New D-backs OF Jon Jay happy to be on a club in the ‘hunt for October’
Jun 13, 2018, 12:28 PM | Updated: 6:40 pm
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Over the first five games that Jon Jay was an Arizona Diamondback, the team did not lost a game.
Coincidence? Maybe.
Nevertheless, Jay has been impressed with the work ethic of his teammates and is happy to be on a team with its sights set on playoff baseball.
“I kept tabs on the team and saw what they were doing this year and was just super excited to be back in this environment, playing for the hunt for October. That’s what its all about,” Jay said on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Bickley and Marotta.
Jay’s tenure with the D-backs didn’t start the way he envisioned, individually, going 0-12 in his first four games. But as the team’s leadoff hitter he still managed to cross the plate, scoring three runs in that time span.
In his fifth game, Jay’s bat woke up with three hits including a game-breaking, three-run homer in the seventh to give the D-backs a 13-8 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates and extend the team’s winning streak to five games.
“It felt good just to get a big hit in that situation, especially with the way the game was going. It was just nice to contribute. I just want to be one of the boys, be another piece to the puzzle so it was nice to be able to do that last night,” Jay said.
The outfielder conveniently joined the team after they posted horrific 8-19 record in May, but he has been impressed with the team’s approach and work ethic since arriving in the Valley.
“I’ve seen great things from this clubhouse,” Jay said. “You go in the weight room, you go around the cage and you see guys working early and that’s what its all about. It shows you care.
“You see that guys are hungry right now and they want to get back to the playoffs and go on a run.”