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Message #: 28417
While some contending teams have turned into nearly-unbeatable Road Warriors down the stretch, playing .750 or even .800 ball lately, the Blue Jays continue to plod along and (exactly like last week at home) struggle mightily just to split against two teams who are having trouble even playing .400 ball against the rest of the American League. Our two new pitching acquisitions wasted NO time at all in fitting in perfectly with the rest of their chokin' mates.... KCA game 1: Toronto did not lack for baserunners against batting practice starter Juan Berenguer and gave Juan Guzman a 3-0 lead to work with. Surely the fact that we were compiling a whopping 10-3 advantage in LOB wouldn't matter since Guzman was pitching so well. The teams traded solo homers in the 6th and Guzman left after that frame with the score 3-1 in his favor. Let's give a warm Toronto welcome to newcomer Gene Harris, who started the seventh by retiring exactly 1 of the 4 batters he faced. One run was in and the tying run was at third. Let's give a warm Toronto welcome to newcomer Doug Jones, he of the outstanding card. It took 1 batter for the Blue Jay lead to be erased. Then with -- but of course -- 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, Jones coughed up the losing run and completed just one more epic choke by the unluckiest team in the league. Final score: 4-3. Had our scouting department done any homework prior to the Oakland trade, it might have noticed that Jones had 11 (now 12) blown saves already in 1992. If Jones had been with the Jays all year long, he would be at least up to 20 by now. =========================================================== Game 2: The K.C. offense was even more efficient today, standing just *ONE* runner to Toronto's 8 (not to mention the 3 timely DPs we hit into). Todd Stottlemyre reported for surgery and turned our 2-0 lead into a 4-2 deficit in the 4th. But Pat Borders tied it up with a 2-run homer in the 7th and Robbie Alomar delivered an RBI single 3 batters later to make a loser out of KCA starter Tom Gordon. With zero non-choking options among the many All Stars in the TOA pen (Ward, Henke, Jones, Orosco), Stottlemyre went the distance and eked out a 6-4 win. The Jays had a 17-8 advantage in total bases and drew 6 walks to KC's 1 in this unwarranted nailbiter of a contest. =========================================================== TEA Game 1: Our old nemesis Mediocre Dennis Cook tied the Jays in knots yet again, going the full 9 innings and permitting just 4 hits. Even so, we still had more total bases and drew more walks than the Rangers. Three of TOA's 4 hits went for extra bases, including home runs by McReynolds and Carter. Starter Tim Fortugno had a rare quality start and (*far* more rare) got a good result. Jays win, 4-2. Fortugno (4-9) went 8+ frames and Henke retired the side in the 9th after the leadoff man singled and was wild pitched into scoring position. =========================================================== Game 2: Toronto did not lack for baserunners against starter Kevin Brown but didn't give Jack Morris much of a lead to work with. Surely the fact that we were compiling a whopping 12-4 advantage in LOB would matter -- and it damn well did. The Jays LOBbed the bases loaded not once, not twice, but THREE times, scoring a total of -- you guessed it -- zero runs in those three frames. John Olerud's single gave us a quick 1-0 lead in the first and it lasted until Morris allowed 4 of his 8 hits to 4 consecutive batters in the TEA 4th and 2 of them scored. We tied it up in the 6th on a passed ball, but returned that favor with interest in the bottom of the 9th when A. Jojuan Belle doubled and pinch-runner David Hulse stole 3rd on the last pitch of the game, waltzing home when Greg Myers threw the ball to Greg Briley in left field. Final score: 3-2. LOB for the road week: Blue Jays - 34, opponents - 14. Alan |
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