, top to bottom,” Jays manager John Gibbons said, a claim he can’t really make about his team any longer. “It’s one of the toughest lineups we face. That’s the way they build them over there. They’ve got guys who can take advantage of that Green Monster.”
They did that on Monday, first with the Benintendi shot over the wall and the triple he hit off of it and then a second homer, this time from J.D. Martinez, that soared well over the wall, the bleacher seats and on to Landsdowne Avenue.
Yes, it was an ugly afternoon for the Jays before a sellout holiday crowd at the venerable Beantown ballpark. The Jays were essentially destroyed by their powerhouse division rival and the disparity between the two was evident on multiple levels.
The Red Sox have now won five of their past six games against the Jays this season and have moved a full dozen games above them in the standings. The Jays are starting to distance themselves from .500, falling to 25-29, which is one game worse than they were at this point of last year’s disastrous season.
Jays starter Aaron Sanchez continues to struggle, as he lasted just five innings giving up nine hits (two of them home runs) and seven earned runs in dropping to 2-5.
The biggest blow was the Benintendi shot.
Sanchez still believes he can get back to his stellar 2016 form, saying he got beat by a “bloop and a blast” and that frustration isn’t an issue.
That said, the seven earned runs allowed were a career-high for the talented young righthander.
“You just try not to show any emotion,” Sanchez said.
“If you’re already getting beat once, you don’t want to get beat twice. I can get beat by them, but I’m not going to beat myself.
“(Fenway) is a fun atmosphere. You’ve got to learn how to block it out. You’re in the big leagues.”
Still, Monday marked the fifth consecutive game Sanchez wasn’t able to pitch into the sixth inning and as a result he saw his ERA climb from 4.07 to 4.77.
Overall it was a typical bullish afternoon for the Bosox, who are now 23-10 against AL East opponents.
With a record of 37-17, Boston is asserting its dominance in the division.
And how’s this for a stat? With 54 games played, they are exactly a third of the way through the season and the past three teams that had 37 wins at that juncture went on to win the World Series: the Houston Astros a year ago, the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and these same Red Sox back in 2007.
As for the Blue Jays, sure, they were coming off winning two of three in Philadelphia, but they seem incapable of building any momentum.
The offence that carried them to a credible April is mostly gone.
Creating a lineup is a daily challenge for Gibbons and the starting rotation woefully lacks in depth and consistency.
Last year’s ace, Marcus Stroman, continues a head-scratching rehab assignment, third baseman Josh Donaldson was pulled from the game in the fifth inning when he felt tightness in his left calf going from first to third, and closer Roberto Osuna remains on administrative leave while awaiting a court appearance for an assault charge.
For his part, Donaldson received treatment after the game and doesn’t think it’s a serious issue.
“It’s a little sore and tight, but we’ll do some treatment and see how it responds (today) and go from there,” said Donaldson, who missed 18 games earlier in the season with shoulder problems.
“It’s tough,” Donaldson said of his recent run of injuries.
“It’s definitely not fun to say the least. We’ll see how it responds tomorrow. We’ve done a few things and it feels a little better already.”
With Monday’s loss, the Jays have yet to win back-to-back games this May and they have won just four of their past 15 games overall.
Frustrated Jays fans can cry all they want for the promotion of sensational prospect Vlad Guerrero Jr., but ask yourself this: How much would exposure to what’s going on with these Blue Jays really help his development?