After a masterful outing from Ricky Romero against Jon Lester and the Red Sox on Wednesday, the Blue Jays enjoyed an off day Thursday before welcoming Baltimore in for a three game set over the weekend.
I didn't get to see any of Wednesday's game (darn work gets in the way of life's important things), but I did get to listen to some of it. From what I hear of the game, Romero was lights out. He ran into a little trouble in the third, giving up one run. After that Romero set down 17 Red Sox in a row. After eight innings Romero's pitch count was only at ninety, so he was sent back out in the ninth to try and finish it off. Romero walked two (his first walks of the day) and got one out before giving way to Sergio Santos who came into the game with runners at the corners with two out. Santos shut down the next two hitters and picked up his first save of the season. After the game Sergio was placed on Paternity leave so he could be with his wife for the birth of their third child. Santos will be back on the active roster today.
So when the Red Sox left town, the Jays found themselves 4 and 2 with two series wins in their back pocket. Now... My Mom always told me if I haven't got anything nice to say, I shouldn't say anything at all... Perhaps that means at this point I should stop typing?
Friday night the Baltimore Orioles came into town. The Jays sent Brandon Morrow to the hill, looking for his second win of the season. Morrow pitched seven innings, giving up four runs on six hits while striking out four but walking only one. Despite the four runs given up, when Morrow left the game the Blue Jays were in possession of a 5-4 lead.
Then came the bull pen. Toronto's re-vamped pen has not had the best opening week. Frasor, Oliver and Janssen worked the rest of the game, each of them giving up one earned run. With Oliver taking the loss.
Positive notes from this one: Kelly Johnson and Edwin Encarnacion each hit their second home run of the season. While Colby Rasmus and Yunel Escobar both got their home run tallies started for the season. Rasmus had another nice game in centre field.
Unfortunately yesterday's outcome wasn't much different, with the bull pen once again handing the game back to the O's in the late innings.
Henderson Alvarez lasted seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits with two strike outs and one walk. He left the game with a one run lead. Janssen and Cordero worked the eighth and ninth, with Janssen giving up one run and Cordero allowing two. Cordero took the loss.
In the first six games of the season, the Baltimore Orioles didn't score a single run in the eighth or ninth inning. So far this weekend, that's when they've been winning the game.
Postive notes from Saturday: Colby Rasmus had three hits in four at bats with two RBI's. He also had yet another nice play out in centre field. Brett Lawrie went two for two. Kelly Johnson hit his third home run of the season and his second in as many days.
I'm headed to the park today to watch the Jays try to take one win from the Orioles. (That just sounds wrong... trying to take one win from the Orioles? they should be sweeping the freaking Orioles.) Kyle Drabek will start for Toronto and Baltimore counters with Brian Matusz.
Hopefully Toronto will be able to finish the weekend on a winning note before Tampa arrives on Tuesday.
See you at the game!
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