Chris Bassitt is excellent as Blue Jays pitching begins to find its form

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In the last year and a few moments of change, the Blue Jays' power has shifted from a team of powerful bats to a group of closing pitchers.

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Expecting more from the American League's best 2023 rotation was always going to be a big question, even if it was a major concern in the team's plan to tackle. And so pitching coach Pete Walker went through the first dozen games, helping his group overcome injuries, inconsistencies and a slump in form to remain competitive.

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Through it all, the potters held things together, waiting for the wounds and weapons to become one. The last two nights have at least shown what this team can be when the mix is ​​right.

After a couple of rocky outings to start his season, Chris Bassitt picked it up on Tuesday and contributed to a relatively stress-free 5-3 Jays victory over the Mariners. Bolstered by a three-run third inning capped by a 431-foot Bo Bichette homer and two more in the fourth, the Jays will have all the offense they need to start their first winning streak of the season.

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On the mound in front of a Rogers Center crowd of 31,310, Bassitt went 6.2 innings, allowing five hits and just one run — a homer to Dominic Canzona in the final inning of his career.

On the heels of Jose Berrios, a self-proclaimed “bad dog” of the current top five, Bassitt's exit is a welcome boost to a rotation that has been uneven at best in the early going.

The mantra of getting better is a sentiment the often outspoken Bassitt doesn't mind sharing after a trip.

“To be honest with you, I'm still disappointed with our starters,” Bassitt said after his outing. “Obviously, this is my third start and I think two starts have been terrible. I'm not helping the problem.

“The main thing for us is to promote the starter. All the guys we have, I'm confident. The first 10-11 games without Berrios were very difficult for us.

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“It's faith and trust. I have no problem thinking that Kevin Gausman is going to be really good this year and the same thing is going to happen with (Bowden) Francis and myself. I know he'll fix it himself, but the bull had to wear it.”

According to Bassitt, Gausman was very good in his first start and didn't make it out of the second inning the next. Yusei Kikuchi has battled but still hasn't reached the top and courtesy, #5 Man Francis is a work in progress.

Such is the passion of craft, according to Walker.

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“We certainly expected to get off to a good start after the spring, but I think it's always going to be interesting early in the year,” Walker said Tuesday. “Some guys start hot. Some guys are a little behind. It's the nature of the beast.

“You try to prepare everyone as much as you can and get off to a hot start, but it doesn't always work out that way.”

And Walker believes that while the results may seem obvious, appearances can be deceiving.

He is willing to use Bassitt as a case study. The veteran has given up four runs in each of his first two starts — both losses — but Walker has seen enough to believe the results will be up to the test soon.

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“Sometimes you get good early results, sometimes you don't,” Walker said. “His preparation has been as good as last year's mid-season form. He's already 93 or 94 (mph) and the action, the sinker, the spin … he's in a great spot.

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“Honestly, he probably plays as well as anyone in our state. Eventually, his numbers will be there, it's just a matter of promoting a few good initiatives.”

The first of those came Tuesday, as Bassitt helped the Jays to their second win in as many nights over their playoff rival the M's two Octobers ago. Bassitt allowed just one hit through five innings and ended up throwing 115 pitches, just one shy of his career high last season.

Overall, Walker was encouraged by the work of his crew, which included integrating the high-leverage components of his bullpen while awaiting the return of late pitchers Jordan Romano and Eric Swanson.

“You stay the course,” Walker said. “They all have a plan of attack and there's no panic in guys who don't get off to the best start they think they can. They know there will be numbers.

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“So now it's a matter of getting into everyday life. For the most part, we just need to keep attacking the strike zone. We have what it takes to run good teams.”

AROUND THE GROUNDS

Bichette's first homer of the season was a powerful blast that landed in the second deck after traveling 431 feet. It was the third-longest homer of Bichette's career… Bassitt clearly loves his starts at Rogers Center: In his last three here, he's 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA, striking out 25… The Jays tallied 11 hits, the second night in a row they hit single digits … The three hits got on the board for third baseman Isiah Keener-Falefa on the night, who now has three multi-hit games .. Justin Turner's third-inning double was his sixth two-bagger of the season … Mariners Mitch Haniger drove in two runs made things even more interesting when he belted a two-run homer by Jays reliever Trevor Richards to pull away.

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