It was a sign reflecting the deep bond the Blue Jays’ starting rotation has created, one of perhaps better times to come.
Or perhaps it was simply a sign to serve as a reminder of the near no-hitter Bowden Francis spun in Saturday’s win over the L.A. Angels.
Following the Blue Jays’ 3-1 win, Angels leadoff hitter Taylor Ward, who broke up the no-hit bid in the top of the ninth inning with a solo homer, didn’t exactly bow down to Bowden.
“I thought that everything was hittable,” Ward said after the game. “Maybe to other guys, he made better pitches. A lot of guys were talking about his split being on. But personally, I didn’t think it was anything special.”
During Sunday’s telecast of the series finale, which the Jays won to complete their four-game sweep, Francis was being interviewed.
To his immediate right stood fellow starter Chris Bassitt, who held a hand-made sign that simply read: “15 innings. 2 hits. 20 Ks. Hittable + not special.”
The sign referred to Francis’ stat line from his previous two starts and the message was clear as Bassitt used the occasion to poke fun at Ward’s observation.
With Kevin Gausman, Sunday’s starter, retiring the Angels the first time through the order, it was Ward who recorded the first hit off the veteran who earned his 100th-career win.
It should be noted that Ward already had some bad memories of Toronto.
A year ago in late July, he needed to be placed on the 10-day injured list because of facial fractures after he was hit by a 91-mph pitch from Jays starter Alek Manoah in the fifth inning.
Ward was taken to a local hospital.
With Sunday’s loss in the series finale, the Angels dropped all seven of their games this season against the Jays.
L.A. is in the midst of a 10-game road trip that has seen the Angels go 1-6 as they roll into the Motor City