Blue Jays 4 White Sox 3: J.P. Arencibia and Maicer Izturis Homer

White Sox 3 Blue Jays 4.

So after a terrible start, it looks like the Blue Jays are starting to play the way we hoped they would. In the last 6 games, we are 4-2. Still a game under .500, for the season, but the doom and gloom has lifted, at least a little.

Mark Buehrle was better than his first two starts, but still a fair bit short of good. He gave up 4 singles, and 2 runs, in the first inning. Every pitch seemed to be thigh high in the middle of the plate. In the second inning, he allowed a one out single and then picked off the runner at first. After the pickoff, he seemed to right himself. He got the next 6 straight batters out and, in all., went 6.1 innings, giving up 9 hits, all singles, 2 earned, 2 walks, with 3 strikeouts. He had the nice quick innings we were promised.

If I was manager, I'd have taken him out after 6 innings, at the 94 pitches, but Gibby sent him out for the 7th. He got an out, then walked one and then he was pulled. I'm not a big fan of doing this. We were up by 2 and you bring the tying run to the plate and in comes a new pitcher with less room for error. Better to give the reliever a clean slate. But Esmil Rogers did a great job, getting out of the inning and getting the first out of the 8th. Aaron Loup took over, hit Adam Dunn, gave up a double to Dayan Viciedo and a sac fly to make it a one run game, but left the tying run at second. Casey Janssen pitched a clean 9th, with 2 strikeouts to get his 4th save.

On offense, we had 10 hits, 3 walks, 2 home runs, so you would think we'd have scored more than 4 runs, but 4 walk enough. Maicer Izturis hit his second home run and J.P. Arencibia had his 4th, an opposite field shot. Munenori Kawasaki legged out a triple. Emilio Bonifacio, Adam Lind and Colby Rasmus all had doubles. Edwin Encarnacion had a good game going 3 for 4. He looks like his timing is back. Lind was 2 for 3, with a walk.

Every Jay in the lineup got on base, except for Mark DeRosa, who was 0 for 4 with 2 k.

We played much better defense today, I have no real complaints, for likely the first time this season, though Bonifacio doesn't instill a feeling of comfort when a ball is hit his way. And Mark DeRosa has no range at all. I'm so glad that Brett Lawrie will be back at third tomorrow.

Jays of the Day: Janssen (.168 WPA), Buehrle (.152), Rogers (.116) and Lind (.139). Bonifacio gets a HM.

Suckage: DeRosa (-.154) for his 0 for 4.

Leo wants me to meantion that Dwayne Wise got in the game as a pinch runner. Wise of the 11 year major league career, even though he has no skills that should keep in the majors.

We had a lively GameThread again. 60 of us totaled 1412 comments.

Great job Belisarius. You inspire us all. Either that or you need to get a life.....

Tomorrow we see if Josh Johnson can improve upon his first couple of starts, like Dickey, Morrow and Buehrle did.