Exceptional as Bowden Francis’ second-half dominance final 12 months was — highlighted by a 0.60 WHIP over 65 innings after the all-star break and two no-hit bids carried into the ninth inning — some marvel lingered about his 2025 encore.
As pitching coach Pete Walker put it, “all people can be dreaming to suppose he is going to do this each day out, however first day out (with 5.1 no-hit innings to start a six-inning, two-run outing in opposition to Washington) he does it, so I would not put something previous him at this level.”
“He is a really decided, centered particular person,” Walker continued. “He is aware of his sport and that is the largest factor within the major-leagues. When you determine your sport, you run with it. We do not have to make changes proper now. We do not have so as to add pitches. We do not have to do something besides execute pitches and assault hitters.”
Francis as soon as once more demonstrated that in a cool and gray Sunday at Citi Area, when he held down the New York Mets — one of many groups he no-hit for eight innings final 12 months — to a pair of runs over 5.1 innings with six strikeouts in what completed as a 2-1 Toronto Blue Jays loss.
On a membership nonetheless discovering itself within the early weeks of the season, particularly on the pitching aspect however on the plate, too, Francis’ continued progress is important.
Max Scherzer’s thumb harm (he had had hoped to renew enjoying catch Friday however didn’t this weekend) leaves a void within the rotation that, almost certainly, will likely be stuffed by Easton Lucas once more Tuesday in Boston. As bullpen roles and workloads proceed to be ironed out, the Blue Jays couldn’t afford a lot, if any, giveback from Francis.
His first two begins of the season alleviated any considerations about that, as he continues to indicate what Walker known as an “understanding of who you’re and never attempting to do an excessive amount of. We have to hold him proper there.”
Saturday’s late-inning bullpen implosion in a 3-2 loss and a tough weekend on the plate — after they scored solely three runs on 18 hits with 12 walks and didn’t homer — underlined how that’s not the case elsewhere on the membership.
Their solely run Sunday got here when Andrés Giménez was hit by a David Peterson pitch with the bases loaded within the fifth inning, slicing right into a 2-0 deficit. Alejandro Kirk promptly popped out in opposition to reliever Max Kranick to finish that rally. The tying run was stranded at second within the eighth and once more within the ninth, when nearer Edwin Diaz hit two batters earlier than getting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a groundout to shut out the win.
