Game Threat: Smells Like Team Spirit, Mariners (79-70) @ Blue Jays (81-68)

Image via @dalenlindquist (cropped from original)

I don’t know how the hell we got here, but we’re here. At a home game in Seattle!

But also in a crucial, playoff-like series against the damn Mariners. The damn Mariners who… actually look kinda scary maybe?

Jesus. I don’t know. But Cruz and Cano at the middle of that lineup. And I mean, I know Felix isn’t Felix anymore, but getting him, Iwakuma, and tonight’s starter, Taijuan Walker, doesn’t exactly make me feel easy about this. But shit, I felt easy about Ricky Nolasco and whoever-the-fuck the Angels started yesterday, so what the hell do I know?

Well, I know one thing: after 36 hours or so of feeling shitty about the Jays and their place in the world right now, the time for that is over. If you need me to setup this game for you to get hyped for it, I don’t know what to even tell you. So let’s get damn to it!

Go Jays!

No Michael Saunders for the Jays tonight, but John Gibbons assured curious reporters that it’s only because Marco Estrada is a fly ball pitcher, and he wanted his “fly ball hawks” out there in the outfield, which… hands up who thinks Carrera could play his way into more time in the last couple weeks here.

Hey, it’s Adam Lind!

Look… everybody likes Paul Beeston. It’s sort of his thing, and even having only ever interacted with him very, very briefly, I do get it. And Beeston is a unique figure in Blue Jays’ history, with connections to day one, to their ascension in the mid-80s, to the glory years of the early 90s, and now to the incredible 2015 run (and the still-pending 2016 one). He also still hangs around the offices at 1 Blue Jays Way, and the new regime likes to use him to burnish their image with the fans, so I guess it only makes sense to give him an honorific. It’s just… wow, could you have possibly timed that to look more cynical? Still, though, congratulations to the Beest for his award!

TV: Sportsnet
Next Game(s): Tomorrow vs. Mariners, 10:05 PM ET
AL East Standings: BOS (-), BAL (3), TOR (4), NYY (8), TBR (21)
AL Wild Card Standings: BAL (+1), TOR (-), DET (2), SEA (2), NYY (4), KCR (4.5)
And now, the lineups…

Devon Travis(R) 2B

Josh Donaldson(R) 3B

Edwin Encarnacion(R) 1B

Jose Bautista(R) DH

Russell Martin(R) C

Troy Tulowitzki(R) SS

Ezequiel Carrera(L) RF

Melvin Upton Jr.(R) LF

Kevin Pillar(R) CF

Marco Estrada (RHP)

Norichika Aoki(L) LF

Seth Smith(L) RF

Robinson Cano(L) 2B

Nelson Cruz(R) DH

Kyle Seager(L) 3B

Adam Lind(L) 1B

Leonys Martin(L) CF

Mike Zunino(R) C

Ketel Marte(S) SS

Taijuan Walker (RHP)