Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run off Toronto Blue Jays reliever Ryan Tepera during the eighth inning of a game in Toronto, on April 4, 2018.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
The concentration was evident on the face of Ryan Tepera, the Toronto Blue Jays rock-steady reliever, as he eyed the task at hand.
It looked to be a 12-footer and straight as an arrow along the green putting carpet that had been unfurled in front of his locker inside the Blue Jays clubhouse at Rogers Centre on Wednesday afternoon.
Able to ignore the hustle and bustle in the room, Tepera gave the ball a well-practised stroke with his putter and then grimaced as it just rolled past the “hole.”
From the perspective of the baseball team, it was one of the few misses it has experienced through the season’s first week.
With a roster that leads the majors in one dubious category – average age – and thin on upper-echelon position players apart from Josh Donaldson and perhaps Justin Smoak, only the most optimistic of pundits believed in Toronto’s playoff chances this season.
The opening seven-game home stand is far too small a sample size to draw any concrete conclusions about the Blue Jays abilities this season.
But after dropping the first two games against the New York Yankees, a team many favour to win the World Series this year, and then battling back to earn a split in the four-game series, some heads began to turn about Toronto’s 2018 prospects.
The Blue Jays then won the first two games of a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox to run their winning streak to four games.
Toronto’s early-season charge came to an end on Wednesday night when the White Sox battled to a 4-3 victory at Rogers Centre to avoid the sweep. Toronto’s record fell to 4-3.
Jose Abreu stoked the winning run, a solo home run shot in the top of the eighth inning off Tepera, which broke a 3-3 tie.
Regardless, it was a solid home debut for the Blue Jays, who head onto the road for nine games in 11 days with a renewed sense of purpose.
“We had a couple games that didn’t go our way but we bounced back, we’ve been fighting back extremely well late in the game, having some nice innings,” Donaldson said before Wednesday’s game.
“I think especially the eighth inning’s been pretty good for us … and the bullpen’s looked sharp,” the third baseman continued. “They’ve had a couple times where they’ve given up some homers, which is going to happen. But they’ve bounced back well after that and that’s what you look for.”
Wednesday’s game was full of twists and turns, none more bizarre than the series of unfortunate events that unfolded in the Chicago fifth when the White Sox loaded the bases against Toronto starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez with one out.
Chicago leadoff batter Yoan Moncada then lifted a high, fly ball to left field that sent Toronto outfielder Curtis Granderson to the wall. Granderson leapt up to try to make the catch, fell on his backside, and the ball landed in his glove.
None of the runners advanced on the play and Moncada was ruled out on the so-called catch.
Upon video review, however, it was determined that the ball hit the fence first before Granderson made his play. The original ruling was overturned to give Moncada a run-scoring single that moved the White Sox ahead 2-1.
With the bases still loaded Sanchez then hit Avisail Garcia with a pitch that increased the lead to 3-1.
Toronto came back to even things with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth, with Kendrys Morales driving in Steve Pearce with the tying run from second with a single to centre.
Over all, Toronto’s starters played well, as anticipated, along with a bullpen that through the first six games held opponents to a .187 batting average, second best in the American League.
Offensively, the Blue Jays are holding their own, with seven players accounting for 10 home runs over that six-game span, the AL’s second highest total.
The only real downside to Toronto’s season has been the fan support. Last night’s gathering was just more than 17,000 and the average through seven home games is about 28,500 – less than the 39,500 they enjoyed in 2017.
“I just think there’s a lot going on,” Donaldson said. “The Leafs are doing well, you got the Raptors playing well, both of them making playoff pushes – I don’t think the Leafs want to play my Lightning.
“But I think it’s just kind of one of those ordeals where there’s a lot going on right now and it’s going to get better.”
Toronto FC beat Mexico's Club America 3-1 Tuesday night, in its CONCACAF Champions League semifinal opening game. TFC coach Greg Vanney says the third goal by defender Ashtone Morgan was “beautiful.”
The Canadian Press