Blue Jays AL East Recap: Don’t Count Them Out Yet

Blue Jays win key division series, keeping them in the mix

Each week, Jays Journal will take a look at the bigger picture of the AL East to help frame not only where the Blue Jays are in the standings, but why they are there.

Boston Red Sox: 30-20
Baltimore orioles 28-20
Toronto Blue Jays: 26-26
New York Yankees: 24-25
Tampa Bay Rays: 22-26

Though the Blue Jays didn’t see any late game heroics to save their 5-3 loss on Sunday and secure the sweep, the Blue Jays won the series against both the Yankees and the Red Sox paving the way back to a .500 record.

These were big series’ for the Blue Jays, who won’t play out of division for another two sets (both against the Yankees and Red Sox again). With a tough division like the AL East a win is a win, and the Jays will take all four they got this week.

Despite losing Tory Tulowitzki late in the week to the Disabled List, the Blue Jays saw offensive production from the usual bunch and got a stellar week from the struggling Russell Martin. The call-up of Devon Travis also had an immediate impact, despite not batting leadoff.

The bullpen was better, holding some key games long enough for the offence to bring them back. The rotation struggled late in the week against Boston, which can be considered more of an outlier against a strong lineup than actual regression.

Final Takeaway:

The Blue Jays will look to continue their recent success against the exact same foes this week. If the Blue Jays can continue to hang tough against the Yankees and Red Sox, they can entrench themselves in the middle of the pack, poised to strike during a hot streak.

Next: Sox mash their way to sole posession of First

Boston enjoying view from the top

Boston Red Sox: 30-20

Despite losing their weekend series to the Jays, the Red Sox enter June with sole control of the AL East. The Red Sox offence doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, getting production from every member of their starting nine and sitting near the top of the league in the majority of offensive categories.

With increased productivity from their starting rotation, the Red Sox remain every bit as imposing. Before narrowly losing to the Jays, the Red Sox took advantage of Colorado’s pitching staff, belting out 20 runs in three games.

The Red Sox saw a down week from a normally airtight bullpen, but that was mitigated by the powerful offence that Boston has found. Like the Blue Jays, the Red Sox don’t see out of division competition for quite some time, with eight games against Baltimore in the next two weeks. They’ll look to break away from the competition in that time period.

Final Takeaway:

The Red Sox have a fight ahead of them, but with their powerful offence and productive rotation and bullpen, they are well equipped to solidify the lead in the AL East.

Next: Orioles Looking Up for First Time

Orioles fall down, but far from out.

Baltimore Orioles: 28-20

Another strong outing form Chris Tillman capped Baltimore’s week with a series win over the Indians.

Despite late-week success, the Orioles fell out of first after getting swept by the Astros. Their offence saw quite a bit of regression this week, averaging under four runs a game, well under their season average. This lack of offence has highlighted an under-performing pitching staff and a taxed bullpen.

The Orioles are far from out of the competition with Manny Machado and Chris Davis pacing an offensively gifted team. Machado is hitting .320 with 13 home runs while Davis is still looking to find his full power groove. Mark Trumbo has been a revelation, too, already launching 15 home runs with 37 RBIs.

With two key series’ against the Red Sox coming up, now is the perfect time for a bounce back week.

Final Takeaway:

The long-term look of the AL East could very well be decided in the next two weeks. The Orioles will hope they can keep pace with the Red Sox’ historic offence. If they can, they’ll be able to regain their former throne. One thing is for though, the future is make or break.

Next: Yankees Continue To Hang Tough

Yankees keep momentum; keep pace.

New York Yankees: 24-25

The Yankees continue to erase any sign of their early May woes.

Their starting pitching has undergone a somewhat astonishing resurgence, backing support by a consistently steady offence. With aide from the best bullpen in baseball, the Yankees will hope to prey on division foes to edge their way into the picture.

The Yankees will also look to fare a bit better against their division foes this week, after falling from third place with losses to the Blue Jays and Rays. Their normally strong bullpen saw some surprising issues this week, which the Yankees will hope are not repeated. They will look to erase Toronto’s thin hold on third this week at Rogers Centre.

Final Takeaway:

The Yankees have made significant ground over the last two weeks, but they will need to hit a hot streak if they want to play for any more than third in the AL East.

Next: Rays Regress Again