Robbie Ray knew the Jays needed a stopper on Sunday. After losing the first two games of the series against the Rays, Toronto was on the brink of .500. When you’re on the fringes of the race, 45-42 is just so much better than 44-43.
Ray would need to spearhead an effort to provide some momentum going into the second half of the season. That’s exactly what he did.
Ray was dominant through seven innings, recording 11 strikeouts and just one walk. In fact, he went into the seventh with a no-hitter intact. Yandy Diaz hit what appeared to be a homer. It was reviewed and rightly declared a double, and that was it. Ray was able to record the next two outs, and his masterful afternoon was in the books.
10 Ks, 0 hits through 6 innings for @RobbieRay. ? pic.twitter.com/lQu9Ps09Ou
— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2021
When the Blue Jays re-signed Ray to a one-year, $8M contract in the winter, I shrugged my shoulders. He’s not as good as he used to be. Boy, was I wrong! Ray represents one of the best signings the team made all winter.
Fastball Focus
A huge key for Ray re-establishing himself as a force on the mound was upgrading his best pitch, his fastball. Working with pitching coach Pete Walker, the lefty fine-tuned his delivery and has experienced an uptick in velocity.
He continues to work hard on his control. The turning point for Ray came in an early-season contest versus Kansas City. He couldn’t hit his spots and labored through five innings. He walked six batters!
Ray turned his season around beginning with his next start. He didn’t walk any batters over his next four outings. Since his miserable day in the midwest, Robbie pitched over 50 innings before surrendering another six free passes.
For the season his strikeout to walk ratio (130/24) is impressive. The Blue Jays sent four position players to the All-Star Game. It says here they should have a pitcher there too.
Most strikeouts prior to the All-Star break, #WeAreBlueJays history
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) July 11, 2021
Roger Clemens (1997) 140
Robbie Ray (2021) 130
A.J. Burnett (2008) 126
Juan Guzman (1992) 122 pic.twitter.com/3hvPYZzAOc
What It Means Moving Forward
Ray’s steady first half goes a long towards solidifying the rotation. Hyun-Jin Ryu recently went through a tough stretch but appeared to bounce back in his latest start. Steven Matz has returned to good health and seems to be close to feeling like himself. Ross Stripling has quietly put together a nice patch and Alek Manoah’s energy and power have been a welcome addition.
On the whirlwind first half for Alek Manoah, who the #BlueJays need to be part of their success in 2021:https://t.co/6JCYoKsXZ9
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) July 10, 2021
The front office has strengthened the bullpen with the recent trades for Adam Cimber and Trevor Richards.
The bullpen is now in a better position to hold leads. With a league-leading offense and Ray commanding an underrated rotation, chances are they’ll have plenty of those.
