Blue Jays Series Preview: Jays Need to Harpoon the Mariners

May 21, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays manager

(5) talks with the media during batting practice before a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

It’s getting dire already kids. If you think the old adage that it’s still early rings true with the Blue Jays languishing in last place in the AL East then you are definitely drinking the Kool-Aid that I have been drinking….until now. This team is not built for the playoffs. The starting pitching is atrocious and prone to the big inning. The bullpen, aside from the phenom Roberto Osuna, is a toss up whether they are going to shut the opposition down or give up a key hit to blow the game open and surrender any lead given to them.

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Management should be wary. Is riding the current regime really the best way to go? The Blue Jays in 1989 tossed Jimy “one M” Williams was dismissed after a 12-24 start and that team came back to win the division. How long is too long to wait out Gibbons wonky managing and moreso Pete Walker‘s ineffectiveness as pitching coach. This division is still ripe for the picking and yet the Blue Jays sit idly by and miss out on guys like Cole Hamels…though he apparently won’t come to Toronto anyway…at least according to Jon Heyman of cbssports.com.

And then there are the Mariners. They started off slow but have slowly begun to pick up steam. They are right where they want to be going in to Toronto. They have a winning record on the road and an abysmal record (6-13) at home. With the potent lineup they have this is probably just a blip on the radar but for now they are a strong team coming in to Toronto. With Roenis Elias picking up the slack for a struggling Taijuan Walker their rotation is in great shape…even ex-Jay J.A. Happ has been pitching very well. This series has the potential to get ugly…

May 16, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher

(34) makes a face after walking the bases loaded in the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Felix Hernandez (6-1, 2.30 ERA) vs Marco Estrada (1-2, 3.55 ERA)

Hernandez is without a doubt one of the best pitchers in the majors. We are talking Hall of Famer good…except against the Blue Jays. For whatever reason some pitchers just don’t fare well against certain teams and the Blue Jays are that team for Hernandez (5-6, 4.80 ERA). Dalton Pompey hit his first big league homer off of King Felix. He doesn’t even strikeout a batter per inning against Toronto (84 innings, 76 strikeouts). He had a wonky ankle his last start but is said to be ready and healthy for the game. It should be interesting.

And to make it even more interesting he is facing the underwhelming Marco Estrada. He isn’t doing horribly this year but with the Rogers Centre being one of those homer happy parks this may not bode well against a team with Nelson Cruz (16 HR, .351 BA) that is 2nd in the AL in homers. Estrada is well known for giving up the long ball so it may be just the type of starter the Mariners need to really kick start a run at the AL West leading Houston Astros.

May 12, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher

(56) pitches during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2: James Paxton (2-2, 3.69 ERA) vs Mark Buehrle (5-3, 5.36 ERA)

Canadian boy Paxton has had a rough go of it to start his big league career. Various injuries have kept him sidelined for much of the last couple seasons but when he was pitching he was pitching very effectively ( 13 starts, 3.04 ERA in 2014). This year he started off slowly but is currently working on a 20 inning scoreless streak and he is 2-1 with a 1.38 during that stretch. I am sure he will be extra amped playing against Toronto and may reel off a few more scoreless innings while pitching on the Rogers Centre mound.

Why Mark Buehrle is 5-3 is truly a testament to the Blue Jays league leading hitting machine. His 8 inning outing last start against the Astros was his longest outing by 2 innings so far this year. With the bullpen in a constant state of flux we need the vets to go 7-8 innings as often as possible…especially with the way the season has gone for Drew Hutchison and with Estrada still stretching out his arm for longer game action.  Buehrle is more than capable of keeping the Mariners off the scoresheet but with a BAA against of .326 and a WHIP around 1.5 it could be a loooong day under the sun at the Dome.

May 19, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Nelson Cruz (23) warms up in the on deck circle during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Player to Watch

Well for the Mariners it has to be Nelson Cruz. It was him and Melky Cabrera who were under the microscope following their return to MLB after some nasty drug issues. Baltimore gave him a shot last year and he led the AL in homers. This year he is doing it again and his batting average is so high he may be getting into triple crown territory because he leads all three categories (16 HR, .351 BA and 33 RBI)…caveat being it’s still May but them there is some pretty impressive numbers. The haters must admit that it is his talent that keeps him going, drugs or no drugs.

May 18, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays catcher

(55) hits an RBI double against Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Blue Jays beat Los Angeles Angels 10 – 6. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

Prediction

Well seeing as Russell Martin has had a long rest this week, look for him to continue his torrid pace for the Jays. If the Jays are to do anything against the Mariners it will have to be clobbering the ball everywhere. The Mariners I am sure are thinking the same thing so this weekend their may be balls flying into a neighbours window near you. Because of superior pitching and a loaded lineup look for the Mariners to take the first two while we mop up the series on the third train…Mariners take 2.