<137>TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 5:<137> Edwin Encarnacion <137>#10 of the Toronto Blue Jays<137> hits a three-run home run in the third inning of the Blue Jays’ series finale against the Texas Rangers on Thursday at Rogers Centre. Encaracion batted in six runs in the game.<137>during MLB game action against the Texas Rangers on May 5, 2016 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)<137>Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
When is early over?
The "it's early" line has been the excuse du jour trotted out by the Toronto Blue Jays to try to justify the sting of the season's so-so start.
It's early, the Blue Jays will tell you when you inquire about the microscopic batting average of Troy Tulowitzki or the lingering struggles in the bullpen of Brett Cecil.
Things will be better, manager John Gibbons will intone day after day in an attempt to placate the nervous masses, who felt after last season's postseason breakthrough this year's success story would be a given.
Like a luxury liner, things appear to be slowly turning for the Blue Jays, who tamed a pretty good team in the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre this week, churning to a decisive 12-2 win Thursday night.
The Blue Jays have won three games in a row for just the second time this season and were able to win three of four from the Rangers (15-14), their sparring partners in the first round of the playoffs from a year ago.
And the Blue Jays were able to level their record (15-15) at .500, a psychological boost if anything. The 12 runs scored was a season high for an outfit whose run production has been a cause for concern.
It was Toronto's first double-digit run total in 30 games, a plateau it had reached on six occasions over the same span in 2015. The 15 Jays hits were also a season high.
All of the Toronto starters recorded at least one hit in the onslaught except for Jose Bautista, who went 0-for-3 with two walks.
For Ross Atkins, the rookie Blue Jays general manager, the "it's early" fallback has about run its course as the regular season moves into its second month.
"I think a lot of people talk about thresholds that are really telling," he said during an interview before Thursday's game. "I think we're at one right now, whether it's 100 plate appearances, roughly 30 games, roughly a month. That is real information that you can look to and start to get some feel for where there are positive and negative trends."
And what Atkins has seen this season – a solid starting rotation, above-average defensive play and a bullpen that seems to be finally rounding into shape – has warmed his heart.
Asked specifically if the lacklustre hitting of Tulowitzki is a concern, Atkins would not go there.
"It's really about the collective, it's really about team," he responded. "So I wouldn't point fingers at offensive productions. And even when you start to point towards our bullpen, I wouldn't want to break down individuals when I'm speaking of concern.
"But we're looking to get better in all of those areas, and that doesn't mean make additions or make changes. It means, how do we help each of these individuals make positive strides and make steps forward? And we're looking for things in their performance that's indicative of that happening, and we're seeing it."
But, as they like to say, it's early – and it was especially so for Derek Holland, the Rangers starter, who was pummelled into submission for 11 runs off 11 hits in the 22/3 innings he lasted on Thursday.
After the Rangers touched up Toronto starter J.A. Happ for one run in the top of the first inning, the Blue Jays responded with five of their own in the bottom half of the frame to take command.
The decisive blow came from Edwin Encarnacion, who cranked a double with the bases loaded that scored the first three Toronto runs.
Encarnacion had quite the night, stroking his second home run in as many games, and fifth of the season, in the Toronto third where the Blue Jays piled on six more runs.
Encarnacion's shot brought in three of the runs and he finished 3-for-4 with a walk, a home run and two doubles, driving in six runs.
It made for a pretty routine outing for Happ, who continues to blossom as the new man in the Toronto rotation after signing back with the team as a free agent in the off-season.
The left-hander put on an efficient showing, limiting the Rangers to one run and six hits over seven innings with five strike outs.
It marked the third time in six starts this season that Happ (4-0) has pitched at least seven innings.
Kevin Pillar also enjoyed a solid night for Toronto, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs batted in.