Toronto Blue Jays: Comeback win can be turning point for season
The Toronto Blue Jays kept their winning streak alive with a gutsy comeback victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and are now in the playoff picture.
If there was ever a time where a win could be the turning point for the Toronto Blue Jays’ season, their comeback victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday would be exactly that.
Coming into Game 2 of their doubleheader, Toronto was riding a four-game winning streak and had a chance to get over .500 for the season. Unfortunately, Trent Thornton’s return from the injured list didn’t go as planned and the Blue Jays found themselves in a 7-0 hole.
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Then the team started to chip away at the lead as Sahlen Field continued to be a gracious host to a rejuvenated offence. Rowdy Tellez played a big part driving in three runs and hitting the second hardest home run according to stat cast.
What’s more impressive than the win itself is the fact that the team has been able to sustain its offensive production without Bo Bichette in the lineup. Also, let’s not forget the bullpen is near the top of the league and that’s without closer Ken Giles.
Going forward, there are many things the team will need to happen if they want to stay in the playoff picture, including the pitching holding up and the offence not going through any regression. It all starts with their weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
If the team continues to perform, then you wonder if management considers making moves ahead of the trade deadline. General manager Ross Atkins will have a tough time making that decision considering the small sample size and the fact the deadline is only nine days away.
According to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, the team will be looking to add some starting pitching. This would make sense considering the team will be competing against some strong lineups, especially in the AL East.
"“We’re going to be thinking about how do we make this group better? How do we add to it? How do we complement it?” Atkins said Thursday morning. “That doesn’t mean we won’t consider some level of subtraction. But if it is something, we’re thinking about making this foundation stronger for 2020 and 2021 and 2022.”"
Fortunately for the Blue Jays, they added some prospect capital with their prior trade deadline moves. You should also expect the team to not only address the rotation for this year, but also have some options going forward. This would mean adding a player with term, but that won’t be a cheap deal either.
The next few days might change that thought process if the team isn’t able to sustain its pace. At the same time, it’s easy to get excited over the past few days considering this-60 game MLB season has been tough to predict.
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What do you think about the Blue Jays’ latest streak? Is this a turning point for the season? Let us know in the comments below.