Boston Red Sox right fielder J.D. Martinez celebrates with Xander Bogaerts after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at the Rogers Centre, in Toronto, on May 13, 2018.Kevin Sousa/Reuters
Perhaps it is time for the Toronto Blue Jays to end their experiment with Joe Biagini. The poor guy has suffered enough.
Biagini was once a decent pitcher out of the bullpen, but has not been able to duplicate that success as the Blue Jays tried doggedly to convert him into a starter.
The lanky right-hander was cuffed around again on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre, this time by the Boston Red Sox, in his third start at the major-league level this season.
Boston won 5-3 to take the series 2-1, Toronto’s fourth successive series loss in a season that appears to be slipping away. The Blue Jays (21-19) have lost eight of their past 12.
Biagini wasn’t bad, but the Blue Jays offence did him no favours with its continued inability to deliver key hits. Toronto stranded eight base runners over the first seven innings – 10 in total – and was 2-for-13 hitting with runners in scoring position.
Working at a snail’s pace, Biagini never seems to be able to deliver the pitch that would take him and his team out of a jam.
He was working as an emergency fill-in for Marcus Stroman, who landed on the disabled list Friday with what the team is describing as right-shoulder fatigue.
Biagini lasted 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs off four hits, including a two-run home run by J.D. Martinez in the first inning. He also walked three to go with three strikeouts.
His earned-run average this season is 7.98.
Toronto manager John Gibbons was non-committal when asked afterward about Biagini’s future as a starter. “Don’t worry about that now, will ya,” Gibbons said, adding he thought Biagini had “good stuff” on Sunday.
With a couple of turtles such as Biagini and Boston’s Drew Pomeranz starting, you need to move the seventh-inning stretch to the fourth to keep the blood circulating. As one press-box wag noted, watching these two mound statues keeps you on the edge of your pillow.
Both are among the slowest-paced pitchers in baseball, with Biagini averaging 22.4 seconds between pitches this season, which is about four ticks faster than he averaged last year. Pomeranz is even slower, averaging 25.3 seconds between throws.
It was no surprise, then, that the game dragged on for 3 hours 42 minutes.
It being Mother’s Day, and to raise awareness for breast cancer, the uniforms of both teams were highlighted by pink accoutrements, including their baseball caps and bats
It was also Kevin Pillar giveaway day and thousands of fans wore his T-shirt with a red cape affixed to the back. It was an in acknowledgement of the Superman nickname that has been bestowed on the Blue Jays centre fielder in recognition of the headlong aerials he has been known to make chasing down fly balls.
Pillar marked the occasion by going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.
Before the game, the Blue Jays recalled right-hander Deck McGuire from their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo with infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. going the other way. After the game, the Blue Jays optioned Anthony Alford to Triple A. A corresponding move has not yet been made.
The Red Sox struck fast against Biagini, with Martinez slugging his 10th home run to right in the first inning, a two-run hit that put the Red Sox in front 2-0.
Biagini pitched himself into trouble in the third with two walks sandwiched around a hit by Mookie Betts that loaded the bases with one out.
Biagini then walked his third batter of the inning, Mitch Moreland, which forced in the third Boston run.
Betts was busy again in the fifth, singling, stealing second and then tagging up and taking third on a deep fly out by Andrew Benintendi.
That ended Biagini’s day. With Martinez coming to the plate Gibbons opted for reliever John Axford. The strategy soured when Martinez knocked in his third run with a single to right.
The Blue Jays finally injected some life into the building in the fifth, erupting for three runs to chase Pomeranz.
Justin Smoak roped a double to right-centre, which just eluded Betts’s outstretched glove. That scored the first two Toronto runs.
With Hector Velazquez on the mound, Russell Martin fought off a sinker and the ball landed in shallow left to send Smoke home and cut the Boston lead to 4-3. Boston added another run in the eighth.