If you’re only now waking up after watching all 14 innings of Saturday’s marathon game, you’re going to discover the Blue Jays’ have fluttered to their first losing streak of the season. A 3-1 loss on Sunday sent the Jays to their second straight defeat, third in four games and teetering on .500. Hardly Beast Mode, but also far from imploding like Rory McIlroy.
The pitching has been stalwart — especially Octavio Dotel, who won Friday night’s game and zipped fastballs to get out of a jam Saturday night. J.P. Arencibia called the reliever’s performance “phenomenal.”
No one would be so enthusiastic about the other facets of the Jays’ game. The offence has gone MIA, scoring just one run in the last 24 innings, and the outfield defence has turned Bad News Bears. On Sunday, Rajai Davis dropped a flyball that led to two unearned runs — essentially the game — and that followed Travis Snider’s misplay in the 14th inning of Saturday night’s game that put the eventual winning run on base.
Arencibia has been up and down. He’s gotten on base, but he also stranded plenty of runners on Saturday night (like every other Jay) and his defence on Thursday was shaky in a tight 2-1 loss to Oakland. The rookie sat out Sunday, which wasn’t a surprise considering he was behind the plate for all 14 innings on Saturday.
He’s likely to be back in when the Jays open a series Monday in Seattle against the tough Felix Hernandez.
Monday: Jesse Litsch (Jays, 1-0, 4.26 ERA) at Felix Hernandez (Mariners, 1-1, 2.25 ERA), 10:05 p.m., Sportsnet
MORE DJPATCW*
Day 6: Running and gunning
Day 5: OK, Blue Jays
Day 4: No post (off-day)
Day 3: Rope burn
Day 2: Call him Johnny Bench
Day 1: Opening Day hero
J.P. Arencibia 2011 Season Stats:
Avg.: .368
H: 7
R: 3
AB: 19
HR: 2
RBI: 5
Adrian Brijbassi 