The Blue Jays have released left-hander Franklin Morales, the team told reporters (Twitter link via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet).
Advertisement
The perception is that the Toronto Blue Jays’ recent conversion to a six-man starting pitching rotation was about protecting the current health and future welfare of Aaron Sanchez more than anything else.
The Blue Jays all-star yielded three runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks over five shaky innings in a 9-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.
Estrada did strike out six, but he needed a whopping 113 pitches to get through his five frames.
“It’s no excuse”, he added. “But it’s no excuse, just got beat today”. The longtime Rockies hurler has a career 4.87 ERA in 242 innings as a starter and a 4.25 mark in 248 innings as a reliever.
“Drew was good”, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
The night began ominously enough for the 33-year-old Estrada. Evan Longoria is way out front on 123 hits with 57 runs, 25 homers and 64 RBI.
The Jays managed just one hit a one-out double by Jose Bautista in the first inning off Smyly before touching him for two runs in the bottom of the fifth. They’re also 8-2 in his last 10 starts coming off a quality start in his last appearance and are 12-5 in his last 17 starts when their opponent allows five runs or more in their previous game. After 5 innings and a rough outing from Estrada, the Jays were still in it, down 3-2. He issued a pair of walks to Corey Dickerson and Maile before Forsythe, on a 1-1 count, ripped a grounder off the pitcher’s mound that Travis tracked down but could not transfer for a throw to either second or first. Happ is 0-1 with a 7.98 ERA in three starts against the Rays this season. Toronto threw the ball away in the seventh again, with Russell Martin’s throw to first sailing into right field after he rushed to make a play off a slow roller up the line at first.
Tampa Bay tied it 4-all and chased knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on Brad Miller’s two-run double in the fifth. Estrada only just avoided more damage when Tim Beckham blasted a shot to the second deck in left that hooked just left of the foul pole.
Again, the miscue did not cost the Jays as Estrada then struck out Maile.
The Jays right-hander said he thought he was just missing with pitches outside the zone.
Estrada said his back, a source of trouble earlier this season, was fine.
“I think the sample size is a little small there”, he said. “I’m not going to dial it up every time”.
Smyly (4-11) allowed two runs and six hits, improving to 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in five career games at Rogers Centre. Pop-outs from Tulowitzki and Justin Smoak paired with a Saunders strikeout kept the Jays grounded, and it was all downhill from there. He’s 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in four career games at Toronto, including two starts.
Tampa took a 5-2 lead in the sixth with a pair of runs off Barnes.
“That’s the difference maker right there”, Gibbons said. He scattered six hits, walked three and struck out two. Feldman has struggled since he was acquired from Houston.
Advertisement
RHP Jake Odorizzi had his streak of three scoreless starts end in the first inning Monday when he allowed two runs in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays.
