Blue Jays manager Schneider praises "locked-in" Bichette after latest clutch display

What a difference a few weeks makes for Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette.

Less than two weeks ago, Bichette was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons: too many errors, too many strikeouts, and a public acknowledgment from team president Mark Shapiro that the star shortstop was having a down year.

But since September 1, Bichette is batting .511 with 24 hits, 7 homers, 21 RBIs and 15 runs scored in 11 games this month.

And with the Jays now moving into second place in the American League East with yesterday’s win over the Tampa Bay Rays, Bichette’s performances couldn’t be coming at a better time.

Last night in the sixth inning, Bichette was hit up high by a fastball thrown by Rays reliever Javy Guerra that barely missed his face.

Two innings later, Bichette took Tampa’s Jason Adam to seven pitches — and a full count — before sailing a low pitch over the left field fence to give the Jays a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth.