Blue Jays Week in Review: A 5-1 Week Keeps the Jays On Top of the AL

Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 9/8 through Sun, 9/14
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Record Last Week: 5-1 (Overall: 87-62)
Run Differential Last Week: +21 (Overall: +86)
Standings: First Place in AL East (4.0 games up on NYY), First in AL (2.5 games up on DET)

Last Week’s Results
Game 144: HOU 3  - TOR 4 (10)
Bieber: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Springer: 1-5, HR (28), RBI
Guerrero Jr.: 3-5
Kiner-Falefa: 1-2, 2 RBI

Game 145: HOU 3 - TOR 2
Berríos: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Giménez: 2-3, RBI
Clement: 2-3, 2B
Lukes: 1-4, RBI

Game 146: HOU 0 - TOR 6
Gausman: 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Lukes: 2-3, RBI, 2 R
Schneider: 1-4 HR (11), 2 RBI
Barger: 1-4, 2 RBI

Game 147: BAL 1 - TOR 6
Bassitt: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Guerrero Jr.: 3-3, RBI, 2 BB
Straw: 2-3, RBI, R, BB, SB, 2B
Varsho: 1-1, 2B, 2 RBI

Game 148: BAL 4 - TOR 5
Scherzer: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Barger: 1-2, HR (20), RBI, BB
Clement: 2-4, 2 R
Springer: 2-5

Game 149: BAL 2 - TOR 11
Bieber: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Springer: 3-5, HR (29), 2 RBI, 2 R
Kirk: 3-4, RBI
Clement: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI

Highlights
Kevin Gausman: Gausman put together not only one of the best Blue Jays starts this season, but one of the best Blue Jays starts of all time. He went nine innings, allowing just three baserunners and striking out nine Astros batters while throwing 100 pitches. Per Baseball Reference's game score metric, a score of 91 was the best in Blue Jays history since Brandon Morrow’s one-hit, 17-strikeout gem back in 2010, and most importantly, it allowed the Blue Jays bullpen to rest as the team continues a stretch of 13 games in 13 days. You can read more about Gausman’s historic start here.

Addison Barger: Don’t look now, but Barger may be finding his stroke at the plate again. This week, he added four extra base hits: three doubles and his 20th home run of the season. Small samples galore, but in the month of September, his 15.2% walk rate and .924 OPS are his highest of any month this season. The Blue Jays are a better team when Barger is producing at the plate, and it looks like this week was the start of another surge.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Speaking of great months of September, Guerrero has been doing his part. This past week, he went 8-for-22 (.363 BA) with four more walks. His 22 hits since the start of the month are the most in the American League, and he's done that with seven walks and just three strikeouts. As has often been the case with Vlad, his power numbers fluctuate, as just two of those 22 hits have gone for extra bases. But until the power comes, no one is going to be upset with this type of production.

Lowlights
Jeff Hoffman: Hoffman has had worse weeks than this in his Blue Jays career, but in a week where the Jays only lost one game, Hoffman was a part of the reason why that happened. Entering the ninth in a 2-2 contest, he gave up another home run, his MLB-worst 15th relief home run of the season. It's also worth noting that Hoffman's average fastball velocity was the lowest it's been this season (94.8 mph). That could be a sign of overuse or an injury. As the playoffs are fast approaching, Hoffman is going to be relied on heavily to get some big outs.

Alejandro Kirk: If this week ended before the weekend, then Kirk would have likely led off this segment, as he was stuck in an 0-for-18 rut that saw his OPS drop from .796 down to .768. Then the weekend happened. After Kirk recorded a pinch-hit single to end the schneid on Saturday, he hit the game-winning sac fly in the ninth. He followed that up with three more hits on Sunday. The slump is now behind him.

Random Notes of the Week:

• The Blue Jays' sweep of the Orioles was their 10th this season. That's the most that they’ve had since they swept 11 opponents in 2015.
• The Blue Jays now have an MLB high of 46 comeback wins this season.
• The Blue Jays have nine walk-off wins this year, and Alejandro Kirk has three of their walk-off hits.
• RHP Trey Yesavage will be selected from Triple-A Buffalo to make his MLB debut tonight. More can be found here.
• George Springer’s home run on Tuesday travelled 450 feet. It was the longest home run he’s hit since 2021.
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a great inning on Tuesday. First, he threw out Jose Altuve at third in extras with his second-hardest throw of the season. He then proceeded to beat out an infield single, and his sprint speed of 29.4 ft/second was the second fastest he’s run this year.
• Arizona Fall League rosters have been announced, and the Blue Jays are sending seven players to participate. Notable names include RHP and Rule 5 pick Angel Bastardo, shortstop Josh Kasevich, and catcher Edward Duran.

News, Notes and Not Playing

• RHP Alek Manoah was transferred off the 60-day IL but will remain with Triple-A Buffalo. INF Orelvis Martinez was DFA’d in the corresponding transaction. The former top prospect had been struggling this year, with a .636 OPS and 13 home runs. More on Martinez here.
• SS Bo Bichette was sent to the 10-day IL with a sprained knee. OF Joey Loperfido was recalled in his place.

10-day IL: Bo Bichette

• Bichette was sent to the IL with a knee sprain. The expectation is that he’ll receive treatment this week, and there is no current plan for a return (Via Keegan Matheson).

60-day IL: Anthony Santander, Bowden Francis, Yimi Garcia, Nick Sandlin

• OF/DH Anthony Santander began a rehab assignment this week. There is no set date for a return, but the Bisons' season ends on the 21st, so around that time seems likely (Via Keegan Matheson).
• RHP Nick Sandlin threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and will throw another before the Blue Jays decide his next steps (Via Arden Zwelling).
• RHP Bowden Francis threw a live inning of BP on Saturday at the Complex in Florida. He continues to ramp up his throwing program (Via Arden Zwelling). 

Trending Storylines
It's all systems go for the Toronto Blue Jays as the finish line of the regular season is fast approaching. As things currently stand, the Blue Jays are in first place in the American League and are playing towards getting a bye to move straight into the ALDS.

There is still much to play for down the stretch. The Blue Jays still need to decide who their starters for the playoffs will be, and each pitcher's performance down the stretch will be a determining factor in deciding who gets those starts and who may be left off the roster entirely.

The hierarchy in the bullpen is something to follow going forward as well. Ryan Borucki, Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, and Justin Bruihl have all been used as the second left-handed pitcher out of the bullpen for portions of the season, and no matter who the Blue Jays line up against, they are going to need some guys who can get left-handed batters out. Look for one of these players to emerge going forward.

With Yesavage set to make his MLB debut this week, he could provide the Blue Jays with some more upside out of their bullpen in the playoffs. Last season, the Tigers brought up their top pitching prospect, Jackson Jobe, to pitch in the postseason, and it's happened in the past with names like David Price and Matt Moore, so it's not unheard of. If he proves he can get major league hitters out and be an option for John Schneider and the rest of the staff in the playoffs, that will be a massive help for this bullpen. 

Looking Ahead
The Blue Jays gear up for their final road trip of the regular season, playing in all seven days. First, they make a visit to George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa Bay to take on the Rays. The Blue Jays historically haven’t played well in Tampa, and during their last trip there, the Blue Jays really did not play well; they were swept by the Rays and outscored 19-2 in the three-game set. The Blue Jays are a different team now (as are the Rays) than they were at the end of May when these teams first met, but regardless, if the Blue Jays are to remain in their spot on top of the American League, they’ll need to improve on their 1-5 record  they have against the Rays this season.

After escaping Florida, the Blue Jays will head to Kansas City for a three-game weekend series against the Royals. It won't be an easy task for the Blue Jays, as the Royals are still hanging onto their playoff lives and still have a shot of sneaking into the final Wild Card spot. The Royals took a series from the Blue Jays earlier this year at Rogers Centre at the start of August. If scheduled starters line up, the Jays will get another chance at Michael Wacha, who threw eight innings last time, allowing just one run – a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. home run.