Another Canadian Icon Traded - The 2015 Toronto Blue Jays Thread

Shutout for Buehrle. That's two for the decade.

That was a unique bottom of ninth. I've never seen someone reach on an infield single when a fielder tripped over the opposing team's runner. Epic meltdown for the Astros too, I never thought I'd be this excited about a sweep over the Astros.

best run differential in the AL

Great--I switched off the car radio in disgust when they gave up the lead.

The MLB headline calls it a "disputed call." I've watched it three times--I understand the Astros' frustration, but they don't really have a case, do they? Reyes goes back to the base and just stands his ground (even crouches a bit). What exactly did they want him to do?

i'm on pain meds for the back and passed out mid 8th.

Ouch, hope your back is feeling better.

Another walk off win, we're back to .500!

8 in a row!!

I'll be seeing Jays v Mets next Monday (Buehrle-Harvey scheduled)

I hate to be pessimistic, but this team seems to go on a major run every year in mid-June.

This kind of blew my mind (via Schoenfield)

Here's a weird stat: The Jays have 31 wins and just six saves. They have just five one-run wins all season and four of those were walk-off wins without a save. The only save in a one-run victory was on April 23, a 7-6 win over the Orioles. But the Orioles actually scored four runs in the ninth inning in that game and Miguel Castro got the save even though he gave up a run. Three of the other five saves came in three-run differentials. So while the Blue Jays haven't lost a game all year when they led heading into the ninth inning, the ninth-inning guys haven't been tested. Brett Cecil is presumably still the closer but hasn't had a save opportunity since May -- 18 wins ago.

(Rany Jazayerli reports that last team went more wins without a save was the 1987 Red Sox, who had 20 in a row without a save. No other team had more than 12.)

I'm not suggesting this is a problem; after all, it means the Jays aren't playing close games, which is a good thing. But at some point the bullpen will face tougher assignments.

No kidding, every team with a waffling, untested bullpen got bounced from the playoffs in a hurry last year.

Here comes Phil Coke!

omg - i don't think this will help matters!

The eight-game winning streak without a save (or even a save opportunity?) is one of those bizarre occurrences that you'd probably have to go through game logs to check. I bet it hasn't happened since the '70s. (The 34 games without a save is the longest gap for the team since '79.)

i may have just bet a friend of mine $100 that the Jays will finish above .500
if they tank now, it's entirely on me.

I've been watching a movie, just turned this on...that's pretty amazing.

Down 8-2 when I went to make diner. Check Facebook after eating to find out they won 13-10. Amazing.

@DanHirsch: The #BlueJays (5.5 R/G) have scored 0.82 more runs per game than the 2nd best team. This is the biggest gap b/w 1st & 2nd best since 1953

Exactly the kind of game you're used to them losing--winning streak, early 4-run lead, give that up, extra innings. They came back, though.

almost feel bad for the red sox here

ok theyve scored 2 runs making in 10-2 jays and they have two on base and 1 out now so no longer feeling any sympathy

10-5. to quote the radio guys, "no 10-run lead is safe when the Blue Jays are involved".

jesus. 13 runs now.

yeah two almost identical doubles by goins and reyes with 2 out!

I'm waiting for the bottom to fall out, so when I heard on the car radio it was 10-5, I chalked up a loss and a five-game losing streak, and consigned them to last place within a week.

they....they just score so many runs

I can't believe the red sox held them to only 5 on saturday.

Well, it took an 11th inning bloop single to finally bring the streak to a halt!

One $%&# pitch away--that one hurt.

ya. it was a fun ride tho.

and that second ump that took over home was atrocious.

took him 10 mins to get the gear on, goodchrist

Thought it was kind of sad that two of the 20 or so Jays fans in the adjoining section were still rockin' their LAWRIE shirts. Entire family of 4 was clad in Donaldson's tho.

After the walkoff I advised then to "drink up at Tim Hortons" and did the McKenzie Bros yodel.

That's some low quality heckling there TBH, you're better than that.

I've deteriorated.

Keri on whether offense can carry them:

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-toronto-blue-jays-playoffs-historic-offense-starting-pitching/

Nice knowing you, Scott Copeland. Ownership needs to wake the fuck up and trade for Hamels already.

The Jays entered play today with the second best run differential in MLB (two runs behind the Cards).

Wow, they came back from 7-0 down to the O's, it's now 9-7 Jays in the 4th!

they....they just score so many runs
--slothroprhymes

it's kind of astounding, like just a bit

They're a new kind of team: they're gunning for the run-differential crown. They'll lose a couple of close ones, win a couple of close ones, every few days they'll blow someone out, and Baseball Prospectus and Rob Neyer will write nice articles about them. It's a whole new thing.

they will lose most close ones because our current bullpen is full of arsonists

This is supposed to be the easiest problem in baseball to solve. We can't seem to solve it.

Legendary Jays bullpen just starting to do their thing.

load the bases?

oh man. whenever i feel bad about my team – all I have to do is look at the T-Bay attendance to feel better.

sort of.

chris colabello: .343/.383/.512 in 44 games

(kinda scary in left tho)

that catch my Donaldson earlier O_o just wow

Del the Funkee Homosapien fans take note: Mr. Colabello, Mr. Chris Colabello...

Three notes I gleaned from the post-game show:

1) First time a pitcher has taken back-to-back no-hitters into the eighth since Stieb in '88. (First time for any team--just a coincidence that both are Jays.)

2) First 12-inning shutout for the Jays since 1986:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS198609260.shtml

Key vs. Clemens, game-winning HR from Barfield, save to Henke.

3) First time the day started with all A.L. East teams within four games of the lead since forever--has never happened since divisional play started. (Which must mean this late in the season.)

Just looked at the video of the catch. Which if he'd pitched a perfect game, and if Willie Mays had never been born, I'd now start calling "The Catch"--incredible.

Also, just glanced at the standings...What in the hell are they talking about on the radio? Boston's well back. Either I misheard, or they forgot it's a five-team division.

would love a gif of longoria running back and forth between 2nd and 3rd in the 8th or 9th or whenever that was he lost track of the outs and the jays blew the double play. so awesome that he ended up safe afterall, he slid into both bags.

Donaldson wasn't running full speed like Jeter though! There are many diving catches into the stands, but only one Captain.