BY LEN NUNES – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Despite an early 2-4 record, the 2013 has started off better than 2012 for the Toronto Blue Jays. Yes, I know that’s comparing apples to toasters because of all the offseason moves the Blue Jays made but, considering the Jays have played half their season without their best player, their record is not all doom and gloom.
Here’s a look at the cheers and jeers of the Blue Jays/Red Sox series.
THREE CHEERS
1. Jose Reyes: Was eight for 12 with two doubles, one home run, one stolen base and one walk. Is it fair to see the Jays have found their leadoff hitter for the foreseeable future?
2. No Way Jose: Jose Bautista was noticed warming up in the dugout of the second game of the series. Then Colby Rasmus launched a home run that extended the Jays lead to 5-0. With how important Bautista is to the lineup, I am happy the Jays were able to keep him off of the field. After all, there are 156 games remaining.
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3. Steve Delabar/Aaron Loup: The mission of relief pitchers is to throw strikes. Delabar threw 11 of his 13 pitches for strikes and Loup threw eight of 10 of his pitches for strikes. Mission accomplished!
Honourable Mention – Brett Cecil: In his first appearance, he allowed the first two batters to reach then struck out the side (plus he struck out his only batter in the next inning). Second appearance, allows the first batter he faces on base then proceeds to once again strike out the side!
THREE JEERS
1. The curse of Cy Young: Division rival Tampa Bay sport the 2012 AL Cy Young winner on their roster in David Price. Two games into 2013 and Price is 0-1 with an 8.18 ERA. The Blue Jays sport the 2012 NL Cy Young in R.A. Dickey. Two games into 2013 and Dickey is 0-2 8.44 ERA. Rays fans are not jumping off the Price bandwagon, Jays should not jump off the Dickey bandwagon.
2. Who’s batting second?: With the team moving Melky Cabrera to third in the batting order, the second spot in the batting order combined to go two for 13 with six strikeouts. Four of those strikeouts belong to Emilio Bonifacio in his dreadful series opener that saw him swing and miss on eight of the 16 pitches thrown to him. Rajai Davis went one for eight in the two hole but two for four batting in the six hole.
3. Edwin Encarnacion: Zero for 13 with six strikeouts. In Friday’s series opener, all five of his at-bats ended the inning and left runners on base.
Honourable Mention – Sabermetrics: First game of the series, Mark DeRosa hits a fifth inning homerun off of Red Sox lefty Doubront. Bottom of the sixth, Red Sox now have righty Uehara on the mound. Sabermetrics dictates putting in the zero for 11 Adam Lind to face the righty over DeRosa. There is nothing saying that keeping DeRosa in the game would have changed the fly ball out but should you not stay with the guy that just hit a home run his last at bat?