Blue Jays-Cleveland ALCS Game 2 pregame tipsheet
Devon Travis is now off the playoff roster, replaced by Justin Smoak. The 25-year-old second baseman is now ineligible for the World Series if the Jays make it that far.
After getting shutout in their first playoff defeat on Friday night, the Jays have a chance to rebound against Cleveland in Game 2. Lefty J.A. Happ takes the mound against right-hander Josh Tomlin.
Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians
ALCS Game 2
Progressive Field, Cleveland
First pitch: 4:08 p.m.
Weather forecast: 24 C and mostly sunny at game time
TV: TBS, simulcast on Sportsnet (TBS broadcast crew: Ernie Johnson on play-by-play with analysts Ron Darling and Cal Ripken Jr., and reporter Sam Ryan)
Radio: SN590 with the usual broadcast crew
Starting pitchers: LH J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.18) vs. RH Josh Tomlin (13-9, 4.40)
DRONE STRIKE
Game 2’s scheduled starter for Cleveland was Trevor Bauer with Tomlin lined up to pitch Game 3, but early Saturday it was announced that the pitchers were swapping places because Bauer cut his right pinky finger while repairing one of his drones. Bauer, who studied mechanical engineering in college, builds remote-controlled drones as a hobby. “Probably everybody in here probably at some point or another had a drone-related problem,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona quipped before Friday’s game. The injury is not believed to be serious, but a Cleveland-based hand specialist, Dr. Thomas Graham, will accompany the team to Toronto for Game 3 as a precaution.
FASTBALL FRUSTRATION
Something to look for in Saturday’s game that may work to the Jays’ advantage is that Cleveland’s hitters have struggled this season against fastballs, which is almost exclusively what Happ throws. Cleveland was the third-least-productive team in the majors against fastballs this season, according to Fangraphs. They did the vast majority of their damage against off-speed pitches, like, for instance, the 77-mph changeup Francisco Lindor hit for a home run in Game 1. Happ, meanwhile, throws the third-highest percentage of fastballs in the majors — combining both his four and two-seamer — behind only Bartolo Colon and teammate Aaron Sanchez.
RUNNING GAME
On the flip side, Happ is not good at controlling the running game and Cleveland was the best base-running team in the AL this year. Happ is slow to deliver his pitch to the plate compared to the average pitcher and he didn’t pick off a single runner this season. Cleveland, which stole the most bases in the AL this year and 80 more than the Jays, will likely look to exploit that weakness when they get runners on.
TRAVIS OUT, SMOAK IN
Second baseman Devon Travis, who exited Friday’s game in the fifth inning after re-aggravating a knee injury, was replaced on the Jays’ playoff roster Saturday by first baseman Justin Smoak. Travis, who has been dealing with a painful bone bruise in his right knee since the division series against Texas, is now ineligible for the World Series. The 25-year-old, who led the Jays with a .300 batting average this season, also missed last season’s playoff run due to a shoulder injury. Anticipating Travis’s knee might pose a problem this series — after he missed Games 2 and 3 of the division series — the Jays were already carrying two backup infielders, Darwin Barney and Ryan Goins, on their ALCS roster. Barney got the start Saturday because he has three hits in four career plate appearances against Tomlin, while Goins has never faced him. While Barney is a right-handed hitter and Goins is left-handed, manager John Gibbons said he’s not planning to use them in a strict platoon, but will look at how they individually matchup against that day’s opposing starting pitcher.
Players to watch:
Blue Jays – Troy Tulowitzki
The Jays’ veteran shortstop, who collected five RBIs in the Jays’ three-game sweep of Texas, is 4-for-10 against Tomlin, with two walks, in 12 career plate appearances. He had two hits, including a double, in two games against Tomlin this season.
Cleveland – Jason Kipnis
Cleveland’s veteran second baseman is 3-for-9 against Happ in his career with three doubles. Kipnis had four hits in Cleveland’s division series sweep of Boston, including a two-run homer in Game 1.
Devon Travis is now off the playoff roster, replaced by Justin Smoak. The 25-year-old second baseman is now ineligible for the World Series if the Jays make it that far.
After getting shutout in their first playoff defeat on Friday night, the Jays have a chance to rebound against Cleveland in Game 2. Lefty J.A. Happ takes the mound against right-hander Josh Tomlin.
Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians
ALCS Game 2
Progressive Field, Cleveland
First pitch: 4:08 p.m.
Weather forecast: 24 C and mostly sunny at game time
TV: TBS, simulcast on Sportsnet (TBS broadcast crew: Ernie Johnson on play-by-play with analysts Ron Darling and Cal Ripken Jr., and reporter Sam Ryan)
Radio: SN590 with the usual broadcast crew
Starting pitchers: LH J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.18) vs. RH Josh Tomlin (13-9, 4.40)
DRONE STRIKE
Game 2’s scheduled starter for Cleveland was Trevor Bauer with Tomlin lined up to pitch Game 3, but early Saturday it was announced that the pitchers were swapping places because Bauer cut his right pinky finger while repairing one of his drones. Bauer, who studied mechanical engineering in college, builds remote-controlled drones as a hobby. “Probably everybody in here probably at some point or another had a drone-related problem,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona quipped before Friday’s game. The injury is not believed to be serious, but a Cleveland-based hand specialist, Dr. Thomas Graham, will accompany the team to Toronto for Game 3 as a precaution.
FASTBALL FRUSTRATION
Something to look for in Saturday’s game that may work to the Jays’ advantage is that Cleveland’s hitters have struggled this season against fastballs, which is almost exclusively what Happ throws. Cleveland was the third-least-productive team in the majors against fastballs this season, according to Fangraphs. They did the vast majority of their damage against off-speed pitches, like, for instance, the 77-mph changeup Francisco Lindor hit for a home run in Game 1. Happ, meanwhile, throws the third-highest percentage of fastballs in the majors — combining both his four and two-seamer — behind only Bartolo Colon and teammate Aaron Sanchez.
RUNNING GAME
On the flip side, Happ is not good at controlling the running game and Cleveland was the best base-running team in the AL this year. Happ is slow to deliver his pitch to the plate compared to the average pitcher and he didn’t pick off a single runner this season. Cleveland, which stole the most bases in the AL this year and 80 more than the Jays, will likely look to exploit that weakness when they get runners on.
TRAVIS OUT, SMOAK IN
Second baseman Devon Travis, who exited Friday’s game in the fifth inning after re-aggravating a knee injury, was replaced on the Jays’ playoff roster Saturday by first baseman Justin Smoak. Travis, who has been dealing with a painful bone bruise in his right knee since the division series against Texas, is now ineligible for the World Series. The 25-year-old, who led the Jays with a .300 batting average this season, also missed last season’s playoff run due to a shoulder injury. Anticipating Travis’s knee might pose a problem this series — after he missed Games 2 and 3 of the division series — the Jays were already carrying two backup infielders, Darwin Barney and Ryan Goins, on their ALCS roster. Barney got the start Saturday because he has three hits in four career plate appearances against Tomlin, while Goins has never faced him. While Barney is a right-handed hitter and Goins is left-handed, manager John Gibbons said he’s not planning to use them in a strict platoon, but will look at how they individually matchup against that day’s opposing starting pitcher.
Players to watch:
Blue Jays – Troy Tulowitzki
The Jays’ veteran shortstop, who collected five RBIs in the Jays’ three-game sweep of Texas, is 4-for-10 against Tomlin, with two walks, in 12 career plate appearances. He had two hits, including a double, in two games against Tomlin this season.
Cleveland – Jason Kipnis
Cleveland’s veteran second baseman is 3-for-9 against Happ in his career with three doubles. Kipnis had four hits in Cleveland’s division series sweep of Boston, including a two-run homer in Game 1.
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