Toronto Blue Jays: Gibbons should not start Stroman in WC playoff
It might make more sense for the Toronto Blue Jays to hand Liriano the ball tonight instead of Stroman. Here’s why that should be the play.
Before the 2016 regular season began, many fans and insiders within the Toronto Blue Jays‘ organization envisioned Marcus Stroman emerging as the clubs young ace of the future. The cookie did not crumble that way.
The Stro Show got the nod for an Opening Day start on April 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 25-year-old right-hander turned in an admirable effort, lasting eight full innings with three earned runs allowed while punching out five. But by the time June rolled around, Stroman was 5-1 because of strong run support, not his inflated 4.46 ERA.
All things considered, Stroman did not emerge as the ace of Toronto’s staff this season. That honor would be better bestowed on either youngster Aaron Sanchez, who lost only two games across 30 starts and led the American League in ERA with a mark of 3.00, or veteran J.A. Happ, who managed 20 wins (2nd in AL) and a 3.18 ERA (6th in AL).
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As manager John Gibbons has done time and time again this year, his decision to start Stroman in tonight’s Wild Card playoff game versus the Baltimore Orioles sort of defies logic. He used Sanchez and Happ in the final series of the regular season at Fenway Park when the Blue Jays needed a win more than anything. Fine. Nothing to argue there.
Choosing to throw Marco Estrada at Rogers Centre this evening would mean doing so on only three days of rest for him. R.A. Dickey will likely only appear out of the pen in any game moving forward, so that leaves Stroman and Francisco Liriano as candidates to get the club a series against the Texas Rangers.
Stroman might be the more emotional and popular choice here among some fans. But when it comes to numbers and match-ups, Liriano needs to be the one starting Tuesday night’s contest on the bump for Toronto.
For starters, the Orioles as a team hit an AL worst .234 versus left-handed pitching in 2016. Liriano is a southpaw. Stroman, a righty, was roughed up on the regular by the O’s this season. He is 1-2 in four starts (only one of those being a QS) with a 7.04 ERA. The O’s split versus right-handed pitching this year is a much more favorable .263, third highest in the AL.
Meanwhile, Liriano has been the Blue Jays’ most valuable trade piece that was added at the deadline. In eight starts since teaming back up with catcher Russell Martin, the 32-year-old has re-discovered his mojo that he and Martin so frequently put on display during their time together in Pittsburgh.
Liriano boasts a 2.71 ERA in starts for Toronto this year. His last four consecutive starts in a Blue Jays uniform have been quality ones, while he has went at least six innings and allowed zero earned runs in his last two outings.
What’s most supporting of giving Liriano the ball tonight is the fact he faced the O’s in his final start of the regular season on Sept. 28 at Rogers Centre. His line from that game: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K.
Perhaps Gibbons is rolling the dice with his decision in this one and going more off a gut feeling than he is cognitive reasoning. Surely for for some Toronto Blue Jays fans that consider numbers and not Twitter followers, this has to be a tough concept to grasp. If the Jay lose, they’re done. The black and orange birds will be going on to face Texas in the ALDS.
One thing is for certain, though. Stroman will be on a short leash in this evening’s affair, with Liriano waiting in the bullpen for a potential call. In innings one through four this season, Stroman has an ERA of 3.45. From innings five through seven pitched, the right-hander’s ERA spikes to 5.91.
The dream scenario for Jays fans is to see their stacked lineup put up 8-10 runs in this one and not even be faced with a save scenario for closer Roberto Osuna, who has also been shaky as of late in the ninth inning. Whatever the outcome, the bottom line is, it’s still nice to see meaningful October baseball being played in Canada again.
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