This is not a precise accounting, but about 1.5 million of them were wearing Josh Donaldson jerseys.
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NOTES: Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson (sore right hip) was not in the lineup for the third straight game Wednesday.
The reigning American League MVP is out of the lineup for a third consecutive game with a hip injury, and now there’s some worry that he could be dealing with something more serious.
Toronto opened play Wednesday tied with Baltimore for the first AL wild card and two games back of Boston for the AL East division lead.
You may now commence mashing the panic button with both hands.
Drew Smyly led the Rays in that effort and successfully kept the Blue Jays in search of that 80 win of the year.
“Yesterday, I would have said no, but the fact that it’s lingering, we’ll know more after we get an MRI”, Atkins said.
“You’re battling little nicks and bruises throughout the entire year; this was, I didn’t feel it on the initial play but it kind of came pretty sudden in the area that I was feeling it”, said Donaldson. This might be why the Jays tried to be cool about their ailing star early in the week – because no one really wanted to consider the alternative.
“We’ll take it day by day”, Gibbons said.
Asked if he expected a sustained absence, the GM would only say that it depends on the results of the medical tests.
Toronto finishes up with nine straight against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, with three games at Fenway Park in between its final home series (Sept. 22-24) against New York and the final weekend of the season, Sept.29 – October 1 in the Bronx.
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. He was 0-for-23 before sitting out on Monday, and was hitting.154 – with one extra-base hit and zero RBI – over his past 11 games.
Eight Rays’ players have hit at least 10 home runs in 2016, led by Evan Longoria’s 32. Scott Feldman entered the game and walked Souza. J.A. Happ (3.33 ERA) will take on a still undetermined Angel’s pitcher as he goes for his 19th win on Thursday, September 15th at 10:05pm.
That MVP award is appropriately named, it would seem.
Buckle up for an interesting finish to the season, as the Blue Jays will close with nine straight games against the Yankees (6) and Red Sox (3).
The Rays have won three straight and six of seven on days when they are travelling. Which means, mostly, they need their bats.
Pitching for the Rays on Wednesday will be RHP Alex Cobb. Toronto touched him up for all of two hits over 6 2/3 innings on Wednesday.
In the ninth, the Rays got an insurance run after relievers Matt Dermody and Scott Feldman combined to load the bases on a single and a pair of walks, eventually allowing Dickerson to score on leadoff man Logan Forsythe’s slow roller to short.
I like Estrada in the pitching matchup here, so I’ll go with the Blue Jays to get the finale victory.
These are not great slogans for your pennant-race T-shirts.
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Unfortunately, despite Marco Estrada’s strong first three innings, one run wasn’t going to win the game and Toronto could come up with but a Dioner Navarro single in the seventh the rest of the way.
