Toronto Blue Jays Appear To Have Things Rolling
Toronto Blue Jays Appear To Have Things Rolling
Just over a week into the start of the 2015 Major League Baseball season, it appears that the Toronto Blue Jays are as advertised. They’ve won a slugfest and clinched a game with the help of the bottom of the order.
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They also lost a game due to their bullpen situation, but all in all, they have had pretty good starting pitching. And that includes R.A. Dickey‘s second straight quality start that unfortunately couldn’t be converted into a W in the Blue Jays home-opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Josh Donaldson appears to be the answer they have been looking for at third base and his defensive skills have been as advertised. It is also easy to see his influence on the bench and the field with his teammates is decidedly positive. Once that swing starts getting comfortable in the Rogers Centre, I think it’s easy to predict one hell of a season out of him.
Apr 10, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) throws to first base for the force out of Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (not pictured) during the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Devon Travis is exactly what I thought he would be so far. He doesn’t seem out of place in any sense of the word and he has a confidence that you can see just by watching him play.
He can stand in there and make his throws at second base and his approach at the plate seems to fit nicely. He will undoubtedly have his ups and downs and be dissected with more precision than in the minors, bu ultimately it will be how he deals with this that will show his true colours.
Dickey’s knuckleball is floating nicely, Mark Buehrle does what Mark Buehrle does and the sluggers will be there at crucial times. This was showcased in Baltimore, with Jose Bautista’s two-run home run on a full count in the top of the eighth inning to put the game out of reach.
At the end of the day though, a strong clubhouse really goes a long way. It’s not that they had negative people before, but it’s just that things didn’t mesh the way they could have.
When a team is willing to battle and root for the guy next to him, then everything starts to become contagious. Do the guys spend time together early in the day? Do they wake up and rush to the park even during a stretch of 21 games in 21 days?
I for one am hoping that this is the type of news that will continue to come from behind Blue Jays closed doors. When fans know the team is willing to throw it all out there then they do the same with their own inhibitions.
In an off-season that at times frustrated the hell out of some of their most committed fans it will be a welcome site to see the team keep said fans in good spirits. The ball is rolling in the right direction early.
Admittedly, as we all know, this is only the start of the long, long road that is the MLB regular season. Sometimes though, the toughest thing is just to get things rolling in the first place, so better sooner than later.