Marcus Stroman reacts after being hit in the elbow by a line drive hit back up the middle in the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox on April 25, 2016 at Rogers Centre.Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
Marcus Stroman was beside himself. He was wringing his hands in anger and yelling out in a rage.
And this was on the Toronto Blue Jays bench.
After enjoying mostly smooth sailing against the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Centre for the first six innings Monday night, Stroman encountered rough waters in the seventh.
The end result was an ugly five-spot for the White Sox who parlayed that big inning into a 7-5 victory over the Blue Jays, who were left dazed and confused by the distasteful turn of events.
Especially Stroman, Toronto's young and emotionally pent up mound marksman whose frustrations in the dugout after his good outing suddenly turned sour were laid out for all to see.
Toronto manager John Gibbons said he heard Stroman's outburst from the dugout as reliever Brett Cecil struggled in vain on the mound to halt the Chicago comeback.
But Gibbons said he in no way viewed it as Stroman trying to show up a teammate.
"I don't think it was directed at his teammates," Gibbons said. "It didn't feel that way.
"He's an emotional guy and I know the way he thinks. He's getting on himself for allowing that."
Said Stroman: "In no sense have I ever tried to [show up] my teammates. It's more in frustration and the fact that I felt like I didn't do my job at the end and I didn't put my team in a position to win when I went back out there for the seventh. And I was frustrated and I've always been an emotional guy. That's how I am and that's how I'll continue to be."
The Blue Jays were cruising along with a 5-1 lead through six innings with Stroman having only allowed four hits to that point when Chicago broke through. And it seemed a given that Stroman was going to improve his record to 4-0 in five starts.
The Blue Jays did most of their damage in the third where they scored three of their runs off Chicago starter Miguel Gonzalez, the big blast a two-run home run off the bat of Michael Saunders.
But it all turned upside down in the seventh when former teammate Dioner Navarro struck a line drive that deflected off Stroman's non throwing arm with White Sox runners perched at first and second with one out.
The ball deflected to Ryan Goins at second and he was still able to throw out the slow moving Navarro at first base, leaving Chicago with runners at second and third and one out.
Toronto shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said it was unfortunate that the ball deflected off Stroman.
"The thing that made it worse, I was right there," he said. "We had the shift on, I was right behind him [Stroman]. It would have been a double play."
Stroman looked to be in a bit of discomfort after getting hit but after a short delay Gibbons decided to leave him in the game.
But when Austin Jackson was walked on four pitches to load the bases, Stroman's night was through.
Gibbons went to Cecil, his lefty reliever, who has struggled badly so far this season, and that trend would continue.
Cecil surrendered a two-run hit to Adam Eaton and then another single off the bat of Jimmy Rollins that scored another run and cut the Toronto lead to 5-4.
And when Cecil then proceeded to walk Jose Abreu to load the bases once again, Gibbons called upon Gavin Floyd to try to stem the bleeding.
He couldn't.
Floyd gave up a double to Todd Frazier that carded two more Chicago runs and vaulted the White Sox in front 6-5.
Chicago added an insurance marker in the eighth on a sacrifice fly.
Cecil would be saddled with the loss, getting charged with two Chicago runs off two hits.
His record on the year is now 0-4 with three blown saves, having allowed six runs off 11 hits in just 8 2/3 innings of work. His earned run average is an unsightly 5.19.
Cecil was not available to talk after the game.
Gibbons said Cecil has surely struggled but not enough for the manager to lose confidence in the reliever who was one of Toronto's best out of the bullpen a year ago.
"We're going to need him, let's be honest," Gibbons said. "It's too early in the year. You've got to get him to get sharp. He needs to find it."