CHICAGO — Felix Doubront earned himself another start for the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field.
Looking like the guy who broke into the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox in 2010, the left-handed veteran led the Blue Jays to a 2-1 victory against the Chicago White Sox in his first big-league start since Sept. 20, 2014 with the Chicago Cubs.
“Yeah, it came back, all the memories from the past,” said Doubront, who pitched most of this season as a starter with Triple-A Buffalo. “I was just trying to stay calm and throw my pitches. I’m so glad to be here again, getting this opportunity with this team.”
Doubront had a rough spring training with the Cubs (11.57 ERA in four appearances), who released him March 28. After signing with the Blue Jays on April 2, he went to Buffalo intent on getting back to the majors. Now that he’s here, the plan is to make the Blue Jays want to keep him for the rest of the season.
He just tried to block that part out while on the mound against Chicago.
“I was just having fun,” Doubront said. “I can’t worry about that when I’m pitching, because it’s going to get stuck in your mind. I was just having fun and throwing strikes and keeping the hitters off-balance.”
Manager John Gibbons was impressed. Prior to the game, he said Doubront needed to do what he did as a starter for the Red Sox, and that’s exactly what he saw Tuesday night.
“I thought he looked (good) the other night when he came in for those two innings (of relief),” Gibbons said. “He just looked like a starter. He looked strong. “Real good curveball, good changeups and he had a little life on his fastball. He was very impressive.”
Doubront was called up last week, after right-hander Aaron Sanchez was put on the 15-day disabled list (lat strain). Until Sanchez returns, that rotation spot likely goes to Doubront, as long as he keeps pitching this way.
“He’s really just got to pitch, throw everything up there and throw it over the plate,” Gibbons said. “We definitely need him. We’ll let him run with it. That’s one of the reasons we signed him, for a situation like this.”