Kim Klement, USA TODAY SPORTS
The Toronto Blue Jays have one of the most potent lineups in all of MLB. The Blue Jays lead the American League in runs scored, slugging percentage, total bases and runs batted in.
With those credentials, it would seem that the Blue Jays would be among the best teams in the AL East. But that would be an incorrect assumption, and there’s a glaring reason why.
Toronto’s pitching is atrocious. The Blue Jays are 14th in the AL in ERA and saves, and are 15th in quality starts. That’s enough to put pressure on even the best offense in the AL.
As a result of these statistics, the Blue Jays find themselves four games under .500, at 22-26 after a 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night in a game where their outstanding offense saved them once again. Starting pitcher R.A. Dickey gave up five earned runs in five innings on Tuesday to raise his ERA to 5.77 on the season. Reliever Liam Hendriks gave up three earned runs in less than an inning of work in the game.
Dickey and Mark Buehrle were supposed to anchor the staff this season, but neither has done much through the first two months. Dickey is 2-5 with that 5.77 ERA, while Buehrle is 5-4 with a 5.13 ERA.
Toronto sits in last place in the AL East after Tuesday’s games, but they are by no means out of the race. The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays are tied for the division lead, but all five teams in the division are within three games of each other.
If Toronto can solve its pitching woes, there’s no reason this team can’t win the AL East title. But they certainly can’t win the division without getting better pitching.
Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
