Game #68: Nats at Jays pregame
Washington (29-39) at Toronto (33-34)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre
Today’s lineups:
NATIONALS
Christian Guzman, SS
Ronnie Belliard, 2B
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
Dmitri Young, DH
Austin Kearns, RF
Brian Schneider, C
Tony Batista, 1B
Robert Fick, LF
Ryan Langerhans, CF
PITCHING: LHP Micah Bowie
BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Troy Glaus, 3B
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Curtis Thigpen, 1B
Jason Phillips, C
Adam Lind, LF
Royce Clayton, SS
PITCHING: RHP Josh Towers
NOTES: If everything goes according to plan, RHP A.J. Burnett will make his next start on Saturday against the Rockies. … Other than that, it’s John Gibbons necktie giveaway day here at the ballpark. Gibbons was asked if he actually wears ties. His response: "That’s like putting earrings on a pig."
UPDATE: Contrary to what I wrote in the pregame notes, it looks like Burnett is headed to the DL. After the game, Gibbons said the pitcher still felt pain in his shoulder and would not start on Saturday. Someone will be called up from the Minors and more info will be available on Tuesday.
Major League Bastian 
Well, Burnett’s off to the DL. This really hurts us at a time it looked like we were gathering momentum. The Jays web site states he threw 372 pitches in his previous 3 starts. That means in his previous 4 starts the number was likely close to 500.
I said it previously and I’ll say it again, leaving him out there that long 3-4 games in a row is stupidity.
Way to go Gibby!!!
The one before the 372-pitch span was 103 pitches, and the one after was 82 before he pulled himself from the game.
gsummer you are so right . Gibbons is an idiot. Watch the strutt when he goes to the mound to remove the pitcher . So full of himself it’s disgusting !
Whenever talk of work-horse pitchers comes up, I can’t help but think of Dave Steib (and the not-so-lifetime Jay Jack Morris). Between ’79 and ’85, Steib amassed 84 complete games in 220 games started (1 CG per 2.6 GS). Of course, he wasn’t the fireballer Burnett is; my point is there has to be a fine line between keeping pitchers on a count for their safety and letting the pitcher choose.
Well, now we find out Burnett’s got a shoulder strain, that sounds like 6 to 8 weeks to me.
Burnett has pitched 90 innings in 14 starts this year averaging close to 6.5 innings per start. We also have two of our number 1 draft choice minor league pitchers out on the DL, Rickie Romero and David Purcey-who just went on the DL recently.
I think it’s time JP took all these managers aside and advised them how to take care of the most precious commodity a major league team has.
It certainly isn’t sending them out for 475 pitches in 4 outings. That is stupidity
The whole A.J. thing is starting to look similar to the B.J. Ryan situation in that the Jays don’t seem to be fessing up how long it might really take.
Hopefully it is just the d.l. stint.
Wow everyone is jumping on Gibsons again. I am shocked. True he maybe should have pulled Burnett and not let his pitch count get so high but, AJ is a man. He should know when something is phtiscally wrong with him and should know his limitations. I think AJ is alot more to blame for his injury then Gibbons. Right??
enigma/mcdanny
enigma-I agree with you. Clearly it’s going to take longer than 15 days-I expect 6 to 8 weeks before he pitches here.
mcdanny-Gibby is the manager not Burnett-the decision to leave him in or pull him is Gibby’s not Burnett’s.
Hey, I like Gibby-don’t get me wrong. BUT he needs to understand how to handle the pitchers-cause you sure don’t handle them like he’s done here.
I do agree with you there gsummer, I was just saying that the injury is not solely Gibby’s fault but AJ’s as well. Shoulder strains don’t just appear out of thin air. I’ve dislocated my shoulder throwing and have had a few strains. There’s something different you feel first, before things get that bad that you need a month or so off.