Blue Jays' Francis impresses again before bullpen collapses

TORONTO – Bowden Francis walked off the mound after retiring Ceddanne Rafaela and escaping a Boston Red Sox threat in the fifth inning and just like that, his storybook season was over. 

The Toronto Blue Jays starter contributed five scoreless innings in Tuesday’s 6-5 loss to the Red Sox and, with just four games remaining on the schedule, he won’t take the mound again in 2024. 

Now, with the off-season unofficially underway for the right-hander, he can begin his reflection process. And he sure has a lot of positives to look back on. Francis’s resurgence has arguably been the best story of the Blue Jays’ wayward campaign and it’s also altered the trajectory of his career. 

“It's been the highlight of the second half for me and for basically everyone in the room to see him turn into what he's turned into,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “Going forward, it bodes well for him and bodes well for us.”

Francis began the season in the rotation and struggled over two starts before a demotion to the bullpen. The 28-year-old was optioned to Buffalo in July and that could have been the point where he faded. However, it wasn’t, and when Francis returned a few weeks later taking the place of Yusei Kikuchi, he was essentially a different pitcher. 

The entire process was brimming with lessons.

“I came into the season and [having] only started in triple-A, there's things you can get away with,” Francis said. “And then I get my starts up here and I got pummelled, but I grew through that and I learned that I got to do more homework and I got to execute better and I got to adapt. So, I just went back to the drawing board and went back to the ’pen and just got my work done.

“When I got back down to Buffalo I just felt like I caught a second wind and learned that this is the time to turn around.”

Francis allowed just three hits over his five frames on Tuesday, walking one and striking out four. He filled up the zone, located his pitches well and got results despite a four-seam fastball that averaged 92.2 m.p.h., down a tick from its season average of 92.9.

“I've said the word execution to you guys a million times this season and it's never going to go away,” said Schneider. “That's never going to change in the game. If you have good stuff and you don't locate, you're going to get hit. And I think Bowden realized that. He learned how to pitch and how to set hitters up and understand how his stuff works.”

Francis was in line for the win, but the Blue Jays’ bullpen coughed up three runs and allowed the Red Sox to tie the game in the eighth inning before right-hander Tommy Nance surrendered three more runs in the 10^th. Nonetheless, his start won’t be forgotten because it put the finishing touch on an impressive string of eight starts in which he posted a minuscule 1.33 ERA over 54 innings.

That span, of course, included the right-hander losing two no-hitters in the ninth inning.

Fellow Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman says observing Francis’s attitude as he navigated those misses showed a great deal about his teammate’s makeup.

“The biggest thing is he hasn't let anything affect him, good or bad,” said Gausman. “Some guys would be heartbroken after giving up two ninth-inning home runs to break up their no-hitters. But he just let it roll off his shoulders. I was really impressed with that, to be honest. The second time, he was just laughing.

“This stretch that he's been on has been really fun to watch and see his confidence grow.”

Schneider pointed out that Francis has leaned on the staff’s veteran pitchers and has improved his ability to make adjustments. Part of that has included learning how to pitch without his best stuff, which has been the case at times over his recent outings.

“I lost a little bit of horsepower,” said Francis. “But I just learned that it’s not all about the horsepower. You got to drive the car, too.”

Francis is assuredly a lock for next year’s rotation. The group also includes Gausman, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt figures to be a strength of the team and its success will go a long way toward determining the Blue Jays’ fate.

The right-hander said his goal at the outset of this season was to prove that he can be relied upon every five days. It was a circuitous route to get there, but Francis finally arrived at that destination. At his own speed.

“It all worked out,” said Francis. “Everything aligned for me to get back in the rotation and have my shot again. I feel like the team has had my back since Day 1 and I had comfortability coming back in the rotation and I felt like whatever happens, happens. I've prepared and I know I can do it.

“My time wasn't right at the beginning and I finally got my timing right and I’m trying to take it to 2025 now.”