Toronto Blue Jays: 3 keys to beating Tampa Bay Rays
Bullpen needs to be ready for tough workload
The Blue Jays’ bullpen was a saving grace to this 2020 season and deserves a lot of credit for not breaking.
Losing Ken Giles was a massive blow because it meant reshuffling the group and determining which relievers were the right ones to use in high leverage situations. The issue some have right now is whether or not the bullpen has enough left in the tank for a tough playoff run.
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The Blue Jays bullpen logged 264.1 innings through 60 games this season which was fourth in the league with the Rays second at 269.2 innings. Tampa’s group had a better ERA (3.37) than Toronto (4.70) which shows how tough an obstacle the Rays relief staff presents.
One bonus could be the inclusion of Nate Pearson after he spent some time on the injured list. If he can bring that mix of high-end velocity and precision, he could be an x-factor in this series.
Not only will the Blue Jays need their bullpen to give this team a chance even if we think the starters are getting the yank too early but the hitters will need to make the Rays relievers a non-factor as much as they can.
This will be an exciting week and hopefully, Tropicana Field doesn’t provide a disappointing finish to what has been a season unlike no other.
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What are your thoughts on the Blue Jays series against the Rays? Who has the advantage and what will be the key for Toronto? Let us know in the comments below.