Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis turns a double play over Chicago White Sox's Jose Abreu during the fourth inning of a game at the Rogers Centre, in Toronto, on April 2, 2018.Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
The free-agent signing by the Toronto Blue Jays of pitcher Jaime Garcia to a one-year, US$8-million contract in February did not exactly have the same gee-whiz factor as, say, the New York Yankees landing Giancarlo Stanton or Jake Arrieta moving to the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Wait – what?” was a typical subdued reaction by the local seam-heads before heading to a computer to check out Garcia’s pitching pedigree. A 5-10 mark with a 4.41 earned-run average in 2017 while toiling for three different teams did little to enhance expectations.
For the sort-of, sort-of-not retooling Blue Jays, the addition of Garcia was viewed as a low-risk, high-reward kind of proposition, a perfect back end of a rotation guy the cost-conscious franchise is always on the hunt for.
The left-hander made his regular-season debut with his new team on Monday night at Rogers Centre and it was a good one as the Blue Jays (3-2) found some late life with the bats to come back and register a 4-2 victory over the previously undefeated Chicago White Sox (2-1).
Just less than 17,000 turned up for the game – and they missed a real whistle-blower that resulted in Toronto winning its third in a row.
The White Sox attack was led by catcher Welington Castillo, who launched two home runs – the second off Toronto reliever Seung-hwan Oh leading off the seventh inning that moved Chicago in front 2-1.
But the Blue Jays recorded three home runs of their own – none bigger than the dinger Russell Martin provided in the bottom of the seventh, a two-run effort to left that vaulted Toronto in front 3-2.
Shortstop Aledmys Diaz knocked his first home run in the eighth to pad Toronto’s lead.
Josh Donaldson skied his first homer the opposite way to right field in the sixth that knotted the score 1-1.
As he crossed home plate, Donaldson turned and glared into the White Sox dugout. He made a gesture like he was whistling, which was an obvious dig at Daryl Boston, Chicago’s first base coach who has a habit of blowing an actual whistle during games.
Boston usually blows it in recognition of a good defensive play, but this time Donaldson said he heard the chirping as he approached the plate in the sixth.
“As soon as I stepped into the box he started blowing it before anything had even happened,” Donaldson said. “So I felt like I returned the favor.”
Boston admitted afterward he literally blew the game.
“I had hit the whistle a couple of times hard before he [Donaldson] went to the plate and he responded,” Boston said. “You can pin that homer on me.”
Toronto manager John Gibbons and the rest of the Blue Jays hierarchy hold their new starter in high regard, especially after a solid spring training in which the native of Reynosa, Mexico, went 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA over 13 2/3 innings to go along with 12 strikeouts.
“I thought it was very impressive, better than I thought he was,” was Gibbons’s pregame critique. “He can pitch. You guys have heard me say this – and I’ve had a lot of them – guys that come out of Mexico can pitch. They know how to pitch. He’s got a great feel.
“They’re not always overpowering, hard throwers. They just know what they’re doing.”
The Blue Jays came into the game still buzzing about their 7-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday on the strength of a grand slam by the red-hot Justin Smoak in the eighth inning.
The home run was Smoak’s second of the game and moved him to a major-league-best eight runs batted in through the first four games, earning him American League player of the four-day week.
That Sunday win allowed Toronto to earn a split in its season-opening four-game series. Monday’s outing against the White Sox afforded the Blue Jays the opportunity to surge past the .500 mark for the first time since the end of the 2016 season.
Donaldson made his fourth consecutive start at designated hitter in order to rest what the club has described as a “dead-arm” issue
Gibbons said he expects Donaldson to be back in the lineup at third base for Tuesday’s second game of the series against Chicago.
“After I saw him [on Sunday], everything looked normal,” Gibbons said. “We’ll give him one more day at DH and then shoot for [Tuesday].”
Garcia, a nine-year MLB veteran, certainly seemed right at home in his new digs, allowing just one hit through the first three innings. He went six innings, allowing one run off four hits while striking out seven.
He served up the first home run to Castillo in the fourth inning when the catcher launched a 2-1, two-out pitch to the second deck in left-centre, a solo home run that moved the White Sox in front 1-0.
White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez was also having a strong start, no-hitting the Blue Jays through the first four innings before Curtis Granderson finally broke through in the fifth with a single.
Lopez went six innings and allowed one run off just two Toronto hits with six strike outs.
Roberto Osuna came on in the ninth to record his second save of the season.
Vancouver Canucks forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin announced Monday they will retire after 17 seasons with the team. Daniel Sedin says life after the NHL will be different but adds they are “happy” with the decision.
The Canadian Press