While the Jays were failing to capitalize on opportunities Tuesday, the Rays (61-83) were scratching out seven hits, but mostly being aided by the seven walks – plus one beanball – issued by the Toronto pitching staff.
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Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) celebrates with first baseman Edwin Encarnacion (10) after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
“It’s just hard to explain this”, Estrada continued, his gaze often finding the floor as TV cameras flashed brightly on his face. Dickerson added two more RBIs on a base hit and a force out, Logan Forsythe drove in one and Brad Miller hit a sacrifice fly. “Things are gonna change”, he said. “We’re too good for it not to”.
“For him to be saying ‘It’s barking pretty good, ‘ it’s barking pretty good”, manager John Gibbons said. “So I’m optimistic that this will turn and turn in a hurry”.
The Blue Jays entered one game ahead of Baltimore for the first AL wild card.
Snell has failed to complete four inning in three of his last four starts. The Jays have scored three or fewer runs in six of their past seven, which is what swoons are made of. Estrada left after Nick Franklin’s one-out single in the sixth. “I don’t think anybody’s down”. “We need to start winning games here”.
“Yesterday, I would have said no, but the fact that it’s lingering, we’ll know more after we get an MRI”, Atkins said.
“The whole morale of the team is confident, we just have to go out there and do it”.
Asked if his team was pressing at the plate in light of their recent struggles, Gibbons replied: “naturally, yeah”.
His last big league win came on September 23, 2014 against the Boston Red Sox.
The Blue Jays offence didn’t score after the first inning. Donaldson went down with a hip injury on September 11 against the Boston Red Sox and hasn’t been in the lineup since.
Atkins said that while the team is happy with their depth at third base – Darwin Barney can also play there and started at third the last two games – they don’t want to see Donaldson have to sit out an extended period. But he also insisted he didn’t feel a sense of panic.
Which is to say, you don’t easily replace him. “We have 18 games left and hopefully we’ll finish strong in those 18”.
The Toronto left-hander had thrown just 72 pitches when he was pulled after allowing two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out six through 6 1/3. In his two starts and 0-0 record this year, Cobb owns a 4.09 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP in 11 innings.
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Still awaiting the results as they prepared to board a flight for California with a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on the horizon Thursday, Donaldson is holding out hope he’ll be able to get back into the lineup sooner rather than later. The Blue Jays were not 2-6 at Rogers Centre as previously stated, but 2-4.
