On Monday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays seemed to have things go their way over the course of the entire contest. The Jays ultimately took home the victory in 6-3 fashion in 11 innings thanks to a two-RBI double from Daulton Varsho in the top of the 11th. Jordan Romano came in and slammed the door to secure his 28th save of the year.
While Varsho, Matt Chapman, Whit Merrifield and Kevin Kiermaier all played integral roles in the victory on offense and José Berríos, Génesis Cabrera and Yimi García had important innings on the mound, there's nobody on this club who came in clutch more than relief pitcher Jay Jackson.
Jay Jackson impressed #BlueJays manager John Schneider tonight: "Can't say enough about what Jay did tonight. Composure, execution against a really tough lineup ... Crazy environment here. It's a good team. I loved his demeanour. He was absolutely tremendous"
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) July 25, 2023
It's time for Blue Jays fans to give Jackson the respect that he's earned at this point. After a dominant Spring Training in which he did not surrender a single earned run over eight appearances, his numbers came back down to earth a bit in Triple-A to start the season, but he's been absolutely incredible at the big league level for the Jays. In last night's game, the 35-year-old once again pitched in two innings and did not allow a single hit; earning his third win of the year while walking one and striking out three. He has continuously shown a knack for clutch pitching and seems to be keeping the club in tight ballgames every time he takes the mound.
Sure, it's easy for fans to point to the fact that Jackson is a bit of a journeyman by now and that he has bounced all around the world (quite literally), but he has done nothing but come through when it matters most for the Blue Jays. As a matter of fact, the only earned run Jackson has allowed all season so far was when he surrendered the infamous "Aaron Judge cheating" home run all the way back in May.
Over the course of a few different trips to Triple-A Buffalo, Jackson has remained ready for a promotion to the big leagues whenever he's needed. He has 21 minor league appearances under his belt this season and while the ERA( 6.57) looks scary, this is largely inflated by a few specific outings where things did not go his way. Jackson has 33 strikeouts in just under 25 innings of work with only six walks, so there are some encouraging numbers beyond the earned run average.
Then there's the big leagues, where Jackson has 10 outings this year. In that time, he has 14 innings of work with 13 punchouts, three walks and just one run allowed - that homer to Judge.
It's also worth mentioning that Jackson has been away from his family and newborn baby for the past few weeks, which is no easy task. The right-hander and his fiancé welcomed their son into the world at just 24 weeks, which has not come without its fair share of complications. Jackson has stuck with his team and pitched through the stressful times that his family has been going through, which says a lot about his character. He spends every off day possible with his family in the NICU, where his little guy is improving every day but remains in the care of the intensive unit.
Through and through, Jackson is a fierce competitor that has shown Blue Jays fans time and time again why he was not the one sent packing when Génesis Cabrera was brought aboard. Optioning the former to make room for the latter made way too much sense on paper, but Nate Pearson was instead sent to the minors. That speaks volumes about how the Jays view Jackson, who continues to come through. Jays fans, it's not too late to order that "Jackson" jersey.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiZWh0dHBzOi8vamF5c2pvdXJuYWwuY29tL3Bvc3RzL2l0cy10aW1lLWZvci1ibHVlLWpheXMtZmFucy10by1naXZlLWpheS1qYWNrc29uLXRoZS1yZXNwZWN0LWhlLWRlc2VydmVz0gEA?oc=5
2023-07-25 12:00:02Z
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