11:57PM Eastern
Coming into their series with the New York Yankees, the Blue Jays were looking pretty rough. They’d just been swept by the Rays and had lost four out of five overall to drop to within a game of the .500 mark and they had their fourth and fifth starters going against a powerful offensive club.
So, of course, the Blue Jays nailed down a sweep.
Drew Hutchison looked terrific in picking up his second straight win, allowing just a run on five hits over six strong innings. He did walk four, but two of them came back-to-back to lead off the fourth, after which the 21 year-old got a ground ball double play then struck out Andruw Jones to escape unscathed. In the bottom of the third, Jose Bautista had blasted his 10th home run of the season – a two-run shot – to give the Jays the lead for what turned out to be the duration. J.P. Arencibia, batting 5th in the rejigged line-up, added his second homer in as many games – also a two-run job – for some 7th inning insurance.
Jason Frasor, Darren Oliver and Casey Janssen worked a perfect inning of relief each. Janssen is 3-for-3 in save situations, and more perfectly, he has yet to even allow a runner to reach base when he’s locking down a save.
Bautista’s bat seems really to be coming around over the last week, the trip to Minnesota appears to have done him some good. He’s got the batting average back over .200 for the first time in three weeks, and since last Friday night he’s hitting .333/.379/.889 with five home runs in seven games.
The Blue Jays made plenty of news before the game, shipping Adam Lind down to AAA Las Vegas and recalling Yan Gomes as Brett Lawrie dropped the appeal of his four-game suspension. Lawrie, Alex Anthopoulos and John Farrell all said that Brett didn’t need an appeal hearing hanging over his head, he’d made his peace with umpire Bill Miller and they didn’t really anticipate the suspension being reduced on appeal, so the decision was made to drop it. I’m thinking as well that they’d rather have had Lawrie miss three games against the Mets than two each against the Rays and Rangers.
The bigger news, though, was the Lind demotion. He’d been a full-time big leaguer since June of 2008, when Cito Gaston was brought back to begin his second tour of duty with the team, and in 2009 he won the American League’s Silver Slugger Award as a DH. But Lind had fallen on awfully hard times since his 2011 OPS peaked at 1.019 on June 17th of last season. At that time, he was hitting .339/.381/.638, but from that point until the end of the season (80 games thanks to a DL stint, 348 plate appearances) he hit just .203/.247/.332 with 11 of his 26 home runs while dealing with a bad back and a wrist injury.
Lind never hit his stride this year, and takes a big-league line of .186/.273/.314 with him down to Las Vegas, with just three home runs. That’s 14 homers over the course of the last 114 games for someone who is supposed to provide power in the heart of the order. I’m not adding his slash line numbers together because it would be too depressing.
Lind is in a massive funk right now, and he has been for the better part of a full calendar year. The Blue Jays have taken the drastic measure of farming him out because they still hope he gets turned around, and that he can be a big part of their future. Comparisons were made to Edwin Encarnacion, who was hitting .200/.298/.467 when he was sent down in late June of 2010. He spent only a week and a half in AAA, tearing up Las Vegas and environs to the tune of a .438/.486/.731 mark, with two doubles and three home runs in just seven games. He returned and hit .269/.310/.491 the rest of the way – more of a jump in batting average than anything else, but look at him now.
I don’t think Lind is done as a very good big-league hitter, and I don’t think the Blue Jays are done with Lind. It’ll likely take him more than ten days to come back, but I think he’ll be back and be productive again. He’s only 28 years old, after all.
Gomes was Lind’s replacement on the roster – though he’s really up to replace Lawrie at third for four games – and he had a terrific major-league debut, going 2-for-3 with a pair of line-drive singles, one to centre and one to right. He wasn’t really tested at third base, only having to make one play, on a pop fly, but he’ll take it. Gomes is the first major-leaguer to have been born in Brazil, so one hopes this was a pretty big day for the soccer-mad South American nation. He’s a versatile guy with a decent bat; a catcher, he can also play first and third, and the hope is that he’ll be in the bigs for a while but the Blue Jays were pretty cryptic about that, saying that more moves could very well be coming on Monday when Lawrie returns from his suspension.
Those moves won’t include a promotion of Vladimir Guerrero, though. Even though his timetable has been accelerated to the point where he’ll begin playing in extended spring training games on Friday instead of early next week, Farrell still doesn’t expect Guerrero to be major-league ready until early June.
Here’s tonight’s edition of The BlueJaysTalk, for your listening pleasure:
Interleague play is now upon us, as New York moves out so that New York can move in. The Blue Jays open up a three-game set with the Metropolitans on Friday night with a battle of lefties – Ricky Romero takes on Jonathan Niese. Romero has issued five walks in each of his last two starts, and he’s coming off his first loss of the season, so here’s hoping he turns things around against the blue-and-orange. Here’s also hoping that Alan Ashby is back with us – he was out sick tonight, batting a bad cold that’s ripped up his throat over the past few days. We’ll be on the air at 7:00PM Eastern. Join us, won’t you?
Please give me a follow on The Twitter, you can find me @wilnerness590. Yan Gomes can be found @Yan_AGomes.
Comments are welcome – I read them all and reply to most!
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14 Responses to “Bronx Broomage”
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Well, Gomes and Guerrero could help a lot overall, we’ll see.
- DSCHi Mike,
Wicked game tonight. How are the reports on Gomes’ defence? If he can really catch and play 3rd in the bigs, he has a chance to be an incredibly valuable bench player. If I was a NL manager I’d love to have him on my team. I’m trying to think of someone who’s had an extended career like that and can’t. Anyone come to mind?
MW: As a utility guy who can also catch? Not really, though I’m sure there have been some. Usually if you have a guy like that and he can hit, he’s just made into a full-time catcher.
- SvenI’ve been reading over the Mets roster a bit in anticipation of the next series and it seems like they’ve drafted well over the last few years, with several of those picks now in everyday position player roles. Are the Mets renowned for great scouts?
MW: Not especially, as far as I know.
- ToddMike
- JRShame to see Lind sent down. No matter how bad he is at the plate lately he still exudes that “Mom and Apple Pie” lil’ boy playing a kids game and it’s hard not to like him in spite of the numbers so I know a whole lot of us wish him well and want him back on the big club when he is ready. Maybe someone in Vegas can give him the help he needs away from the pressures of the big league and the media. They sure do a lot for the players we see come to “The Show” from there. I’m sure the demotion will also provide a bit of relief for his team mates who to be sure care and are concerned for him but still realize that his nearly year long slump isn’t helping the team. As for Lawrie dropping the suspension, I don’t know if this is the best time for the team with the Lind roster move etc. but it certainly showed grace toward the umpiring crew that were still there, both on the part of Laurie and the organization. Bet Lawrie wants to get it over with and move on too. Of course now starts my least favorite part of the schedule namely “Interleague Play”. Between that and the ridiculous division schedule that leaves only 72 of the 162 games to play against the rest of the American League.
Hey Mike,
I just heard your Bautista HR call played on an American nationally syndicated radio show (Fox Sports radio). Is this a first?
MW: I think it is, thanks!
- AlexHi Mike
What pleases me the last two games was the performance of both Drabek and Hutch. Come to think of it, Alvarez did well either. It was people behind him who hanged him up to dry. With these three young bucks, the jays future sure looks very good. Five very good and young pitcher.
- FrancisWhat do you think of Encarnacion as the permanent 1st baseman ? He had one nice play yesterday. How’s he at scooping throws and starting the double play pivot ?
Thanks
MW: The pivot on a double play actually takes place at second base, and it’s generally a concern when Edwin has to throw. With everything else, though, he’s been a very good defensive first baseman.
- Alex HHello Mike
I must say I am extremely impressed with Drew Hutchison. This kid is making great strides and is showing plenty of guts. Throughout his starts, he has gotten into jams and has pitched through them in a lot of cases. He has had some innings where he has surrendered multiple runs, but this is part of the development process. I would think he will stay in the 5 spot barring a huge falloff. Of course, with a younf pitcher, there is always the chance of a rough patch, but I love his makeup and I think he’ll stick around. A perfect 5th starter in this young rotation. I still feel as the season wear on, the Jays will still need to add a veteran innings eater just in case John Farrell wants to skip a Hutchison or Alvarez in the rotation to rest his arm.
As for Lind, I believe we wont see him back until after the all star break or maybe even in September after the roster is expanded. Of course, that all depends on how he progresses.
If Vlad Guerrero can come in and provide his usual pop, that would be huge for the middle of the lineup. He did hit 29 dingers and drive in over 100 in 201o. He also hit 13 taters last season in an Orioles lineup with far less protection. Does Encarnacion become the regular first baseman in Lind’s absence. I would say obviously if Vlad makes it up and hits well at DH
- Charlie HarperIf we go by the numbers then Adam Lind’s demotion to AAA Las Vegas is the most logical of all moves. Also logically speaking, dropping the appeal of the MLB suspension of Brett Lawrie for four games provides the young man a much-needed rest to put things in perspective.
- Joseph P.We will all miss Lawrie in the lineup. Alex Anthopoulos is thinking versatility in the short term with the series against the Mets coming up. Jays Manager John Farrell needs the flexibility of some of the club’s other players in this series. Also, if the suspension is upheld later in the season it would be a shame if Lawrie were to miss games against American League teams where he can produce and learn more about the opposition.
Losing the regular third baseman for a short stint is no big deal but the loss of a regular first baseman is news because it carries more emotion than the demotion. Sure he will probably be back with a renewed outlook. Maybe his back is bothering him, hurting his swing and concentration.
I agree with you Mike, he will be back and I look forward to seeing him back in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform.
We wish you a speedy return young man.
It is hard to believe that a fine major league hitter like Lind can decline so much.You have to think confidence has something to do with it.Maybe Vegas is the answer and maybe not but the Jays had to do something.
- PaulHi Mike,
Ok, nothing like quoting my own previous comment after Monday’s game, but regarding Lind’s woes I asked “What options, if any, are there for reduced playing time for him?”
I’m sure you didn’t see his demotion coming, but I’m glad that my question (and prayers) have been answered. Here’s hoping he can get his mojo back and help contribute to what could be an awesome Blue Jays season.
- ZmanHey Mike!
Realistically does Gomes have any chance of staying! I hope he does, he has a great future! Could he DH once Lawrie is back, and any chance Lind could be done as a Jay
MW: He could, I guess, but despite his start, his bat doesn’t seem to profile as a good one for a DH. And the answer to any question that begins with “any chance” is yes, 99.9% of the time.
- DavidRE Post #2 – Brian Downing? or B.J. Surhoff?
- Normhi mike and rest of the team includen aland jerry mike an all this season i have been enjoying with blue jays team and with broadcasting you do it is very professional and objective my slogan is
- silvio perezblue yays and spornet broacasting
my home my team good luck silvio perez homeland of el presidente denis martinez