Jays ride long ball to victory in Tampa
Tulowitzki’s three-run shot in ninth helps avoid sweep
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.— Ever since he became a Blue Jay last July, Troy Tulowitzki’s presence has been underscored by incredible defence and leadership.
He’s arguably the most significant addition to the franchise out of that whirlwind July trade deadline last season. And on another sunny day here Sunday, he was something of a poster boy for everything that has gone on with the Jays over their first month this season.
Toronto’s offence has been all or nothing — home runs and too many strikeouts. Those homers, though, have been statement-makers for a Jays team that hopes the rest of its offence will get it together, and soon.
Tulowitzki delivered a three-run shot in the ninth inning Sunday that sent Toronto to a 5-1win over a Tampa Rays club that pitched well enough to win every game of this three-game series.
Tulowitzki’s homer was just the Jays’ 14th hit in a series in which they’d register 15 overall, eight of them homers.
The Jays’ performance against Tampa marked the first time in MLB history a team was held to 15 hits or fewer but hit eight homers or more in a three-game series.
Rays starters, in fact, worked 19 innings in the three-game series, limiting the Jays offence to five hits. Four were homers, though, and Ezequiel Carrera’s fifth-inning single Sunday was the only Jays hit off a Tampa starter this weekend that wasn’t a homer.
“It’s nice to come through for the team in a big spot,” Tulowitzki said. “Obviously things aren’t going my way, but it’s a long season and we’ll keep grinding away.”
That appears to be the Jays mantra — keep swinging hard and the offence that led the majors in most power numbers in 2015 will break out of a first month of the season that has been plagued by strikeouts (highest total in the majors) and batting average (12th among 15 teams in the American League).
And while that’s a risky waiting game, there’s no doubting Toronto’s true identity is rooted in the home run ball. Including an opening day series in Tampa, the Jays have scored 29 runs and hit 13 homers in seven games at Tropicana Field; Tampa, in their own park, have scored 42 runs and hit 16 homers in 16 games.
Josh Donaldson added a solo homer in the fourth, his ninth of the season, tops in the majors, and 50th in 185 games with the Jays. Over 58 per cent of his hits this season have gone for extra bases.
And according to MLB StatCast, Donaldson also leads the majors, with four of his homers this season carrying an exit speed of 111 m/h. A year ago, Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton had 15 homers at that exit speed or greater — no one else in the majors had more than six, and Donaldson had just two.
“The homers for us, they’re always there . . . You’d like to see some runs the other way too, but their pitching staff held us in check most of the series, so I guess winning is what matters in the end,” Jays manager John Gibbons said.
Pitching has helped that cause too. Marcus Stroman turned in his best outing of the season, an eight-inning gem that included a career-high nine strikeouts. Toronto’s starting staff ranks fifth in the majors in ERA.