Blue Jays veterans rising above meaningless September baseball as latest two wins show

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When Jose Berrios cashed in on a seven-year extension worth $131 million US in 2021, he wasn’t signing up for Septembers like this.

Ditto for Kevin Gausman, whose exhaustive research prior to agreeing to a five-year, $110 million contract less than a month after Berrios came aboard was based on the premise that he was taking the remaining peak years of his career to a serious contender.

If they were being truthful, I’m sure both high-end starters would admit that this long lost 2024 season can’t end soon enough.

That doesn’t mean either starting pitcher — or any of the veterans on the Jays roster — are in mail-it-in mode, as easy as it would be to let the give-a-bleep meter slide about now.

“The veterans have been remarkable,” pitching coach Pete Walker said prior to an easy 7-2 win against a less than inspired St. Louis Cardinals side on a brilliant late Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.

“Obviously it’s been a difficult season, but I think they’ve found a way, especially lately, to stay motivated. They’re on extra rest, so physically they’re feeling pretty good right now and they’re still attacking these games with the right mindset.

“I know the season hasn’t gone as planned and it’s been a battle and difficult at times, but I’m proud of the way they’ve handled it.”

Leading the way on that account has been Berrios, who pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, the only blemish being a third-inning solo homer from the Cards’ Jordan Walker. It allowed Berrios to record a career-best 16th victory and pushed his winning streak to seven consecutive starts. During that stretch, Berrios has allowed just eight earned runs.

The previous night, Gausman allowed just two runs over seven innings in the Jays’ 4-3 win and of note threw a fastball clocked at 98.5 miles per hour, the hardest he’s tossed all season.

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In both cases, the professionalism of two veteran (and yes, well paid) pitchers has been on display. Both dudes have been around long enough to be well versed in the vagaries of baseball and how quickly expectations can be flushed. This season was exhibit ‘A’ for a Jays team that expected more, but there’s been an opportunity for the veterans to show some leadership.

“It was a weird kind of a flip overnight to where we weren’t where we wanted to be and guys like Kevin, Chris (Bassitt), Jose, (Dalton Varsho, Vlad Guerro Jr., George Springer, Chad Green), it was their time to hold steady,” manager John Schneider said. “And they’ve been outstanding. I can’t speak highly enough of what they’ve done, how they’ve competed and how they’ve taught the (younger) guys along the way.”

No one is suggesting it’s easy, either. Veterans especially would be well aware of the shortcomings of a team that never sniffed at being anywhere near as competitive as projected.

And in the case of both Berrios and Gausman, they chose Toronto for the big-money earning years of their careers for much more than this.

“You hate that you’re here,” Schneider said of what must be going through their minds. “You’re not used to being there for the last few years so I think being open and communicating as to what our plans are (is important). I think (GM Ross Atkins) did a good job communicating with those guys too. They’re pros. We’re lucky because they’re good, but also because they understand the inner workings of the game and how it can change month-to-month, year-to-year.

“They get it. You look around the league and seasons are weird. Sometimes they don’t work out the way you want it to, but you can’t let it affect what you’re trying to do out there as a player.”

Almost from start to finish, Berrios has been excellent, but the right hander has been particularly sharp late in the season, a run that has garnered the admiration of his teammates and coaches.

And Berrios has been earnest about setting a good example and finishing the season with a flourish.

“(Late in the season) I talked to my family — my father and brother — and said I have to be a good leader and also a great teammate,” Berrios said. “I made that adjustment (from some early struggles) and turned that page. I’m there for my teammates but it’s my work and my job and I have to do my best every outing.

“If you want to have a great group, we have to show them the road. I’ve had the opportunity to do that.”

GAME ON

The teams traded third inning homers with Walker belting one to centre field for the Cardinals and the Jays’ Davis Schneider countering in the bottom half … The breakout came in the decisive sixth inning when the Jays put up four, starting with a bases-loaded throwing error to home by Cards shortstop Masyn Wynn that allowed Nathan Lukes to score from third. Schneider added an RBI single as part of the outburst. Schneider seems to be climbing out of his cold spell after counting for three of the Jays’ 10 hits. The homer was his first since June 22 … It was the first time in 16 games that the Jays have won two in row. They’ll chase a series sweep on Sunday when Yariel Rodriguez faces Miles Mikolas.

@longleysunsport