Well, it was an eventful weekend for the Jays, wasn't it?
Let's start off with the Jays big Friday the 13 win over the Tigers, 2-1 in 10 innings. Pitching all 10 was Doc himself, Roy Halladay. Aside from one mistake - a 2nd inning home run to Magglio Ordonez - Halladay shut out the Tigers for the rest of the way. He needed only 107 pitches for the complete game. It seems like once a year he has one of these 10-inning complete games that no one else in baseball can have (not even Johan Santana). Santana may be able to dominate for longer stretches (like the entire second half of every season), but Halladay can have some dominant games where, even with the ball being put into play, he just won't allow anything to be hit very hard.
The offense was courtesy of Alex Rios, who hit a leadoff solo homer off Bonderman in the first, and a sacrifice fly in the 10th that scored Aaron Hill (a 2-4 game to keep his hot streak going). With the homer, Rios extend his hit streak to 10 games in a row.
Saturday AJ Burnett struggled a bit, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings, but the Jays were able to hit Tiger starter Chad Durbin. Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, and Aaron Hill were the big hitters.
Unfortunately the Jays bullpen was unable to hold on to the lead. First Jason Frasor gave up a run, allowing the Tigers to tie the game. Then, after Lyle Overbay (no longer hitting 2nd, dropped down to 5th in the lineup) hit a homer in the bottom of the 8th to give the Jays a 7-6 lead, closer BJ Ryan was tagged in the 9th. He gave up four runs, blowing his second save of the year. The news only got worse from there.
The Jays are without Reed Johnson (hernia) and Troy Glaus (out with sore heel). Josh Towers pitched an amazing game in the final of the series to salvage a split of this four game series against the Jays. With BJ Ryan placed on the 15-day DL because of his elbow, most fantasy buffs thought that would lead to Jason Frasor being the closer, but John Gibbons chose Shaun Marcum to close instead. The man pitched well, getting three outs quickly for his first save of the season. The Jays won 2-1.
BJ Ryan is scheduled to have an MRI on his strained elbow with Dr. James Andrew today. Nope, that is not a good sign. Tommy John surgery might be in his future, unfortunately.
This would be a tough, tough lose for the Jays. Ryan had 36 saves last
season with a 1.37 ERA, making him almost as valuable as Mariano Rivera or John Papelbon, the other
premiere closers in this division. Reed Johnson is also facing a possible surgery, in his case back surgery for his hernia. He is also on the 15-game DL.
The Jays, behind Gustavo Chacin, face Dice-K tomorrow in the first game of their big three game series. With the Yankees struggling and having injury problems of their own, the Jays can jump ahead of the Red Sox and put some ground between them and the rest of the AL East with a series win against the Sox.
Update: Troy Glaus was put on the DL, too, for a bone spur in his left heel and a slightly pull hamstring. BJ Ryan is out four to six weeks with an elbow sprain (no Tommy John surgery, thankfully). Reed Johnson's hernia surgery will keep him out until July. Get to know these names: Jason Frasor (the closer), Adam Lind (LF), John McDonald and Jason Smith (3B platoon).
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