Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Game Thread

You see the world through your cynical eyes, you're a troubled young man I can tell.

Tim Hudson (4-3, 4.98) gets on the hill for the Braves. Lefty Mark Buehrle (1-3, 5.90) will try to stick it to those tomahawk-chopping fools at 7:07 p.m Eastern.

Hudson's repertoire includes a fastball around 89-90 miles per hour, followed by a silder at 84-85, a curveball at 76 and a split-finger fastball at 80-81 according to FanGraphs. He's had a nice uptick in strikeouts from last season, striking out 7.1 hitters per nine innings — an increase of nearly two from last year. However, he's been hurt by the gopher ball in 2013 as his home run per fly ball rate is up nearly four percent to 12.2. Hudson won his 200th career game against Arizona last month. He has owned the Jays, going 11-3 lifetime with a 2.79 ERA.

As for Atlanta, they lead the National League East with a 30-19 record. Their eight-game winning streak came to an end thanks to old friend Shaun Marcum, who helped the Mets beat the Braves 4-2 Sunday night. He did not get the win but did strike out 12 over seven innings.

Let's hope the good karma Buehrle showed on Friday towards Sean Nolin rubs off tonight in the form of his second win of the season. The Toronto Sun says Buehrle gave the shellshocked rookie a pep talk after his rough debut Friday night. Buehrle likes interleague play as he is the wins leader with 25. However, he was 1-2 against the Braves last year with a 5.91 ERA.

This game also features the Rasmus brothers, as Cory Rasmus was called up by the Braves to join their bullpen. The rookie missed out on a memento thanks to Evan Gattis in his debut Wednesday, in which he pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up a couple of runs.

@BlueJays lineup: Cabrera LF, Bautista RF, Encarnacion DH, Lind 1B, Arencibia C, Rasmus CF, Lawrie 3B, Bonifacio 2B, Kawasaki SS

Posted by #2JBrumfield on Monday, May 27 2013 @ 03:02 PM EDT.

Game Thread — 5/27 vs. Atlanta | 16 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

Gerry - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 05:10 PM EDT (#272794) #

Weird schedule over the next four days. Two games against Atlanta in Toronto followed by two games against Atlanta in Atlanta. Before this year inter-league series were always three games. And I don't remember a "home and home" series in baseball before.

greenfrog - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 05:31 PM EDT (#272795) #

No Teheran, which is a minor advantage, as he's pitched very well of late (no more than 3 ER in any of his last six starts). It appears that Atlanta will have a Minor advantage on Thursday.

budgell - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 07:50 PM EDT (#272802) #

Can 't believe Lawrie's in the lineup.... pathetic

greenfrog - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 07:55 PM EDT (#272803) #

I was skeptical about Rasmus early this season (when he was striking out about 45% of the time). His offensive numbers have declined since his hot first week, but he's having a pretty respectable 2013. If he finishes the year at his current 242/310/446, I imagine the Jays will be satisfied.

With his double tonight, Lind now hitting 310/403/504 - an impressive slash line. He has a 19:22 BB:K ratio. A very good start for Lind.

greenfrog - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 08:10 PM EDT (#272804) #

With a halfway decent left fielder playing tonight (or with a healthy Cabrera in the field), Buerhle would currently be pitching a no-hitter. He's still pitching a great ballgame, though.

rtcaino - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 08:40 PM EDT (#272805) #

I don't remember a "home and home" series in baseball before.

It's neat. Almost like the play-offs.

... From what I can remember.

uglyone - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 08:50 PM EDT (#272806) #

1. great outing for Burly against a slugging lineup. only one or two well-hit balls all night off of him. Morris was right to point out that he's been pretty aces ever since that 7 run inning in tampa.

2. Lind continues to have fantastic patient at bats. Like the sucker I am, I'm starting to believe.

3. For all the crap he takes, Rasmus ain't so bad. He's having a better year than most of his AL competition this year, and Jones is the only CF in the AL East having a better year.

Alex Obal - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 08:50 PM EDT (#272807) #

Maybe we have an ace after all?

robertdudek - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 09:15 PM EDT (#272808) #

Another solid game from Brett Lawrie until forced out by his awkward slide (I feel it happened because he was trying to avoid the tag and his spikes got caught). He'll get a few days off at least, hopefully won't have to go on the DL. My new tagline: if you don't like watching Brett Lawrie play baseball, you don't like baseball.

Magpie - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 09:24 PM EDT (#272809) #

if you don't like watching Brett Lawrie play baseball, you don't like baseball.

Well, for sure you don't like dumb baseball.

robertdudek - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 09:48 PM EDT (#272810) #

Well, for sure you don't like dumb baseball. For sure the odd blunder only enhances the aesthetic experience of baseball.

Oceanbound - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 10:00 PM EDT (#272811) #

Which means I suppose that for most of this season the Jays have been playing the most beautiful baseball in the majors...

robertdudek - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 10:07 PM EDT (#272812) #

Which means I suppose that for most of this season the Jays have been playing the most beautiful baseball in the majors... No mostly they've just been bad. It's only a special kind of blunder that is aesthetically beautiful - like that Gose play a few days back if it hadn't worked.

John Northey - Monday, May 27 2013 @ 11:57 PM EDT (#272813) #

So... quite the game by Buhrle eh? His last 4 having 3 very good games (2 or fewer runs and 6+ IP each) and one poor (5 runs in 6 IP). In only one of his previous 8 games did he allow 2 or fewer runs (twice 2 ER, but one of those there was an unearned as well). Big improvement. Maybe that massive contract won't be a complete lost cause.

On the minus we have Brad Lincoln - ERA up to 6.14 with 10 walks in 14 2/3 IP plus 3 HR given up. Ick. He might be sent down soon. Meanwhile Snider is now hitting 252/324/390 for a 103 OPS+. Slightly better than Rasmus and Cabrera (both in the 90's for OPS+) but that can shift fast with a good few games for any of them. Especially with Snider hitting 206/265/365 in May...ick.

Weber getting away with a bit so far...2 IP 5 runners but none have scored yet.

The big YIKES is Lawrie getting hurt sliding into 2nd. I think we need remedial sliding 101 for everyone before this gets any worse. The still on the video at the Jays site is ugly. Even with the issues he is by far the best choice for 3B right now but jeez is health an issue with him.

ayjackson - Tuesday, May 28 2013 @ 01:54 AM EDT (#272815) #

There haven't been any #freelaroche campaigns, but Andy's May in Buffalo has been pretty good - .319/.419/.528.

If Lawrie's going to miss more than a couple of games, might as well DL him and #freelaroche.

katman - Tuesday, May 28 2013 @ 01:57 AM EDT (#272816) #

"You've got it all in the palm of your hand
But your hand's wet with sweat
And your head needs a rest"

Ladies and gentlemen, Brett Lawrie. Also Styx....

Game Thread — 5/27 vs. Atlanta | 16 comments | Create New Account

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