Jun 7, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Texas Rangers catcher A.J. Pierzynski (12) goes to tag out Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Emilio Bonifacio (1) in the fifth inning at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

That leaves the Blue Jays with a tough choice as to what happens with the plethora of back-up infielders they currently have on the roster.

That said, it will not be an easy decision for the Blue Jays, as quite honestly, none of the group that include Maicer Izturis, Mark DeRosa, Emilio Bonifacio, or Munenori Kawasaki have stepped up in any capacity to:

(a) Claim the starting job at second base.
(b) Claim the starting job at third base while Brett Lawrie is injured.
(c) Show their worth as an utility infielder when everyone is healthy.

The problem is, each has some merits with which to win the job.

Emilio Bonifacio has the speed that teams covet and has the capability of playing both in the infield and spelling any of the outfielders. However, that speed has been negated by a complete inability to get on base (.233 OBP) and a propensity for striking out (24%). He has a wRC+ of just 44, which is quite frankly atrocious.

Munenori Kawasaki took the Blue Jays fan base by storm, but his marketing ability is not likely going to guarantee him a roster spot. That said, his .332 on-base percentage is the highest of the group and his fielding ability is significantly better than either Izturis and Bonifacio. Still, a transition to second base would not be a given, but it is also not outside the realm of possibility.

Mark DeRosa brings the most power to the plate, and his wRC+ of 96 is the closest to average of any player in this discussion. He has also filled in nicely for Brett Lawrie at third base and gotten better with extended playing time. Still, DeRosa represents just as much risk now as he did when the Blue Jays originally signed him; He is an injury waiting to happen at any time.

Finally, we have Maicer Izturis, who has his own downfalls. Like Bonifacio, he has been inept with the bat in 2013, having a wRC+ of 57, a .259 OBP, and and a -1.2 fWAR. However, Izturis also sports a lowly .229 BABIP, which says that luck hasn’t helped him much either. That’s begun to show a bit, as Maicer has hit .333 with 4 runs and 5 RBI over the last 8 games. He can also play all around the infield and has shown that he is adjusting to playing on turf in recent games.

So with that all in mind, the Blue Jays have quite the task in front of them in choosing the best of the bunch from the aforementioned group. The Blue Jays do have minor league options available on Munenori Kawasaki, which helps to make the choice easier. However, given the urgency with which the team is not playing and the need for them to sustain that momentum, Kawasaki may not be the clear cut here.

In my mind, that falls on Bonifacio.

His speed and ability to play in the outfield are easily his best attributes. However, speed gets completely negated when you are not getting on base to utilize it, and his ability to play the outfield is made less important with Rajai Davis once again healthy and Anthony Gose available at Triple-A if needed.

At this stage in the season, Toronto needs to make decisions based on what makes them the most successful on the field. Bonifacio is not a long-term need for the Blue Jays and may garner some (read here as “really minor) interest on the trade market.

Who do you think goes when Jose Reyes return?

The Buffalo Bisons fell 2-0 to the Gwinnett Braves in an epic pitching battle between veteran major leaguer Dave Bush and number eleven prospect for the Braves (according to MLB.com) Cody Martin. Martin was just a bit better, allowing only two hits and a walk in seven shutout innings while Bush gave up just one run in six and a third innings of one-hit, two-walk ball. Anthony Gose hit a double while Mauro Gomez and Ryan Goins also contributed base hits in the loss.

February 14, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dave Bush (54) works out during spring training at Bobby Mattick Training Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Hitting:

Anthony Gose – 1/4, 2B, 2 K
Jim Negrych – 0/3, BB, K
Mauro Gomez – 1/4, K
Luis Jimenez – 0/4, K, SB
Moises Sierra – 0/4, K
Ricardo Nanita – 0/3, K
Mike McCoy – 0/3
Ryan Goins – 1/3, K
Sean Ochinko – 0/1, 2 BB

Pitching:

Dave Bush – L, 6 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Buddy Carlyle – 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 K, 1 HR
Brad Lincoln – 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Dave Bush

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (33-37)

The Fisher Cats came back to score three in the top of the ninth to take a 4-3 lead over the Altoona Curve before the Curve scored one more in the ninth to take the game into extra innings before finally defeating New Hampshire with a walk-off win against Tyson Brummett who takes his fourth loss of the season. Starter Marcus Walden was strong through seven and two-thirds innings, giving up only three runs on seven hits and two walks. Kevin Pillar had a big game with three hits while Brian Van Kirk drove in three runs with a home run in the ninth inning for the ‘Cats.

Hitting:

Kevin Pillar – 3/5, R
Ryan Schimpf – 1/4, BB, 2 K
A.J. Jimenez – 1/4, RBI, K
Clint Robinson – 0/5
Brad Glenn – 0/5, 2 K
Kevin Nolan – 1/5, R, K
Adam Loewen – 1/3, R, BB, 2 K
Brian Van Kirk – 2/4, R, HR, 3 RBI, K
Kevin Ahrens – 1/4, K

Pitching:

Marcus Walden – 7 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Evan Crawford – 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R
Dustin Antolin – 1 IP, 1 H
Tyson Brummett – 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Brian Van Kirk

Dunedin Blue Jays (36-29)

Dunedin opened up the offense on the Tampa Yankees for the second day in a row, defeating them 9-4 in eleven innings on Tuesday. The Blue Jays expressed  their desire to win this game and take a playoff spot to the bank with a six-run top of the eleventh, getting singles from Derrick Chung and Peter Mooney, a two-run triple by Jon Berti, an RBI double by Andy Burns and two-run home run by K.C. Hobson, his team-leading tenth. Jose Reyes didn’t play into the late rally and went one for five as the DH. Berti, Burns, Chung and Marcus Knecht all had two hits on the night with Knecht driving in two with his two doubles.

Hitting:

Jose Reyes – 1/5
Oliver Dominguez – 0/1, R, RBI
Jon Berti – 2/6, R, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K, CS, E
Andy Burns – 2/6, 2 R, 2B, RBI, K
Gabe Jacobo – 1/3, R, BB, K
K.C. Hobson – 1/1, R, HR, 2 RBI
Mike Crouse – 1/5, R, RBI, BB, 2 K, 2 SB
Nick Baligod – 0/5, BB, 2 K
Marcus Knecht – 2/4, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Derrick Chung – 2/5, R, K
Peter Mooney – 1/4, R, BB, K, E

Pitching:

Scott Copeland – 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 4 K
Ajay Meyer – 1 1/3 IP, 3 K
Tyler Ybarra – 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Blake McFarland – 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R
John Anderson – W, 2 IP, 1 H
Tony Davis – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Marcus Knecht

Lansing Lugnuts (32-37)

On All-Star Break

Vancouver Canadians (1-3)

June 17 Game:

Nothing went right as the Vancouver Canadians dropped their home opener to the Spokane Indians 10-1 on Monday. Starting pitcher Bobby Brosnahan was tagged for five of the runs in just four and a third innings while reliever Tim Brechbuehler couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning, allowing four more runs while getting only one out. Alvido Jimenez was finally able to stop the bleeding and he, Marcus Brisker and Justin James were all able to provide scoreless relief for the C’s. The offense didn’t have a much better game: the team only had five hits with catcher Daniel Klein going two for four with a double.

Hitting:

Ian Parmley – 1/3, BB
Dickie Thon – 0/4, 3 K
Jason Leblebijian – 0/3, BB, K, E
Jordan Leyland – 0/2, 2 BB, 2 K
Daniel Klein – 2/4, 2B, K
Justin Atkinson – 0/4, 2 K, E
Daniel Klein – 1/4, R, RBI
Jorge Vega-Rosado – 1/4, 2 K
Nico Taylor – 1/4, R, 3B, K
Ronnie Melendez – 0/3

Pitching:

Bobby Brosnahan – L, 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Tim Brechbuehler – 1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB
Alvido Jimenez – 1 1/3 IP, 2 K
Markus Brisker – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Justin James – 1 IP
Brandon Dorsett – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Alvido Jimenez

Late night game summaries for the Vancouver Canadians will appear two days after the game day.

If you like what you’ve seen by Jay Blue, read his work and listen to his podcast on Blue Jays from Away and follow him on Twitter: @Jaysfromaway.

May 28, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Brandon Morrow (23) delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet and Brendan Kennedy of The Star, Morrow has reaggravated his forearm injury and will be reevaluated before proceeding any further in his rehab.

Brandon Morrow had a setback during rehab outing yesterday, re-aggravating forearm. Will be re-examined. #BlueJays

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) June 18, 2013

Morrow will be taken out of his rehab assignment and re-examined. #bluejays

— Brendan Kennedy (@BKennedyStar) June 18, 2013

Morrow, made his first appearance Monday night after being placed on the disabled list June 1 (retroactive to May 29th). Unlike the news for his rehab-mate Jose Reyes, Morrow struggled in his short outing, surrendering three runs on five hits and a walk over two innings of work before being lifted with the injury.

Prior to being placed on the disabled list, Morrow has struggled in 2013, posting a 2-3 record with a 5.63 ERA and a career-low 7.0 K/9 ratio. The 28-year-old right-hander has failed to recapture his form from 2012 in almost every way.

For the time being, the Blue Jays will continue on with their current rotation, that has included some solid efforts by the likes of Chien-Ming Wang and Esmil Rogers. Rogers is set to start Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies.

Jun 17, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Rajai Davis (11) celebrates their victory with first baseman Edwin Encarnacion (10) against the Colorado Rockies at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Rockies 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Did I say panic last week?  What the hell was I talking about?

Thanks to a particularly cranky rant by The Score’s resident snot Andrew Stoeten, I feel I need to address this quickly and then move on.  Last week, I wrote “the Blue Jays need to panic.”  What I really meant was “play with urgency.”  The Jays needed to start playing with some urgency, some kind of importance.  It’s similar to “panic” but doesn’t have the same ring to it.  ”Panic” generally means chaos is involved and that’s not what I meant for this team.  Not before July 31st (trade deadline) anyway.  If the team fails, the front office SHOULD panic since this team was built to win NOW.  I had a nice long talk with some better baseball minds than Stoeten and they don’t think I’m crazy for thinking this way.  However, there’s no doubt Stoeten has a bright baseball mind.  He’s on The Score for a reason.  So I will not write him off like he did with me and that’s all I gotta say bout tha’ aat.

Since I wrote that article last week, OUR Jays (can I say “our” again?  They’re winners now, so it’s ok right?  Where’s my pink hat?) have not lost a single game.  That’s right baby!  6 wins!  Zero losses!  Victory… is… MINE!  I mean, I must have woke them up right?

Yea… right…  You have to give credit where credit is due and the Jays players are doing the work!  They are, in fact, playing with urgency and like a team.  The bats are doing their jobs.  The pitchers finally started doing theirs as well.  That picture up top is the epitome of what a team looks like.  That’s a team that suddenly looks like it’s having fun.  This is a team that has suddenly shown life.  While the skeptic in me says “Simmer down eh!” you cannot dismiss the fact that this run made things a little more exciting and brought back some hope.

I’m not going to get into the week that was because we have enough writers here, and everywhere else, that have it covered, but Buck Martinez said it right just two nights ago: “…this is a Jays team that (has) got(ten) hot at the right time.”  In a span of 1 week’s time, the Jays impressively picked up four games in the AL East (12 GB down to 8 GB) and four and a half in the Wild Card race (10 GB down to 5.5 GB) with five of the six straight victories coming on the road.  As Josh Menezes says, that’s “Pro-Gress!”

The most impressive part to this streak is the dominance of it.  Again, before we fans all go nuts and say “If we can beat (read as: DESTROY) the Texas Rangers, we can beat anybody,” just know that this was not the same Rangers team from April (17-9) and May (17-11.)  Their pitching rotation has been without Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando and their line up has been without 2B Ian Kinsler and 1B/DH Mitch Moreland.  Since Kinsler went on the DL May 19th, the Rangers have won only 10 out of their last 26 games.

The Jays did, however, beat Yu Darvish and his 1,439 different kinds of curveball (seriously, he’s got more kinds of curveball than Cool Hand Luc does ice cream.)  Not exactly an easy task, especially since most of North America thought there was no chance Esmil Rogers was going to hang with Yu-Know-Who (http://instantrimshot.com/).  The Jays did prevail however, and the Jays staff has been stellar in every game since.  The last five games have been particularly eye-opening because almost every Blue Jays starter produced a quality start (at least 6 IP, 3 runs or less)… and that’s really understating just how good the starting five have been.  Blue Jays pitching has allowed only four runs over the last 45 innings pitched.  The birds of the north were +22 in run differential.  They pitched two shutouts.  Blue Jays starters: 34 IP, 2 ER, 9 BB, 26 K.  Three of the starters had WHIPs under one. (Mark Buehrle 0.71, Rogers 0.86, Josh Johnson 0.95.)  Pretty damn impressive indeed.

Colorado is weakened too, but again, let’s give credit where credit is due.  We fans have been BEGGING Toronto starting pitchers to pick up the slack.  We’ve been begging for a consistent stretch since the Jays season began with pla… with high expectations.  This week, they answered the call.  Hopefully, here’s the first of several good stretches, because the Jays will need this if they want to start mentioning that “P” word I refuse to say right now.  That’s the goal.  That’s been the goal from the beginning of this season.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, but this team was… well, one off-season anyway.  I’m not saying things are good yet, but they’re definitely improving.  Still skeptical?  I’m a big fan of Jonah Keri.  Check out his latest The 30.  You guys should be pretty familiar to him no? (Special thanks goes out to James G for making me aware that Keri happens to be Canadian*)  His take is amazing and should leave you feeling good after.

Apr 25, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays injured shortstop Jose Reyes before the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

April 12^th, 2013. Over nine weeks and 61 games ago. Toronto Blue Jays at the Kansas City Royals.

Jose Reyes, he of 10 games for the Blue Jays, sporting a sparkling 0.395 BA and 0.465 OBP, slid awkwardly into second base, crushing  his ankle and with it our collective spirit.

Reyes getting injured was not surprising. A player with a history of injuries, playing on the taxing turf of the Rogers Centre – it was bound to happen. Toronto can’t have nice things.

But on the road? Sliding late into second base? This early into the season? Any player getting injured is a sad sight indeed – one who is making this much money and playing as well as he was is just downright heartbreaking. We got a taste and then it was taken away from us.

However, any day now, Jose Reyes will return.

And based on some of the feedback from his appearance yesterday, it just might be happening soon:

In Dunedin tonight, Jose Reyes went 2-3, scoring twice on a pair of singles. He struck out once: http://t.co/54BF13gHt4 #bluejays

— Brendan Kennedy (@BKennedyStar) June 18, 2013

Jose Reyes with a 1B, a 3B and 2BB in 4 plate appearances in simulated game today. Turned a DP at shortstop. #BlueJays #MLB

— Scott MacArthur (@TSNScottyMac) June 15, 2013

Could it possibly happen at a better time? Six straight wins and the team is flying high. The Blue Jays are finally playing like the team we thought they would be…only with a resurgent Adam Lind, Colby Rasmus contributing, a new Brett Cecil, and a seemingly steady pitching rotation that was patched together on the fly.

With Jose Reyes and his career average .343 OBP leading off, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion have a much higher chance of having someone on base when they come up to the plate. Furthermore, with some pretty decent options behind them, including the ever steady Melky Cabrera, you have some nice options for picking who bats fourth and fifth.

And to think that Brett Lawrie will be back at some point, Drew Hutchison and Kyle Drabek are getting closer, and maybe, just maybe, R.A. Dickey is on the cusp of figuring it all out.

Lots to be happy about right now as we await the return of Jose Reyes while the Blue Jays continue their strong play.

Let’s try to remember this next time we’re on the receiving end of baseball’s cruel emotional cycle.

To keep spirits high, below are some links to the many positive stories coming out of Jays nation:

Per John Lott at the National Post, the Blue Jays are hot!

Also from Lott, Brandon Morrow coming back too!?! The Jays pitcher, who once fanned 17 Tampa Bay Ray’s en route to a one hit complete game, has started his rehab stint! Sure, that game happened three years ago, but it’s all positive news here today!

According to Mop Up Duty, JP Arencibia is really good at something!

From Shi Davidi: Free at last! Free at last! Brett Lawrie’s foot is free at last…from a walking boot…status remains unclear.

Strong starting pitching! Our main man Kyle Franzoni breaks it all down. Bonus: Bullpen has been killing it too!

Ricky Romero showing us something good! More on that and some other highlights from last week courtesy of fellow Jays Journal-er Jay Blue.

From Gregor Chisholm: Sergio Santos threw long toss last week!

Buster Olney thinks that teams will be interested in Casey Janssen at the trade deadline. Nice to see Janssen playing well enough to deserve that kind of interest. It’s great to feel loved!

Let’s keep the good vibes going because, why not? Pathways to Education Canada is celebrating a $1-million national partnership with the Jays Care Foundation! The organization works to reduce high school dropout rates in low-income communities.

The Buffalo Bisons held off the charging Gwinnett Braves to win 5-4 on Monday night. Todd Redmond threw six strong innings of two-run ball while Mickey Storey threw two shutout innings, striking out three. John Stilson gave up two runs in the ninth but still hung on to give the Bisons their win. Anthony Gose had his best night since being sent back down from the Blue Jays, going two for four, joining Jim Negrych and Moises Sierra with two-hit nights. Andy LaRoche hit a solo home run in the sixth inning and scored two runs.

Hitting:

Anthony Gose – 2/4, R, BB, K
Jim Negrych – 2/3/R, RBI, BB, K
Mauro Gomez – 1/3, BB
Luis Jimenez – 1/5, 2B, RBI
Moises Sierra – 2/4, R, 2B, RBI, K, PO, CS
Ryan Langerhans – 0/4, 2 K, OF Asst.
Andy LaRoche – 1/3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB
Ryan Goins – 0/2, BB
Mike Nickeas – 0/3, BB

Pitching:

Todd Redmond – W, 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Mickey Storey – 2 IP, 1 H, 3 K
John Stilson – S, 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Andy LaRoche

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (33-36)

Scheduled off day

Dunedin Blue Jays (35-29)

The Dunedin Blue Jays continued their post-All-Star Break season with a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Yankees that puts them in control with two games to go until the end of the first half and a berth in the playoffs. The Blue Jays got some help from a couple of Toronto Blue Jays with Jose Reyes and Brandon Morrow in Dunedin to rehab from injury. Morrow wasn’t great, giving up three runs on five hits in his two innings of work before giving way for Austin Bibens-Dirkx who went the remaining seven, limiting the Yankees to just a run on two hits and two walks while striking out six. Reyes, on the other hand was very good, going two for three. The Blue Jays ended up pounding out fourteen hits including three each by Jon Berti and Andy Burns who each hit two singles and a triple. Derrick Chung and Nick Baligod also had two hits each in the win.

Apr 25, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Toronto Blue Jays injured shortstop Jose Reyes signals in the dugout with his crutch against the New York Yankees during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Hitting:

Jose Reyes – 2/3, 2 R, K
Peter Mooney – 0/2
Jon Berti – 3/4, 2 R, 3B, RBI, BB, K
Andy Burns – 3/5, 3B, 4 RBI, K, SB
K.C. Hobson – 0/4, K
Oliver Dominguez – 1/4, R, 2B, K
Mike Crouse – 1/3, BB, K, CS
Matt Newman – 0/3, BB, K
Derrick Chung – 2/4, RBI
Nick Baligod – 2/4, R, 2B, K

Pitching:

Brandon Morrow – 2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 HR
Austin Bibens-Dirkx – 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Andy Burns

Lansing Lugnuts (32-37)

On All-Star Break

Vancouver Canadians (1-2)

June 16 Game:

The Vancouver Canadians ended up wasting a strong performance by Jeremy Gabryszwski in a 4-3 loss to the Tri-City Dust Devils on Sunday. Gabryszwski went six strong innings, giving up only one run on three hits with a strikeout but with Justin D’Alessandro in the game, the Dust Devils scored three runs after a fielding error by first baseman Jordan Leyland failed to record the third out of the inning. Despite a three for three day with a walk and the first Canadians home run of the season, Leyland couldn’t make up for that costly mistake in the field. Catcher Daniel Klein drove in a run with a ground out and second baseman Jorge Vega-Rosado drove in the third run with a single.

Hitting:

Ian Parmley – 0/4, K
Dickie Thon – 0/4, K
Jason Leblebijian – 1/4, K
Jordan Leyland – 3/3, R, HR, RBI, BB
Brenden Kalfus – 1/4, R, 2B, 2 K
Andy Fermin – 1/2, 2 BB
Daniel Klein – 1/4, R, RBI
Shaun Valeriote – 0/4, 4 K
Jorge Vega-Rosado – 1/4, RBI

Pitching:

Jeremy Gabryszwski – 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Justin D’Alessandro – L, 1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 3 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K
Jonathan Kountis – 1/3 IP, 1 H

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Jeremy Gabryszwski

Late night game summaries for the Vancouver Canadians will appear two days after the game day.

If you like what you’ve seen by Jay Blue, read his work and listen to his podcast on Blue Jays from Away and follow him on Twitter: @Jaysfromaway.

Jun 12, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind (26) hits a single during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The NL West is a very evenly balanced division of good teams that each have their own issues to deal with. The Rockies, with their mediocre record, sit a half game back of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the lead in the NL West. The Rockies Are also the second best hitting team in the National League (.276) and their team OPS of .790 is tops. However their team took a major blow offensively and defensively with the loss of Troy Tulowitzki to the disabled list with a broken rib. If that man could stay healthy all season I would love to see the numbers he could put up. The Rockies pitching is 9th in the NL (4.07 ERA) thanks in large part to their bullpen. They have four pitchers with ten or more starts with an ERA over 4.25. YIKES! The way the Jays are hitting right now we could be in for another series sweep win.

Probable Starting Pitchers

Game 1: Jorge De La Rosa (7-4, 3.49 ERA) vs Josh Johnson (0-2, 5.40 ERA)
Game 2: Jeff Francis (2-4, 5.87 ERA) vs Esmil Rogers (2-2, 3.21 ERA)
Game 3: Juan Nicasio (4-2, 4.86 ERA) vs Mark Buehrle (3-4, 4.66 ERA)

Both pitchers in game one are coming off outings involving slight problems to their hands. De La Rosa has a cut on his middle finger and Johnson battled a blister problem last time out. For De La Rosa it is a minor setback. He and Tyler Chatwood have been saviours for a rather ordinary starting staff. In his last ten starts he has given up three or fewer runs in eight of them. He opp BAA is .265 so you can also credit the team defense with keeping his numbers respectable. It also helps that all season he has given up only five home runs. For a Rockies pitcher, that is an amazing feet considering the thin air in Colorado.

Johnson laboured through his last start but gave up only 3 runs so he gave a workmanlike effort. If his blister is no problem anymore I am sure he will be better at hitting his spots and possibly start to get hot a la Buehrle. Johnson has the pedigree for it and we have a need. His strikeout to walks is decent at 29:13 so if he can keep his pitch count low and sets the pace of the game, this should be a great pitching battle.

For game 2 I have one question really. How in the world is Jeff Francis still pitching in a major league starting rotation? I like the guy, he is Canadian and a lefty like me, but with an ERA near 6. Since 2008 he has ERA’s of 5.01, 5.00, 4.82, 5.58 and 5.87 (he missed 2009 due to injury). How does THAT get constant work? I just don’t get it.

Esmil Rogers looks like he is going to make things difficult once Brandon Morrow is ready to return. At this point it would be foolish to remove him from the starting 5 unless he starts falling off but who do you drop (Dickey???)? Rogers has a great arm and an even better attitude and that’s why we are going to run the Rockies right out of the building. This one has the potential to be an ugly lopsided game…yay for us!

In game 3 it also looks like it may be a laugher as well. Mark Buehrle has finally found his groove. In June so far he is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA, a WHIP of 110 and a K to walk ratio of 3:1. This is the man we dealt for. This is the type of pitcher every team needs. He isn’t perfect but he knows how to pitch. He hasn’t lasted this long in baseball because of a fluke. I even thought all those innings over the years had done him in but thankfully he is proving me wrong.

Juan Nicasio would be a 6th pitcher to most of the other teams in baseball but here is can easily be slotted number 4. Until this season he hadn’t started more than 13 games in the majors and his ERA is consistently over 4.50. He walks a few too many and has a penchant for giving up homers…not at a ridiculous rate but something worth eyeing in the friendly confines of Rogers Centre. Chalk this one up to the veteran Buehrle and a series win for the Blue Jays

Projected Starting Lineups

Colorado Rockies

1. CF: Dexter Fowler
2. LF: Carlos Gonzalez
3. 1B: Todd Helton
4. RF: Michael Cuddyer
5. C: Wilin Rosario
6. DH: Tyler Colvin
7. 3B: Nolan Arenado
8. SS: Jonathan Herrera
9. 2B: D.J. LeMahieu

Toronto Blue Jays

1. LF: Melky Cabrera
2. RF: Jose Bautista
3. 1B: Edwin Encarnacion
4. DH: Adam Lind
5. CF: Colby Rasmus
6. 3B: Maicer Izturis
7. C: J.P. Arencibia
8. 2B: Emilio Bonifacio
9. SS: Munenori Kawasaki

Who has been raking? Michael Cuddyer has been raking. His current 14 game hitting streak is the longest current streak in the NL. He is hitting .340 overall with a .988 OPS. This from a guy I thought had talent but would only be a decent left fielder with some power and some speed but would always struggle to hit. Apparently the snow in Denver is much better than Minneapolis. If you think it is a fluke look deeper. He is hitting .340 against lefties…AND righties. His Ba at home is .370 but it is also .308 on the road so it seems very legit. With him and Carlos Gonzalez going strong it helps mask the loss of Tulowizki much easier.

Which beings me to the man I thought would be left for dad in the minors. Adam Lind may have started out slow but so did we all. Right now? He may be the hottest hitter on the planet. In his last 10 games he is hitting .455 with 3 HR, 10 RBI. Heck he is even hitting lefties to the tune of .520!! Is this a mirage? I don’t think so. Everyone always thought Adam could hit. But a tweak to his mental approach seems to have allowed him to turn the corner….or maybe it’s the beard. Fear the beard!

Final Word

We can do this. Percentages don’t matter. The Jays supposedly have a less than 5% chance of making a run for the playoffs. Who is to say they cannot be that 5 percent? They are hitting so well right now and getting contributions up and down the lineup. The starting pitching seems to be holding strong…bending but not breaking. If our vet come back from injury and ineffectiveness then we truly can pull this off. I may not be a fan of the unbalances schedule in some respects but it does allow for quicker movement up the standings in ones own division. We are more than capable of finishing June with a winning record. Let’s get there first and see what happens.

June 11, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman Jordan Pacheco (15) and center fielder Dexter Fowler (24) await to congratulate left fielder Carlos Gonzalez (5) for his home run in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

But the Jays have been getting good pitching for such a short period of time that you can’t help but ask if it’s for real.

After all even with the recent success of the starting rotation the Jays rotation still ranks 28th in baseball with a 4.99 ERA.

And the teams the Jays have been playing recently have either been slumping or rank low in most offensive categories.

So if you want to know if the Jays pitching is for real then believe me were about to find out on their upcoming 6 game home stand.

First they play the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies lead the National League in hitting. They have a 336 on base percentage, a ridiculous 453 slugging percentage with a 790 OPS!

Luckily for the Blue Jays the Rockies best hitter Troy Tulowitki recently got injured so they don’t have to deal with him. I hate having to take pleasure in an injury but we’re trying to get back into a playoff race around here! But the Rockies still have some great hitters in their lineup by the names of Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, Michael Cuddyer, just to name a few.

Then the Orioles come to town after the Rockies. Blue Jays fans already know all about the Orioles offense since they’re a division rival the Jays play all the time but you may have not known they’re 2nd in the American League in hitting. They have a 325 on base percentage, also slugging a ridiculous 453 with a 778 OPS.

And you already know about their deep relentless lineup of Nick Markakis, Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Chris Davis and it just goes on and on and on.

Now obviously this home stand isn’t a 100% real test of the Jays pitching since Esmil Rogers and Chien-Ming Wang are just filling in until the real starters are back.

But those guys are trying to make it tough on the Jays to take them out of the rotation. And Johnson, Buehrle and Dickey are all looking to get back to pitching to their career norms.

They’ve all been doing that lately but with offensive juggernauts coming to town this home stand should be a great test to see if the Jays recent rotation success is for real.

If you can pitch against the big boys you can pitch against anybody.

Jun 12, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind (left) celebrates his home run with third baseman Edwin Encarnacion (middle) and right fielder Rajai Davis (11) during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

When you consider the fact that they were 11 games under 500 at different times in May, four games under 500 in mid-June is pretty impressive.

The Toronto Blue Jays horrible start might mean they lose more games than the 2012 team but you can already consider the 2013 team better.

Because the journey to 500 was helped by the fact that the Blue Jays currently have a 5 game winning streak going for the first time since the Civil War or July 2011 to be exact.

They’ve gone on a 5 game win streak in the 3rd month of the season. The 2012 squad failed to do that all season even when they were healthy.

Playoffs or not if any other Blue Jays team in the last 20 years started the season 10-21 there season would have been done a looooong time ago.

It’s also the first time the Jays have had a 4 game sweep on the road since last April when they did it to the Kansas City Royals.

It’s exciting until you remember if they lose the next game they’ll be 5 games below 500 and that’s frustrating as heck.

But as a Blue Jay fan you learn not to take even the smallest win streaks for granted because they’ve been so rare for the Jays in recent years.

Especially when a part of the 5 game win streak is a 4 game sweep of the Texas freaking Rangers in Texas.

It was hard to tell if the Blue Jays pitching really stepped up or if the Rangers offense was just in that big a slump. But either way the Rangers are very a good team that the Jays outscored 24-4. Usually you’d be happy to get out of an inning giving up just 4 runs to the Rangers because they’re offense can be that dynamic but you wouldn’t know that from watching this series.

The Jays have scored 31 runs during the 5 game win streak. They’ve also got at least 7 innings from their starting pitchers in 4 of those games. The other start was R.A. Dickey going 5.2 innings. One of the main reasons the Jays have gone so long without a decent win streak is their inability to get good starting pitching.

The Jays 5 game win streak is the currently the 2nd longest win streak in baseball behind only the San Diego Padres 6 game win streak.

The end game of course is to get over 500 and into contention but with the Blue Jays first 5 game win streak in almost 2 years they’re at least making progress.

The Buffalo Bisons dropped another game to their division leader Pawtucket Red Sox 5-3 on Father’s Day. Chad Jenkins only lasted three innings, giving up all five Pawtucket runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three batters. Claudio Vargas and Joel Carreno kept the Bisons in the game with a combined five innings of shutout baseball while the offense lay dormant until the eighth inning. The batters managed to plate three runs in the eighth and ninth combined but it was too-little, too-late as they couldn’t catch the Red Sox. Jim Negrych had two hits  and Mauro Gomez hit a two run home run in the ninth.

Hitting:

Mike McCoy – 1/4, R, K
Anthony Gose – 0/4, 2 K
Mauro Gomez – 1/4, R, HR, 2 RBI, K
Jim Negrych – 2/4, K
Moises Sierra – 1/4, R, K
Andy LaRoche – 1/3, E
Ricardo Nanita – 1/3, RBI
Ryan Goins – 0/3, 2 K
Sean Ochinko – 1/3, CS

Pitching:

Chad Jenkins – L, 3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR
Claudio Vargas – 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K
Joel Carreno – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K

September 26, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Joel Carreno (34) pitches in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles defeated the Blue Jays 12 – 2. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Claudio Vargas and Joel Carreno

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (33-36)

In a complete reversal from Saturday’s blowout at the hands of the Erie Sea Wolves, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats destroyed Erie 22-1 on Sunday.

Happy Father’s Day! Blessed to have my pops watch me pitch today. Broke out the Father’s Day Blue Kobe cleats! #swag pic.twitter.com/Y1S6D3eYXf

— Marcus Stroman (@MStrooo7) June 16, 2013

Pitching in front of his dad on Father’s Day, Marcus Stroman dominated the Sea Wolves, pitching 6 innings and giving up only a solo home run as part of three hits and a walk while striking out five. The offense exploded, with Canadian Adam Loewen hitting two home runs and driving in five as part of a four-for-six day while slumping shortstop Kevin Nolan broke out by going three for six and driving in five as well. A.J. Jimenez, though, led the hit parade, going five for six with two doubles, five runs scored and three RBI. As a whole, the Fisher Cats had 23 hits including eight doubles and three home runs in the rout. Brad Glenn hit the third home run to go with a single and two walks.

Hitting:

Kevin Pillar – 3/6, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI
Brian Van Kirk – 2/5, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB
A.J. Jimenez – 5/6, 5 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Brad Glenn – 2/4, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Kevin Nolan – 3/6, 3 R, 2 2B, 5 RBI
Adam Loewen – 4/6, 3 R, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Jack Murphy – 2/6, R, RBI, K
Kevin Ahrens – 1/4, R, BB, K
Tommy Manzella – 1/3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K

Pitching:

Marcus Stroman – W, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Evan Crawford – 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K
Dustin Antolin – 1 IP, K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Adam Loewen

Dunedin Blue Jays (34-29)

On All-Star Break

Lansing Lugnuts (32-37)

The Lansing Lugnuts dropped the final game of the first half of the season to the Bowling Green Hot Rods 8-0 on Sunday. Alonzo Gonzalez didn’t pitch badly, going five innings, giving up seven hits and one walk which led to three runs while striking out five. Ian Kadish, Griffin Murphy and Arik Sikula each pitched an inning and gave up runs while Justin Jackson emerged unscathed from his inning, striking out two batters. The Lugnuts only had five hits — one each from Jorge Flores, Christian Lopes, Kevin Patterson, Aaron Munoz and Kellen Sweeney. Munoz also picked off a runner at second base. Right fielder Carlos Ramirez and DH Emilio Guerrero had days to forget, each going oh for four with Ramirez striking out three times and Guerrero taking the Golden Sombrero with four strikeouts on the afternoon.

Hitting:

Dwight Smith, Jr. – 0/4, 2 K
Jorge Flores – 1/3, BB, K
Christian Lopes – 1/4, K
Kevin Patterson – 1/3, 2B, K
Seth Conner – 0/1, K
Carlos Ramirez – 0/4, 3 K
Emilio Guerrero – 0/4, 4 K
Chris Hawkins – 0/3
Aaron Munoz – 1/3
Kellen Sweeney – 1/2, BB, K

Pitching:

Alonzo Gonzalez – L, 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Ian Kadish – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 K, 1 HR
Justin Jackson – 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Griffin Murphy – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR
Arik Sikula – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Justin Jackson

Vancouver Canadians (1-1)

June 15 Game:

The Vancouver Canadians scored first and had far more hits than the Tri-City Dust Devils but ended up on the wrong side of a 4-3 score. Playing third base, Jason Leblebijian went three for four and hit a double and a home run, driving the offense for the C’s. DH Jordan Leyland also went three for four while Canadian-born catcher Michael Reeves, playing in his first ever professional game, went two for three. Right fielder Brenden Kalfus, also making his professional debut, went oh for two but drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Starting pitcher Kyle Anderson went five innings, giving up only two runs on two hits and a walk while Justin James takes the loss, giving up two runs in his inning of work. Alvido Jimenez and Brandon Dorsett each pitched a shutout inning.

Hitting:

Ian Parmley – 0/3, BB, K
Andy Fermin – 1/4
Jason Leblebijian – 3/4, 2 R, 2 B, HR, 2 RBI
Jordan Leyland – 3/4
Brenden Kalfus – 0/2, RBI, SF
Nico Taylor – 0/1, K
Justin Atkinson – 0/4, K
Michael Reeves – 2/3
Matt Hitt – 0/1, K
Dickie Thon – 1/4, 2 K
Ronnie Melendez – 0/4, 2 K

Pitching:

Kyle Anderson – 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Justin James – L, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Alvido Jimenez – 1 IP
Brandon Dorsett – 1 IP, 1 K

Jay Blue’s Player of the Game: Jason Leblebijian

Late night game summaries for the Vancouver Canadians will appear two days after the game day.

If you like what you’ve seen by Jay Blue, read his work and listen to his podcast on Blue Jays from Away and follow him on Twitter: @Jaysfromaway.