After slow start, Blue Jays rotation finding its stride and leading the way

Photo courtesy of Dan Hamilton, USA TODAY Sports

Article courtesy of Kaitlyn McGrath

TORONTO - Remember when the Blue Jays starting rotation was scuffling a bit? When their ERA in first innings looked perilously close to the price of 12 Loonie Dogs? When we wondered if what had been expected to be a team strength was falling short?

Well, how silly those questions seem now. Because Toronto’s starters have quieted any early-season doubts after a run of sustained success that, over the last week, has made them look like the steady and balanced rotation they were billed to be.

After Wednesday’s 8-0 win over the Chicago White Sox, the Blue Jays rotation has allowed just five runs over 52 1/3 innings for an 0.86 ERA with a combined 48 strikeouts and 10 walks over the last eight games. At the start of play Wednesday, the Blue Jays had recorded an American League-high 14 quality starts — six innings, three runs or fewer — tied with Pittsburgh for the most in the majors.

Yusei Kikuchi kept the rotation’s momentum rolling, pitching 5 2/3 shutout innings over the White Sox with eight strikeouts and one walk in the win that secured the Blue Jays’ first sweep of the season. The scoreless start lowered the left-hander’s ERA to 3.00 and continued his 2023 renaissance by completing his fourth start — out of five — where he allowed only one run or fewer.

“Collectively, I think that they’re throwing strikes and they’re executing their pitches,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of his rotation’s performance of late. “I thought (Kikuchi) today just is following the lead of everyone else, where, you know, good game plan, good execution. I thought (Danny Jansen) the last two nights was awesome, kind of walked those guys right through it, and they’re kind of competing with each other, I think a little bit.”

Kikuchi was mixing in all four of his pitches and made efficient work of a languishing White Sox lineup. Already pitching with a 4-0 lead, the only real threat came in the fifth inning when left fielder Andrew Benintendi led off with a single and, a batter later, catcher Seby Zavala walked on four pitches. But after falling behind, Kikuchi got second baseman Lenyn Sosa to fly out to right field and then came back to strike out No. 9 hitter Romy González to exit the frame unscathed.

Kikuchi came back out for the sixth inning and first baseman Andrew Vaughn singled to right field with one out then advanced to second on a wild pitch. But Kikuchi buckled down and struck out Luis Robert Jr., after which he clapped his hand against his glove in celebration. When Schneider came out to remove him, Kikuchi walked back to the dugout to a standing ovation from the Rogers Centre crowd filled with mostly screaming school children during the weekday matinee.

“I’m really confident out there and really enjoying the battles and the mental game with the hitters,” Kikuchi said via his interpreter, Yusuke Oshima.

Every Blue Jays starter has had at least one mulligan this season. But Chris Bassitt has been nails since his nine-run blow-up in his season debut. It was easy to write off Kevin Gausman’s clunker in Houston as an outlier, and there was no organizational panic when Alek Manoah got off to a slow start and understandably so, since he was vintage Big Puma in his last start in New York.

Those three formed the Blue Jays’ dependable front end, but coming into the season, there were questions about José Berríos and Kikuchi, who were both trying to rebuild from seasons where they had shown substantial cracks in their games. But, over each of their last three starts, they’ve combined for a 1.47 ERA — allowing just six runs in 36 2/3 innings combined. The back-end’s upside has to be the most encouraging early returns of the rotation.

“It builds momentum turning it over to (Manoah) and (Gausman) and (Bassitt) for the next series,” Schneider said of getting solid starts from the team’s No. 4 and 5 starters. “It sets up the bullpen really well. I think we struck out 10 out of the last 11 guys (against the White Sox) between (Erik Swanson) (Yimi García) and (Trevor Richards), so it just puts people in the right spot, but I think it also just makes the next guy up want to continue to do the same.”

The rotation is fueling off one another’s success. One night ago, Berríos, who threw seven shutout innings against the White Sox, said he took motivation from Bassitt’s start on the previous day. After his outing, Kikuchi said the starters have been building chemistry throughout the early going off the field.

“All five of us have really bonded and we’ve been eating together,” said Kikuchi, who later clarified they’ve been eating out together and at the clubhouse cafeteria. “Even in bullpens, we’ve been giving each other advice, so it’s really good to see each and every one of us succeeding so far.”

And it’s no coincidence that at the same time as the rotation has been cruising, the Blue Jays have a 6-2 record. Getting consecutive quality starts from the pitchers sets the tone for the rest of the game and doesn’t leave the offence stuck digging out of a hole. What the Blue Jays are getting from their starters is the blueprint for their success. As Bo Bichette, who hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, his fifth homer of the season, said: “It makes it easy. When they don’t score, we’re going to win. They’ve been special.”

The Blue Jays offence has looked special of late, too, outscoring the reeling White Sox 20-2 through the three-game series.

“We’re playing well,” Bichette said. “This series in particular, everything was clicking, offence, defence, pitching. When everything is going like that, good things are going to happen, but we got to keep on competing every day and keep on getting after it.”

If there was one snafu in the win, it was George Springer’s right-hand contusion after getting hit with a pitch in the third inning. He exited the game in the fourth inning, but the promising news is that precautionary X-rays were negative and Schneider said they’ll just take it day by day.

“Off day comes at a good time for him,” Schneider said, referring to Thursday’s day off.

But with the rotation rolling, is there any concern that said off day will halt momentum?

“I think with the stretch we’re about to hit after the off day, a lot of games in a row, it does come at a good time right now,” Schneider said.