Right There At Rogers, 5/24/15

Today I took in a Jays game as they looked to stop the slide. Across the field stood their old expansion brothers from 1977: The Seattle Mariners!

Aaron Sanchez (3-4, 4.17) last year's bullpen ace, took the hill in this one for Toronto. Seattle countered with Taijuan Walker (1-4, 7.47). Missing from the Toronto lineup was *groan* Jose Bautista. His absence was felt for a while as Toronto struggled out of the gate. And it wasn't just their hitters.

That guy is the Jays cap there wearing black? Well, I didn't realize who it was. Dad, sitting next to me, thought it was Jay Triano, ex-Raptor coach. Turns out he was right. He left the game early, Dad and I hung around until the eighth.

Sanchez started the game on the wrong foot as he allowed a walk to Brad Miller and a single to Seth Smith. Would this be a really short afternoon for Sanchez? It seemed like that for a while. He managed to get out of this jam via a nice double play, not apparent. Originally, Robinson Cano was ruled safe at first on the grounder that erased Smith at second. The replay was obvious that Justin Smoak's foot hadn't left the bag by the time the ball got to him. It was pulled off after the catch. Nelson Cruz ended the inning by grounding out.

But the Jays couldn't seem to get a good read on Walker. They were retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first. To make matters worse, two of the three batters failed to get the ball out of the infield. "If only we had Joey Bats!", I thought. This seemed to set the tone, as Toronto could only manage a walk in the second, another walk in the third, and still another in the fourth. But no runs and no hits through four. Meanwhile, Seattle took a 1-0 lead on a home run by Kyle Seager to start the second.

Sanchez seemed to need the double play to get him out of trouble. Seattle put two more on the third inning via a single and a walk. The Jays did some twin-killing to stop that threat. Sanchez got the first two batters in the top, but then Logan Morrison got the second hit off Aaron, and it was a booming double. Welington Castillo grounded out to end that. Aaron allowed the third Seattle hit of the day in the fifth, but escaped via the third double play turned by the Jays. A nice strikeout-caught stealing play!

Kevin Pillar singled in the bottom of the frame for the first Jays' hit. And then Ryan Goins put Toronto ahead with a two-run home run to right. Now I felt better. After one out, I was about to feel much better!

Russell Martin hit a double, and then came a moment I won't soon forget. Edwin Encarnacion has been making tape-measured home runs as his calling card since coming to Toronto. And here, did he ever deliver that. He blasted one into the second deck above where I was sitting (Left-field stands, looking over the Toronto bullpen where Joe Carter's blast went back in 1993), and the Jays were up 4-1. Chirs Colabello tried to keep the rally going with a single, but Toronto got no more.

Sanchez, started to settle down and got Seattle 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth, and picked up another K. It was his fourth and last of the day. Toronto looked like they might have some more insurance in the bottom of the frame. But Goins singled and Munenori Kawasaki got a single. That ended Walker's night...

...As Danny Farquhar came in to pitch, and got the third out. It was still 4-1, Toronto.

The challenge facing Sanchez in the top of the sixth was not to become unraveled. Seager got a single. Sanchez threw a wild pitch. Would the Jays implode? A grounder moved Seager to third. The Jays did the smart thing an went about trying to get outs here. Castillo was out on a fly to right, and that scored Seager to make it 4-2. Seager barely beat the throw from Ezequiel Carrera. Dennis Ackley followed with a single to keep the inning alive.

Sanchez was nearing 100 pitches, and there was still an out to go to get to the eighth. But the Jays needed to make a pitching change to get out of this. Roberto Osuna hopped in from the bullpen and got Chris Taylor to fly out to Carrera to end that. Seventh inning stretch!

Then, Toronto brought it all out in the bottom of the seventh!

Martin grounded out. But Encarnacion singled. Colabello doujbled and Edwin held at third. A two run singled by Justin Smoak put Toronto in the driver's seat, 5-2. Joe Beimel came in, but the Jays were still on the attack. A single, two more walks and a force at second brought in another two runs. An 8-2 lead at this point was money in the bank.

Aaron Loup came in to pitch the eighth, and with his ERA over 5 (5.87), I made up my mind to watch. He allowed a leadoff single, but then really started popping the mitt. He fanned the next two batters and got Cruz on a fly, showing much poise. Liam Hendricks was warming up in the 'pen and the ball was just cracking from his delivery to the mitt.

But neither Dad nor I saw him pitch. We left (At my insistence. We had to catch a train, you know!) at this point. Toronto went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth, but Seattle did likewise in the top of the ninth against Hendricks. Liam got 'em all on strikeouts, bringing Toronto's total to nine on the day.

Well, it was my first game on the season, and I hope to come back for more as the season continues. The Jays' bats and arms were clicking. They need more of that!


References

http://www.mlb.com

The Starting Five Guide

So, I explained who the seven men of the 'pen were, earlier. But how about the Fab Five? The starters in baseball. Actually, it sometimes is only two or three great pitchers.

Ace

The King Of The Hill on your team! The ace of the staff is usually the starter with the "Best arm". Unless there is a lefty (Think Kershaw) better than him, the ace is usually a right-hander. His pitch selection is the best in terms of control and variation. He's not always the best strikeout pitcher (Think Jim Palmer of the Orioles in the 60s and 70s), but he works the most innings. That's because his endurance is second to one at the most. As mentioned, control is big here. He'll rarely, be the pitcher to lead the team in bases on balls per nine or wild pitches. But with his arm, he'll usually lead the team, and maybe the league, in wins, complete games, and innings pitched. Oh, yeah, and also, ERA. Indeed, with this pitcher, it's often that he'll go nine, even if the team is losing. Often, he only depart for a pinch hitter. So he usually finishes the inning he's in before he's yanked. It should be noted, the term, "Ace" can also be used to describe the best relief pitcher, too. But if you hear, "Ace pitcher..." it is almost always a starter. As mentioned earlier, the ace usually has the best arm strength, often going seven innings. Also, when he's pulled, it usually in between innings. He'll finish the inning, leaving right there or for a pinch hitter if it's a National League game. And if your team is lucky enough to make the postseason, he'll start game one, unless injured. Keep in mind, this position can vary during the season. The "ace" gets hurt or has an off-season, and the second or third pitcher pitches better...Odds are, he gets a promotion to the head of the class! This pitcher might also be the nasty boy of the staff, targeting other hitters for some brush backs and knockdowns.

Second Starter

The second starter is the best right-handed pitcher if the ace is a lefty. Or he's the best left-handed pitcher on the staff if the ace is a righty. Classic example of a righty being the # 2 starter? Don Drysdale, who pitched the day after Sandy Koufax. But thinking back to my days of following the Toronto Blue Jays in the early 90s, here's where Jimmy Key would pitch after Dave Stieb.If the best lefty pitcher is not as good as the second best righty, then he'll be the third starter. 

At no point am I implying that the second starter on the team is that far inferior to the ace. Usually his stuff is not quite as good. In fact, it is possible that he has more strikeouts then the ace. His pitch selection might not be as healthy, and his arm strength might be a little less. Again, the margin is not quite as much. Sometimes, his endurance can be a little more then the starter. This does not necessarly mean he has more innings pitched when all is said and done, however. His control might also be not as good as the ace. If he's having a great year, and the ace is having "only" a good year (Or maybe a bad year), then it is definitely possible for him to end up with the most wins. The manager may even make him the ace of the staff if he's having a great year, come playoffs. He'll get his share of complete games, (possibly) strikeouts (Possibly even leading the team), complete games, and innings pitched. Now if the ace doesn't lead the team in ERA, it's usually this pitcher.

Third Starter

If the first two starters are righties, then almost always, this is where your lefty is. Here is where control is sometimes a real issue. So too, is the pitch selection. This pitcher usually does not finish many games, and probably has far less innings pitched then the starter. He could, on the positive side, be the strikeout artist on the team. But if that's the case, it's because he lacks the control of the ace or second best starter. He's not necessary a bad pitcher, but he's not really someone you can count on for the big win. He could very well be a win one, lose one pitcher, depending on his ability and the team he's on. If he's good, and the ace and second pitcher aren't that season, he could lead the team in ERA.

There are exceptions, to all the above. If you've got a lot of good arms, this guy can be almost as good as the first two starters. Best third starter of all time? John Smoltz got reduced to this role sometimes in Atlanta had Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.

Fourth Starter

There are exceptions, but usually he's not that much of a pitcher in terms of manager's putting faith in him with the season on the line. It's not that he's bad, but he can't quite give you the innings that the ace and second best starting pitcher can. Also, his strikeouts are low. His pitch selection isn't as good or reliable. But, he might have better control then the third starter. He might be a young pitcher, too, just learning the tools of the trade. He might also be someone who has pitched in the bullpen, shown potential, and now ready to give it a go as a starter. The big concerns for everyone is his arm strength and composure. He might go the entire season without a complete game. His win total might be in single digits (Not that his loss total will be!).

Fifth Starter

This pitcher is usually the hurler with the least amount of arm strength. Often, he is right-handed. He often will leave after only six or less innings. The bullpen often gets into the action early for him, especially if he's young. He doesn't have "The good stuff" that the better starters on the team has. In fact, it might even be said jokingly that he doesn't have any stuff. He velocity on the pitches is among the lowest among starters, and perhaps even lower then anyone out of the bullpen. He might end up pitching there before the season is over. He will not be the team leader in wins, complete games, strikeouts, innings pitched or complete games. If his control is bad, look for him to lead the team in walks and wild pitches. Like the fourth starter, he could be a pitcher who is young and trying to break into the starting rotation. But if it's early in the season, then he could be on borrowed times as a starter if he's struggling.


References

Halberstam, David. October 1964. New York: Villard, 1994. Print.

Halberstam, David. Summer of 49. New York: William Morrow / Avon Books, 1989.

Kalb, Elliott. Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball: Mr. Stats Sets the Record Straight on the Top 75 Players of All Time. McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.

Shalin, Mike, and Neil Shalin. Out By A Step: The 100 Best Players Not In The Baseball Hall of Fame. Lanham: Diamond Communications, 2002. Print.

Whiteford, Mike, and Taylor Jones. How to Talk Baseball. Revised Edition. Galahad Books, 1987.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 11 May 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>.