Game of the Week: August 9: TB @ TOR

[Commissioner Erick]

Tampa Bay Rays (71-38) @ Toronto Blue Jays (53-59)


TAM: Blake Snell (9-6, 3.40)
TOR: Clarke Schmid (3-10, 6.24)



Fans may expect to assume the hottest team in baseball is a squad that resides in the AL East. Few would expect to know who that specific team is.

In fact, many people would do a double take if they knew the winners of nine straight and 16 of 17 were none other than the Toronto Blue Jays.

The red hot Toronto Blue Jays will look to continue their torrid stretch when they face the Tampa Bay Rays in the Game of the Week.

Toronto's hot stretch won't result in a playoff berth, but it does situate them at 53-59 with a puncher's shot at a winning season. They've won 22 of 27 after being moribund through early July.

Part of the reason for their turnaround is an easy schedule. In their last 17 games, the Jays started their streak by taking a one-run game in Arizona to salvage a split. They've then swept an awful Mariners team and a reeling Padres team in three game sets. They took two of three from the last place Orioles at home. They swept four games in Houston and three in Kansas City to round things out. All of those teams save Arizona are well over .500.

In fact, the Blue Jays haven't won a series over a team currently with a winning record since they took a series from the Yankees May 31-June 2. They haven't taken a road series from a winning team since they spent a series from April 30-May 2 taking two of three from their current opponent, Tampa Bay.

The opponent quality has played a part in the Blue Jays success, but they've also had a few different players on their club recently. With Yusniel Diaz out with a broken hand, Luis Alexander Basabe has played in 28 games. He had a very disappointing 2020, but after spending most of the year in Triple A and playing well, Basabe has made his mark in the majors.

Basabe has seven home runs in just 114 plate appearances, showing off his terrific power. He's also stolen three bases in three attempts, and has eight RBIs in his last four games. Basabe has minor league MVP awards, and international success on his resume, and if he's arriving as a quality bat in the majors, Toronto's rebuild can enter its next phase.

He'll take his hacks against a Tampa Bay team that has leveled off after the All-Star break, going 9-10 in their last 19 games. The Rays have only faced three teams with losing records since the break, and they took a series from Baltimore and Minnesota, and split with Kansas City. However, road trips to Colorado, Oakland, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have kept them from getting too far ahead of the American League.

Their hitting has largely been what's kept them from taking off, and Jake Bauers in particular. After two straight All-Star campaigns, Bauers has merely been solid this year. After a pair of 28-home run seasons, he has just eight this year. His walk rate is still excellent, but his lack of power has resulted in a slugging number roughly 100 points lower compared to last season. He's hitting just .100 in August, 2-20 as teams have painted the corners and dared him to chase. Bauers has walked seven times compared to three strikeouts, but his tremendous ability to make contact has hurt him. Bauers is simply swinging too frequently at questionable pitches.

He'll need Andres Gimenez to pick him up during this stretch. Gimenez bats behind Bauers when lefties are on the mound, and Gimenez has gotten on base at a .194 clip this month. He'll need to be more productive or pitchers will continue to afford to be careful to Bauers. The issue becomes mitigated a bit with a righty on the mound, but Jesus B. Sanchez, Bauers' protection against righties, is hitting .241 this month.

If Toronto can continue to stymie those three hitters, they may be able to make it 17 wins in 18 chances.


Questions for the GM's:


For Graham Stratford, Andres Gimenez has struggled after the All-Star break, while Willy Adames has heated up. Will you play Adames over Gimenez today?

You've gone with Mallex Smith over Joe McCarthy of late. Why the switch?

Wyatt Cross has a .644 OPS as a rookie. Is he developed enough to play as much as he does?

For Brian Violette, it looks like Michael Kopech is down with tendonitis. Will you rearrange your rotation to account for his injury?

Taylor Walls has gotten a lot of playing time of late, and should continue to do so with Troy Tulowitzki being designated for assignment. What do you like about his prospects as a player?

Are you comfortable with the development of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.? It looks as if he's stagnated in his development and his numbers are even worse than last season's?

TRIVIA: Who is Tampa Bay's all-time leader in Shutouts?

[Commissioner Erick]

Rays 11 - Blue Jays 2


WP: B. Snell (10-6)
LP: C. Schmidt (3-11)


The Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays each sent their worst pitcher to the mound in last night's Game of the Week.

Blake Snell only allowing one run in 7 innings compared with Clarke Schmidt allowing Tampa Bay to take a 7-1 lead after three innings tells you all you need to know about the respective staffs.

Snell picked up win number 10 in a 7-inning beauty, Joshua Lowe reached base five times while driving in five, and the Tampa Bay Rays bombarded the Toronto Blue Jays 11-2.

Snell was the last Rays starter to reach double-digits in wins, but that's not a mark against his quality. He struck out six, allowed just four hits, and operated in cruise control for much of the game. He recorded 10 ground outs on the game, with only two ground balls finding their way for hits. Lowe deserves a lot of credit for that, making all five plays in his range, including one grounder going for a double play.

Lowe also deserves credit for the massive damage his bat did to Toronto. Lowe batted five times, coming through with four hits and a walk. He homered in the third inning, and again in the seventh. He drove in five runs, and he even stole a base for good measure. It was a dominant performance that overwhelmed the Blue Jays.

Meanwhile, Toronto so Clarke Schmidt get lip up again. Schmidt didn't make it out of the fourth, allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings. His record dropped to 3-11 and his ERA jumped to 6.61. He's been a poor pitcher all season. Only 25, there's still potential for the 2017 Second Round draft pick, as Schmidt does a respectable job missing bats. His sinker just isn't dynamic enough though, and pitchers really tee off when ahead in the count. He'll need that pitch to take a jump, or he'll need to learn to vary his pitching style if he doesn't want hitters to continue to tee off.


Questions for the GM's:


For Graham Stratford, your offense really got rolling there, but Andres Gimenez went 0-5. Does he need a break?

After a couple of down seasons, Kevin Kiermaier has really picked things up. He had two home runs today and drove in three. Is he an MVP candidate again?

Did you think Joshua Lowe could put together the complete game he played today? Hitting for power, hitting for average, walking, playing good defense, stealing bases, he really did it all.

For Brian Violette, Schmidt really struggled. How has your outlook on him changed over the course of the year?

You recently released Troy Tulowitzki. How disappointing was it for you that he couldn't serve as a productive mentor for some of the prospects?

Zach Little worked 3.1 innings out of the pen. He allowed four runs, but only one was earned. He also struck out five hitters. What do you think about his future?


TRIVIA: Clarke Schmidt allowed five home runs today, but what former Tampa Bay Rays pitcher is second all-time in most home runs allowed?

[Commissioner Erick]

TRIVIA 1: Jake Odorizzi

TRIVIA 2: Jake Odorizzi