TORONTO -- Deep postseason runs are often paved with deep pitching staffs. The Blue Jays’ staff, particularly the rotation, has been making quite a statement this homestand about what it’s capable of should an October opportunity come knocking.
Following a 1-0 walk-off win in Game 1 of Saturday’s seven-inning doubleheader at Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays played another squeaker, but this time they fell just short to the Red Sox in a 2-1 eight-inning loss. José Berríos reached the sky-high standard he and his rotation mates have set recently, working six innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts.
Maybe there's magic on the mound: Toronto starters have a 1.34 ERA in 10 starts (60 1/3 innings) since returning home. None of those starts have included more than two runs allowed, and only two starts lasted fewer than six innings.
“It’s amazing and fun to watch all the hard work we are putting out there together,” Berríos said. “We can motivate each other when we go out there and do the work that we’re doing so far.”
Having just arrived at the Trade Deadline, Berríos is driven to impress his new teammates. The righty is succeeding on that front, with just one run allowed in 12 innings of work.
“Watching those guys do what they’ve been doing so far has motivated me to go out there and do my work, put [in] my 100 percent effort and try to get every win we can get,” he said.
Toronto didn’t get the win this time, but it’s difficult to put much blame on losing pitcher Adam Cimber. The decisive run came unearned, via the designated runner in the top of the eighth inning, when Jonathan Araúz singled home Franchy Cordero. Cimber has still only allowed one earned run in 15 innings (0.60 ERA) as a Blue Jay.
The lone blemish of Berríos’ evening Saturday was a solo shot by Alex Verdugo, which narrowly cleared the 400-foot wall in center. Ironically, that homer came on Berríos’ notorious curveball, which baffled the Red Sox throughout most of the game (among the 19 swings on his curveball, seven produced whiffs and eight more produced foul balls).
To play the contrarian in regard to Toronto’s white-hot run of pitching, you might point to the strength (or lack thereof) in the recent opposition. Seven games in this homestand came against Cleveland and Kansas City, who rank 22nd and 25th, respectively, in team OPS this season. Even the Red Sox, who’ve boasted one of the league’s best offenses in 2021, have been slumping hard. They’ve averaged just 2.4 runs over their past 10 games, batting 9-for-70 (.129) with runners in scoring position in that stretch.
The Blue Jays can’t control which opponent lies in front of them, but if there was a time for the rotation to look like six in-his-prime Roy Halladays ... this would be it.
And even with six scoreless innings from Robbie Ray in Game 1 on Saturday, followed by six innings of one-run ball from Berríos in Game 2, all the Blue Jays could do was scrape by with a split. Both Toronto and Boston only mustered two runs apiece, begging the question: Should you be happy about the run prevention or dismayed by the lack of run production?
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo has his answer: “We only scored two runs today, so I feel really good that we split. Because the pitching was really good today for both sides. Nothing wrong with splitting when you only score two runs.”
Maybe so. And the Blue Jays’ 12-spot from the night before -- highlighted by an electric nine-run frame -- shows what they can do when the offense is clicking.
More often than not, the offense has clicked this season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Marcus Semien and Co. are bound to steal some wins down the stretch, even if this starting staff falls back to earth.
For now, though, the pitchers are riding high -- and the Blue Jays are winning in bunches because of it.