The always-exciting Kelvim Escobar gets the call tonight. The once and current starter has pitched inefficiently yet quite effectively since his conversion back to the rotation. At this point, it's still too early to predict which Kelvim will show up to pitch -- a third straight solid start will generate real excitement in numerous quarters. The ChiSox have their A lineup out there, though: Carlos Lee, Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko surround Magglio Ordonez in the batting order.

For Toronto, Shannon Stewart returns to the lineup and reclaims his leadoff spot. Utilityman Howie Clark gets the start at third base, his first since arriving from Syracuse. And who says you need protection in the lineup? Carlos Delgado is followed by the fearsome duo of Greg Myers (DH) and Tom Wilson (C): Josh Phelps gets the night off against struggling (2-4, 5.70 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) Jon Garland.

Seattle Mariners radio broadcasts were saying last night that the Jays might yet qualify for one of the seasons biggest suprises. I think they have it right. Potentially right at least. Jays still need a bulpen and the starting pitching to pick it up obviously. So far so good with Halladay and Lidle, but we will have to wait and see about Hendrickson. Ofcourse the same is true for Escobar, Hopefully his blood continues to pump down to his pitching hand.

You know what, I'm starting to convince myself. I think they can make a serious run for the wildcard. Maybe, just maybe. But we need some serious luck from the baseball gods and hope Oaklands staff has some problems, Mariners bullpen implodes from overwork. Texas continues to get no pitching. Yeah that ought ta do it.

Ok fella's Oh Canada in a few mins, and I'm out for the drive home.
Cheers

Mike Wilner's in the booth with Tom and Jerry tonight, which is terrific. I love T & J as much as the next fan, but the club needs to start thinking about who's going to replace these guys. Twenty-five years on the job is a little too long for anyone.

Eric Hinske had his surgery today -- all went well, reportedly.

D'Angelo Jimenez singled to lead off the game, but got overaggressive on the bases and Vernon threw him out at second. Therafter followed a pretty typical Kelvim run: strikeout, walk, strikeout. Cat managed an infield single, but the Jays couldn't get further.

Both starters are on tonight: each has four strikeouts through two scoreless innings. The Jays put two on with two out in the bottom of the second, but Chris Woodward grounded out. The Dome's closed tonight, so the BB crew won't get to enjoy an outdoors game. Mike Wilner reports the Braves led off the game against the Reds tonight with three straight home runs. It's cloudy here in Ottawa with a chance of overnight showers. Anyone out there?

Talkin' to myself again, wond'ring if this travellin' is good,
Wond'ring if there's something we'd be doing if we could....

Jordan,

I'd love to chat with ya, but seeing how I don't have MLB Extra Innings -- dang it! -- I'm stuck with either the radio or, worse, ESPN's came cast.

Give me a full scouting report on Joe Borchard, please. I saw him when he was at Stanford, and I currently have in my AL-only fantasy league, but I have yet to see him in the majors.

Jerry just made a Jimmy Carter reference. Maybe I've somehow been transported back in time, sending play-by-play accounts through to a non-existent Internet. Anyone see that Jim Cavalziel movie Frequency? If it is 1978, I'm going out to buy some Microsoft stock with my strong Canadian currency.

Gitz! Excellent -- I was starting to call my volleyball Wilson. Sadly, I haven't seen Borchard either -- I'm following on MLB audio gamecast, as my TV is three floors below me. He still appears to be struggling to make contact, however.

Remember back in April, when this team was playing like boneheads, failing to execute? They seem to have turned that around too. In addition to Wells throwing out Jimenez from the outfield, Tom Wilson gunned down the aforesaid Borchard. Scoreless through three.

The Sox are a funny team with their prospects. Joe Crede tore up AAA for two consecutive years, but didn't get called up for good until late last year. Borchard did OK in AA two years ago, less at AAA last year, and so far very little this year. Yet he gets the summons.

Odd.

Wait, your TV is three floors below you? Where are you?

Eric Pipp? Howie Clark has a line-drive single and two sharp plays at third base in the fourth. I imagine a guy like Clark has seen more than enough minor-league hotels and bus rides to do everything necessary to stick around with the big club. With Hinske maybe out till the All-Star Break and Carlos Tosca talking about going with a smaller pitching staff all season, Clark may not return to Syracuse.

According to Jerry, Paul Godfrey says they've sold 31,000 tickets for the latest $2 Wednesday. Well, there's tickets sold, and then there's seats filled.

With two out, Escobar's concentration may be faltering: two walks on nine pitches, before getting Valentin to ground out.

Other baseball notes: Brian Roberts -- yes, THE Brian Roberts -- hit another grand slam tonight.

Odd.

Where are you? In a very narrow townhouse. The TV's in the basement, the living room is on the main floor, the kitchen and dining room are half a floor up, and the computer is up near the top. Since I'm a keyboard addict, I don't watch much TV anymore, which on balance is probably a good thing.

The ChiSox, as I recall, were supposed to have the most totally stacked minor-league system going. But outside of Crede, I'm not sure what else they've produced. Except for Garland so far tonight, and he came from the Cubs anyway. Remember who he was traded for?

i wonder when escos is going to have to leave? his count now stands at 70 after 4 innings.

im following the game on mlb.com gamecast..........anyone know where i can hear the game on the net (without paying...hehe)?

Hmmm. Off the top of my head ... no, I can't recall who the Cubs traded Garland for, but I'll remember when I hear. I want to say George Bell, but that can't possibly be right.

Do you have Yahoo IM or MSN messenger?

Garland was traded for Mark Karchner. Remember him?

Neither one, I'm afraid -- I spend too much time on this thing as it is; if I started using IM, I might disappear into the Net altogether. It was Matt Karchner for Jon Garland.

Ken, you can try http://www.fan590.com --- it's sometimes available, sometimes not. Appears to be working tonight, though.

Whoops, beaten by Elijah. I think Ezekiel used to say the same thing, back in the day. Pete Walker's warming up....

Matt, Mark, Luke, John. Whatever.

Ah. Matt Karchner. Yes, I do remember him. He was a closer for half a season. How can you trade a former first-round pick for someone as middling as Karchner? Oh, right. It's the Cubs.

Who traded George Bell for nothing? Was that the Sosa deal I'm thinking of?

Right. I meant to say "Didn't someone trade someone great for Bell, who was nothing"?

OK, so batter order means nothing. But is Carlos Lee one of the more curious choices for a #2 hitter or what?

You are correct, sir: Sosa for Bell. The Cubs should consider Garland to be a moral donation.

Kelvim ran out of gas at the end -- a two-out single by Jimenez scored Crede, and a walk to Lee. It's 1-0 ChiSox, but Escobar's night isn't done -- despite his evident desire to leave the game, Tosca's leaving him in with his pitch count past 90. That was a mistake: Thomas singles, it's 2-0 Sox, and Kelvim's out.

As long as I live I'll never figure Escobar out!

Garland looks pretty good,the streak could be in trouble.

Tosca's leaving him in with his pitch count past 90. That was a mistake

Makes kind of a nice change to be able to second guess the skipper for not making a pitching change.

I actually like putting a good hitter second, but Lee has a .325 OBP and a 12/35 BB/K ratio. He's about as good a choice for the #2 slot as Jose Cruz Jr.

Give Escobar his due -- 6 strikeouts in 4 2/3, and he was dominant at times, but 5 walks helped do him in. That's where his tentativeness and resulting high pitch counts get him in trouble -- too many strike threes, too many ball fours. Your defence is there for a reason, Kelvim -- you really should use it.

Sosa was a skinny kid when he came up. Hard to believe the Cubs are his third organisation. Who did the Rangers get for him?

Makes kind of a nice change to be able to second guess the skipper for not making a pitching change.

True enough, Gwyn -- Carlos can't win for losing in that respect. And I suppose he wanted 5 complete out of Escobar. But Kelvim really did hit the wall that last inning, physically and mentally. Well, minimal damage done: Walker retired the side and it's still 2-0.

Someone was asking about justin miller a few days ago. Sportsnetwork is reporting he will have season ending shoulder surgery tomorrow. Remember the one he injured lifting wieghts. ouch

Jordan: I agree, I like to have a good hitter at #2, as well. My problem, as is yours, apparently, is with Lee. It looked like he had turned the corner in the second half last year, but, alas ...

Who did the Rangers get for him?

If memory serves, Harold Baines. Okay, I'll look it up.... Close: Baines and Freddy Manrique.

Jon Garland appears to be Chicago's answer to Joe Kennedy: designated Jay-killer.

[Miller] will have season ending shoulder surgery tomorrow. ouch.

Ouch is right: hello, worst-case scenario. Well, I suppose the good news is that with Escobar's emergence and Doug Davis falling out of a tree, Miller's innings weren't needed. But he's got a long road back now, first to recover from the operation and then to continue his development. Here's hoping he makes a complete recovery.

Yup its a good thing Davis did land in T.O. If he doesn't work out which is probable then perhaps Sturtze can regain some form. At least not feel like he has to throw everything down the heart of the plate and can make a comeback to the rotation, then there's Walker who in perhaps a month might be ready for spot starting duties and if the team is in the wild card race again perhaps they could call up a hot Arnold. Remember what Lackey and Callaway did during the dog days for the Angels. Harang to a lesser extent for the A's.

For the Jays there are at least some pitching options, not good ones but at least there's a lot of percentage chances.

Was it just me? I thought I heard a commotion going on behind Faulds and Cerutti in the press-box, it sounded like a group of drunken louts shouting something to this effect "Dicky the Zombies are coming,you can run but can't hide".

36,806 - thats almost double last nights attendance, yeehaw!

Jon Garland has thrown just 70 pitches through 6 shutout innings; other teams' scouts attending the game tonight will probably be ordering videotapes of his performance to send back to their pitching coaches. Remarkable job against the hottest lineup in baseball. A complete game is quite possible, but you know Billy Koch is just dying to get out there in the ninth.

I actually like putting a good hitter second

I'm not sure that came out right, Jordan.

We all know batting order doesn't matter, blah, blah, blah, but I'm assuming you meant you'd be favour of something along the lines of thi : Anaheim's batting Glaus 2nd these days. Now that's interesting... and actually kinda makes sense. .362 OBP? Why not? Besides, you'd rather him getting the extra couple of at bats then Adam Kennedy.

thanks jordan

is it normal for the sound to keep cutting out and the link to keep re-buffering??

Anaheim's batting Glaus 2nd these days

That makes perfect sense to me. I love the idea, providing the player doesnt have any ego related problems with it. The days of Alex Gonzales at second were some of the darkest of my baseball watching career.

I seem to remember reading a study on primer some time ago that suggested the best hitter in a linup should hit second, and if you dropped Glaus to fifth (say) you would lose him about 50 at-bats over a season.

assuming you meant you'd be favour of something along the lines of this: Anaheim's batting Glaus 2nd these days. Now that's interesting...

Exactly. It used to bug me no end how successive Blue Jays managers would bat Alex Gonzalez second, on the fuzzy notion that middle infielders were supposed to hit second, where they presumably would learn to hit-and-run by virtue of their position. Cat's a great #2 hitter, and so was Hinske last year: there's nothing that says you can't have power #2. Besides, your #2 guy is going to end up with more PAs over the course of a full season than your #6 guy; why would you give an inferior hitter the extra out-making opportunities?

Ken, I haven't encountered that problem, but I've got high-speed, which may make a difference. Hope it clears up for you.

Pete Walker appears to back on the beam: 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings. Looks like it's Sturtze or Lopez next inning; knowing Tosca, it'll probably be both.

Gwyn, great minds clearly think alike -- yours just thinks faster. :-)

Gwyn, great minds clearly think alike -- yours just thinks faster. :-)

Jordan, hardly - I just have a few yards and one door between TV and keyboard not three floors so I have an advantage.

The following sequence is still lodged in my memory:

- Stewart singles to open the first
- Gonzo comes up
- Buck mMrtinez goes into his speil about moving runners along and how Gonzo is a great number two hitter because he does the little things well
- Gonzo strikes out swinging on four pitches
- I throw a few things at the TV

repeat for way way too many games!

Tanyon Sturtze got himself into trouble with a walk and a single, but a DP grounder and a groundout to first got him right back out again. Going to the bottom of the 8th down 2-0, the Jays are totally within striking distance.

Howie Clarke (I cant help picturing British 80s pop singer Howard Clarke whenever his names mentioned) is obviously going head-to-head with Reed Johnson for the Energizer Bunnie award. Great hussle for that double, and you can bet just the thing an old minor league skipper like Tosca will love.

Are they putting something in the water down at Syracuse ?

Yeah, the Jays used to have the worst (kind) of #2 hitter in Gonzalez (it's funny to read reader postings on the otherwise fantastic The Cub Reporter where they talk about Alex Gonzalez as if he's some kind of asset at the top of the order), but before that they had the best: little Robbie Alomar. If you were working in a genetic laboratory, you couldn't engineer a better #2 hitter.

A close game rapidly becomes a laugher, thanks to the musical stylings of Jeff Tam and Josh Towers in the ninth. Tam allowed an RBI single to Jay nemesis Jimenez and a two-run double to Carlos Lee. He then stayed around long enough to intentionally walk Brian Daubach to get to Magglio Ordonez -- yes, you read that correctly -- and Josh Towers finished the whole thing by allowing a three-run bomb to Ordonez.

On the plus side, Billy Koch won't get a save. The six-game win streak looks to be officially over.

if you dropped Glaus to fifth (say) you would lose him about 50 at-bats over a season

I think it was even worse. I think Glaus used to bat 6th.

I think part of the reason for batting Alex Gonzalez second was based on the idea that HE would benefit from batting second and seeing a lot of fastballs.

Some people in baseball actually believe that hitters aren't simply exchangeable Strat cards who will perform exactly the same no matter where they are in the lineup.

Cito Gaston was one of those people -- was Devon White a guy I'd want batting leadoff for me in my Scoresheet Baseball leagues? Of course not, but Cito seemed to believe that Devo hitting leadoff was a better hitter than he would be anywhere else in the lineup. Meanwhile, guys like Alomar and Molitor would hit no matter where you put them. Given that, if I thought that Devo would be a more productive hitter leading off, that's where I would've batted him, too.

Since batting order apparently makes little difference in terms of run production, I think it makes a lot of sense to pick a batting order that (potentially) could get better production out of certain players. Makes sense, no?

Oh, and who's Howard Clark, Gwyn? Sure you're not thinking of Howard Jones? Having trouble keeping up with the Jon--- nah, too easy. :-)

Oh, and who's Howard Clark, Gwyn? Sure you're not thinking of Howard Jones? Having trouble keeping up with the Jon--- nah, too easy. :-)

You're absolutely right...Howard Clarke was a British golfer. I've obviously got to stop posting after 3 or 4 Keith's :-)

Well it was a close game until it was decided that Jeff Tam would pitch in a game that was still in doubt. It didn't look like the Jays' bats could get untracked anyway...for some reason everyone kept trying to pull Garland's heavy sinker and he just wasn't having any of it. If Escobar had Garland's command and aggressiveness tonight he could have lasted just as long.

I think it makes a lot of sense to pick a batting order that (potentially) could get better production out of certain players. Makes sense, no?

I think it also makes sense to put your best players at the top of the lineup so they get more at bats and not waste them with dead weights like Gonzalez on the off chance they might get better.

I think part of the reason for batting Alex Gonzalez second was based on the idea that HE would benefit from batting second and seeing a lot of fastballs.

I hear this argument a lot, but has anyone done the research to see whether these guys actually see more fastballs? And you make it sound like fastballs are so easy to hit to begin with. If fastballs were such gopher pitches I'm sure no one would be throwing them at all. Besides, Kent's critics used to say that about him, that he was merely benefitting from seeing a lot of fastballs ahead of Bonds, but then he batted behind Bonds... and still knocked the cover off the ball. (And he's doing the same in front of a slumping Berkman in Houston.)

Given that, if I thought that Devo would be a more productive hitter leading off, that's where I would've batted him, too.

Hey, White had a .341 OBP in '93. You could do worse at the top of the order.

And finally, one from Gwyn:

I seem to remember reading a study on primer some time ago that suggested the best hitter in a linup should hit second

I've long thought this new supercharged Barry Bonds should be batting 2nd. It's a shame that just as they lost their ideal #3 hitter (Kent), they've finally got a legit #1 (Durham).

Gwyn -

Perhaps you are thinking of Vince Clarke, original member of Depeche Mode and currently half of Erasure?

Don't mention Erasure, lest Todd Jones hear you.

We had a good time, despite the death. Jon Garland joins the Joe Kennedy list.

So what was up with the Cat beaning?
Delgado was (until that at bat) 1/1 with a HR v.s. Koch, why didn't he bean him with probably two outs? (assuming he got Cat out)

Would it be the 3 inchs and 30 ibs difference?

You're a tough guy Mr. Koch.

It seems to me that beaning someone in an 8-0 game in the bottom of the 9th is a Chickensh#$ thing to do.

Now we'll see some beanings in the next game.

36,806 - thats almost double last nights attendance, yeehaw!

For those who weren't there, the walkup crowd was ginormous. The Jays obviously weren't ready and I'd guess that at least 10,000 didn't actually get inside until after the 2nd inning. The roof was closed and it was stifling hot in the 500 level...I had to retreat to the relative safety of the 100 level seats.

Sorry guys, I tried to get over to you. There was just too many people. But I think I heard you. Was it you who started the "Howie" chant during his first AB?

What is it about this team that they always get their clocks cleaned when attendance drifts into five digits? I mean, I'm not going to say that they can't win when it counts - not after the Yankee sweep - but I've never seen worse timing. This is not the way to win friends and influence people.

A better question to ask might be what is it about bringing Jeff Tam and Josh Towers into a 2-0 game in the 9th inning? Even if you assume that Walker and Sturtze were tired (which I doubt) then at least put in a GOOD reliever so your team still has a chance in it's last at bat. A good manager would have kept in Walker until he got in trouble or had Lopez or Politte to come out and pitch the 9th. I'm afraid I'll just never understand Tosca's bullpen management...it wasn't meant to be for me.

The Jays obviously weren't ready and I'd guess that at least 10,000 didn't actually get inside until after the 2nd inning.

The same thing happened on opening day, and it took us until the second inning to pick up tickets we'd already ordered (a good forty minutes after we'd arrived).

The ticket agent people are very slow.... where's Gord Ash when you need him?

Escobar after the game, as reported in the Star:

"I felt too good tonight, and it's no good sometimes when you feel like that because you think you're just Superman. You try to destroy the hitters and it doesn't work like that. You have to throw strikes, change your speed and be nice and relaxed.

"What killed me was all those walks. I've been pretty good and (pitching coach) Gil (Patterson) already told me, `You're getting too excited. I think you're trying to overthrow the ball. You don't need to do it. You're already very strong.'"

Well, I suppose knowing what you're doing wrong is half the battle. This is more self-awareness than I've heard from him before.

Esco is just so frustrating to watch. Lights out for two batters, then walks two guys. I just don't understand him. And I doubt that he'll ever put things together. Not after what, 5/6 years in the majors? Let's just hope he performs well for a bit so we can trade him.

Leave it to the Jays to choke when the attendance is big.

As I said, Escobar's biggest problem is not really a lack of desire...it's a lack of discipline and too much of a desire to fool hitters instead of just getting them out. What he really needs is a strong presence behind the plate who will call a game suited to his repetoire and not give in to Kelvim's desire to throw three straight 0-2 splitters.

I don't think it was splitters he was sailing all over the plate in that last inning of work though, they looked pretty straight to me. Considering his control had gotten so rappidly rotten, I was surprised no one during the telecast mentioned the '01 forearm problems, if anything just to show their memories fuctioned. No mention of it today as well.

Shane, your spot on. That is the concern that I have and expressed on this blog twice in the past few days. It actually was suspected as circulatory problem. His hand would go numb after about 60 pitches. I think its not just the sportscasters that have forgotten after all the escobar discussion here. This is something the Jays are going to have to monitor closely. But ofcourse we might not know about it considering the medical blackout from Jays braintrust.

But lets not fall off the bandwagon just yet.

It actually was suspected as circulatory problem. His hand would go numb after about 60 pitches.

How many pitches before the circulatory problem between his ears causes the gray matter to go numb?