Game #102: Blue Jays at White Sox pregame
Sweet Home Chicago…
Toronto (51-50) at Chicago (46-56)
at 8:11 p.m. ET at U.S. Cellular Field
Today’s lineups:
BLUE JAYS
Reed Johnson, LF
Gregg Zaun, C
Alex Rios, RF
Troy Glaus, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Matt Stairs, 1B
Royce Clayton, SS
PITCHING: RHP Josh Towers (5-6, 4.97 ERA)
WHITE SOX
Jerry Owens, CF
Alex Cintron, 2B
Jim Thome, DH
Jermaine Dye, RF
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Josh Fields, 3B
Scott Podsednik, LF
Juan Uribe, SS
Rob Mackowiak, 1B
PITCHING: RHP Jon Garland (7-7, 4.15 ERA)
NOTES: LHP Gustavo Chacin was activated from the 15-day disabled list and subsequently optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. GM J.P. Ricciardi said Chacin needed more time to rehab anyway, so the club felt it was best to keep him in the Minors. In reality, there’s simply no room in the inn in the rotation right now. … RHP A.J. Burnett threw a three-inning sim game and felt good, according to Ricciardi and manager John Gibbons. If Burnett feels fine on Saturday, he will likely do a rehab in Florida on Wednesday and then at Triple-A the following Monday. … 1B Lyle Overbay was not in the lineup due to flu-like symptoms. … Ricciardi said that he received a call from the Phillies about Towers, but there haven’t been any serious talks yet. … Prior to the game, the White Sox traded 2B Tad Iguchi to the Phillies for a Class A Minor Leaguer. … An interesting stat: Minnesota’s lone run in the fourth inning on Wednesday snapped a span of 37 scoreless innings with Zaun behind the plate for the Jays. That’s a club record and the longest streak in the bigs since Javy Lopez caught 42 straight scoreless frames with the Braves in 1998.
AL EAST STANDINGS
entering Friday
1. Boston 62-40 (–)
2. New York 54-47 (7.5)
3. Toronto 51-50 (10.5)
4. Baltimore 47-53 (14)
5. Tampa Bay 38-63 (23.5)
AL WILD CARD RACE
entering Friday
1. Cleveland 59-43 (–)
2. Seattle 54-46 (4)
3. New York 54-47 (4.5)
4. Toronto 51-50 (7.5)
5. Minnesota 51-50 (7.5)
Major League Bastian 
I think it’s a smart move sending Chacin to AAA for awhile. Not only is there no room for him in the rotation right now, but he also hasn’t inspired much in the way of confidence since his rookie year. More time in the minors can do him nothing but good at the moment.
Here’s hoping the Jays continue their hot streak tonight!
“TOWER POWER” LETS HEAR IT FOR JOSH.
Iguchi is another 2nd basemen the Jays could look to sign in the off-season.
Not to bad robertlee
Hill needs to stay at second base, and its not like Iguchi is a big time performer or anything. The free agent I would accept for moving Hill back over to short would be Luis Castillo. But franky, I would much rather have a Johhny Mac-Hill tandem than Hill-Iguchi. He would be a waste of money
To be honest I would like to see the Jays pick up a good shortstop and keep hill at 2nd Ithink he’s to good to move.
my thoughts exactly
I agree garryguy. But the only way we can pick up a (good) shortstop, is by trade.
Yeah, I’d definitly prefer to keep Hill at 2B, but you gotta do what you gotta do, and as much as I like him McDonald is not a starter on a contending team.
exactally. mcdoanld, however much we all love his defence, doesnt have the bat to be a starter. we have to make a deal in either before the deadline (unlikely) or offseason for next year
ukgocats as much as I like Johnny Mac you have to look at his stats I think 100 games is his limit I love his defence but his offence is not good enough,Maybe if he knew he was going to play 150 games he would get himself in better shape who knows.
nice strickout there by towers
puts em down 1 2 3
hopefully another great game from him
By the way I took that from something he said himself.
When does Miguel Tejada become a free agent? He can be really dangerous behind the plate.
Towers only has 2 hitters to worry about, Konerko and Thome. Will it be the last start for Towers in a Jays uniform? If I am J.P. I would not trade him, ride out the hot hand. He has been pitching well, even though he’ll be Towers eventually.
White Sox are a team that has just fallen apart. Dye, what happened to him this year? I assume he’ll be traded in the next few days. No reason for the White Sox to hold onto him, he is a free agent at the end of the year. White Sox are going to try and deal Contreas as well but not much takers on him from what you read. White Sox are looking to build around Buerhle, Garland and Konerko. White Sox pen is awful, the Devil Rays have the worst pen.
I am just wondering what is going to happen when Towers does eventually lose a game. Who knows if he is going to fall apart again.
Towers can’t do it alone the bats have to wake up Zaun came close but were not playing horse shoes.
johnson with a nice steal. he really is starting to look like hes comming around. and yeah, when towers does loose a game, it very well might fall apart again. i think we really should try and trade him now, when his value is most likely at his highest.
even if we dont get much in return, when burnett comes back, i would rather have litsch over towers in the rotation. what do you guys think ?
Your not going to get much for Towers. I say keep him and ride the hot hand.
i know we wont get much, but it wont be long before towers crashes and burns again. and now is when he’s looking his best. personally i wouldnt want to keep him around with all the young talent succeding at the major league level. if phily is interested. depends whats being offered. but if another team has interest, id be wide wide open to all possibilities
Be open to it. I would be open to anything if I was a g.m. right now. You might get a panic stricken g.m. that is looking to save his job. Isn’t it funny that Gillick is the guy that is interested in Towers. He didn’t make a trade for a long time when he was with the Jays.
Ithink we might see a shortstop prospect come to toronto for towers,The best bet is to keep him he can be had for cheap next year as a long man in the bullpen remember he plays his best when he fills in for a hurt pitcher they just might need him again.
What speed what grace what a turn around third and the big hurt scores,what a way to kill a big inning Stairs lol.
still put 3 on the board
up by two
and towers is looking solid
maybe i spoke too soon
canadian Remember”TOWER POWER” get behind him guys because the defence isn’t.
I dont buy it. I call ******** on JP. There’s no need to offically send gustavo to the minors yet. He’s going to need to rehab for about 5 start since he was out for so long. Offically sending him down is disrespectfull to gustavo and the blue jays are the only team that does this. He’ll get his 5 starts then be called up in september like he should, but there’s no reason to do it but to save a little money. No room for him in the rotation? There will be room after he rehabs for his 5 starts since he was out for so long.
http://rotoworld.com/content/clubhouse_news.aspx?sport=MLB&majteam=TOR
Chacins ERA is always over 5 he would have been 4-12 if he had stayed healthy with the way the jays were swinging the bats.
Towers looked tired the last inning he never should have been sent back out and I hate the goof thats in Tallet.
I would agree about Tallet. He is the definition of a goof. Good one garryguy, you made me laugh on that one.
abriggs
I don’t think it was a money move-Chacin is on a major league contract, so the money’sthe same.
Seems to me, there’s another move coming and the needed room on the roster-which is why it was probably done.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think Tallet never stops anything
hey it looks like we all think alike on Tallet. I do not understand why Gibby likes him so much. He certainly isn’t the guy to send out there with the game on the line-dumb move.
chacin had 5 starts this year, his first three were quality starts.. going atleast 6IP giving up less then 2 runs in each game. Then he tanked in his last two starts but you can attribute that to his injury.
with Frasor, League, Janssen, Downs, Wolfe and Accardo in the pen, can anyone tell me why we sent Tallet out there with the game on the line?
A school kid could manage these pitchers better than Gibby.
abriggs
I just read the release from the Jays on why they sent Chacin down. They seem to think it was to his benefit. He hasn’t pitched in a long time and they felt it would take pressure off him.
Right-I believe that too. lol
Tallet sorry josh thump I’m sorry tallet I didn’t mean to hit you if only that was true.
I shut the game off and I have visons of gibbons going to a resturant and getting a chunk of steak stuck in his throat and Towers is the only one that knows the hymlic manouver.
lol
I wonder if, we’re the only ones who understand the urgency of winning each and every game. It appears to me Gibby doesn’t. I don’t really have a problem with Gibby bringing in Tallet to pitch to a left handed batter-but why leave him in to face righties WITH THE GAME ON THE LINE AND THE BOTTOM OF THE 6th.
hes an idiot-thats why
That made this judgment on gustavo after one minor league rehab start!
They made this judgment on gustavo after one minor league rehab start!
abriggs.
To be fair, Chacin needs at least 5-6 starts before he’s even close to being ready. And that’s assuming everything goes well; it’s like he’s back in spring training again.
And frankly, it really doesn’t matter who’s roster he’s on, ours or Syracuse’s.
I still think there’s another move coming.
I cant wait to see what the move is.
This just in gibby sent down to the minors to rehab.
Tallet is okay if you start the inning of with him no one on base 1/3rd of inhearited runners score of him sorry about my spelling.
So Gibby’s sitting on the bench, knowing NY have already won 1, Boston’s won, Cleveland’s won and he turns to Ernie and says” I think I’ll put The Wolverine in-get him ready.
Ernie says, why Gibby-the guy hasn’t got a stop for us all season-the games on the line.
To which Gibby responds-I like the wolverine-we drink the same kind of beer and he generally buys-the guy can’t be all that bad; get him ready.
lol
Thanks gsumner I needed that.
So when the inning was over, two runs in and Chicago got the lead; Ernie was sitting next to Gibby and shaking his head.
Gibby turns to Ernie and says what’s your problem to which Ernie replies-we gave them momentum and likely the game. I told you not to bring in The Wolverine.
Gibby looks at Ernie, smiles and says-what’s the problem, it means he’s buying tonight-are you coming with us or not?
Further Gibby says, I learnt a long time ago-there’s always another game tommorrow-don’t take any one game all that seriously.
lol
You can’t complain one day about Gibbons only trusting Janssen, Downs, and Accardo, and then complain the next when he puts his trust in one of the other relievers and gets let down. He went to Tallet because he needed 5 outs before playing matchups with Downs and Janssen in the 8th and bringing in Accardo for the 9th, and Tallet has been used as a long reliever all season. He also gives up fewer hits to righties than lefties. Don’t forget that Stairs dropped a grounder from the first guy Tallet faced. If he turns a double play, the inning’s over with no runs scoring. Even if he only makes the force at second instead of at first, that probably ends up saving a run.
Tower Power what a laugh. If he would spend less time playing with his jock strap and tihnk about his pitches he might do better. Watch him next game , thats if he is still here. Hope not !!!!!!!
torgen
Actually the numbers on Tallet are 1.23 against left handed batters and 4.60 against right handed. As I stated, I had no problem with him coming in against the lefty. But with such a crutial game on the line Frasor (1.59 against righties) or Wolfe (.000) against right handers would have been better choices against the right handed batter than Tallet.
Tallet is better at the start of an inning than coming in with runners on. Every time, I’ve watched him he’s given up a hit with a runner on which generally led to a run.
By the way, I’ve never complained about Gibby using Janssen, Downs and Accardo.
We had the lead and gave it up-we have to play and manage like each game is the last game of the season-and that didn’t happen last night.
i just don’t undertand why the jays can’t hit in clutch situations on the road. They could have scored atleast 2-3 more runs than they scored. Well whats done is done hopefully halladay will bring a change.
About chacin i think it was the right move cause we don’t have space for him.
Towers did a good job yesterday only if he could have gone a bit deeper. However i agree with gibby on taking him out and i kinda agree with torgen that we have to trust all our relief corps. Although saying that perhaps gibby could’ve gone with downs who too was a long reliever before.
Tallet’s ERA against righties is worse but his OBP and BA against (and therefor WHIP) are better. Tallet has never been used as a LOOGY this year, so asking him to do it would definitely be moving him outside his established role, and he’s not dominant enough against lefties to be used in that role. (It would be a waste of his effectiveness against righties, too.) That said, Tallet got the double play ball, so the plan worked. You can’t blame Tallet for Stairs giving the Sox an extra out, and you can’t blame Gibbons when his plan worked but the defense screwed it up.
Downs hasn’t been used as a long reliever this year, so asking him to do that would also have been taking people out of their established roles. It’s not Gibbons’ fault he only has one lefty he can use to get a single lefty out. Maybe you didn’t complain about Gibbons only using Downs, Janssen, and Accardo, but there are people who have.
We would have had a far better chance of winning this game if we’d had Overbay playing first (since Stairs made three bad plays, one of which probably cost two runs) and batting second (since Zaun put up a goose egg with Johnson going 4 for 5 with a double and an uncontested steal of second). Are you going to blame Gibbons for Lyle catching the flu? Maybe you can write a derogatory short story about it being drinking related.
torgen
Albeit it era or whip, both Wolfe and Frasor would have been better choices, in my view. You obviously have your opinion, and that’s great. We’re all entitled to have one.
Relax, there’s no need to attack me or anyone else here.