Toronto Blue Jays: Mathis signs a two-year contract extension

It’s been an eventful week for the Toronto Blue Jays.  Some good, some bad, but mostly bad.

Let’s start with a little good news.

Jeff Mathis (left) signs a two-year contract extension with the Jays.

The team has signed catcher, Jeff Mathis to a two-year, $1.5 million contract extension with a club option in 2015.  The option is worth another $1.5 million with no buyout included.   I’m quite happy with this signing.  Mathis has proven this season he is a good back up catcher both offensively and defensively.

The Blue Jays also signed Yorvit Torrealba to a Minor  League contract

After a tough series against the Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays  look to have a better go of it in a four game series against the Chicago White Sox or I hoped. 

David Cooper was obviously the the hero in game one as he drove in Kelly Johnson for the winning in the bottom of the 11th inning,

“Just a well pitched game on both sides,” said Jays manager, John Farrell in the postgame press conference after the game.

Edwin Encarnacion put the Jays on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third inning when he drove in Anthony Gose with a single.

The White Sox tied it up at the top of the fourth inning when Adam Dunn hit a solo home run.

There was no scoring until the bottom of the seventh inning when Moises Sierra hit his first ever Major League home run to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.

At the top of  the ninth inning, Dunn hit his second home run of the game to tie it 2-2 and pushed the game into extra innings.  “Adam Dunn makes the ballpark look like a Little League field every time he steps to the plate,” said Farrell.  Now I don’t know whether he makes a Major League ballpark look like a Little League field,  but in my mind, Dunn has certainly proven he is always a danger to the opposing pitchers each time he steps into the batters box.

Jays starting pitcher, Carlos Villanueva had another good outing on the mound, giving up five hits, one earned run, one walk, and struck out eight batters in seven innings pitched.vin Come

A throwing error by Jays starting pitcher, Henderson Alvarez was the big difference in game two as Toronto went on to lose 3-2.   The error occured at the top of the fifth inning when Alvarez tried to pick off Dewayne Wise at first base.  As a result, Alejandro De Aza scored what turned out to be the winning run.

Update: The Blue Jays have completed their 10 player July trade (see July 22 article) today (Aug. 16), sending Kevin Comer to Houston.

Things got worse for the Blue Jays in game three as they lost 9-5.

This was Ricky Romero`s ninth straight loss and did not have a good night on the mound as far as I’m concerned despite the five strikeouts.  In the six innings Romero gave up eight hits, six earned runs and two walks.  He now has a record of 8-10.   Something is not right here folks. 

The Blue Jays ended the series with the White Sox on a losing note.  The White Sox creamed them 7-2.

The Jays will host the Texas Rangers for three games this coming weekend who leads American League West.   Will they redeem themselves from the White Sox series?  Who knows.  I know for one thing, it  can’t any worse.