It's not easy to lose 9 of 10; you have to do a lot of little things, wrong. The standings this morning are embarrassing; last in the East, second-worst in the league. The statistics aren't much better: last in fielding percentage and errors, worst in both facets of the running game -- basestealing and SB allowed -- 12th in team ERA, and so on. Disappointing? Sure. Time to panic or give up? Sheesh. An ace-like start by the ace will give this club a good chance to win today (catching and throwing the ball better behind him will help) and it won't require a complete overhaul to turn this team around. The Terrible Twenty is 90% over, and an 8-12 mark through that brutal stretch can still be salvaged.
Jason Kershner's arrival and Doug Linton's departure weren't unexpected, nor are they the last of the roster moves; it's a minor tweak in a positive direction. There are (for now) three lefty relievers in competition amongst themselves to avoid the axe; maybe that will inspire Doug Creek (who got his man yesterday, only to be betrayed by Delgado's glove, then was rattled enough to lose the next lefty batter). On the radio, Tom Cheek speculated that Jayson Werth would join the big club in Tampa, with Reed Johnson being returned to Syracuse. Werth's been hitting well (1.001 OPS) in Florida, and Tosca isn't aftraid to use him -- again, not an earthshaking adjustment, but it can't hurt.
In addition to Werth's 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, there was great news from Dunedin yesterday. Chad Pleiness, the 6' 6" former Central Michigan star RH and Toronto's 5th-round pick in the productive 2002 draft, dominated Lakeland, giving up just three hits and a walk through seven scoreless innings, while striking out eight. Syracuse isn't hitting -- Ken Huckaby (0-for-2 with an RBI sac fly) was the DH Saturday, and three starters are below the Mendoza line. CF Alexis Rios, whose season began late, had a double and a triple for New Haven yesterday and is off to a .556 start. RH Chris Baker tossed six scoreless innings (4 H, 2 BB, 5 K) for the Ravens.
The parent club will be fine. They can hit anyone, and neither the defence nor the pitching is as bad as they've looked the last couple of weeks. Some good fortune and a couple of timely plays might produce a collective sigh of relief, and build some confidence. In his column this morning, Richard Griffin points out, "The Jays are not playing good baseball and are not getting any breaks even when they try to do the right thing." He's right, though he also suggests Tosca should stop making excuses for his players and start getting angry. I don't think that would help; the skipper's understanding and support are more important than ever during a tough stretch like this. You can send a clear message to one player, or the whole roster, without losing your cool.
Today, facing a lefty, is the logical day to sit Hudson in favour of Berg, who homered off Fossum in Toronto. I suggested a benching yesterday, but obviously, Carlos and his staff are even more patient than me, and I respect that; I hope Orlando does. Reed Johnson is also expected to start, but maybe not in the obvious RF spot. Catalanotto's back seems healthy, and he's in a good groove; neither Stewart nor Wells has had a day off all season, so Tosca might just play a hunch. Phelps could even get a rest, with a regular OF manning the DH spot. The batting order is unimportant, compared to the need for Roy Halladay to finally step up with a dominant outing. It's a 2:05 start on the FAN 590 and Sportsnet.
Jason Kershner's arrival and Doug Linton's departure weren't unexpected, nor are they the last of the roster moves; it's a minor tweak in a positive direction. There are (for now) three lefty relievers in competition amongst themselves to avoid the axe; maybe that will inspire Doug Creek (who got his man yesterday, only to be betrayed by Delgado's glove, then was rattled enough to lose the next lefty batter). On the radio, Tom Cheek speculated that Jayson Werth would join the big club in Tampa, with Reed Johnson being returned to Syracuse. Werth's been hitting well (1.001 OPS) in Florida, and Tosca isn't aftraid to use him -- again, not an earthshaking adjustment, but it can't hurt.
In addition to Werth's 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, there was great news from Dunedin yesterday. Chad Pleiness, the 6' 6" former Central Michigan star RH and Toronto's 5th-round pick in the productive 2002 draft, dominated Lakeland, giving up just three hits and a walk through seven scoreless innings, while striking out eight. Syracuse isn't hitting -- Ken Huckaby (0-for-2 with an RBI sac fly) was the DH Saturday, and three starters are below the Mendoza line. CF Alexis Rios, whose season began late, had a double and a triple for New Haven yesterday and is off to a .556 start. RH Chris Baker tossed six scoreless innings (4 H, 2 BB, 5 K) for the Ravens.
The parent club will be fine. They can hit anyone, and neither the defence nor the pitching is as bad as they've looked the last couple of weeks. Some good fortune and a couple of timely plays might produce a collective sigh of relief, and build some confidence. In his column this morning, Richard Griffin points out, "The Jays are not playing good baseball and are not getting any breaks even when they try to do the right thing." He's right, though he also suggests Tosca should stop making excuses for his players and start getting angry. I don't think that would help; the skipper's understanding and support are more important than ever during a tough stretch like this. You can send a clear message to one player, or the whole roster, without losing your cool.
Today, facing a lefty, is the logical day to sit Hudson in favour of Berg, who homered off Fossum in Toronto. I suggested a benching yesterday, but obviously, Carlos and his staff are even more patient than me, and I respect that; I hope Orlando does. Reed Johnson is also expected to start, but maybe not in the obvious RF spot. Catalanotto's back seems healthy, and he's in a good groove; neither Stewart nor Wells has had a day off all season, so Tosca might just play a hunch. Phelps could even get a rest, with a regular OF manning the DH spot. The batting order is unimportant, compared to the need for Roy Halladay to finally step up with a dominant outing. It's a 2:05 start on the FAN 590 and Sportsnet.
