Jays Roundup - Generals Gathered in Their Masses

Monday, August 16 2004 @ 09:42 AM EDT

Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death construction

1. Short recap: Orioles 11 - Jays 7. First four innings: Jays 7 - Orioles 1. Last five innings: Orioles 10 - Jays 0. David Bush with another strong outing: 5IP, 7H, 2ER, 1BB, 4SO, 0HR. Long recaps:
   
   
   
   • Jays 'pen surrenders lead, game - Fordin
     
   • Late eight-run rally puts O's on top - Geosits
     
   • Jays pen collapses - Ganter
     
   • Orioles trounce Jays - CP
     
   • Doggone it — Blue Jays drop ball: Mutts in stands not the only pooches at dome - Baker
     
   
   
2. Fordin Notes on the Jays pitching staff. Toronto's rotation is 5th in the American League with a 4.67 ERA and Justin Speier has a 3.24 ERA since the All-Star break. Will we see more of Speier in pressure situations after yesterday's implosion?
   
   
3. Ganter Notes on Reed Johnson starting in center and Chris Gomez starting at short in yesterday's game.
   
   
4. Two righties with .500 records face each other in tonight's 7:05 start at Fenway. The Jays are sending the 1-1 Justin Miller to the hill while the Red Sox counter with the 10-10 Derek Lowe. Spencer Fordin has a game preview.
   
   
5. In "Bullpen has lots of work ahead of it Larry Millson wonders if the Jays lack of a left-handed reliever did them in yesterday:
   
   
   Perhaps having no left-handed reliever -- they let a good one from last year, Trever Miller, escape in the off-season -- isn't the main reason the Blue Jays are floundering.
   
   But it is worth mentioning now and then when so much of the criticism of Tosca involved his handling of the bullpen. Feel free to ask, what bullpen?
   
   Now the Orioles are vulnerable to lefties and have the second lowest batting average in the American League against them, .253. They hit right-handers at a .297 rate.
   
   So with a runner on base and a run in with two out in the seventh inning, Gibbons brought in right-hander Chulk to face left-handed-hitting Rafael Palmeiro, who is batting .190 against left-handers and .289 against right-handers.
   
   To his credit, Chulk struck out Palmeiro to preserve the Blue Jays' 7-3 lead.
   
   
   The main reason the Jays are floundering is because they can't hit, but at the same time teams that can't hit can't afford to give up runs late in the game.
   

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