Orioles 9 - Jays 1

1. Recaps:
   
   • Spencer Fordin:
     
     
     Every so often in baseball, real life intervenes.
     
     Ballplayers are well compensated to leave their personal lives away from the field, and they succeed an overwhelming portion of the time. But not always: Justin Miller had one of those human moments on Monday night, when he pitched just one day after the death of Richard Cuadillo, his grandfather.
     
     
     
   • Gary Washburn:
     
     
     It was a payback of sorts for Bruce Chen. The Orioles left-hander thought he was going to get a legitimate shot to make the Blue Jays rotation this past Spring Training. Instead, Toronto coaches privately didn't think much of Chen's ability and he was shuttled to Triple-A Syracuse.
     
     Four months after being acquired by the Orioles for cash considerations, Chen returned to Toronto on Monday and tossed his first Major League complete game in a 9-1 romp at SkyDome. It was Chen's first win since April 21, 2002, while with the Montreal Expos.
     
     
     
   • Shi Davidi:
     
     
     Chen allowed just a run on five hits in the first complete game of his career, striking out five and walking none. The only run against him came on Vernon Wells' RBI triple in the sixth.
     
     "I just wanted to win," said Chen, whose last victory came on April 21, 2002. "It's my first win in such a long time. To give this team a complete game, especially after we used 10 pitchers yesterday, it was huge for us."
     
     
     
   • Larry Millson:
     
     
     Meanwhile, Chen didn't allow a baserunner until, with one out in the third, Guillermo Quiroz was given credit for an infield hit on a grounder that shortstop Tejada knocked down. But the Jays couldn't get anything going as the next batter, Adams, hit into a double play.
     
     The second Blue Jays hit came with two out in the fifth inning, on a line drive to left by Eric Hinske. Frank Menechino singled to centre before Quiroz ended the inning on a fly to right.
     
     
     
   • Geoff Baker:
     
     
     Gibbons wasn't kidding about the difficulties of playing from behind, since the five-run Baltimore outburst seemed to transform the much-maligned Chen. With the early cushion, a pitcher who was the butt of spring training jokes — and didn't see a fence he couldn't allow opposing hitters to hit the ball over or off of — held the Jays to a borderline infield hit by Guillermo Quiroz until the fifth inning.
     
     
     
   
   
   
2. Fordin Notes on J.P.'s plans for first base next year as well as the new contract given to Frank Catalanotto:
   
   
   Toronto inked Frank Catalanotto to a two-year deal worth a total of $5.4 million, with the amount split evenly between the two seasons. It is the first multiyear contract of Catalanotto's career, a feature that made it easy for him to waive a shot at the open market.
   
   "It's very important. That's most of the reason you want to sign multiyear deals -- you want to be more secure and more comfortable," he said during a conference call from his home in New York. "For my family, this is an opportunity to be set up for the rest of our lives. I'm just happy J.P. wanted to do a multiyear deal."
   
   
   We've been discussing the new contract in our "Cat Power?- Frank Catalanotto re-signed for 2 years" thread. Despite all the accusations the Batter's Box has gotten that we're a moutpiece for the organization and a zombie-like cult, a number of Bauxite staffers are less than supportive of the new deal while still being fans of Catalanotto.
   
   
3. Not surprisingly the Catalanotto contract is the main Jays story in the Toronto newspapers. In Catalanotto gets extension" Shi Davidi gives his take:
   
   
   At this point, the Toronto Blue Jays do not see Frank Catalanotto as a solution at first base should Carlos Delgado leave as a free agent after the season.
   
   They do, however, see Catalanotto as a key table-setter at the top of the lineup, which is why they signed the outfielder to a two-year, $5.4-million US contract extension through 2006 on Monday.
   
   
   
   
4. Mike Rutsey adds to the Catalanotto discussion with "The Cat will be back":
   
   
   Why the rush with Catalanotto? For one thing, the Jays need veteran hitters and Ricciardi doesn't see a whole lot of affordable bats among potential free agents. The non-tender route is the one he'll travel to get some thump in the lineup.
   
   "The biggest ripple we're going to see is in the non-tenders," Ricciardi said. "The free agents, it's a lot of guys we like that we can't afford."
   
   
   
   
5. Jeff Blair gives his two cents:
   
   
   Catalanotto, 30, joined the Blue Jays before the 2003 season, and while eligible for free agency, made it clear that staying in Toronto was his first choice.
   
   "I was very comfortable with the organization and the city," Catalanotto said. "J. P. really stuck his neck out for me, and showed that they really wanted me."
   
   Catalanotto said he will begin his off-season conditioning program after four-to-six weeks of rest. He has been told that it typically takes 10 weeks to recover from the surgery.
   
   
   
6. In the last of our Cat articles we have "The Cat signs on for two more years" by Mark Zwolinski of the Star.
   
   
   Frank Catalanotto was asked yesterday why he would return to the Blue Jays instead of testing the value of his near .300 lifetime average on the open market.
   
   After all, the Jays have one of the worst records in the majors and have little prospect of major improvement next season.
   
   "I'm very comfortable with Toronto, with the organization, the city and my teammates," Catalanotto said yesterday after signing a two-year contract extension that will pay him $2.7 million in each of the next two seasons.
   
   
   
7. Today's Rutsey Notes has details on the Catalanotto contract, Josh Towers, and Russ Adams:
   
   
   Russ Adams made the start last night at shortstop despite the fact the Orioles had left-hander Bruce Chen on the mound.
   
   In his seven previous games with the Jays, Adams, who bats left, has batted .429 (9-for-21) with one homer and 4 RBI. In those games he has gone 0-for-3 vs. left-handers.
   
   Adams has impressed Gibbons with his smooth adjustment to the major leagues. At no time has Adams appeared wide-eyed or overmatched since being called up from Syracuse.