The Blue Jays can get back to .500 today, but who knows what to expect in Escobar's first start since September 23, 2001? Let's hope Kelvim is a little better this time -- in that disaster, he lasted just an inning and a third against the D-Rays, allowing six hits and issuing four walks for six earned runs.
Given his tendency to throw a lot of pitches per at-bat, I don't expect Escobar, on a limited count, to figure in the decision this afternoon. If he is efficient enough to last five innings, that would be very promising for the rotation experiment. Kelvim will have to be careful with Mike Sweeney, who has lit him up at a .467 clip (7-for-15) with a homer, but the Royals will again be without Carlos Beltran, and light-hitting Mendy Lopez gets the start at 3B in place of Joe Randa. The Jays should have their "A" team on the field, with Hinske returning to action.
No Jays hitter has faced 6'8" righty Kyle Snyder in a big-league game. The former North Carolina star, K.C.'s first-rounder (seventh overall) in 1999, made just five starts in AAA and has three no-decisions for the Royals, so cooling off the hot Toronto lineup is a tough assignment. Don't be surprised if this one is decided by the bullpens. Expect to see Sturtze make his first relief appearance, as it's his regular turn today. Talk of Tanyon becoming the setup guy is premature, until he demonstrates some consistency as a long man.
Back on April 29, I made a ridiculously optimistic suggestion, considering the team had been bouncing in and out of the division cellar for a while, between six and eight games under .500: "two out of three in the next seven series would make the Jays 24-23 heading into the May 22 midterm with the Yankees." A win today and a couple in Chicago (not an impossibility) will turn that unlikely scenario into reality.
Some skeptics are finally starting to recognize that Toronto has an exciting young team under astute management. Richard Griffin, who only recently doubted the Jays could beat Baltimore for third in the AL East this year, speculates in today's Star about the 2005 lineup, calling Team J.P. legitimate contenders by then. Rich even tosses off a line about Cinderella's slippers possibly fitting this year's model, saying that winning now isn't inconceivable. It's a rare day indeed when Griffin's glasses are rosier than mine.
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