Blue Jays complete record-setting onslaught of Rockies, but Ohtani and Dodgers up next

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To say the Blue Jays’ momentum, and confidence, were soaring as they departed Denver following a laughably one-sided sweep of the Colorado Rockies, would not be a stretch.

With their 20-1 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field, the Jays established a Major League Baseball record for a three-game series by pounding out 65 total hits, and set a franchise mark for runs scored by outscoring the Rockies 45-6.

Granted, the game did become a joke in the ninth inning when the Rockies trotted out backup catcher Austin Nola to pitch. Lobbing in 56-mph, batting-practice offerings, the Jays tagged him for eight runs.

While it might sound impressive, perspective is required given Colorado’s putrid pitching, its overall unimpressive roster and the thin air in the Mile High City which helped the Jays bats unleash 13 home runs in the series — two on Wednesday from Davis Schneider.

However, a sobering slap to the face potentially awaits them as they head to Los Angeles to face Shohei Ohtani and the defending World Series champion Dodgers in a three-game weekend series. The Dodgers lead the AL West with a 66-49 record.

The following are three takeaways from Wednesday’s win that gave the Jays a winning road record (30-29) and improved their overall mark to an AL-best 68-48.

GAUSMAN’S ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

Kevin Gausman hails from the Denver suburbs and grew up a Rockies fan.

For the second time with the Blue Jays, the right-hander started at Coors Field where he represented the San Francisco Giants at the 2021 all-star game.

On his second pitch, Gausman gave up a leadoff single to Tyler Freeman, who would steal second. There’s not much to complain about Gausman, but he isn’t known for holding runners on base.

Freeman came around to score on Ezequiel Tovar’s single as the Rockies jumped out to a 1-0 lead for the second game in a row. Gausman then issued a walk, but got out of any further damage by retiring the next two Colorado batters.

The rest of the afternoon was a breeze for Gausman. He allowed only one more hit and another walk over the next six innings — striking out eight — before the Jays bullpen wrapped it up.

BATS WERE BOOMING

As one might’ve figured, the Jays batting heroes on this day were plentiful.

Bo Bichette’s star, and his value, continued to soar. The pending free agent belted his third homer in as many games — a three-run shot in the third inning that put the Jays ahead to stay. The blast, plus his ninth-inning double off Nola, gave Bichette nine runs batted in for the series and raised his average to .301. In Monday’s series opener, Bichette homered twice en route to a career-high six-RBI game.

Ernie Clement had a four-hit game, including a garbage-time home run in the ninth. Clement had a career-high five hits in Monday’s beatdown only to go 0-for-5 in the Jays’ 10-4 win Tuesday night.

Newcomer Ty France, starting at first base, also had a four-hit outing, going 4-for-4 with an RBI.

Vlad Guerrero Jr., was the third Jays batter to punch out four hits, including his 18th home run, as he went deep for the second game in a row.

BRING ON THE RIGHTIES

With a southpaw on the hill for the Rockies — another Denver native in Kyle Freeland — the Jays stacked the lineup with right-handed bats, leaving Nathan Lukes as the lone lefty bat in the starting nine and he wound up driving in four runs on a 1-for-5 afternoon.

Conspicuous by his absence was Daulton Varsho, who went 5-for-10 with 10 RBIs in the first two games of the series, slugging three home runs including a 467-foot blast on Tuesday — the longest dinger hit by a Blue Jay this season. The move, however, to rest Varsho — recently back after a lengthy layoff following shoulder surgery — was pre-determined with an afternoon game following a night game.

Addison Barger and Alejandro Kirk were also not in the starting lineup, but Buddy Kennedy was in his debut with the club when he started at second base. The 26-year-old went 0-for-2 with a walk before being pinch-hit for in the sixth inning by Barger, who singled to drive in two and up the lead to 10-1.

UP NEXT

It’s an off-day for the Jays before they begin a much-anticipated three-game series Friday night at Chavez Ravine against the Dodgers … Another anticipated development involves George Springer’s potential availability after he was hit on the left side of his face in the ninth inning on July 29 in Baltimore … A much-welcome return is Buck Martinez to the TV booth.

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