TORONTO -- The Blue Jays aren’t in the business of moral victories, but they needed to see this version of Chris Bassitt. 

It’s the real version, the one that was advertised when he was signed this past offseason and the one that will win them games this season, just not Thursday’s. The 3-1 loss to the Tigers still left the Blue Jays with a series win on the eve of the 13-0 Rays blazing into town, but Toronto’s star-stacked offense couldn’t back up Bassitt. 

The early days of 2023 have been a puzzle for the 34-year-old. Fresh off signing a three-year, $63 million deal that made all the sense in the world for one of baseball’s more consistent starting pitchers over the past five years, Bassitt suddenly didn’t look like himself. It’s a speck of dust in the big picture, but first impressions tend to be magnified. 

Over six innings of two-run ball on Thursday, though, all was well. Most important of all, Bassitt struck out seven, a mark he didn’t hit in his first two outings as his velocity slowly crept back to his career norms. Bassitt knows his own game extremely well, including all eight of his pitches, and he went to work between outings to get on track.

“He’s pretty methodical,” manager John Schneider said. “He’ll throw his bullpens based on who he’s going to be facing in his next start. He’ll simulate some hitters and where he wants to get the ball, things like that. He’s prepared. He’s really, really prepared. I’ve liked the conversations he has in between with [pitching coach Pete Walker] or with us talking about what he’s going to do. He’s a pretty prepared dude.”

The uptick in velocity was particularly encouraging. Bassitt isn’t a fireballer, but he touched 94 mph with his sinker and has room for more. As he continues to climb, the need to spot pitches perfectly fades away.

“I wish I could say that I can always throw my sinker and not care who you are,” Bassitt said. “I think the odds are in my favor, especially if I can throw it 95-96 mph. I know for a fact that you have to respect it [then]. It opens up that window for mistakes.”

The Blue Jays need this. Alek Manoah hasn't looked his dominant self thus far, and José Berríos remains the biggest curiosity on this roster, still searching for the pitcher he once was. Having Bassitt take a step back in the right direction is a fantastic start, and one the Blue Jays will hope is contagious. 

It’s Berríos who will open Friday’s series against the Rays, and you’ll never see a mid-April series against Tampa with more intrigue.

The Rays have won 13 in a row to open the year, matching the 1982 Braves and the ‘87 Brewers for the longest winning streak to start a season in MLB’s Modern Era. The only team to win more consecutive games to open a season was the 1884 St. Louis Maroons, who went 20-0 before losing a game. Bassitt recognized the historic run the Rays are on, but knows that the old adage is as useful now as it ever is: one game at a time.

It’s still the AL East, though, with history on the line.

“They’re uniquely hot,” Schneider said. “They’re a good team, and a team that’s playing a good brand of baseball right now. It’s going to be a fun series. We know how they deploy and how they match up. It will be fun. It’s a credit to what they do, the start they’ve gotten off to.”

One look at Friday’s probable pitchers shows just what the Blue Jays are up against, though.

Berríos, after ranking last among all qualified starters in ERA last year, enters with a mark of 11.17. While he focuses on getting that down to the single digits, the Rays will roll out Drew Rasmussen and his shiny 0.00 ERA, including 15 strikeouts and zero walks over 13 innings. Baseball is the home of never-ending oddities, but that’s a steep hill to climb in the early innings. 

There’s a blueprint, though. The Blue Jays don’t need Berríos or Yusei Kikuchi to win a Cy Young Award this weekend. Getting back to steadier versions of their old selves is just fine, and like Bassitt’s outing Thursday, the Blue Jays could turn more of those outings into a real win, not just a moral victory.