Article: Blue Jays Week in Review: The Best Team in Baseball

[Mike LeSage]

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 7/21 through Sun, 7/27
Record Last Week: 5-2 (Overall: 63-43)
Run Differential Last Week: +16 (Overall: +42)
Standings: First place in AL East (5.5 games up on NYY), first place in AL (2.5 games up on DET), first place in MLB (0.5 games up on CHC and MIL)

Last Week’s Results
Game 100: TOR 4 - NYY 1
Gausman: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Hoffman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Bichette: 2 for 4, 1 R, 2 RBI

Game 101: NYY 5 - TOR 4
Scherzer: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Springer: 2 for 3, 2 R, 1 RBI

Game 102: TOR 8 - NYY 4
Bassitt: 7.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Guerrero: 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI
Bichette: 1 for 4, HR (13)

Game 103: TOR 11 - DET 4
Lauer: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 fat lip
Clement: 2 for 4, HR (5), 4 RBI
Loperfido: 2 for 5, HR (2)
Lukes: 2 for 5, HR (6)

Game 104: TOR 6 - DET 2
Berríos: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Springer: 3 for 5

Game 105: TOR 6 - DET 1
Gausman: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Springer: 3 for 5, HR (18)
Guerrero: 2 for 4, HR (14)
Lukes: 1 for 2, HR (7)

Game 106: DET 10 - TOR 4
Scherzer: 7 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
Bichette: 5 for 5, 2 RBI

Highlights:
Almost every pitcher. We’ll cover the two not included in a moment, but the starters all went out and got the job done. The Jays received six quality starts from the rotation on the week, with only Scherzer’s start against the Yankees not qualifying. Kevin Gausman threw two absolute gems to go along with 18 Ks and a 0.69 ERA on the week. Yariel Rodríguez, Mason Fluharty, Braydon Fisher and Brendon Little combined for just under nine innings of work without giving up a run, and Jeff Hoffman assembled the infinity stones to get the save against the Yankees on his bobblehead night.

Davis Schneider got the start against some tough lefties this week, and outside of his double against the Yankees, he didn’t do a whole lot at the plate. He does get to walk away with the catch of the week though. Running to his right and diving at full extension to rob Spencer Torkelson of extra bases, Babe came up clutch. Statcast rated the play as a three-star catch with a 60% catch probability, making it Schneider’s most difficult catch of the season.

Bo Bichette’s 10 RBI definitely deserve recognition; he had a pair of RBI in five out of seven games this week! He also had the fourth five-hit game of his career. He leads the team in runs batted in, which is even more impressive when we remember that his move to the fourth spot in the order was fairly recent, and he spent 82 games (and 355 ABs) as the leadoff hitter. 

Ernie Clement had his first triple of the season against the Yankees, but my favourite hit of the week from the whole team was his three-run homer against Detroit. With the Tigers intentionally walking Addison Barger to get to face Clement, you love to see them pay for it immediately, and that’s just what happened, as he sent the ball almost 400 feet over the left field wall.

Lowlights:
Oh boy, Chad Green, where do we start? In less than two innings of work, Green faced 12 batters and gave up six runs. It was one thing when he gave up three earned runs with a 10-run lead in the first game of the series, but coughing up three more when he came in to face the bottom of the Tigers order with the Jays down three after Max Scherzer made his best start of the season was another thing. It didn’t help that he was immediately followed by Justin Bruihl giving up another three of his own. Green had only given up one run in 11 appearances heading into the All-Star break, but he’s been the least reliable arm out of the ‘pen since.

Random Stats of the Week:

• In addition to his five hits against the Tigers on Sunday, Bo Bichette also faced 35 total pitches that day - a career high for him.
• Cutting into the Tigers' lead on Sunday, the Jays scored four runs in the ninth inning. It was the fourth time in their last 10 games that they scored at least four runs in the final frame.
• Kevin Gausman’s game score of 79 against Detroit was the fourth highest Jays mark of the season. Gausman also holds the first, second, third and fifth spots.
• Before Sunday’s game, the Jays were 6.5 games up in the division, their highest mark since 1993.
• Max Scherzer missed the opportunity to earn a win on his birthday, but Braydon Fisher picked up the W on his the day before.
• Bo Bichette’s .393 BA with runners in scoring position is the best in MLB.

News, Notes and Not Playing:

• Will Wagner was placed on the restricted list on the weekend in order to attend the Hall of Fame induction of his father, Billy Wagner. Alan Roden was called up in a corresponding move.

7-day IL: Alejandro Kirk

• Kirk entered the concussion protocol IL after taking a sharp foul tip straight to the mask. Ali Sánchez was selected from Triple A in a corresponding move.

10-day IL: Daulton Varsho, Andrés Giménez

• Varsho has homered in three straight games on his rehab assignment. He could be back in the lineup as early as tonight.
• Giménez is expected to begin his rehab assignment this week.

15-day IL: Yimi García, Paxton Schultz, Nick Sandlin

• García and Sandlin have been shut down from throwing following their respective cortisone injections. Projected timelines should be available late next week.
• Schultz was scheduled to pitch on Saturday and is expected to be available this week.

60-day IL: Alek Manoah, Anthony Santander

• Manoah’s next rehab start is expected to be a simulated game so that his pitch count can be precisely managed.
• Santander still has not begun hitting and is being evaluated on a ‘week-to-week’ basis.

Trending Storylines:
First things first, the Jays got some heavy lifting done this past week and now have the advantage if it comes down to a tiebreak situation with the Tigers or Yankees, who, despite Toronto's dominance over them, still represent the biggest threats to a first-round bye.

The early part of this week is going to be dominated by the upcoming trade deadline. The front office for the best team in baseball is expected to be busy and should be leaving no stone unturned. We have highlighted a number of potential trade targets here at Jays Centre, from relievers to tweeners to number one starters, and, of course, a bat or two. A week from now, we could be talking about some fresh faces and shifted lineups.

Looking Ahead:
Four games in Baltimore in less than a 48-hour span is a hell of a way to run into the trade deadline, which is scheduled for the Jays' off-day on Thursday. Then it’s the Kansas City Royals coming to Toronto for a three-game set on the weekend. Baltimore is 15.5 games back of Toronto in the AL East and 8.5 out of the Wild Card hunt. KC is 8.5 games back of Detroit in the Central, but only four games out of the WC.

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