So far this month, the Jays are 10-6 with a 2.87 ERA, easily the best month our pitchers have had this year.
Hot
Dylan Cease: 3 starts, 0-0, 2.45 ERA. In 18.1 innings, batters hit .158/.236/.274, with 2 home runs, 8 walks and 27 strikeouts.
Also opponents stole 14 bases in those 18.1, with 2 caught. He doesn’t hold runners at all. Three starts, he had two Quality Starts, and one that would have been a Quality Start if he had thrown one more inning. It is very impressive that he has a .274 slugging average against. He’s been amazing and we couldn’t get a W for him. He went 7 innings of 2 hit ball with 1 walk and 10 strikeouts and we couldn’t get him a win. Before the DH, you’d say, well he should have diving in a run himself. In all three starts, he had more strikeouts than innings.
Shane Bieber: 3 starts, 2-0, 3.63 ERA. In 17.1 innings batters hit .271/.329/.414 with 3 home runs, 6 walks and 15 strikeouts.
Two really good starts, going 5.2 and 6 innings allowing just a run in each and one blowup, 5 earned in 5.2 innings, that we lost in 12 innings. He’s not been Ace level, but we have Cease for that, but he’s been pretty good, with the odd really bad start just to keep you guessing. Having that one off the charts terrible one, just before the trade deadline, showed me how much he wanted to stay will the team. It will be interesting to see how free agency goes.
Max Scherzer: 3 starts, 0-1, 2.20 ERA. In 16.1 innings, batters hit .197/.234/.328, 2 home runs, 3 walks and 13 strikeouts.
One was a Quality start, but the other two would have been if he had pitched 6 innings instead of 5. I’ve been thinking that we should change the definition of QS to 5 innings. Anyway, all three of his starts were good, giving up 1, 2 and 1 runs. I was pretty sure this would be his last year (and it really should be) but he is getting the outs.
José Soriano: 2 starts, 0-0, 1.69. In 10.2 innings, batters hit .216/.310/.351 with 1 home run, 5 walks and 7 strikeouts.
Two starts, one where he only went 4.2 innings, but gave up just 1 earned. The other he did 6 innings, giving up just 1 earned again. He seems to be a good pick up (he says knowing you shouldn’t judge anyone on 10 innings).
Braydon Fisher: 10 games, 1 as opener, 0-1, 0.82 ERA. In 11 innings, batters hit .156/.325/.250 with 1 home runs, 8 walks and 5 strikeouts.
He had 4 holds. He continues to be great. Too many walks, but then guys slugged .250. He gave up two runs, just the other day, and took the lose, but those were the only runs he allowed. When your ERA starts with a 0 you know it is going well
Tyler Rogers: 9 games, 1-0, 2 saves, 0.96 ERA. In 9.1innings, batters hit .182/.308/.182, with 6 walks and 2 strikeouts.
Tyler had 3 holds. 6 walks and 2 strikeouts looks bad, but he’s been terrific all season long. I do have some worries that he won’t do as well next year. Most submarine pitchers seem to have a very good year, a good and a poor year, if they stay with the same team for few years. But Rogers seems a lot better than most.
Mason Fluharty: 9 games, 0-0, 0.00 ERA. In 6.2 innings, batters hit .000/.091/.000 with 0 home runs, 2 walks and 4 strikeouts.
He had 2 holds. That’s a terrific 6.2 inning. He’s very good vs LHH .453 OPS, but not good against RHH (.918). John has been excellent at picking his spots. If your ERA only contains zeros, things are great.
Brendon Little: 7 games, 0-1, 1.59 ERA. In 5.2 innings, batters hit .235/.500/.294, with 0 earned runs, 9 walks and 9 strikeouts.
He had 3 holds. 9 walks in 5.2 inning pretty awful, but he only allowed 1 earned run. And 9 strikeouts in 17 total outs is very good. This is the pitcher he is. He’s brought his ERA under 10. I’m not sure I’d bet that he’ll finish the season with an ERA under 10. He’s now arbitration eligible until after next year, so they will likely keep him around next year. And he has an option left for next year.
Cold
I didn’t put anyone in this slot. Weird.
Inbetween
Louis Varland: 8 games, 2-1, 4 saves, 1 blown save, 3.24 ERA. In 8.1 innings, batters hit .235/.294/.296 with 1 home run, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.
He allowed 3 earned runs, but there was also 4 unearned run. He hasn’t been quite as lights out as he had been earlier in the season. And John seems to be trying to be more careful with him, which seems like a good idea, although, since they traded Hoffman they are short of guys you want to see pitching the late innings of close games. I mean, Lázaro Estrada got a save and they DFAed him later.
Spencer Miles: 7 games, 1-0, 1 save, 2.25 ERA. In 8 innings, batters hit .313/.324/.469 with 0 homers, 1 walks and 5 strikeouts.
Batters are hitting him pretty good, but he’s kept them from scoring. After pitching just 8.2 innings in the Arizona Fall League, and nothing before that, last year, He’s up to 78 innings now. They are going to be careful with him the rest of the season. I’d bet, unless they lose a few more pitchers to injury, that he won’t get above 90.
Also Pitched
We seem to have a lot of these guys who pitched a couple of innings for us this month.
Simeon Woods Richardson: Pitched in 2 games, 5.1 innings, allowed a run, 4 hits, 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. The team doesn’t seem to have any confidence in him, but he has been pretty good for us.
Lazaro Estrada: Pitched in 4 games, 3.2 innings, 1-1 with a save. He gave up 4 hits, 3 earned, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts. Also had a hit batter, a balk, and wild pitch. He was DFAed, but he’s still in the system.
Chase Lee: Pitched in 4 games, he had a win. In 4.2 innings, he gave up 5 earned, on 6 hits, a home run, 4 walks and 1 strikeouts.
He’s in Buffalo. He’s been up and down a few times.
Chad Dallas: Pitched in 1 game, gave up a run in 3.2 innings, 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts.
Ricky Tiedemann: They called him up, he pitched in one game. 1.2 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned and 2 strikeouts and then the sent him back to the minors. I didn’t understand why. Why would you bring him up to pitch once? If he had been terrible, I’d understand sending him back, but he was fine.
Matt Waldron: Pitched in 3 games. Two went well, had a hold in one, had clean inning in both. The other game went really badly, gave up 3 runs while getting 1 out. He’s still on the roster, so we’ll see him again.
IL
Spencer Arrighetti: Has Morton’s Neuroma in his right foot, which I haven’t heard of before. It doesn’t sound good, but apparently he might pitch for us this season. The description includes the words sharp pain and burning.
Trey Yesavage: 1 start, 2 inning. They think he might be back this year, I don’t. Had left meniscus surgery
Patrick Corbin: He won’t be back soon.
Joe Mantiply: He’s been throwing bullpen sessions.
Yimi García: Thoracic outlet syndrome. He may have an operation, which would likely end any chance of him pitching this year.
Cody Ponce: Will miss the season.
Jameson Taillon: Pitched in 2 games, 8 innings, 7 hits, 3 earned (3.38), 1 home run, 5 walks and 7 strikeouts.
It is possible he’ll be back before the end of the season.
José Berríos: Had Tommy John. Might be back by the end of next season, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Bowden Francis: Won’t pitch this year.