John Gibbons got the desired results from his previously sputtering offence in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, though questions remain entering Wednesday's Game 5 (4:08 p.m. ET).
Despite the Blue Jays' 5-1 victory over visiting Cleveland on Tuesday — they scored three runs combined in Games 1-3 — Toronto's manager has received little from the leadoff spot in the series.
Ezequiel Carrera, who had a .359 average in 39 at-bats in September, mostly atop the Jays' batting order, was a combined 0-for-7 from that spot in Games 1 and 2 at Cleveland.
The 29-year-old was a .284 hitter in the leadoff spot in the regular season, boasting a .374 on-base percentage across 148 at-bats, but perhaps the added pressure of playing in the post-season had an effect on the sixth-year major leaguer.
When the series shifted to Toronto for Game 3, Gibbons dropped Carrera to eighth in the order and he responded with two hits, including a triple. In Tuesday's Game 4, he singled and tripled from the No. 7 hole after recording just one three-base hit in 110 regular-season contests.
Bautista, despite going hitless in six at-bats in Cleveland, moved to the leadoff spot. But he went a combined 1-for-8 on Monday and Tuesday and is hitting .071 (1-for-14) in the ALCS after batting .253 in September with a .413 OBP, his highest in any month this season.
During the regular season, Bautista hit .239 as the leadoff hitter (159 at-bats) and .266 from the cleanup position (79 ABs).
Gibbons, however, might decide to leave the 36-year-old veteran at the top, given he'll be facing 24-year-old Cleveland rookie Ryan Merritt, who will be making his second major league start Wednesday before an expected crowd of 49,000-plus at the Rogers Centre.
The experienced Bautista has a penchant for drawing walks and might be able to turn a mistake or two from the left-handed Merritt into extra-base hits. However, the right-handed slugger was actually more effective against right-handed pitchers in the regular campaign (.238 average, .376 OBP) than lefties (.220, .324 in 91 ABs).
The left-handed hitting Carrera hit at a .329 clip (.372 OBP) in 73 ABs versus lefties and .218 with a .307 OBP against right-handed hurlers.
Who should the Blue Jays' leadoff hitter be in Game 5?
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