News
Bullpen bearing a big load for Jays
Toronto (40-34) vs. Philadelphia (37-33), 7:07 p.m. ET
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
06/26/09 12:02 AM ET
TORONTO -- Under the circumstances, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston is quick to commend the club's bullpen. Toronto's pitching staff has been riddled with injuries and the rotation has been forced to undergo a very youthful facelift as a result.
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In turn, there has been more pressure on Toronto's bullpen this season and the group has pieced together inconsistent performances. Coming out of Spring Training, though, Gaston knew that his relief corps would likely be a little more under the gun this season.
"They've done a good job," Gaston said on Thursday. "You're not going to get the best out of them every night, but overall they've done a good job for us."
Entering Thurday, when Blue Jays rookie starter Brett Cecil -- one of four first-year starters in the rotation at the moment -- endured a rough outing on the hill, the team's bullpen ranked seventh in the American League with a 4.13 ERA. A year ago, Toronto's 'pen ranked first in the Majors with a 2.94 ERA, representing the only club with a sub-3.00 average.
A large reason for the Jays' success out of the bullpen in 2008 was due to the strength of their starting rotation. The starters led the Majors with 1,021 2/3 innings and 15 complete games, helping the bullpen log the fewest innings (425) of any relief crew in the game. Right now, the five starters the Jays used most often in '08 are not in the rotation any longer.
Ace Roy Halladay (mild right groin strain) is currently on the disabled list, A.J. Burnett bolted to New York over the winter as a free agent, and Shaun Marcum (right elbow), Dustin McGowan (right shoulder) and Jesse Litsch (right elbow) are all out with injuries. Casey Janssen (right shoulder) is also sidelined for the Jays, who have already cycled through 11 starters (five rookies) this year.
This season, the Blue Jays have had only two starters (Halladay and Scott Richmond) log a complete game, adding to the bullpen's work load. Entering Thursday, Toronto relievers had combined for 218 innings -- the sixth-highest tally in the AL. After Cecil's abbreviated outing against the Reds, the 'pen added another six frames to that total Thursday night.
The rotation aside, the bullpen has been faced with issues of its own. B.J. Ryan lost his job as the closer earlier this season after injury and location woes. Scott Downs, who has a 1.98 ERA and took over as the ninth-inning specialist, is currently on the DL with a sprained toe on his left foot. In all, the Jays have used 12 different pitchers out of the bullpen this season.
The results from the relievers have varied throughout the season. In April, the relief corps went 5-2 and posted a 3.21 ERA and notched five saves. In May, Toronto's relievers struggled, managing a 3-5 record, a 5.60 ERA and five saves. June has included some ups and downs for the 'pen, which has put up a 3.58 ERA with three saves.
Gaston won't complain.
"They've done a great job coming in," the manager reiterated.
Pitching matchup
TOR: LHP Ricky Romero (4-3, 3.59 ERA)
Romero is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA in his last four starts for the Jays.
Happ has not lost since his Major League debut on June 30, 2007. Bird feed
Halladay is scheduled to pitch in a bullpen session on Friday. Depending on how that goes, the Blue Jays will determine whether they can activate Halladay from the 15-day DL in order to start against the Rays on Monday. ... Gaston said that right-hander Jeremy Accardo (groin) was still not available out of Toronto's bullpen for Thursday's game. Accardo tweaked his groin in an appearance on Sunday and is considered day-to-day. The Jays are hoping another day of rest can help Accardo avoid a trip to the DL. ... Second baseman Aaron Hill launched his team-leading 17th home run of the season in the first inning on Thursday night. That tied the most homers in a season in club history by a second baseman, matching a mark set by Roberto Alomar (1993) and twice equaled by Hill (2007). ... Third baseman Scott Rolen's fifth-inning single on Thursday extended his hitting streak to 14 games, matching the best such run of his career (2006). ... Entering Thursday, the Blue Jays led the Majors with 29 home runs, dating back to June 5. Over that span, left fielder Adam Lind led the AL with seven long balls. ... Former Blue Jays Cliff Johnson (1983-86) will be on hand at Rogers Centre on Friday for the club's Flashback Friday promotion. Tickets
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• FAN 590 Up next
• Saturday: Blue Jays (Brad Mills, 0-0, 9.82) vs. Phillies (Cole Hamels, 4-3, 4.24), 1:07 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Blue Jays (Brian Tallet, 5-4, 4.36) vs. Phillies (Jamie Moyer, 5-6, 5.97), 1:07 p.m. ET
• Monday: Blue Jays (TBD) vs. Rays (Matt Garza, 5-5, 3.61), 7:07 p.m. ET
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
