Source: Gregory Strong , The Canadian Press, April 12, 2016
New York gets to Cecil after Sanchez gives up 3 hits over 6 innings
A look at the Toronto Blue Jays’ stat sheet offers some revealing numbers.
Troy Tulowitzki is batting .107 on the season. Chris Colabello is hitting at a .067 clip and Russell Martin isn’t much better at .087.
The bullpen has also been suspect at times. Brett Cecil was the latest reliever to turn in a mediocre performance, giving up the go-ahead run in a 3-2 loss to the visiting New York Yankees on Tuesday night.
Cecil came on in the seventh inning in relief of starter Aaron Sanchez. He gave up a lead-off hit to Chase Headley, who later scored on a Jacoby Ellsbury single.
The New York bullpen took care of the rest in the opener of the three-game series at Rogers Centre.
“He’s going to be fine,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of the lefty reliever. “I thought he looked pretty good in spring training to be honest with you.
“But I mean he’s off right now. There’s no secret about that.”
Shaky ‘pen
This is mid-April baseball and many players still don’t quite have their timing down. But the Toronto bullpen has contributed to four losses already this season while the Blue Jays have dropped five of six overall.
New York’s relievers, meanwhile, gave up just two walks after starter Masahiro Tanaka wrapped up his five-inning effort.
Dellin Betances fanned Jose Bautista with a runner on second base to end the seventh inning and he added two more strikeouts in the eighth. Andrew Miller worked a perfect ninth inning for his second save.
‘We’re not too far off. I think we believe that we have a great team offensively. … The hits are going to come.’– Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin
Toronto managed just three hits on the night. Bautista drove in both runs with a double in the third inning.
“We’re not too far off,” said Martin. “I think we believe that we have a great team offensively. Overall I feel like we have a great team. The hits are going to come.
Brian McCann hit a solo homer in the sixth inning for New York and reliever Johnny Barbato (1-0) worked an inning of relief for his first career win.
Cecil (0-2) shouldered the loss. One of the team’s strongest relievers last season, his earned-run average currently sits at 10.13.
The two starters had similar lines.
Tanaka allowed three hits, two earned runs and gave up four walks while striking out six. Sanchez gave up three hits, two runs (one earned), three walks and struck out five.
After the lead-off single in the seventh, Cecil issued a four-pitch walk to Starlin Castro. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Didi Gregorius.
Ellsbury worked a full count before driving in Headley with a flare to shallow left field. New York improved to 4-2 with the win while the Blue Jays fell to 3-5.
“We clawed and we scratched and were able to get a couple in,” Headley said. “Sometimes you’ve got to win like that.”