Blue Jays in search of top form amid struggles

Chris Bassitt is not about to reach for the panic button despite the recent play of the Toronto Blue Jays.

TORONTO – Chris Bassitt is not about to reach for the panic button despite the recent play of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays wasted a solid six-inning effort from Bassitt with their sixth loss in eight games, a 7-4 defeat in 10 innings to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Toronto (65-48) still leads the American League East by three games over the Boston Red Sox, an advantage built by a 49-28 record since May 8, the best run by an AL team during that stretch.

Bassitt believes his club has suffered a letdown after emerging from the all-star break by winning two of three from the rival New York Yankees and three of four from the Detroit Tigers, who at the time had Major League Baseball’s best record.

“Then I thought we just laid an egg in Baltimore, where we ran into a super-hot Baltimore offence, and we just weren’t ready for it,” said Bassitt of the Orioles winning three times in the four-game series.

“Unfortunately, it happens.”

The Royals arrived in Toronto having won seven of their last 10. The rubber-match win on Sunday, before 41,461 at Rogers Centre, meant the Blue Jays dropped back-to-back series for the first time since mid-May.

“You just take your licks,” Bassitt said. “It’s going to happen through the year.

“It’s just getting back to who we are as a team, good pitching from the starters to the bullpen and just grind out at-bats.”