Toronto Blue Jays: Back with a bang

As the first half of the Toronto Blue Jays’ 2017 season had been inconsistent to put it nicely, there’s no better way to start the second half than with a win.

If we were to grade the Toronto Blue Jays‘ first half of the season, it would be a C-. The reason why it isn’t lower is that the Jays have had to deal with an absurd number of injuries. The injuries have definitely affected their play. But as the Jays currently have a 42-47 record and are only four games out of a Wild Card spot, never say never. Of course, they would have to work really hard and win a lot of games, but anything is possible. But when it comes to baseball you take it one game and win at a time.

Jose Bautista

If there is any player who is clutch and works hard, it is Jose Bautista. Although his numbers and production aren’t like they used to be, Jose can hit a banger when it’s needed. This is what happened in last night’s 7-2 win against the Detroit Tigers. The Jays definitely needed to take advantage of this team as they are 39-49 and 6.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Starting the second half with a win would be a step in the right direction for the Jays.

At the top of the seventh inning the Jays were up 3-1, but to secure the lead Bautista destroyed the baseball by hitting one deep to left field to make it a 4-1 game. Bautista had 2 RBI in the game, showing his determination to get the win. Josh Donaldson also had 2 RBI in the game, helping the Jays add some insurance runs in the eighth inning.

Aaron Sanchez

The great thing about the game is that it was a team effort. Everyone contributed. As Aaron Sanchez‘s last outing was the Jays’ worst performance resulting in a 19-1 loss, it was nice to see Sanchez pitching better. He pitched six innings, giving up seven hits, one run and two walks while striking out four. His improved game allowed the Jays to do their thing. It was very respectable, and what manager John Gibbons has been anticipating from him.

But Sanchez wasn’t the only pitcher to help out the Jays. Danny Barnes came in during the seventh inning and performed well, as usual. He has been the Jays’ top rookie pitcher of the first half. MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm described his success:

Barnes didn’t make the team out of Spring Training, but he arrived in mid-April and quickly gained the trust of manager John  Gibbons. Barnes emerged alongside Tepera and Osuna to form the core of Toronto’s bullpen, posting a 2.31 ERA with 45 strikeouts over 39 innings.

Next: Potential landing spots for Sonny Gray

Walk It Out

There were two moments in the game where the Blue Jays capitalized on walks, which is significant. The first was in the sixth inning when Kevin Pillar walked on a full count, allowing Justin Smoak to score. The second time was in the top of the eighth inning when Russell Martin walked on four pitches, scoring Ezequiel Carrera.