Despite routing the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend, the Jays are embarking on their toughest stretch of the season (so far).
The Toronto Blue Jays reminded fans all across Canada why they can be one of the most exciting teams in the Major Leagues. Outscoring the Baltimore Orioles 47-25 over the weekend, the Jays look locked and loaded for the playoff push that they’re in. Now sitting second in the American League East and holding onto one of two Wild Card spots, Toronto is finding their groove and delivering quality at-bats and quality pitching where it matters down the stretch.
Toronto plays 19 games over their next 21 days; 12 games against American League East opponents (Rays, Yankees and Orioles), while also seeing the Minnesota Twins for 7 games to mix things up a little. After putting on a show against the Orioles this past weekend and proving that they aren’t scared of the Yankees after silencing the Bronx Bombers during their last series in New York (for the most part — shoutout to 55 year old Brett Gardner).
Some Notables:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has his sights on the Triple Crown. Even if he hasn’t actually come out and say that he is, it’s an accomplishment that has to be on his mind. It’s certainly on the minds of Blue Jays fans as Vladdy went on to crush his 44th HR of the season over the weekend — tying the MLB lead with Shohei Ohtani. Vlad also is second in AVG (.319), tied third in RBIs (102), first in Runs (113) and third in OBP (.408). Of course the player who wins the MLB’s Triple Crown leads the league in RBIs, AVG and HRs, so Vladdy has some ground to make up in a few categories but is certainly making his case these last two weeks, including hitting eight home runs over his last 14 games.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is making a case for being the “most important” Blue Jay during this incredible stretch for the team, hitting five home runs and plating 22 RBI while hitting for an average of .328 (15-39) over his last 11 games. Oh yeah, two of those homers were grand slams which actually ties Gurriel Jr. for most grand slams in a single season in franchise history (4). On Sunday’s 22-7 torturing of the Orioles, Lourdes plated a career-high 7 RBI.
Robbie Ray has been on a tear for a little over a month now, despite his shaky start against the Orioles on Friday (Sept. 10). Boasting a 2.07 ERA with 7 wins and only 2 loses in his last 15 games, Ray put up an impressive 123 strikeouts while allowing 24 walks. Within those 15 games, he’s pitched 95.2 innings. It’s unclear whether the Jays will look to protect his arm as we approach the final weeks of the season in hopes that the team can for sure make the postseason. Ray will be looked at as their ace down this stretch, although most are still considering Ryu to be the Blue Jays go-to-guy if the Wild Card play-in game was to happen tonight.
Upcoming Schedule:
As stated above, the Toronto Blue Jays are set to embark on 19 games over their next 21 days. Here’s a look at how that schedule shapes up.
September 13-15: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Toronto Blue Jays
September 17-19: Minnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue Jays
September 20-22: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays
September 23-26: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins
September 28-30: New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays
October 1-3: Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Andrew Stuetz