Blue Jays Morning Brew: No Apologies, 10-Years Gone, And Shooting Orioles

Sep 24, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Todd Redmond (58) throws in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Good Morning Toronto Blue Jays fans, and welcome to another edition of the Blue Jays Morning Brew. We’re down to just 5 games left of this lost season, so we can then turn our attention to the most promising part of 2013: the offseason.

However, before we get there, we still have some business to take care of to close out this campaign. So let’s make with the linkage!

Last night, the Blue Jays used some late-game heroics to first tie it up in the 8th inning, then again in the 10th to steal a 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles. However, as John Lott at the National Post tells us, the loss was more significant for the Orioles, officially ending their bid for a second consecutive playoff appearance. The fact of the matter is that the Orioles are the only team in the American League East which Toronto owned a winning record (9-8) against, making the Blue Jays the ultimate spoilers for the Orioles playoff hopes. There are still 2 games remaining between the two teams, but those losses to Toronto certainly loom large.

One of the major things to take away from last night’s victory was the performance of right-hander Todd Redmond, who once again was solid. As Mark Rutsey at the Toronto Sun points out, Redmond’s recent performances are opening eyes for the organization, especially one looking to fill rotation spots next season. After last night’s start, Redmond sits at a cool 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA, 8.8 K/9 ratio, and 2.6 BB/9 ratio. In his last five starts, he is 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA. That all said, Redmond may not be the type of starter Toronto wants to add to save its ailing rotation, but he’s been more than serviceable recently.

On to a more controversial and standoffish link, our buddy Mike Wilner over at Sportsnet took a stance that won’t likely score him many points with fans. In his most recent post, Wilner maintains that the Blue Jays do not owe fans an apology after a disappointing season in 2013. To be honest with you, while it may be an unpopular stance, it is likely the right one. Alex Anthopoulos and the front office made quite a few splashes last winter to try and bring us a winner, but in every aspect, those moves seemed to backfire. Hindsight is always 20/20, but remember we were all singing his praises when these moves were made. We just drew more short sticks than the plan called for.

One bright spot this fall has been the emergence of second baseman Ryan Goins. His batting average has dipped quite a bit (.247) since his initial call-up, mostly due to what appears to be an inability to draw walks (2 in 99 PA). However, his glove has been a marvel to behold and the Blue Jays seem to be willing to give him a look at the position next season, with AA mentioning him in many conversations. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old received another recognition, as reported by Gregor Chisholm at MLB.com. Goins was named Most Valuable Player for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he posted a .257 average with 6 home runs, 22 doubles, 46 RBI, and a .311 On-Base Percentage.

Finally, we end on a bit of an high note. As Chris Jaffe at the Hardball Times reminds us, today is the 10-year anniversary of Carlos Delgado‘s 4-home run game. On September 25, 2003, Delgado became just the 15th player in Major League Baseball history to launch 4 home runs in a single game. At the end of the day, Delgado would take Jorge Sosa deep twice, Joe Kennedy once, and finally got the last one off of Lance Carter in the 8th inning. Here’s the video of those fond memories.