A three-time All-Star third baseman, Donaldson has played 138 of Toronto’s 142 games.
Advertisement
Drew Pomeranz (2-5) lasted only two-plus innings, surrendering five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three.
The Rays added two more runs in the ninth. He is slashing a line of.235/.318/.332 this year compared to his upgraded lifetime slashing of.252/.312/.345 in 360 Major League games.
The Toronto Blue Jays remain firmly in the race to defend their American League East title and still have a hold on a wild-card spot, but their lack of recent success against the last-place Tampa Bay Rays is putting their postseason aspirations in some peril. “We were a bit concerned heading into the game, he’s had issues with walks in the past. but he was on from the get-go”.
The Rays are 6-2 in their last eight Wednesday games, and 2-5 in Cobb’s last seven starts with five days’ rest. He dropped to 10-12 overall after beginning the year with the San Diego Padres.
“I wanted to leave Jose where he is and keep those other guys where they’re at instead of juggling too, too much”, Gibbons said.
The Rays still lead the season series over the Blue Jays 9-8 with two games left between the teams.
Martin said the short altercation stemmed from him telling Souza Jr., that he thought the ball would carry.
Atkins added that Donaldson’s hip hasn’t “significantly” responded to treatment and that there is now no timetable for his return to action. You could throw that pitch 9-out-of-10 times and maybe get more sink on it, get a ground ball and we’re out of the inning.
Donaldson isn’t in the lineup for a third straight day.
Russell Martin hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays to bring them within one run but the Rays pulled away. “But then Troy chose to jump in and say some things that weren’t really necessary”.
He is 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in two starts against the Rays this season. The 26-year-old had yielded 14 total runs in his previous nine starts while completing at least six innings in eight of them.
With Stroman’s night done, right-hander Joe Biagini entered in the seventh, and after getting Dickerson swinging, he promptly gave one back to the Rays when he grooved one to Souza Jr., who didn’t miss and deposited it over the left field wall for a 4-2 lead. Carrera followed with the Jays first extra-base hit of the night, a double, but Darwin Barney flied up shortly after that to retire the side and bring the game into the sixth.
Donaldson is now mired in a career-worst 0-for-23 slump – with seven strikeouts in that span.
Advertisement
Atkins said the concerns surrounding the way Toronto has played lately are “obvious but short-term”. Bautista walked to load the bases before Edwin Encarnacion struck out to end the threat.Rays reliever Kevin Jepsen pitched around a single in the eighth.The Rays scored twice in the ninth.Corey Dickerson opened the ninth with an infield single against Matt Dermody.
