Toronto Blue Jays top Yankees, remain undefeated

By Keegan Matheson | Apr 6, 2015

The Toronto Blue Jays started their 2015 season off on the right foot, defeating the New York Yankees 6-1. Unexpected Opening Day starter Drew Hutchison continued his strong Spring Training with a quality start, chucking 6.0 innings of 1-run ball, allowing just 3 hits. Edwin Encarnacion and Devon Travis highlighted the offense with two deep flies over the left field fence.

39. Final. 1. 43. 6

Game Notes:

Dalton Pompey

had the right thinking at the plate, making solid contact to right field in each of his first two at-bats.

Carlos Beltran

chased down the first in the gap, while his second faded just foul. Pompey added a late walk and stolen base. With Yankee Stadium and Fenway park in the regular circuit, pulling the baseball could earn Pompey some surprise home runs in 2015.

More from Toronto Blue Jays News

Russell Martin and Drew Hutchison seemed to click early, with Martin repeatedly gesturing his glove down into the dirt as he coaxed Hutchison to bury his slider. Hutchison can be a bulldog on the mound, in a good way, and Martin could know just when to yank the leash, or when to give him some slack.

The bottom 3 of Pompey, Pillar and Travis went 3-9 with 3 walks, 3 runs and an RBI. Add in a stolen base from Pompey, and this is exactly what the Blue Jays will need from their bottom 3 throughout 2015. With a powerful top-5 to their order, the performance of these three hitters will play a huge role in Toronto’s success.

. <strong>Drew Hutchison</strong>. STARTING PITCHING . A-. Hutchison took his opportunity and ran with it, which marks the first step towards a breakout season that many are predicting. Hutchison sat around 92-93 MPH with his fastball and really got on top of his slider as the game went on, which will be a critical weapon against left-handed batters. The 6th inning brought challenges for Hutchison, as he followed up a home run to <strong><a href=

Apr 6, 2015; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin (55) and first baseman

Edwin Encarnacion

(10) celebrate scoring during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

B+. Encarnacion made one big splash, but that’s all the Blue Jays needed. After seeing sparse at-bats as he nursed an injury through Spring Training, it’s a good sign for the Blue Jays to see him honed in already.<p class=. Game Ball. <strong>Edwin Encarnacion</strong>. HITTING

B+. Aaron Loup took over for Hutchison to begin the 7th and gave the Blue Jays 1.2 innings. Loup looked solid early, but ended his outing with a hit batter and base on balls that the young <strong><a href=. Appearances:. <strong>Aaron Loup</strong><b>, Miguel Castro </b>. RELIEF PITCHING

MVJ: The inaugural Most Valuable Jay of 2015 goes to second baseman Devon Travis. If Travis can provide some offense from the bottom of the order and stay above water defensively, which he should, this roster could really click.

Travis took an impressive walk in his first MLB plate appearance, then connected with a no-doubt home run for his first Major League hit in the 7th inning. His final AB resulted in a walk, as well. Travis is fun to watch, easy to like and very skilled at putting the fat part of the bat on the baseball. If he continues to make flush contact, he could flirt with 12 home runs in his rookie season.

Next: Toronto Blue Jays baseball is back!

More from Jays Journal

Home/Toronto Blue Jays News