| J. Bonderman (0-0, 3.75) | vs. | R. Halladay (1-0, 3.46) |
|
|
Doc Halladay is on the mound tonight against the Tigers in the second game of their four-game series. The Tigers won yesterday to improve to 6-4. It was a tough loss for the Blue Jays against the defending AL champs. Despite another big game from 2B Aaron Hill, who hit a two-run homer in the fourth, the Jays lost 6-5.
Hill was all over the infield, making spectacular plays to rob Detroit of a couple of hits, but he also bobbled a grounder from Craig Monroe (Hill's fourth error already) that allowed Carlos Guillen to score in the fourth, and kept the inning going. Brandon Inge singled to add another run. Tomo Okha ended up allowing five runs, four earned, in six innings, and 8 hits. And that is an improvement over his first start!
Halladay vs. the Tigers: The good news is today is Roy Halladay's turn to pitch. Wouldn't it be nice if we took a day, just one day, to celebrate? Halladay! Roy got a no-decision in the Jay's opening day 5-3 victory in Detroit. He pitched six innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned), mostly on Gary Sheffield's two sacrifice flies. The top of the Tigers lineup, particularly Granderson and Polanco, did most of the damage. They combined for 5 of the Tiger's 7 hits. If Roy can get past them with no problems, the heart of the Tigers' lineup is still struggling: Sheffield (.125), Ordonez (.229), Casey (up to .233 after yesterday's 2-4 performance) and Monroe (.233).
Keys to the game for the Jays: Bonderman is one of the best young pitchers in the game. He's gone exactly six innings in each his two starts this season. He gave up three runs on five hits in the opener against the Jays. Those runs all came in the first inning, when Reed Johnson draw a leadoff walk, Overbay hit a double (I think that's the last time Overbay got a hit), Vernon Wells singled, and after two outs, Alex Rios hit a double in the sixth slot. Rios was leading off yesterday (Matt Stairs was back in left field for Reed Johnson).
Trends:
- Aaron Hill! He's Canadian for Alex Rodriguez, with occasionall yspectacular fielding mixed with an alarming number of errors, not to mention 11 RBIs.
- Alex Rios has hit in nine straight games.
- The Tigers offense (offence?) did not struggle as much yesterday as they had in the first two weeks of the season. Was it partially because they were playing in the nice, warm Rogers Centre dome, as opposed to the freezing conditions they played their first eight games (in Detroit, KC, and Baltimore)? Nah, more likely it was because they were facing Tomo Okha. We'll bet on Roy Halladay shutting the Tigers down and evening the series.
Leave a comment
|
