Something's gotta give. The last-place Kansas City Royals, just 1-10 on the road this season, visit SkyDome, where the homestanding Blue Jays are a mere 1-8.
As you might expect from a team with a worse record than our slumping Jays, the Royals are struggling mightily to come up with timely hits -- the brilliant all-around play of Carlos Beltran notwithstanding. On the pitching side, the news is even worse for K.C.; their 5.55 ERA is easily the AL's worst, and they've struck out a league-fewest 113 batters, which equals one hundred fewer victims than those claimed by the Cubs' staff thus far.
Three hittable lefties are on the docket for the Jays this week. One of these two teams will snap out of its funk. Who will it be?
On to the Advance Scout!
* Quite the turnaround for the Royals, who started last season at 17-4 ... The Royals are scuffling badly, losing 14 of their last 17 ... Kansas City can feel the Jays' pain of failing to get timely hits ... With bases loaded and less than two outs, the Royals are collectively 1 for 15 (.067) ... The Royals also lead the league in wild pitches ... After Saturday's loss to New York, Tony Pena vowed to "get started" on the season on Sunday, calling his Royals "much too good a ballclub to keep playing like this" ... Sadly for Tony, the Royals dropped yet another one, 4-2 to New York ...
* Is Carlos Beltran the best player in the American League? ... Beltran boasts a .326/.439/.721 line with 18 walks and 13 Ks. He's already tallied eight homers and seven stolen bases with no caught stealings, and he plays excellent defence ... He made a sensational diving catch on Saturday afternoon, robbing Ruben Sierra of extra bases ... He's tied with Michael Young of Texas with the league lead at 23 runs scored ... There's a sad inevitablity to Mike Wilner's prediction that his Yankee debut is only a matter of time ... The one chink in his armour: left-handed pitching. The switch-hitting Beltran is a rousing .400/.479/.867 from the left side, but only .154/.353/.385 as a righty ...
* Tonight's starter, finesse lefty Jimmy Gobble, has been a bright spot on the Royals' staff this season, despite having never gone beyond six innings ... Gobble has allowed nine runs, seven earned, on the season for a 2.82 ERA. Seven of those runs came in the same start, at the Metrodome ... He didn't allow a walk in either of his last two starts -- although each time, he only struck out a lone batter ... Gobble started to feel muscle cramping literally all over his body last Wednesday, forcing him to depart in the sixth inning. Gobble blamed long innings, as a result of yielding ten hits ...
* Despite the availability of both Mike Sweeney and Matt Stairs to ably handle first base and DH duties, Ken Harvey has forced his way into the everyday lineup with his .366/.418/.521 line ... The burly slugger had to make two triumphant trots around the bases last Wednesday -- in the same at-bat. In a 1-1 tie with two runners on, Harvey ripped a deep drive down the left-field line off Kenny Rogers that he thought was foul. But home plate umpire Tim Welke ruled it a home run, and Harvey circled the bases ... After conferring with his crewmates, who all insisted that it was foul, Welke reversed his call. Then Harvey deposited the next pitch for an unquestionable three-run shot, into the left-field bullpen -- despite after being tired from lumbering around the bases. "I'm a big guy...I needed time to catch my breath," Harvey admitted ... The Royals went on to win 5-3 ...
* Always reliable, Sweeney comes to Toronto on a five-game hitting streak ... He's batting .316 and slugging .526, but has only drawn four walks on the season ... He drove in two runs on both Saturday and Sunday ... Sweeney bungled a potential double-play ball with the bases loaded and one out on Friday. The stand-up veteran took full responsibility for the two runs that followed ...
* The Royals are delighted to have closer Mike MacDougal back. He was sidelined for nearly the entire month of April with a stomach virus ... He made his first appearance of the season last Wednesday, earning a save despite surrendering an unearned run ...
* His return wasn't a moment too soon. His replacement, veteran Curtis Leskanic, has been utterly atrocious of late ... Leskanic has blown his last three save opportunities, allowing multiple runs each time. Leskanic on April: "It's just a bad month. Let's get this one over with" ... Problem is, May's been even worse: he got bombed in mopup work on Saturday in the Bronx, giving up five runs (four earned) in just two-thirds of an inning, including a Ruben Sierra grand slam ... Last Thursday, Tony Pena ruled MacDougal unavailable, since the righty warmed up twice, and then entered and threw 21 pitches the night before. So Leskanic got the call with a 7-6 ninth-inning lead -- and the Royals lost 9-7 ... The Royals are giving Leskanic a shoulder exam. Mystifyingly, Leskanic has vowed to refuse any assignment to the disabled list ...
* New Brunswick's own Matt Stairs is putting up his usual value as a hitter, going .291/.385/.473 ...
* Tomorrow, swingman Dennys Reyes will get the ball if Darrell May can't go ... May pulled himself out of a scheduled weekend start with a sore groin ... Reyes has battled control problems, walking ten batters in 13 1/3 innings ... Reyes was touched four five runs in a four-inning spot start last Thursday ... May's feeling well, though, and should get the start ...
* Juan Gonzalez returned on Saturday after missing four games with the flu ... Juan Gone has disappointed thus far, hitting just three home runs -- and they all came in a two-day span in mid-April ...
* He's consistent: Joe Randa's .286/.363/.416 line is virtually on his career average in all three statistics ...
* Journeyman reliever Jason Grimsley has pitched five consecutive scoreless outings ... Righties are hitting a paltry .136 off him ...
* Ageless catcher Benito Santiago -- actually, he's 39 -- has hit in 11 of his last 12 games ...
* Desi Relaford, such a pleasant surprise for the Royals last season, has battled hamstring problems and is just 3 for 16 (.188) with three singles on the season ... Relaford also hasn't regained his mojo with the glove just yet ...
* Backup catcher Kelly Stinnett was a high school teammate of Will Shields, who plays in the same sports complex just across the parking lot as an offensive lineman for the Chiefs ...
* Wednesday's starter, Brian Anderson, has given up at least four runs in every start so far this season ... He's tallied a poor 14/13 BB/K ratio this season, including an ugly seven walks at Yankee Stadium on Friday night ... Anderson: "I walked more guys tonight than I walked my entire junior year of college" ... Strange: He entered Friday's start with a 6.44 ERA. After getting tagged for five runs in seven innings, he departed with an identical 6.44 ERA ...
* Highly-touted David DeJesus, a 24-year-old Rutgers grad, is just 1 for 20 (.050) this season ... Pena thinks the outfield prospect is pressing ... He's flashed some impressive range, though, in the field, robbing two Yankees of doubles in Yankee Stadium's "Death Valley" in left-centre ...
* Tony Graffanino was placed on the 15-day DL with a torn meniscus in his left knee ... Luckily for Kansas City, reigning Rookie of the Year, Angel Berroa, returned from the DL. Berroa underwent a precautionary spinal tap after suffering serious, unexplained migraine headaches ... Berroa's gone 1 for 8 with three strikeouts in his first two games back with the club ...
* William Ligue Jr., the fine, upstanding citizen who attacked Tom Gamboa along with his son at Comiskey Park, was recently charged with burglary while on probation ...
Probable Batting Orders
*Note: The Jays are not scheduled to start a lefthanded starter this series.
vs. RH
6 Berroa
8 Beltran
3/DH Sweeney
9 Gonzalez
DH/3 Harvey
5 Randa
2 Santiago/Stinnett
4 Relaford
7 DeJesus/Stairs
Pitching Probables
Monday: LH Gobble vs. Miller
Tuesday: LH May/LH Reyes vs. Hentgen
Wednesday: LH Anderson vs. Halladay
Bullpen Usage
Long: Villacis R, Field R
Short: Camp R, Sullivan L, Cerda L
Setup: Grimsley R, Leskanic R
Closer: MacDougal R
As you might expect from a team with a worse record than our slumping Jays, the Royals are struggling mightily to come up with timely hits -- the brilliant all-around play of Carlos Beltran notwithstanding. On the pitching side, the news is even worse for K.C.; their 5.55 ERA is easily the AL's worst, and they've struck out a league-fewest 113 batters, which equals one hundred fewer victims than those claimed by the Cubs' staff thus far.
Three hittable lefties are on the docket for the Jays this week. One of these two teams will snap out of its funk. Who will it be?
On to the Advance Scout!
* Quite the turnaround for the Royals, who started last season at 17-4 ... The Royals are scuffling badly, losing 14 of their last 17 ... Kansas City can feel the Jays' pain of failing to get timely hits ... With bases loaded and less than two outs, the Royals are collectively 1 for 15 (.067) ... The Royals also lead the league in wild pitches ... After Saturday's loss to New York, Tony Pena vowed to "get started" on the season on Sunday, calling his Royals "much too good a ballclub to keep playing like this" ... Sadly for Tony, the Royals dropped yet another one, 4-2 to New York ...
* Is Carlos Beltran the best player in the American League? ... Beltran boasts a .326/.439/.721 line with 18 walks and 13 Ks. He's already tallied eight homers and seven stolen bases with no caught stealings, and he plays excellent defence ... He made a sensational diving catch on Saturday afternoon, robbing Ruben Sierra of extra bases ... He's tied with Michael Young of Texas with the league lead at 23 runs scored ... There's a sad inevitablity to Mike Wilner's prediction that his Yankee debut is only a matter of time ... The one chink in his armour: left-handed pitching. The switch-hitting Beltran is a rousing .400/.479/.867 from the left side, but only .154/.353/.385 as a righty ...
* Tonight's starter, finesse lefty Jimmy Gobble, has been a bright spot on the Royals' staff this season, despite having never gone beyond six innings ... Gobble has allowed nine runs, seven earned, on the season for a 2.82 ERA. Seven of those runs came in the same start, at the Metrodome ... He didn't allow a walk in either of his last two starts -- although each time, he only struck out a lone batter ... Gobble started to feel muscle cramping literally all over his body last Wednesday, forcing him to depart in the sixth inning. Gobble blamed long innings, as a result of yielding ten hits ...
* Despite the availability of both Mike Sweeney and Matt Stairs to ably handle first base and DH duties, Ken Harvey has forced his way into the everyday lineup with his .366/.418/.521 line ... The burly slugger had to make two triumphant trots around the bases last Wednesday -- in the same at-bat. In a 1-1 tie with two runners on, Harvey ripped a deep drive down the left-field line off Kenny Rogers that he thought was foul. But home plate umpire Tim Welke ruled it a home run, and Harvey circled the bases ... After conferring with his crewmates, who all insisted that it was foul, Welke reversed his call. Then Harvey deposited the next pitch for an unquestionable three-run shot, into the left-field bullpen -- despite after being tired from lumbering around the bases. "I'm a big guy...I needed time to catch my breath," Harvey admitted ... The Royals went on to win 5-3 ...
* Always reliable, Sweeney comes to Toronto on a five-game hitting streak ... He's batting .316 and slugging .526, but has only drawn four walks on the season ... He drove in two runs on both Saturday and Sunday ... Sweeney bungled a potential double-play ball with the bases loaded and one out on Friday. The stand-up veteran took full responsibility for the two runs that followed ...
* The Royals are delighted to have closer Mike MacDougal back. He was sidelined for nearly the entire month of April with a stomach virus ... He made his first appearance of the season last Wednesday, earning a save despite surrendering an unearned run ...
* His return wasn't a moment too soon. His replacement, veteran Curtis Leskanic, has been utterly atrocious of late ... Leskanic has blown his last three save opportunities, allowing multiple runs each time. Leskanic on April: "It's just a bad month. Let's get this one over with" ... Problem is, May's been even worse: he got bombed in mopup work on Saturday in the Bronx, giving up five runs (four earned) in just two-thirds of an inning, including a Ruben Sierra grand slam ... Last Thursday, Tony Pena ruled MacDougal unavailable, since the righty warmed up twice, and then entered and threw 21 pitches the night before. So Leskanic got the call with a 7-6 ninth-inning lead -- and the Royals lost 9-7 ... The Royals are giving Leskanic a shoulder exam. Mystifyingly, Leskanic has vowed to refuse any assignment to the disabled list ...
* New Brunswick's own Matt Stairs is putting up his usual value as a hitter, going .291/.385/.473 ...
* Tomorrow, swingman Dennys Reyes will get the ball if Darrell May can't go ... May pulled himself out of a scheduled weekend start with a sore groin ... Reyes has battled control problems, walking ten batters in 13 1/3 innings ... Reyes was touched four five runs in a four-inning spot start last Thursday ... May's feeling well, though, and should get the start ...
* Juan Gonzalez returned on Saturday after missing four games with the flu ... Juan Gone has disappointed thus far, hitting just three home runs -- and they all came in a two-day span in mid-April ...
* He's consistent: Joe Randa's .286/.363/.416 line is virtually on his career average in all three statistics ...
* Journeyman reliever Jason Grimsley has pitched five consecutive scoreless outings ... Righties are hitting a paltry .136 off him ...
* Ageless catcher Benito Santiago -- actually, he's 39 -- has hit in 11 of his last 12 games ...
* Desi Relaford, such a pleasant surprise for the Royals last season, has battled hamstring problems and is just 3 for 16 (.188) with three singles on the season ... Relaford also hasn't regained his mojo with the glove just yet ...
* Backup catcher Kelly Stinnett was a high school teammate of Will Shields, who plays in the same sports complex just across the parking lot as an offensive lineman for the Chiefs ...
* Wednesday's starter, Brian Anderson, has given up at least four runs in every start so far this season ... He's tallied a poor 14/13 BB/K ratio this season, including an ugly seven walks at Yankee Stadium on Friday night ... Anderson: "I walked more guys tonight than I walked my entire junior year of college" ... Strange: He entered Friday's start with a 6.44 ERA. After getting tagged for five runs in seven innings, he departed with an identical 6.44 ERA ...
* Highly-touted David DeJesus, a 24-year-old Rutgers grad, is just 1 for 20 (.050) this season ... Pena thinks the outfield prospect is pressing ... He's flashed some impressive range, though, in the field, robbing two Yankees of doubles in Yankee Stadium's "Death Valley" in left-centre ...
* Tony Graffanino was placed on the 15-day DL with a torn meniscus in his left knee ... Luckily for Kansas City, reigning Rookie of the Year, Angel Berroa, returned from the DL. Berroa underwent a precautionary spinal tap after suffering serious, unexplained migraine headaches ... Berroa's gone 1 for 8 with three strikeouts in his first two games back with the club ...
* William Ligue Jr., the fine, upstanding citizen who attacked Tom Gamboa along with his son at Comiskey Park, was recently charged with burglary while on probation ...
Probable Batting Orders
*Note: The Jays are not scheduled to start a lefthanded starter this series.
vs. RH
6 Berroa
8 Beltran
3/DH Sweeney
9 Gonzalez
DH/3 Harvey
5 Randa
2 Santiago/Stinnett
4 Relaford
7 DeJesus/Stairs
Pitching Probables
Monday: LH Gobble vs. Miller
Tuesday: LH May/LH Reyes vs. Hentgen
Wednesday: LH Anderson vs. Halladay
Bullpen Usage
Long: Villacis R, Field R
Short: Camp R, Sullivan L, Cerda L
Setup: Grimsley R, Leskanic R
Closer: MacDougal R
