Following a season-opening 10-game trip, the Toronto Blue Jays are ready to return to their remodeled home.
Monday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners will be the first at Rogers Centre since a nearly-$400 million renovation in the offseason, turning a multi-purpose stadium into a ballpark. Field-level seats behind the plate have been added, the dugouts are closer to the field, and players will get a new turf playing surface and larger clubhouses.
“It’s an entirely re-envisioned lower bowl from foul pole to foul pole,” Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said. “In every way, it’s going to feel like a baseball field, not (something) dropped in the middle of a big concrete circle. It’s going to feel much more like a ballpark, and I’m so excited for everyone to see and experience that.
“There will be a significant ‘wow’ factor.”
The Blue Jays could use a boost after going 4-6 on a trip in which they faced Tampa Bay, Houston and the New York Yankees. The lowlight of the trip was being no-hit 10-0 by the Astros’ Ronel Blanco last Monday, although they managed just one hit Wednesday in an 8-0 loss at Houston.
After Sunday’s 8-3 setback to the Yankees, the Blue Jays are batting .193, better than only Minnesota (.191) in the major leagues.
“As an offense, to this point, we’ve been a little wavy,” Blue Jays bench coach/offensive coordinator Don Mattingly said. “We’ve had some games where we score, then other games where we don’t look as good.”
To offset that, the Blue Jays will look for a third consecutive quality start from right-hander Jose Berrios (1-0, 2.25 ERA) on Monday.
Berrios, who is 3-2 with a 3.27 ERA in seven career starts against Seattle, beat Tampa Bay 8-2 on Opening Day, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings. He was even better last Tuesday at Houston, giving up one run through six innings, but he didn’t get a decision as the Blue Jays didn’t pull out the victory until Davis Schneider’s two-run homer in the ninth.
“I didn’t have my best stuff, but I was still able to go out there and compete,” Berrios said. “I held the game at 1-0. I think my slurve was working pretty good. That’s the pitch that helped me all night because I didn’t feel like I had the power. I didn’t feel like I was explosive on the end, but I had it in my mind to compete and try to make my pitches.”
Berrios is set to go against Seattle ace Luis Castillo (0-2, 6.75), who has struggled. The right-hander has allowed four runs in each of his initial starts, the first over five innings and the second over 5 2/3.
“I feel good,” said Castillo, who is 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against Toronto. “You’ve just got to keep working and working. The good stuff is about to come. The only thing I can do is keep my positive mentality and not get frustrated at all.”
The Mariners are 4-6 overall after a 12-4 defeat Sunday at Milwaukee, Seattle’s fourth loss in five games.
Mariners manager Scott Servais praised reliever Tayler Saucedo, who pitched a career-high 2 2/3 innings Sunday without allowing a hit or run to help keep the rest of the bullpen intact.
“Ton of credit to Sauce — unbelievable job,” Servais said. “We’re up against it. We did not have a day off. We’re going to Toronto. So for him to give 2 2/3, I really appreciate the effort. It puts us in a position that gives a better chance to win the next series.”
