The Jays enter the stretch drive with absolutely no left-handed threat. Since the all-star break, the five lefty swingers on the roster — Justin Smoak (switch hitter), Michael Saunders, Ezequiel Carrera, Ryan Goins and Josh Thole, plus the recently departed Darrell Ceciliani — have combined to bat a dismal .161 with 43 hits in 267 at-bats. In those 33 games, lefty Jays bats have just eight homers and 19 RBIs with 32 walks and 101 strikeouts. Teams look to save left-handed starters against the Jays.
There is a reason the Indians beat the Jays two out of three in Cleveland in a hotly contested series of one-run games. Check out the Indians lineup on Sunday. Manager Terry Francona had five switch-hitters and three left-handed hitters, with four right-handed swingers on the bench. When it came to the game-winning homer off lefty reliever Brett Cecil, Jose Ramirez turned around to bat right. On Friday, left.
Meanwhile, the Jays countered against former Cy Young winning right-hander Corey Kluber with lefties Saunders, Carrera and Goins. Nobody in the AL fears the Jays’ lefties. Southpaw Andrew Miller, acquired by the Indians to be the closer, watched the ninth inning from the Tribe bullpen and didn’t pitch in the series. Jays left-handed hitters were 7-for-35 (.200) in the three-game set with four walks and 13 strikeouts — and the Indians did not go to one lefty pitcher.
If Votto joined the Jays for the final month, Encarnacion could DH with Bautista in right and Saunders and Melvin Upton Jr. sharing left field.
we have to really start making games against Boston because we're exactly tied with them.
