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Tuesday bantering

By Martin Barratt
Toronto Blue Jays v Cleveland Indians Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Back to playing baseball again today- and we are up against the equally (and baffingly) ineffective Red Sawx. Who knows what will happen from this series? Hopefully the Jays will sweep all before them and leave their fans wailing in lament. We can only hope!

A sneak peek of what is to come:

Today sees Matt Shoemaker (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Chris Sale (0-2, 8.00 ERA)

Then on Thursday we see Aaron Sanchez (1-1, 1.64 ERA) vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 8.10 ERA).

Something of encouragement to the Jays will be that Boston’s starting pitchers have a combined 0-7 record, 1.86 WHIP and .320 opponents’ batting average this season.

And when Montoyo meets Cora will be an MLB moment worth celebrating.

In other Jays links:

Jays players will get even younger before they get better; so get use to it.

Rehabbing David Phelps plays the long game in pitch for Blue Jays duty

A lovely piece on how unheralded prospect Chavez Young aims to make Bahamas proud

Need a round up of all our affiliates results and prospect performances from yesterday in one place? Here you go!

Vlad watch:

Parting message from Pillar

And former Jay Kevin Pillar says goodbye to us all:

View this post on Instagram

I don’t know where to start but the last couple days have been some of the most difficult and challenging days of my career. After trying to get myself and family settled in a new city and organization, I have finally had a chance to process my feelings... Thank you isn’t enough Toronto. I gave you my heart and you gave me yours back. I was just a California kid who always had a dream of playing in the big leagues. Never in my wildest dreams would I be playing 3,000 miles away from home in a different country. On August 14, 2013 I made my MLB debut in Toronto but what I didn’t know is you would be my home for the next 7 years of my life. To AA, Paul Beeston, and especially the guy who drafted me, Kevin Fox, thanks for believing in a 21 year old D2 baseball player. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to prove that I could not only reach the big leagues but become an everyday center fielder. To the staff, trainers, stadium employees, clubhouse staff: thank you for your constant love and support and always making me and my family feel like family. You all touched my heart in a way that I will never forget. To my teammates: thank you for the most unbelievable ride. We had some challenging years but we also had some pretty magical and incredible years. Despite the ups and downs of a season, you guys were the ones who made me want to play as hard as I could every single day, regardless of the score. To the fans: Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have been the most incredible, honest, passionate fans from coast to coast. You will always have a special place in my heart and for that, I can’t thank you enough.

A post shared by Kevin Pillar (@kpillar11) on

And in case you missed it, Kevin hit his first homer for the Giants -and it was grand.

Davis in despair

Chris Davis went 0-for-5 to set the big-league mark for the longest hit less streak by a position player, extending his drought to 49 consecutive at-bats in the Baltimore Orioles’ 12-4 rout of the Oakland yesterday.

Davis hit three flyballs before striking out in the seventh and eighth innings, leaving him 0-for-28 this season and 0-for-49 since hitting a double early in a game Sept. 14. The previous longest drought by a non-pitcher was 46 at-bats, by Dodgers infielder Eugenio Vélez.

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Now, Davis owns a second unwanted record. He hit .168 last year, the worst batting average in major league history for a qualified player. He is currently hitting .000.

He is also in the 4th year of an epic $161m contract; since he signed it in Jan 2016, he has hit just .199/.295/.390.

But while we may laugh at the folly of his contract and the current futility of his play, its worth remembering that he is a person with feelings who is struggling mightily in all of this.

This is evidenced in this Sports Illustrated profile of an aching Davis by Stephanie Apstein from Sept last year: Crushed Davis: Nobody Is Struggling With the Modern Game More Than Chris Davis.

And so while i may not like his team, as a baseball fan i’m genuinely wishing the best for Chris.

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