“It didn’t really carry over that well, obviously”. The veteran knuckleballer came into this season 6-5 lifetime versus the Rays, but is 0-3 with a 6.11 ERA in three starts against them in 2015. After losing 15 of their previous 18 contests, the Rays allowed just four runs during their sweep of Houston last weekend to move into second place in the American League East – 3 ½ games behind the New York Yankees.
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“Just one of those days”, Odorizzi said. “I didn’t feel nervous because I saw my father play in the major leagues all the time, so it was fine”.
He threw a career-high 1571⁄3 innings past year between Durham and the Rays and is trying to work his way through his first big-league season. Toronto capped off the first half of the season by dropping two out of three games on the road against the Kansas City Royals.
“We faced a finesse guy that relied on his secondary pitches, and he threw them in good spots”, said manager Gary Allenson.
“The fifth inning sped up quick”, Cash said. The Blue Jays scored 77 more runs than any other team in baseball before the All Star break and similar production is expected over the second half of the season.
“That’s what it’s about”, Donaldson said.
Guerrero said he learned much from his father, but more from his uncle and primary coach, Wilton Guerrero, who played for four big-league teams, including the Expos. Donaldson hit his 22nd homer of the season when he smashed a 2-1 splitter to right-centre field to put Toronto into a 3-1 lead.
Right-fielder Grady Sizemore homered for the Rays.
First up following the four-day all-star break were the Tampa Bay Rays, a team the Jays can’t seem to beat no how, no way. He pitched 32⁄3 innings and allowed nine runs (seven earned) on nine hits.
The Rays rank 26th in scoring (3.65 rpg), 25th in hitting (.240) and 16th in homers (78), while on the mound they are 8th in ERA (3.56) and 8th in WHIP (1.22).
Notes – RF Jose Bautista, who skipped the All-Star Game to have his sore right shoulder treated, was in the starting lineup Friday.
If the Blue Jays are serious about acquiring him, they may have to surrender a higher-caliber prospect than you’d expect for a player who has been struggling in order to convince Miami to pick up most of the money left on his deal. Smoak doubled off the right-field wall in the fourth, went to third on catcher Russell Martin’s single and scored on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Chris Colabello.
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The Blue Jays need to do something. Devon Travis singled, went to second on a sacrifice and scored on Donaldson’s homer. As with the Leafs core group of Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Tyler Bozak and Dion Phaneuf, the heart of the Jays (Dickey, Buehrle, Reyes, sluggers Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista) have never demonstrated an ability to be consistently success.
