Toronto Blue Jays, Reyes rolling through June
While Jose Reyes was sidelined for most of May with cracked ribs, the Toronto Blue Jays lost both their starting shortstop and leadoff hitter. Reyes is more of a liability these days on defense at times, though he can still serve as a valuable hitter out of the No. 1 hole in a batting order.
As remarkable as Josh Donaldson has been for the Blue Jays in 2015, he is better slotted within a lineup spot where he can utilize frequent RBI opportunities. Despite this logic, manager John Gibbons hit Donaldson leadoff seven times while Reyes and second baseman Devon Travis were on the disabled list. It was not ideal but it probably helps explain why Donaldson is leading the American League in runs scored for the time being. The 17 home runs and 44 RBI definitely assume more function batting later in the order behind someone like Reyes, though.
Such is now the case again. Travis is still sidelined, but Reyes’ spark at the top of the lineup is proving to be a difference maker for the Blue Jays. Since coming back from injury, Reyes is getting along nicely with a .348 batting average. The veteran has scored 10 runs, swatted two homers and driven in 10 as well. Turning 32 today and showing no signs of losing a step, Reyes has six steals since being reinstated and nine total on the year. He is yet to be thrown out attempting to swipe a bag.
Going 12-17 in May, Toronto is now 8-1 in June and riding an eight game win streak. They’re not doing it against soft squads, either. After winning two-of-three versus the Washington Nationals, the Blue Jays swept the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins thereafter. Having Reyes back in the lineup and him getting on-base and into scoring position for the likes of Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion is what Blue Jays fans enjoy seeing. Reyes’ tendency to steal when on-base also distracts opposing pitching and gets them off their game. After he and Kevin Pillar, Toronto lacks elite threats on the base paths.
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Reyes now has his overall average up over .300 on the season. However, offense is not the only thing carrying the Blue Jays. Rookie Aaron Sanchez has been great as of late. He is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA over his last four outings and had his best showing of the season in his only June start to date. Sanchez went eight strong, allowed six hits, one earned run and struck out three. The key stat is, he walked no one in that outing. The youngster is maturing nicely. That’s great for management to see.
Sanchez is not doing it on his own by any means. After having one of the more embattled pitching staff’s in the league this April and May (4.78 and 4.43 ERA’s), Toronto’s rotation and bullpen combined currently find themselves at the top of the league in earned run average with a mark of 2.14 through nine June contests. Their BAA of .229 also ranks seventh across MLB.
For the Toronto Blue Jays and baseball fans in the True North, things are dandy in the month of June. The Rogers Centre and its dome is open more often than not, inviting warm rays of the sun down to field level, blanketing Jose Reyes’ bat with a hot streak. Things are clicking, folks. His bat and other facets of the Jays’ game are allowing the club to make a push for first place in the AL East.