After seven games, most Blue Jays fans were thinking things could not have started any worse for their team. Of course, there is the media owned by Rogers and a certain population of fans who are so defensive of the team that any suggestion that the start to the season was disappointing was met with sarcastic mockery and ridicule. However, to any objective, non-biased observer, a team that Vegas odds suggested has the best chance of any MLB team to win the world series, a 2-5 start, with losses at the hands of such soon-to-be bottom dwellers as the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox, is a disappointing start. Add to that the fact that most of the losses were blowouts, with terrible starting pitching, horrible defense, and no offense to speak of; and a humilating 13-0 loss at home against the hated John Farrell, and many Jays fans were rightfully disappointed about the start to the season. Very few suggested that the season was over, but still the Rogers-owned media insisted on belittling fans and dismissing them as over-emotional, pointing to a single twitter post by someone suggesting Alex Anthopolous be fired already. Thankfully, this website is not owned by Rogers so frustrated fans need not worry of being made fun of here. The fact is, this team is probably going to be a very good one, but should be extremely embarrassed about the way they played in the first two series' to kick off 2013 at home. Fans have a right to feel disappointed.
In game eight, things appeared to be heading along the same lines. Another terrible starting pitching performance by Mark Buehrle, who couldn't get out of the fourth inning once again, had the Jays down 6-1 in the sixth inning. But give the team credit, unlike the past couple games, today it looked like they gave a damn, and they battled back. J.P. Arrencibia broke the game open with a HUGE bases loaded double in the seventh inning to bring the Jays back from behind to take a two run lead. Despite continued lack of execution from "Melancholy" Colby Rasmus (who is scoring hardly any Colby Cash for Bob Bannerman customers this season), the Jays bullpen of Brett Cecil, Darren "The Cash Man" Oliver, and especially Casey Janssen was fantastic the rest of the way, providing Aaron Loup with his first career victory. An absolutely massive win for the team, and one that will hopefully turn their fortunes around.
My thoughts on what can be done to improve the team? First and foremost, the injury to Brett Lawrie has really hurt. It doesn't take a genius to see that Maicer Izturis can't play third base, and that Emilio Bonifacio can't play second base. Bonifacio already has four errors on the season. Neither has much offensive upside, as neither hits for any kind of average, neither has any power, though at least Bonifacio has a ton of speed. Izturis in specific ticks me off, as he is seemlingly always coming up in a key situation where a single would get the job done, and instead he's swinging for the fences, hitting a shallow pop up to center field on the first pitch. Gibbons should be like the coach in the movie Major League, making Izturis do pushups every time he hits a fly ball. Even though he has his third home run in the past two seasons this year, Izturis has to get into his head that he is not a big 50-homerun power hitter. So what I would do is keep Bonifacio at 9th in the batting order, and hope like hell that he eventually starts fielding some of these routine ground balls, and take Izturis out of the lineup in favour of Mark Darosa. Darosa has been great this season in the limited opportunity he has been given. When Brett Lawrie gets back, this team is going to look a whole lot better.
Colby Rasmus and Adam Lind are absolutely killing the team offensively. Gibbons should consider giving Rajai Davis and the newly acquired Casper "the friendly" Wells some playing time at the expense of the disappointing Rasmus and Lind. Note to the media, I am not suggesting that Rasmus and Lind be designated for assignment or traded for a bag of baseballs, but rather making the reasonable statement that these two cannot continue hurting the team as they have thus far without at least contemplating some lineup changes. Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are both really struggling right now - though there should be no reason to be concerned about those two powerhouses turning things around in short order.
The starting pitching has to be A LOT better - period. Dickey has made me sicky. Morrow has made me long for tomorrow. Buehrle has me hurly. In his only game, Johnson served up bombs, son. Only J.A. Happ has been apt. Once again, I expect all of the above to turn things around sooner rather than later.
The good news for Jays fans is it's a pretty safe bet to assume that from this team, the best is yet to come!
