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Jesse is a Friend and He's Always Been a Good Friend of Mine: Game 32, Pale Hose at Jays

Bluejayperched_tiny by hugo on in Game Threads

Chicago @ Toronto


Lineup

Chicago White Sox @ Toronto Blue Jays

05/04/08 1:07 PM EDT

Chicago White Sox Toronto Blue Jays
Nick Swisher - CF Alex Rios - RF
Orlando Cabrera - SS David Eckstein - SS
Jim Thome - DH Scott Rolen - 3B
Paul Konerko - 1B Matt Stairs - DH
Jermaine Dye - RF Vernon Wells - CF
AJ Pierzynski - C Lyle Overbay - 1B
Carlos Quentin - LF Aaron Hill - 2B
Joe Crede - 3B Adam Lind - LF
Pablo Ozuna - 2B Gregg Zaun - C
Don't look now, but our azure-coloured heroes have won 3 in a row and are looking to inch closer to .500 today against the White Sox. The Jays took yesterday's game behind an extremely strong performance by Jesse Litsch, a good day at the plate by Vernon Wells, and Marco Scutaro's first homerun of the season. Litsch was wonderful, yielding only 5 hits over 7 1/3 innings, striking out 3 while walking no one, and surrendering just 2 runs, both on solo shots.

After Litsch, who is now 4-1, left the game, Downs and Ryan kept things close, finishing out the game with 3 Ks, no walks, and just one single off Ryan. It's good to see Downs pitching effectively, and Ryan still has yet to yield a run.

Today, Doc Halladay faces off against Jose Contreras. Halladay has tossed 4 consecutive complete games but, due to horrid run support (8 runs over those 4 games), has lost the last 3 of them. The Jays really need to score some runs in support of Doc today.

I did end up going to the Nats game yesterday afternoon (hence my not being around), and it was pretty great - beautiful warm weather and an exciting game. There was a sizable contingent of Jays fans in my section, visiting DC from Canada, so that was fun. The only thing was that the game dragged a bit with all the offense. Let's go Jays!

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This one's on WGN

but I’ll stick with Jamie and Rance, because I can’t stand The Hawk.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:10 PM EDT   0 recs

Swisher strikes out

AT&T finally upgraded their network so I can get 2.5Mbps DSL, but the 1.2Mbps stream is choppy. I miss the old Windows Media based mlb.tv. The new Silverlight client is terrible.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:13 PM EDT   0 recs

that sucks

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 1:28 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Cabrera strikes out too

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:14 PM EDT   0 recs

Doc strikes out the side

Now about that run support.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:15 PM EDT   0 recs

Jays go 1-2-3

with a strikeout, a groundout, and a fly ball.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:22 PM EDT   0 recs

Two grounders with a strikeout between for Doc

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:28 PM EDT   0 recs

Shaun McGowan?

Nice one, Rance.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:28 PM EDT   0 recs

perhaps he's a Pogues fan?

that would bring it a bit closer

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 1:28 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Doc looks pretty vicious thusfar

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 1:28 PM EDT   0 recs

Stairs with the leadoff double

breaking up the no-hitter.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:31 PM EDT   0 recs

RISP time!

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:31 PM EDT   0 recs

0 for 1

Wells moves Stairs up to third.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:33 PM EDT   0 recs

Lyle with the sac fly

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:36 PM EDT   0 recs

Now Hill with the 2 out double

so it’s still RISP time!

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:37 PM EDT   0 recs

0 for 2

Lind grounds to first.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:39 PM EDT   0 recs

One pitch, one out from Quentin

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:41 PM EDT   0 recs

well

we’re ahead of Doc’s last start

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 1:41 PM EDT   0 recs

Crede sees a few more pitches

but ultimately grounds out to x.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:44 PM EDT   0 recs

another good inning for Doc

hope we can put some more pressure on Contreras

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 1:44 PM EDT   0 recs

Ozuna out on a chopper to Rolen

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:44 PM EDT   0 recs

Zaun with the leadoff single

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:48 PM EDT   0 recs

A bit off topic but...

I was at the game yesterday and I got to wondering how the roof impacts the park factor of the Dome. It seems to me that it probably plays fairly neutral (~100 park factor) in both cases, but a bit more favourable to pitchers with the dome open.

Anyone care to shed some light on the issue?

by SuckaMD on May 4, 2008 1:48 PM EDT   0 recs

With it open, the overhanging part causes downdrafts

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:49 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Are downdrafts better for pitchers or hitters (I would think pitchers). Does anyone know what the park factor ratings are?

by SuckaMD on May 4, 2008 1:50 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

They would knock down fly balls

which would help the pitcher.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:54 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

as for the park factors

it’s interesting. I think at RC there has been a ton of variation. Historically, it had been a hitter-friendly park, but last season it played heavily pitcher-friendly, so there has been a fair amount of variation over the years.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 1:59 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I've also always wondered

How (if at all) do park factor ratings account for variabilities in home-team ability. E.g. if the home team is good-pitching but poor hitting (like the ‘07 Jays), that would tend to depress the number of runs scored in the park that season. How is this accounted for?

As another example, I was discussing Orel Hershiser’s 1988 season (59 consecutive scoreless innings) and my friend mentioned that he might have been aided by pitching in Dodger Stadium. The one-year park factor mentioned on baseball-reference shows Dodger Stadium (by conventional wisdom known as a pitcher’s haven) shows that it actually played as a hitter’s park that year. Could this be acounted for by the fact that the home team was a good deal above average in terms of offensive production that year?

by SuckaMD on May 4, 2008 2:41 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

that's an interesting question

I’m not sure if the park factor is determined just by comparing production in a park to the mean (which would, as you say, be skewed by home team pitching and batting performance), or whether it is determined by comparing the home team’s hitting and pitching in other parks to the home park (which presumably wouldn’t).

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 2:46 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Rios doubles, Zaun to third

RISP time!

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:49 PM EDT   0 recs

0 for 3 with the x groundout

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:51 PM EDT   0 recs

0 for 4 on the Rolen lineout

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:51 PM EDT   0 recs

1 for 5 with the 2 run double

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:54 PM EDT   0 recs

2 for 7 on the Overbay strikeout

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 1:58 PM EDT   0 recs

Jays are hitting Contreras pretty hard

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 2:00 PM EDT   0 recs

they were really tagging him last inning....but to be fair there was a blown call at second.

Rios was tagged and should have been out….would have changed the inning.

by rincewind on May 4, 2008 2:02 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

that's true

Eckstein definitely didn’t hit it well and the Jays were fortunate on that call

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 2:16 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Swisher breaks up the no-no with the ground rule double

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:02 PM EDT   0 recs

Funny that it's called a ground rule double

when it’s in effect in all ballparks.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:02 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

x with the throwing error

pulling Overbay off the bag

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:03 PM EDT   0 recs

It's Sunday and a Doc start and Johnny Mac isn't playing

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:05 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Why with Litsch?

I thought he was more of a flyball pitcher than most of the other starters?

by SuckaMD on May 4, 2008 2:14 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Last year he was a GB pitcher

I think this year his splits are more even, and his K rate is up.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:15 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Litsch hasn't gotten as many grounders earlier this season

b/c his sinker hasn’t been working effectively. Now that it seems to be working well again, I’d expect more grounders, like last season.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 2:17 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Thome singles to center

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:06 PM EDT   0 recs

Nope. Scrappy at SS, Scooter at 3B

by SuckaMD on May 4, 2008 2:07 PM EDT   0 recs

Konerko with the double over Rolen's head

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:08 PM EDT   0 recs

Does the Band count?

I also like Kathleen Edwards and Metric quite a bit. Lately I’ve been listening to plenty of the Constantines as well.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 4, 2008 2:21 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Dye strikes out

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:11 PM EDT   0 recs

RBI grounders for Pierzynski

That’s the 2ER… any more and the streak is broken.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:12 PM EDT   0 recs

Actually, if the runner at third scores, is it unearned?

Because the inning would be over if not for the error.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:13 PM EDT   0 recs

Doc plunks Quentin

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:14 PM EDT   0 recs

Crede flies to center to strand 2

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:15 PM EDT   0 recs

Ozuna strikes out on 3 pitches

I think that’s his 8th pitch in 2 games.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:23 PM EDT   0 recs

That was a little too close for comfort

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:24 PM EDT   0 recs

Doc's at 75 pitches

I don’t think he’s going to make it to complete game #5. Of course if he has innings like that one the rest of the way then he could.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:26 PM EDT   0 recs

3 grounders to the right side

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:37 PM EDT   0 recs

You can only cause the grounder, you can't aim it

unless you’re Maddux.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on May 4, 2008 2:42 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs