Toronto Blue Jays series preview: Home for rivalry week

5 of 6

Apr 30, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Jose Bautista (19) hits an RBI single during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays return home to the Rogers Centre on Monday to face the New York Yankees in a three game set. After another punch-to-the-gut loss to split their series against the Cleveland Indians, Toronto will look to find any form of stability in their starting rotation.

Across the Diamond

The New York Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox this past weekend to move to 16-9, 4.5 games clear of the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. For New York, their offensive production has been boosted by a hot start across the outfield.

Chris Young has exploded out of the gates, entering Sunday night’s game with a .317 average and 6 home runs for 12 runs batted in. Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner also sit above the .300 mark, and have combined for 15 steals. Against Russell Martin, there could be some elite battles on the base paths.

Mark Teixeira has brought the boom stick out early, and despite a weak average, has launched 8 home runs for 18 RBI’s with 15 walks. The greatest surprise of all, however, is the return of Alex Rodriguez. Love him or hate him, the man is producing.

Rodriguez entered Sunday night hitting a modest .243, but has clubbed 6 home runs for 14 RBI’s. New York has experienced slow starts from Brian McCann, Stephen Drew, Carlos Beltran and Didi Gregorius, however, so Blue Jays’ pitchers will hope to find a resting spot towards the bottom of the lineup.

Next: Dickey leads the way for Blue Jays

Apr 29, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey (43) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1 — Monday, 7:07 ET

R.A. Dickey will take the mound on Monday hoping to improve upon his 0-3 record and 5.23 ERA. There’s really nowhere to go but up here. Dickey did well to last 7.0 innings in his last outing against the Boston Red Sox, but has allowed 9 hits in each of his last two starts.

Dickey’s first start against the New York Yankees was his strongest of the season, so the Blue Jays will hope that he can find his centre entering May. Dickey’s knuckleball has been dancing, but all too often, it’s danced it’s way out of the strike zone. It will be interesting to see if Josh Thole continues to catch Dickey, or if John Gibbons returns to Russell Martin behind the plate.

Chase Whitley will counter for the Yankees with a 1-0 record and 1.80 ERA. Whitley was called up for a spot start in against the Tampa Bay Rays, but with Masahiro Tanaka headed to the disabled list, he will now take over a semi-permanent spot in the rotation. Whitley will feature a fastball that lives around 90 MPH, along with a slider and changeup that he uses frequently throughout counts.

Next: How will Estrada fare in place of Norris?

Apr 1, 2015; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marco Estrada (25) throws against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2 — Tuesday, 7:07 ET

Marco Estrada will take the hill for his first start as a Blue Jay, and through one month, he’s been one of Toronto’s most reliable arms. Estrada enters with a 1-0 record and 0.84 ERA, having not allowed an earned run since April 10th against the Baltimore Orioles.

While Estrada has earned this opportunity without question, his past performance as a starter should be cause for worry. In 2014, Estrada allowed more home runs than any pitcher in the MLB with significantly worse numbers in a starting role. The worry here is that his quality changeup will lose it’s impact the second and third times through the lineup, but there’s no denying that he’s the hot hand.

Michael Pineda will counter for the Yankees, and he’s off to a fine start himself. He enters with a 3-0 record and 3.73 ERA, and has struck out 12 batters without a single walk over his last two outings. Pineda will hit 91 MPH with his fastball while offering his slider on nearly a third of his pitches.

Next: Buehrle must rebound in the biggest way

Apr 26, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Mark Buehrle (56) is taken out of the game during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3 — Wednesday, 7:07 ET

Mark Buehrle will close out the series for Toronto looking for his fourth win of the season, but when you see his 6.75 ERA and 1.93 WHIP, it’s surprising that he still isn’t searching for his first. Buehrle has years of statistics to suggest that he is due for a bounce-back to his averages, however, and there’s no time like Wednesday.

Buehrle has allowed 23 hits and 13 earned runs over his last 10.0 innings pitched while striking out just four batters. While he isn’t missing any bats, perhaps the shag carpet at the Rogers Centre is just what he needs to force some quick outs.

The Blue Jays will face C.C. Sabathia in game three, and the season has not been kind to this veteran lefty either. Sitting at 0-4 with a 5.40 ERA, Sabathia is a shell of his once-dominant self. Two of his past three outings have been quality, however, so he may be rebounding to the form that should see him close the season with an ERA closer to 4.00. Sabathia, much like Whitley and Pineda, will top out in the low-90’s with a slider and changeup to compliment his fastball.

Next: Keep an eye on Edwin Encarnacion

Apr 30, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion (10) is congratulated after scoring during the fourth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Blue Jays player to watch: Edwin Encarnacion

Edwin Encarnacion has already rounded the corner well into May, and if the Toronto Blue Jays hope to quiet the screaming doubters, his bat must lead the way from the heart of the lineup. History is on his side, as well, with Encarnacion’s May of 2014 being one of the greatest months in Blue Jays history.

Encarnacion launched 16 home runs that month for a stunning 33 RBI’s, which was good for an OPS of 1.132. Josh Donaldson is scorching hot while Jose Bautista looks to be turning the corner himself, so if Encarnacion can click, hopefully this club will find some consistency on offense. Twelve run outbursts are fantastic, but consistent production of 5-to-6 runs will bring more success.

The necessity for Encarnacion to succeed also hinges on the possible regressions from Kevin Pillar or Devon Travis. Travis is hotter than anyone in baseball right now, but it’s wishful thinking to believe that this pace will continue. Balance across the roster will further aid in Toronto’s quest for consistency.

I like both R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle to rebound and play the veteran role for this rotation against the Yankees, giving the team a great chance to take two of three at home. Marco Estrada will need to prove that he can pitch past the fourth and fifth innings, which I’ll happily believe when I see, but the club should be satisfied to pull within one game of .500 by Thursday.

Next: WATCH The Jays Nest Podcast: Ep. 17

More from Jays Journal

Home / Toronto Blue Jays News