The Blue Jays bullpen has been roundly, and justifiably, criticized for much of the season, but there is clearly a light at the end of that tunnel, especially as it pertains to Jesse Chavez.
Acquired to fill either a key relief role or as a swing man, Chavez struggled with his command early in the season but he has suddenly clicked as a go-to reliever.
Sunday, he picked up starter Aaron Sanchez in the sixth inning and provided the only clean inning of the game, striking out the three men he faced. Pat Venditte, another who has been inconsistent, followed Chavez to the mound and got five consecutive outs, three of them via the strikeout route, before a single and a two-run home run by Adam Jones brought the Orioles within two runs in the eighth.
“Jesse’s stuff is just sharper now than it was,” manager John Gibbons said. “He’s hitting his corners a little better. When he’s on his game, he’s painting the corners with great control. He was off early in the year but he’s in a nice little groove right now.”
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Jose Bautista sat out for the third game in a row with a sore muscle in his thigh, but he could be back as early as Monday.
“We think he will be good to go tomorrow, as a DH,” said Gibbons after Sunday’s game.
Troy Tulowitzki took batting practice Sunday in Dunedin and is expected to continue his rehab assignment with class-A Dunedin shortly.
Tulowitzki is recovering from a strained quad muscle and suffered a mild setback on Thursday when he was removed in the middle of a game.
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Michael Saunders extended his hitting streak to six games. During that streak, he is 11-for-22 … All five of Russell Martin’s home runs this season have come in the last 16 games … The Jays have won six of their last seven series, going 16-7 during that span. They have also won 12 of their last 14 games against AL East opponents.
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It will take years to have a true perspective on the quality of the Blue Jays’ 2016 draft but the club is satisfied with the crop of prospects they selected this past weekend.
Toronto had three picks among the first 66 taken. They went with T.J. Zeuch, a loose-limbed six-foot-six right-handed pitcher from the University of Pittsburgh in the first round, with the 21st selection. With two picks in the second round, they went for centre-fielder J.B. Woodman, from Ole Miss and middle infielder Bo Bichette, son of former major-leaguer Dante Bichette.
In all, the Blue Jays took 41 players over the course of the three days, 24 from university or junior colleges and 17 from high school. They took 25 pitchers, 19 right-handers, six left-handers, along with 16 position players, including eight outfielders, four infielders and four catchers.
Twenty-five Canadian players were taken in the draft, three of them by the Blue Jays. The first Canadian pick by Toronto was Calgary outfielder Clayton Keyes, a centre-fielder for the Canadian junior national team taken in the 17th round.
“He’s an athletic kid,” said Blue Jays director of amateur scouting, Brain Parker. “He might have been one of the youngest players in the draft. He has strength and he has athleticism. I think it’s a guy that has some risk, but he also has upside because of his age and the profile that he brings.”
Toronto also took right-hander Brayden Bouchey (33rd round, 1,002 overall) and right-hander Carter Loewen (40th round, 1,212 overall).