Turner and Berrios lead by example in polishing the Blue Jays Rockies

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The Blue Jays may have won their first two home series in a half after only about 10 percent of their season is complete.

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It continued the appeal in two sets at Rogers Center, including Jays starter Jose Berrios' emergence to secure the second in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Colorado Rockies.

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Oh, and how about Justin Turner, a veteran acquisition that threatens to offset some of the disappointment of Jays general manager Ross Atkins' offseason failure?

There's still a lot to learn about a Jays team that's been at odds over the past 13 months.

But when it comes to the red-bearded new guy, they have a professional hitter who should lead by example, both in deed and word.

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In Sunday's win over the Blue Jays, the veteran was the epitome of what this offense has lacked in too many games this still-young season. Turner had a single-double-single in his first three innings, driving in a run each time. There's a reason he's manager John Schneider's No. 4 hitter, and his teammates notice a lot of what the veteran does.

“Now that we have JT on this team, he knows what it takes to win,” said Davis Schneider, one of the many players in the Jays' clubhouse who focus on the 39-year-old's approach to his performance. “We've got a team capable of winning and I think everybody knows that and it's been great to be around him and watch him react.

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“The biggest thing he told us is don't try to be someone you're not and focus on what you do best. Believe in yourself and be patient. You know what you're doing.”

Turner and Berrios led the way Sunday, allowing the Jays to take two of three out of the NL West with a 12-2 loss on Friday night. The next order of business is to find a way to be better than the .500 team they have been thus far.

So far, though, it's been what you'd expect from the Jays returning from an 89-win team without any major upgrades (though Turner is working alone to dispel that part of the narrative).

Win a pair, lose a pair, flirt with .500 but don't go over it. So far, they haven't been able to climb out of the AL East cellar. But Turner, who is hitting an impressive .386 through 16 games, has the potential to change that, and as many players have noted, he has emerged as a wise leader both in the clubhouse and on the diamond.

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Next Monday is a three-game set with the red-hot New York Yankees when the AL East leaders come to town. Maybe not the easiest way to start a two-game winning streak, but with catcher Danny Jansen and late pitchers Jordan Romano and Eric Swanson returning at some point in the Yankees' streak, things are looking good.

Berrios' work, for example, was amazing. He allowed two hits in his seven shutout innings and no runs over 13.2 innings in two Rogers Center starts, both wins. On Opening Day (and the home opener), he struck out seven Rockies on Sunday and now owns a 1.05 ERA.

THE GAME HAS STARTED

The Jays struck out a dozen against the Rockies and allowed just two. They've allowed three runs or fewer in eight games this season … They're nearly a .500 team in every measurable way — an 8-8 record overall and 2-2-1 in five series … starting in 2022. The Jays are 21-9 in Rogers Center games played in March and April. And now for the rest of the calendar.

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