Following a circuitous jaunt to the Canadian border, new Toronto outfielder Melvin Upton Jr.is expected to get his first start for the Blue Jays against San Diego. We expect him to re-sign with the Blue Jays although many have speculated that he or teammate and fellow free agent at season’s end Edwin Encarnacion would be sought-after replacements for designated hitter David Ortiz in Boston.
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Upton was acquired by the Blue Jays in a trade with the Padres on Tuesday. The Padres acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Hansel Rodriguez.
Padres: After an off day Thursday, San Diego opens a three-game series at home to Cincinnati on Friday.
Before he could officially join the Blue Jays he had to visit customs at Queenston, N.Y., about a 90-minute drive away. “Sat at border patrol for a little while, jumped in the vehicle and came back”, Upton said. “It all went pretty smoothly”. “I know it’s in there and it’s been there a number of years. It’s definitely not uncomfortable, and I’m definitely looking forward to it”.
If the Blue Jays were out of the playoff picture then there would be a plausible chance of this trade happening, but Toronto needs Bautista in the lineup as they now hold a half-game lead for the first wild-card spot and sit 2 1/2 games back of the Orioles in the AL East.
To Padres manager Andy Green, no one else in the majors has made strides as big as Perdomo this season. He is first Padres rookie to homer in four straight games. The Cardinals have homered in 17 consecutive games, their longest streak since a club-record run of 19 games in 2006.
“Our lineup has a lot of talent”, Dickerson said.
San Diego Padres’ Matt Kemp celebrates scoring a run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning of an interleague baseball game in Toronto, Wednesday, July 27, 2016.
If the Toronto Blue Jays are looking to unload pending free agent Jose Bautista, the team appears to have at least one suitor. “He said ‘Just tell him to keep doing it, he’s doing great”. He is 1-2 with a 2.76 ERA in four career starts against the Padres.
Twenty-three-year-old Luis Perdomo (5-4) got the win after allowing four runs on six hits, two walks and four strikeouts through 5 2/3 innings.
Adam Rosales hit a two-run home run, Alex Dickerson and Brett Wallace each hit solo shots and the Padres beat the Blue Jays 8-4 Wednesday, avoiding a three-game sweep. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in six of his past seven starts.
But the focus will be on Upton, who received a rousing ovation when he came to bat Tuesday.
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“That’s exciting because he’s part of our future”, Green said. “I’m glad to see kids have success like that'”.
