Three Initial Thoughts on the Blue Jays Series Loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Toronto Blue Jays avoided a sweep yesterday when they took the last game of the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The ball club headed back to Toronto with one win at Dodger Stadium which is arguably the toughest place to play in baseball and that alone should be celebrated.
The Jays are still dealing with the loss of outfielder George Springer who remains on the injured list, their starting rotation could use at least another consistent arm, and the club continues to get better on the road.
Slugger Springer Still Recovering
The Blue Jays are still navigating the loss of their top bat and they are in no rush to bring him back before he is ready. Springer was placed on the injured list after being hit in the head with a pitch back on July 28, but his lengthy history of concussions will keep him sidelined longer than a player who hasn't dealt with head injuries before.
Springer was still off the lineup for Buffalo this weekend, which means that his return to Toronto's roster is still further out than one would hope, but he will be needed in October more than now and if the Blue Jays can keep the AL East lead with him sidelined then that will be a huge win for them.
Even though the Blue Jays blew out the Colorado Rockies without him in historic fashion, it was the Rockies. It is the matchups against the top teams that matter the most. Toronto was outscored 18-7 in the Dodgers series as they missed Springer in the lineup.
Springer leads all Blue Jays in OPS and slugging. Then finds himself in the top-five in the rest of the hitting categories like on-base, RBI, and homers. The organization will breathe out a sigh of relief when he steps back on the field.
Starting Rotation
The first two games, in particular, the Jays allowed 14 runs. Granted, the Dodgers are the best in baseball with offensive production on their home field, but the Blue Jays could end up playing there again come the postseason.
Chris Bassitt got the start in the 9-1 loss in game two, and he was only able to finish 4.2 innings before they pulled the plug on him. He allowed the only two home runs of the game and had only two strikeouts. His 4.17 ERA is the worst amongst starting pitchers on the Jays and he might not stay in the rotation if 2x Cy Young award winner comes back.
Shane Bieber could ultimately be the answer to all the problems of the starting rotation. He was acquired at the trade deadline, as there are still questions regarding how he will do when he takes a major league mound again. Bieber was sidelined after he was forced to have Tommy John surgery last season, but his rehab starts show that he is recovering well.
Bieber has worked his way back into Triple-A and will be starting for Buffalo tomorrow. He has thrown 316 pitches in six games since starting back to rehab this season posting a 2.45 ERA.
Toronto Away from Rogers Centre
The Blue Jays are the best team in baseball when they are at home, with the best winning percentage and the only squad with fewer than 20 losses on their home field. Not too long ago they found themselves well below .500 on the road.
At this point in the season, they have clawed their way up to .500 on the year. Even though they came out with a loss in the series, they kept themselves from being swept when the Dodgers had all the momentum in the world.
Toronto still has a few things to address before October gets here, but they came out of their road trip 4-2 overall and have plenty of time to keep working on their weaknesses.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.