AL Eastbound & Down

We could get all analytical and break down some of the key stats from a weekend series with the Texas Rangers but let’s just be completely honest and call it was it is, a Texas ass-whoopin.  The Rangers absolutely abused the Blue Jays pitching staff all series long and the Jays are leaving with their tails between their legs.

Jays swept by the Rangers and the record now stands at 24-24.

Quick recap and boxscores:

Game 1 – Rangers 14, Blue Jays 3 – Nelson Cruz has 8 RBIs, Brandon Morrow doesn’t last through the first inning.

Game 2 – Rangers 8, Blue Jays 7 – A late inning comeback is all for not as the Jays pen coughs up an extra inning lead.

Game 3 – Rangers 12, Blue Jays 6 – Kyle Drabek gives up 9 earned runs.

NEXT UP: A three game set at home versus the Baltimore Orioles.

The Blue Jays didn’t let a tough two-game sweep at the hands of Tampa Bay get them down and they cruised to a two-game midweek sweep of the New York Yankees.  Back-to-back solid pitching performances by Kyle Drabek and Drew Hutchison helped the Jays take it to the Bronx bombers.

Here are the boxscores and quick recaps:

Game 1 – Blue Jays 8, Yankees 1 – Blue Jays hit 4 homeruns, Drabek solid.

Game 2 – Blue Jays 4, Yankees 1 – Bautista and Arencibia hit homeruns, Hutchison pitches a solid game.

The Tampa Bay Rays are quickly becoming a real thorn in the side of the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Jays have been getting their butts kicked by Tampa for the past four plus seasons and are something like 25 games under .500 versus the Rays over the past three years.

The Blue Jays lost both games of the midweek series, here are the boxscores and quick recaps.

Game 1 – Rays 7, Blue Jays 1 - Jeff Niemann left game after one inning, but Jays bats dead.

Game 2 – Rays 4, Blue Jays 3 – Brett Lawrie gets ejected, Jays probably could have won this close game.