Toronto Blue Jays dominant despite return of Edwin Encarnacion

The Toronto Blue Jays were set to take on the Cleveland Indians on Monday, but it wasn’t just another game as it was the return of former Jays player Edwin Encarnacion.

It was a big and warm welcome for Edwin Encarnacion returning to Toronto, as he received a standing ovation in his first at bat. He was a crucial player for the Toronto Blue Jays and spent eight years on the team. He is one of those players that will never be forgotten as he was a home run hitting machine.

But as he is no longer a Blue Jay, would he get into the heads of Jays players and be a threat?

Cleveland would ultimately be a test for the Blue Jays, as they are 5-3 in their last 8 games and are looking to continue the success. In his debut against the Jays, Edwin managed two hits, a walk and a strikeout.

Have No Fear, the Jays are Here

The Toronto Blue Jays were looking to capitalize early on a team they were quite familiar with. The Jays faced Cleveland in the playoffs last year and lost 4-1 in the series. As the Jays have been missing some of their top home run hitters, it means others have had to pick up their game.

Players like Darwin Barney and Ryan Goins have been stepping up for the Jays. Goins homered against Trevor Bauer to put the Jays on the board. It was nice to see players at the bottom of the lineup stepping it up. The home run showed some of the power that Goins possesses.

The hitting did not stop there. Kendrys Morales continues to wear out pitchers with his consistent hitting as well as Justin Smoak. The Blue Jays grabbed an early 4-0 lead in the 3rd inning. It was evident that the Jays capitalized on their opportunities against Bauer. They showed no signs of weakness against Cleveland as their bats were lighting up.

Prepare to be Amazed

Every time the Indians were threatening to score runs, the Jays were able to keep them off the scoreboard. Marcus Stroman turned three big double plays that left Cleveland speechless. In addition, Kevin Pillar, aka superman, caught a ball that was over his shoulder. It was an unbelievable catch as Pillar continues to showcase his skills as an outfielder. It allowed the Jays to escape the inning and the Indians stranded men on base.

Sportsnet puts the Kevin Pillar catch in perspective.

"“Kevin Pillar heard the crack off the bat, turned to his right, and started to sprint. Stride after stride the ball closed in. Tracking it over his left shoulder, Pillar angled his run slightly left as the 101.5-mph rocket screamed. Suddenly, the ball was right on top of him, above him, and past him, dropping quick. Pillar jumped, reached, crashed, rolled, and was back up on his feet before you could even register what just happened. The Superman theme played.”"

Next: Is Fister Worth Pursuing?

Stroman pitched an amazing game as the Stro Show put up six shut out innings. The Jays still have a long way before they can be contenders, but this team has shown resiliency. A positive way to look at it is you can’t get them all back in one game. Overall, the Jays just have to tread water until their injured players return.