Despite inconsistencies, standings and booming offence say Blue Jays are a playoff team
Bo Bichette is not much into verbosity, never serving up a 50-word answer to a query when 10 will do and those responses often are delivered in a volume not much above a whisper.
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So, when asked if that impressive and dominant 6-1 homestand his Blue Jays had just finished on Thursday meant a potential end to the topsy-turvy waves the team has endured through 62 games, Bo wasn't biting.
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'I'm sure there will be more,' Bichette said.
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Give credit to the Blue Jays shortstop — and suddenly potent home-run hitter with all of his eight so far this season coming in the past five weeks — he tends to speak the truth.
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The lows have been pretty gruesome for the Jays, after all, and the highs not yet sustainable. But with this recent run, could the Jays have arrived at a point where at best they can contain the most recent form and at worst avoid the wild swings and volatility?
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It's possible, even with a downer dose of Bichette caution.
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By moving to 33-29, the Jays have reached a season-high four games above .500 and at least feel that there is momentum.
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At 8-2, they completed their best 10-game stretch of the season, marked by a four-game sweep of the embarrassingly poor Athletics and taking two of three from the solidly stout Phillies. The 6-1 homestand was also their most prolific Rogers Centre stretch.
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And, don't look now, but the Jays woke up Friday in Minnesota — where a nine-game trip was scheduled to begin that evening — with a share of the American League's third wild-card spot.
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For manager John Schneider, the consistency with which his team has suddenly started pounding out runs on the regular has offered up a reprieve in more ways than one.
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'I can sit here a month ago and say, 'Hey, we're right there. I think when you (start scoring) it just validates how you feel,' Schneider said following Thursday's 9-1 win over the Phils. 'And it takes a little pressure off of everybody.'
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The key has been obvious: Runs, runs and more runs. Sure, the Jays scored a gritty and dramatic 2-1 win on Wednesday, but the eight-run outburst through two innings on Thursday showed they can let loose against a good team. It's literally all about offence and the power of the low-hanging fruit (GM Ross Atkins' now infamous term for home runs).
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'I think the mindset hasn't really changed, to be honest with you,' Schneider said. 'When you're performing, you're scoring, it kind of just leads into everything. It takes pressure off the pitchers, it allows them to get deeper in the games. And I think that performance really justifies how we and the guys feel about our team.'
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Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Following a 6-1 homestand, the Jays took their act on the road and continued their recent surge with a come-from-behind 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis. In a potential wild-card playoff preview, the Jays came back to topple the Twins, 6-4, at Target Field in Minneapolis. Since being swept in Tampa late last month, losing 13-0 in the series finale, the Jays have gone 9-2 in their past 11 games and remain tied for second place in the AL East with the Devil Rays. The team is playing its best baseball of the season, despite missing two big bats, while managing a pitching staff dealing with issues to its starting rotation. The following are three takeaways on a night when George Springer took the club lead in home runs with nine, when he went deep for a solo shot in the sixth inning and both teams emerged from the game with 34-29 records. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Whenever Anthony Santander returns to the lineup, under no circumstances should Addison Barger move down in the order. Hitting third has suited Barger, who deserve credit for taking advantage of the opportunity with Santander injured. He's reached this stage where every plate appearance is a must-see, each swing, even when he's chasing, is liable to leave the yard. He came close in his first at-bat against Twins starter Bailey Ober and then, with the Jays down 3-0, crushed a two-run no-doubter for his seventh homer of the season. During the team's recent homestand, Barger launched a home run in four straight games. When Santander does return from his shoulder injury, the Jays' lineup should be even deeper considering Daulton Varsho (hamstring) will also be back at some point. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The surprise bat, however, has belonged to Barger, who has emerged as a legitimate power presence. 2. Dressed to the nines The elephant in the Jays' room continues to be Andres Gimenez, whether he likes it or not. It's not his fault the Cleveland Guardians gave him seven-year contract extension worth $106.5 million US two years ago. It's not his fault the Blue Jays acquired his services this past off-season in a trade. The problem has been his bat. And despite his prowess with the glove at second base, his offensive contributions — aside from those three home runs in his first five games for Toronto — have been minimal. In Wednesday's 2-1 win over visiting Philadelphia, Gimenez emerged as the only Blue Jay to record a multi-hit game that raised his average above .200 for the first time since April 20. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Friday night, batting ninth — which seems only right — he drew a two-out walk in the third inning. Then, with Ernie Clement on first with a walk in the fifth, Gimenez stroked a long double off the base of the wall in right-centre that Twins' outfielder Matt Wallner misplayed, leaving runners at second an third. Both Clement and Gimenez, who made a great read on the play, scored on Bo Bichette's bloop single. 3. Pleading the fifth Eventually, the Jays will have to identify a fifth starter and move past these bullpen-game days. For now, there's no movement afoot to send down a struggling Bowden Francis, who failed to make it out of the second inning in his most recent start. 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