Toronto Blue Jays is in better shape than last season’s

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TORONTO — R.A. Dickey believes this year’s edition of the Toronto Blue Jays is in better shape than last season’s.

The knuckleballer tossed seven innings of one run baseball on Sunday afternoon as the Blue Jays defeated the Detroit Tigers 6 1. He allowed five hits while striking out five and walking two as Toronto won for the eighth time in its past nine games.

Dickey 7 9 thinks the Blue Jays have more momentum heading into the all star break than last year’s team, which won the American League East crown and got to the American League Championship Series.

“The thing that’s so encouraging to me is Jose Bautista is not with us and Edwin Encarnacion wasn’t in there today, so the streak we’re in right now, and the way that we’ve been playing, doesn’t feel fluke ish,” Dickey said.

Josh Donaldson belted a three run home run and Josh Thole had a two run single for Toronto 51 40 . The Tigers 46 43 have dropped three of their last four heading into the break.

The Blue Jays starting rotation finished the first half of the season leading the American League in earned run average 3.64 and innings pitched 579.1 .

“It’s fun to watch guys grow,” Dickey said of the rotation. “Grow up and grow as human beings and pitchers. I’m watching J.A. Happ, Aaron Sanchez and Stro Marcus Stroman all kind of grow up from being toddlers in the big leagues to kind of graduating into their adolescence here and it’s fun to watch.

“That dynamic is not something I really take for granted ’cause its rare.”
Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images
Tom Szczerbowski / Getty ImagesR.A. Dickey lowered his season ERA to 3.93 with his seven innings on Sunday. After compiling a 6.75 ERA in April, Dickey s ERA is 3.10 in 13 starts since.

Donaldson broke the game open with a three run home run in the fourth inning to give Toronto a 5 0 lead. The Blue Jays third baseman put an 0 1 fastball from Anibal Sanchez into the seats in left centre field for his 23rd homer of the season.

Donaldson became just the sixth player in AL history to score 80 runs and hit 20 home runs prior to the all star break. The others were Lou Gehrig 1936 , Ted Williams 1946 , Reggie Jackson 1969 , Frank Thomas 1994 and Alex Rodriguez 2000 .

“I think the 80 runs, that has something to do with the guys behind me driving me in,” Donaldson said. “The fact of the matter is, I feel like I do a pretty decent job on the bases taking an extra base , stealing a bag every now and again, but that doesn’t always necessarily lead up to 80 runs. Eddie’s hit some homers, Michael Saunders hit some homers — bats behind me have been hitting some homers.”

Sanchez 5 10 allowed five runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking a pair over five innings of work. He was making a spot start in place of Jordan Zimmermann, who is on the disabled list with a neck strain.

Dustin Molleken , a native of Regina who spent 13 seasons in the minor leagues, pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Tigers. He struck out three and walked one while surrendering three hits in his second career big league appearance.

“It was unbelievable ,” Molleken said. “It was a very special time today, especially being at home. I’m happy I got to throw with my family and my friends here.

“I showed today I belong up here.” Mollekin was making his second appearance since being called up from Triple A Toledo. Detroit is his fifth major league organization after being drafted by Pittsburgh in the 15th round in 2003. He also spent parts of two seasons in Japan.
Fred Thornhill / The Canadian Press
Fred Thornhill / The Canadian PressThe Blue Jays Troy Tulowitzki and Kevin Pillar score on a two run single by Josh Thole in the second inning on Sunday.

Thole got the Blue Jays offence started in the second inning, slapping a single to right field to score Troy Tulowitzki and Kevin Pillar.

The Tigers broke up Dickey’s shutout in the fifth as Mike Aviles led off with a triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly by James McCann.

Saunders added to the Blue Jays lead in the eighth , delivering an RBI single.