That's the good news. We beat a lefty. The bad news....Scott Downs left the game with a leg injury. We all know it's coming so let's start with the rant.

What the hell is the matter with Cito!! Here we are in the ninth inning and we have a 4 run lead. Now Downs has pitched two days in a row. Downs has been the best pitcher in a very very good bullpen. If we are up by four and need to get three outs why would we not bring in one of our very good relievers that hasn't pitched the last two days in a row. Any manager would......

Not Cito.....Cito brings in Downs, Downs shows he has nothing by walking the first guy and then gives up a double to Ordonez. While backing up a posible throw to third Downs turns an ankle or something. He's hurt. Now his injury doesn't have anything to do with pitching 3 days in a row. It is a fluke. But, again, why bring your best pitcher into a 4 run game in the ninth inning, when he has pitched the last two games. Do we not trust Cy with an 2.11 ERA or Camp with a 3.63 ERA to get three outs?

Ok we've lost Downs, so who does Cito bring in? Brandon League. League has been amazing of late but again he's pitched the last two days. Can Cito learn? League gets an out. The next batter Joyce hits a towering, deep fly to center but Rios gets there easy in time, then drops the damn ball. Rios needs a day off or to be slapped around for 20 minutes. But I digress. Renteria doubles and League is pitching on fumes. But he strikes out Inge and the game is over, good guys win. But FRIG CITO, learn from this. You have a deep pen. Likely a little less deep for the next while, I'd have to guess Downs will be going on the DL. Ok, rant over.

Under the good from this game, David Purcey was amazing: 6 innings, 2 bloop hits and 4 strikeouts, when the game was delayed by rain. It was a good moment for the rain delay, he had thrown 99 pitches and was good to get him out of there while he was doing great, If he can keep pitching like this we will definately move past the Yankees.

Other good news, after the delay, Jason Frasor pitched 2 hitless innings. He was great and better yet he threw two pitches just off the inside of the plate to Sheffield that the umpire called strikes and Shef flipped his bat at the plate. He was very quietly tossed.

And man is it good to have Vernon back, instead of getting to watch Wilk pop out for the 500th time, Vernon hits a grand slam to give us all the runs we need or will get.  Gone on the DL for 50 games and he's second on the team in RBI, one behind Rios. And Eck, in one of his rare starts, goes 3 for 4, maybe we could see more of him? Oh and Mac got a hit......then had a major brain cramp getting thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Why he did that, I have no clue, the play was infront of him and he was only out by 20 or so feet. If he wants to play, the times he does hit he's gotta use his head.

The bad....well other than the second inning we had no offense. Scoot, Barajas, Overbay and Mench all had 0 fers. And Rios dropping that fly. He needs to get his head into the game. Let's give him a game off. Or, Cito, lets tear a strip out of him.

Anyway, I'm not going to post the fangraph today....it is here if you are interested. Jays of the Day are Purcey (.265 WPA), Wells (.171), League (.103) and Eck (.100). Honorable mention Frasor. Suckage Jay? Well Barajas (-.063) had the low score but I'm giving it to Rios and Cito for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty.

Tomorrow we have a 1:05 Eastern start time. Litsch makes his first start coming back from the minors. Armando Galarraga (10-4, 3.23) goes for the Tigers. Lets get the sweep guys. I'll likely be in and out of the game thread but join me if you can, skip work. How often do we get to go for a four game sweep. Yeah, just last week, but still, work will be there the next day.

We have moved past the Rangers in the Wild Card race and are only 2 games back of the Yankees. Then come the Twins and the Wild Card leading Red Sox who are 8 games ahead of us but we do have lots of games against them left.....who knows, we might do it. The Tigers put Joel Zumaya on the DL yesterday after he's terrible performance against us. Go Jays.