Don't expect the Jays to go hitless for seven innings tonight. Cincinnati righty John Riedling, in three previous starts (and seven relief appearances) in the Great American Bandbox, has held opponents to a .325 AVG, walking 11 and striking out 8 en route to a 6.75 ERA. A fired-up group of Blue Jays, still annoyed at being victimized by an inept umpiring crew last night, will be ready to take advantage of his generosity. It's the regular cast for Toronto, except for very capable subs Reed Johnson and Dave Berg.
Roy Halladay gets to play stopper, and with a W beside his name in his last seven starts, I like his chances. Ken Griffey Jr. and F-Lop are not in the Reds lineup, and Adam "All or Nothing" Dunn is the unconventional leadoff man, with a .205 AVG, .318 OBP and more homers than singles -- a #6 profile if you ask me, which Bob Boone rarely does.
Our Advance Scout ran into some technical difficulties today, but Mike D. will fill you in on the Ohio perspective tomorrow. Spot starter Davis faces Dempster Saturday night, and Escobar takes on Haynes in the Sunday matinee. I correctly predicted 50+ runs in the Jays-Rangers series a while back, but I'll put the over-under at a mere 42 this weekend, because I expect Doc and Kelvim to keep the Reds somewhat under control. It's a good chance for the Jays to forget the St. Louis nightmare before returning home.
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