Game #131: Jays at A's pregame
Toronto (65-65) at Oakland (65-67)
at 10:05 p.m. ET at McAfee Coliseum
Today’s lineups:
BLUE JAYS
Matt Stairs, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Frank Thomas, DH
Troy Glaus, 3B
Aaron Hill, 2B
Gregg Zaun, C
Ray Olmedo, SS
PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett (7-7, 3.85 ERA)
ATHLETICS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Jeff DaVannon, CF
Nick Swisher, RF
Jack Cust, DH
Mark Ellis, 2B
Dan Johnson, 1B
Marco Scutaro, SS
Jack Hannahan , 3B
Kurt Suzuki, C
PITCHING: RHP Esteban Loaiza (1-0, 1.17 ERA)
NOTES: GM J.P. Ricciardi said on Monday that LHP Gustavo Chacin is set to undergo exploratory surgery on Wednesday. The operation will be performed by Dr. David Altchek, who is an orthopedic surgeon for the Mets. The Jays had Dr. Steve Mirabello look at Chacin’s shoulder and he deemed that surgery wasn’t required — only rehab. Chacin wanted a second opinion, and his agency reccomended Altchek, who reported that he believes something is wrong with the shoulder capshule in Chacin’s arm, according to Ricciardi. There’s no timetable for Chacin’s return, considering it’s unclear what type of surgery is going to take place. The Jays will know more after Wednesday. … Ricciardi added that he will explore the pitching market this offseason, but mainly as a way to potentially fill in the back end of the rotation. With Roy Halladay, Burnett, Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan, Ricciardi doesn’t feel he needs a front-line starter — and the free-agent pitching crop is thin again this winter. … Jays manager John Gibbons said he met with McGowan to tell the pitcher he needs to pay more attention to baserunners, especially ones on second base. On Sunday, the Angels’ Gary Matthews Jr. swiped third base and scored on a throwing error by Zaun. McGowan uses a leg kick while in the stretch that baserunners have used to their advantage this season. … This month, Toronto has faced former Jays Roger Clemens, Steve Trachsel, Kelvim Escobar and Loaiza. Entering Monday, those four had combined to go 5-0 with a 1.78 ERA, 25 strikeouts and four walks against Toronto this month. After facing Loaiza on Monday, Toronto gets a crack at former Jay Chad Gaudin.
AL WILD CARD RACE
entering Monday
1. Seattle 73-55 (–)
2. New York 72-58 (2)
3. Detroit 70-60 (4)
4. Minnesota 67-63 (7)
5. Toronto 65-65 (9)
REALITY CHECK…Since 1995, the runner-up in the AL Wild Card race has finished with an average of 89 victories. The Blue Jays would need to go 25-7 over their final 32 games to reach 90 wins.
Major League Bastian 
I would never abandon the Jays but my mum always said if you don’t have anything nice to say , then better to not say anything. If we don’t support them , they will travel along the same path as the Expos . There will be no more Jays . I still go to their games and will continue to do so .
As for pitching, looks like Mussina might be available . JP can add him then let him go like all the others ( Ohka, Thompson and Zambrano) after all it’s only money ( obviously not his )and JP must like to gamble
WELL WELL WELL we have a lot of speed on the front end lol.
My mum told me not to put beans in my ears but I did.
Vinnie Chulk , Jays ex-reliever is having a blood clot removed from his pitching arm . Let’s hope he he comes through it cleanly
I thought it was Jack and the Beanstalk not garry …..now my childhood has been shattered…..lol
I dont belive for a minnute that any one of us will desert the team,we have a right to be upset with them the way they are playing/not playing.
every time they have a shot at the wild card they fall apart.
These players are not garbage but they are playing like thay are the question is why.
I’m afraid I had to eat them after thats how I discoverd wax beans lol.
Who knows why the Yanks are getting trashed by Detroit tonight . It happens . I don’t think they Jays ever found their grove after all the injuries they suffered. I still read all the blogs when I am online just rarely reply
ewwwwww…gg……lol…
Good for Olmedo smart base running this kid has some speed,Zaun bunts lol.
Mussina is in trouble in the Bronx,if you think were hard on players in trouble go read the Yankees blog ouch.
Houston cleans house now for the Jays.
Another great start from Grandpa Mussina. Done like dinner.
Great comments from JP-way to motivate the troops, JP.
So you’re going to explore the pitching available for the back end of the rotation-HUH?
What the **** is wrong with Litsch and or Chacin? Or do you want to sign a bunch of lossers like Okha-like you did this year
Put some time in exploring a new manager that can motivate these hitters instead. You have no problem in pitching.
And get a catcher in there that doesn’t have Grandma’s arm and can hit .250. Duh!
Idiot.
And Gibby
Maybe, just maybe-you should spend time with Zaun and suggest if he doesn’t start to get runners out-you’ll replace him with Thigpen, who misteriously has never had a problem throwing out runners with McGowan pitching.
I wonder why that is. DUH!!!!!!!
Idiots
Another great start from Zaun.
0 for 3 and messes up another throw to 2nd base.
Sort of standard for the territory-so where is Thigpen?
gsumner not like you????
But i agree with you 100%.
Again 2 on no outs no runs ****.
A blind man could see Jansen never had it tonight why leave him in, Of course if you take him out we might win, The game is off in my house I don’t need to watch that ****.
I turned the tube back on after I had my little cry lucky for me 6 to 2 now game over with Wolf in for sure.
Not a good win for the jays however a win is a win.
i would like to see that burnett got the win but now a days if you are a bluejay starter you will harldy get a win.
I agree with you guys wat’s wrong with litsch. I think litsch can pull off the whole season. If he does bad then i believe chacin will be back until then.
I think that JP is now goign to trade towers or dump him or something. Notice that he said we needed a starter so he isn’t relying on towers anymore. (since he ain’t relying on litsch too) I hate to see towers go he is a good guy but no help to us.
Mcdonald is gonna be more costly this season but i think he will come to the jays cause the jays gave his career new life.
harry
JP has multiple alternatives for the 5th starter position. He has Litsch, Chacin, Taubenheim-who looks like hes finally getting it, Josh Banks and a dark horse-David Purcey.
If none of those pan out, he can use Janssen. With League, Ryan and Romero all coming back, and with the way Wolfe has pitched, the bullpen’s going to be a bit crowded and Janssen could be moved to a starters role without any negative impact in the pen.
To go out and sign some has been like Okha, Zambrano or Thompson is a waste of money and will likely get us a 5th starter who’s poorer than our own alternatives.
If JP is so anxious to spend money-spend it on a hitter or better yet, a good manager.
yes well gsumner i was trying to prove the same thing that we don’t need a starter right now. YOu put it in better words taht’s good.
Any good hitters you know that are on the trading block or are free agents cause i got no clue on any of them?
if someone knows a few then just list the names if possible even if they are outfeild or a position we don’t need.
qsumner completely agree with you on spending that money on a good manager. I feel that someone with successful experience in the playoffs is neccassary. I’m curious would you go after Joe Torre if you could ?
By the way (for those of you suggesting to not attend games) just bought tickets for sept. 30 on my birthday, they’ll definitaly be playing for nothing by then so i’ll continue to to go games whenever i can. I agree with Indigo if ppl stop going they might consider moving the franchise sooner or later (though it appears to be safe for a while =). The only place where the whole “stop going” thing applies in my opinion is with the leafs.
Way to go JP another has been pitcher that we don’t need “JOE WHO”.
JP should trade for Edgar Renteria for SS — Send Mcdonald back to utility role, and get rid of Zaun and sign someone like Michael Barrett as catcher.
The only remotly good backend pitchers i can think of would Joel Pinerio, Kyle Lohse or even Carlos Silva.
JP might just be looking at depth for his rotation. Tho it does look like the rotation will be fine, as long as there are no injuries. I said earlier, they should explore trading Glaus, or Thomas for a left handed hitting DH/3B. One that hits for a good average, like Overbay should.
If we got Renteria from the Braves, JP hate comments could no longer be allowed. He is the debatably the best shortstop in baseball right now. I have always been a fan of Barrett, but I’m not sure the free agent market is the place for us to get catchers right now. Not only do we have two major league ready catchers in Thigpen and Diaz, but one of our first round picks this year was a catcher (Arencibia)
I’d be happy to see the jays acquire Edgar, but what do you think they’d have to give up Dave? Don`t know about you but I would personally prefer to try out Casey Jannson as a back-end starter. If B.J. comes back and pitches the way he can by late may, early june, then they can have Jeremey in Casey`s current role.
To get Edgar id imagine the Jays would have to fufill something similar to the demand the braves asked the whitesox for in Jon Garland. The Braves also need relief help since they just offed their closer Wickman —
So id say give them Accardo, since the jays are out of the race, and atlanta is totally going broke trying to win this year (the tex deal) this year and will have BJ next year, thus keeping Jansen as the eigth inning guy, especially with League, Frasor and Wolf as awesome alternatives in the Pen next year.
The Braves did trade their slugging Andy Laroche (38Hr) for a 8th inning guy Gonzales, so their is a precedent.
I just think that their is not going to be a good alternative SS for next year on the market, and the Braves want to win now — With Edgar on the 15day DL and their massive love for Yunnel Escobar, the Braves would love to uload the next two years 08/09 on another team, especially if they could get an effective late inning pitcher and the salary relief since they’ll be hunting for a CF next year.