Shi Davidi

1 week ago | sportsnet.ca | Shi Davidi

ARLINGTON, Texas — If it feels like the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers are having different versions of the same season, well, that’s because they pretty much are. Both teams entered the season with aspirations well beyond their current standing. Both are held back by underperforming lineups while solid pitching and defence keep them afloat. Both keep looking for answers to their ongoing hitting woes, struggling within a wider offence-suppressing environment.

1 week ago | sportsnet.ca | Shi Davidi

ARLINGTON, Texas — Back before baseball’s tech revolution, Pete Walker would stay up for hours after games breaking down video of his pitchers, trying to identify any little inconsistency or flaw that was either the cause of, or precursor to trouble. If something was off, it was up to him to pick it up. “Now, we have skeletal systems, so you know if someone is off by two, three, four, five degrees,” said the Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach.

1 week ago | sportsnet.ca | Shi Davidi

ARLINGTON, Texas — To better understand why the Toronto Blue Jays continue to fluctuate within a narrow band on either side of the .500 mark, and whether they’re ever going to sustainably break free from it, keep an eye on their run-differential. While there are always anomalies, the number is generally a strong predictor of a team’s win-loss record and capacity for success.

2 weeks ago | bvmsports.com | Shi Davidi

TORONTO - All things considered, the Toronto Blue Jays are, to this point, surviving the rotation instability caused by Max Scherzer's ongoing absence relatively well. In the eight games his turn has come up since he left his March 29 outing after three innings, the team is 5-3 heading into Friday's series opener at the Tampa Bay Rays, when Eric Lauer will either start or be counted on to do the heavy lifting in a bulk role.

2 weeks ago | sportsnet.ca | Shi Davidi

TORONTO — All things considered, the Toronto Blue Jays are, to this point, surviving the rotation instability caused by Max Scherzer’s ongoing absence relatively well. In the eight games his turn has come up since he left his March 29 outing after three innings, the team is 5-3 heading into Friday’s series opener at the Tampa Bay Rays, when Eric Lauer will either start or be counted on to do the heavy lifting in a bulk role.