My road trip starts today! Hence, the abbreviated Scout. Stay tuned for pinch-hit columns for the Tribe and O's next week.
The Jays kick off a series against a team not only with A-Rod, but Tanyon Sturtze, Felix Heredia (now demoted) and E----n L----a! Finally, all elements have come together and we have an opponent we can truly dislike.
I'm off to nine games in ten days. Full report to follow!
* Despite all the doomsaying and hand-wringing over the Yankees' (relative) deficiencies in their starting rotation, and at first and second base, New York keeps rolling along with their superstar-powered offence ... They've won 5 of 7 since taking 2 of 3 at the Dome ...
* Tonight's starter, Javier Vazquez, has been a bit shaky of late ... His 3-1 July record was deceptive, as he in fact pitched rather poorly. He posted a 6.61 ERA for the month, with an unsightly 15 walks in 30 2/3 IP ... Opponents are hitting .303 off him over his four starts since the All-Star Break ... Vazquez graciously credited the bullpen for his 9-2 record over his last 14 starts: "They're close to being perfect" ...
* Speaking of close to perfect, Mariano Rivera has settled down from his back-to-back hiccups at Fenway and SkyDome to calmly rack up three saves against the Orioles and a win against Oakland ... The A's drew two walks off him on Wednesday, ending an 11-game walkless streak ...
* Old friend Paul Quantrill issued a free pass last night -- his first walk in fifteen appearances ... The rubber-armed righty did not allow a run in any of his three recent outings against the Jays ...
* A-Rod is heating up, and he's hit in five of his last six (.360), with six runs and seven RBI over that span ... He's been terrific since the All-Star Break at .338/.404/.636 ... He pounds lefties at a .330/.434/.740 rate ... On Saturday, he homered, made two great plays at third, and even stole home ... Joe Torre: "He can light a game up, there's no question" ...
* Sore shoulder or no, Gary Sheffield is also raking these days ... He's hit in ten of his last eleven games (.381), with 12 runs scored ... Even with Death Valley in left-centre, Sheff hits up a storm at Yankee Stadium, putting up .330/.455/.621 numbers at home ...
* Tom Gordon remains a tremendously effective short man, as the righty buzzes lefthanded hitters -- who hit .143 off him with a 8/34 BB/K ratio ... He's struck out 157 Blue Jays in his career, more than any other opposing club ...
* Scott Proctor, acquired in the Ventura trade, has been leaving the ball up a tad too much. He's given up two homers in his last five appearances -- a span of only three innings pitched ... Although lefties and righties are both hitting .259 off him, all four homers allowed have been to righthanded hitters ...
Probable Batting Orders
vs. LH
8 Williams
6 Jeter
9/DH Sheffield
5 Rodriguez
2 Posada/Flaherty
7 Matsui
DH/9 Sierra
3 Clark/Olerud
4 Cairo/Wilson
vs. RH
8 Lofton
6 Jeter
9 Sheffield
5 Rodriguez
2 Posada
7 Matsui
DH Williams
3 Olerud/Clark
4 Wilson/Cairo
Pitching Probables
Friday: RH Vazquez vs. Douglass
Saturday: RH Hernandez vs. Lilly
Sunday: RH Lieber vs. Batista
Monday: RH L----a vs. Towers
Bullpen Usage
Long: Sturtze R, Nitkowski L
Short: Proctor R
Setup: Quantrill R, Gordon R
Closer: Rivera R
The Jays kick off a series against a team not only with A-Rod, but Tanyon Sturtze, Felix Heredia (now demoted) and E----n L----a! Finally, all elements have come together and we have an opponent we can truly dislike.
I'm off to nine games in ten days. Full report to follow!
* Despite all the doomsaying and hand-wringing over the Yankees' (relative) deficiencies in their starting rotation, and at first and second base, New York keeps rolling along with their superstar-powered offence ... They've won 5 of 7 since taking 2 of 3 at the Dome ...
* Tonight's starter, Javier Vazquez, has been a bit shaky of late ... His 3-1 July record was deceptive, as he in fact pitched rather poorly. He posted a 6.61 ERA for the month, with an unsightly 15 walks in 30 2/3 IP ... Opponents are hitting .303 off him over his four starts since the All-Star Break ... Vazquez graciously credited the bullpen for his 9-2 record over his last 14 starts: "They're close to being perfect" ...
* Speaking of close to perfect, Mariano Rivera has settled down from his back-to-back hiccups at Fenway and SkyDome to calmly rack up three saves against the Orioles and a win against Oakland ... The A's drew two walks off him on Wednesday, ending an 11-game walkless streak ...
* Old friend Paul Quantrill issued a free pass last night -- his first walk in fifteen appearances ... The rubber-armed righty did not allow a run in any of his three recent outings against the Jays ...
* A-Rod is heating up, and he's hit in five of his last six (.360), with six runs and seven RBI over that span ... He's been terrific since the All-Star Break at .338/.404/.636 ... He pounds lefties at a .330/.434/.740 rate ... On Saturday, he homered, made two great plays at third, and even stole home ... Joe Torre: "He can light a game up, there's no question" ...
* Sore shoulder or no, Gary Sheffield is also raking these days ... He's hit in ten of his last eleven games (.381), with 12 runs scored ... Even with Death Valley in left-centre, Sheff hits up a storm at Yankee Stadium, putting up .330/.455/.621 numbers at home ...
* Tom Gordon remains a tremendously effective short man, as the righty buzzes lefthanded hitters -- who hit .143 off him with a 8/34 BB/K ratio ... He's struck out 157 Blue Jays in his career, more than any other opposing club ...
* Scott Proctor, acquired in the Ventura trade, has been leaving the ball up a tad too much. He's given up two homers in his last five appearances -- a span of only three innings pitched ... Although lefties and righties are both hitting .259 off him, all four homers allowed have been to righthanded hitters ...
Probable Batting Orders
vs. LH
8 Williams
6 Jeter
9/DH Sheffield
5 Rodriguez
2 Posada/Flaherty
7 Matsui
DH/9 Sierra
3 Clark/Olerud
4 Cairo/Wilson
vs. RH
8 Lofton
6 Jeter
9 Sheffield
5 Rodriguez
2 Posada
7 Matsui
DH Williams
3 Olerud/Clark
4 Wilson/Cairo
Pitching Probables
Friday: RH Vazquez vs. Douglass
Saturday: RH Hernandez vs. Lilly
Sunday: RH Lieber vs. Batista
Monday: RH L----a vs. Towers
Bullpen Usage
Long: Sturtze R, Nitkowski L
Short: Proctor R
Setup: Quantrill R, Gordon R
Closer: Rivera R
