With Edwin Encarnacion ailing, Blue Jays lean more on Jose Bautista
KANSAS CITY – There were no monster home runs from Jose Bautista on Friday. No memorable bat flips either. Officially, he was just 0-for-1 with three walks.
He was a major presence nonetheless, and may have to become an even bigger one in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup if Edwin Encarnacion is sidelined by a sore middle left finger that forced him out of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series in the eighth inning.
The powerful Blue Jays, who produced more runs than any team in the majors since 2009, went on to get shut out 5-0 by Edinson Volquez and the Kansas City Royals bullpen.
Though unexpected, the outcome was not terribly worrisome for a team that dropped the first two games of the division series at home, only to come roaring back with three consecutive victories to knock off the Texas Rangers.
A bigger issue may be Encarnacion’s finger, which has been bothering the Jays’ designated hitter much of the year and got bad enough Friday that he required X-rays after leaving for pinch-hitter Justin Smoak with two runners on and Toronto trailing 3-0.
“It’s definitely a concern. He’s one of our better hitters,’’ shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said of Encarnacion, who finished with 39 homers and 111 RBI. “For him to come out of the game, his finger was probably bothering him pretty good. But we’ve seen it all year that he’s responded well, so hopefully he’s ready to go tomorrow.’’
The Blue Jays have plenty more firepower in the lineup, including AL MVP favorite Josh Donaldson, but Encarnacion’s absence may put more of an onus on Bautista, a six-time All-Star and twice the AL’s home run champion.
Now in his 12th season, Bautista is getting a taste of the playoffs for the first time, and he’s not one to shy away from attention. He was animated during his ALCS debut, interacting with the Royals fans, rowdy and courteous alike. At one point he pretended to throw a ball into the stands after catching the third out of the fifth inning, only to pull it back.
“With the majority it was friendly bickering, with the exception of one guy who got a little fresh but settled down after I spoke sternly to him,’’ Bautista told Paste BN Sports in Spanish. “Sometimes you have to let them know that just because they buy a ticket doesn’t mean they have a right to insult you.’’
If not quite insults, Bautista unleashed a torrent of reaction after hitting the decisive three-run homer in Game 5 of the division series, then capping that career-defining moment with the bat flip to end all bat flips.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons believes Bautista has the rare knack for rising to the occasion at dramatic times.
“I think this is a coming-out party for Jose,’’ Gibbons said. “He’s been one of the top players in baseball for the last five or six years. But we never got to the postseason, so I don’t think he’s had a chance to show off how good he is.’’
Bautista did not get much of a chance on Friday either. Volquez has had his number in the past, holding him to three hits in 17 at-bats, but naturally pitched the slugging right fielder carefully. Bautista also avoided the common pitfall of trying to play the hero when the opportunity doesn’t present itself, walking thrice rather than chasing pitches outside the strike zone.
But Volquez did not yield much more than that. Surprising the Blue Jays with a fastball that often hit 96 mph and then dropping in gorgeous curveballs, Volquez pitched brilliantly over six innings, allowing two hits as Toronto finished with just three, its lowest total ever in a postseason game.
Volquez finally attached a win to an ugly playoff ledger that showed three losses and an 8.76 ERA in three starts coming in. Today it will be David Price who gets a chance to reverse a playoff history that goes counter to his mostly outstanding regular-season work.
The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner is 2-6 with an unsightly 5.04 ERA in his career for the postseason, and as far as the Blue Jays are concerned, he could not pick a better time to start turning those numbers around. He’ll oppose hard-throwing right-hander Yordano Ventura.
“I’ll take my chances with that guy. I heard he’s pretty good,’’ Toronto first baseman Chris Colabello said of Price. “His reputation precedes him regardless of what his track record is. It’s good to have him going for us.’’
GALLERY: ALCS - BLUE JAYS vs. ROYALS