Soriano, Bateman help Blue Jays grind out win over Mariners
The article profiles pitcher Jose Soriano's transition to the Toronto Blue Jays and his recent strong performance against the Seattle Mariners. It also covers the team's celebration of franchise icon Buck Martinez.
Why it matters
Provides human-interest context to professional sports trades and team culture, illustrating the impact of new acquisitions on playoff aspirations.
TORONTO — One month ago, Jose Soriano was plying his trade for a team destined for yet another last-place finish. Pitching in his fourth season in the big leagues, he’d only ever known the futility of the Los Angeles Angels.
A deadline-day trade to the Toronto Blue Jays changed his fortunes, though, thrusting the promising right-hander into his very first playoff push. Given that context, you could argue Saturday afternoon’s contest at Rogers Centre was among the most important starts of his young career.
Soriano certainly met the moment, tossing seven strong innings as the Blue Jays defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in front of a buoyant crowd of 41,512, and manager John Schneider made sure to point out afterward that Soriano understood the assignment.
“I loved his demeanour today,” Schneider said. “He was pretty stoic, pretty locked in, and that's a good sign going forward.”
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