Downs down, but not out
DETROIT — Scott Downs wasn’t using crutches and he had to be talked into wearing a protective boot for his sprained right ankle. Downs is also trying to avoid going on the disabled list for the Blue Jays.
Toronto is going to hold off on putting the left-handed setup man on the DL for a few days, because being without Downs for five days is a whole lot better than being without him for two weeks. It’s unlikely he’ll be able to pitch in Boston this weekend, so a decision about DLing him might not come until Tuesday, following an off-day on Monday.
Then again, it could come sooner. We’ll just have to wait and see. Downs felt a pop in his ankle after rolling it during the ninth inning on Wednesday night, but there was only a little swelling. He wasn’t walking with a limp on Thursday and is keeping his fingers crossed that he’ll be able to come back swiftly.
Today’s lineups:
TORONTO (62-59) at DETROIT (58-62)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Comerica Park
BLUE JAYS
Joe Inglett, 2B
Marco Scutaro, 3B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, DH
Adam Lind, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Gregg Zaun, C
John McDonald, SS
PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch (8-7, 4.46)
TIGERS
Curtis Granderson, CF
Placio Polanco, 2B
Magglio Ordonez, RF
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Gary Sheffield, DH
Matt Joyce, LF
Edgar Renteria, SS
Brandon Inge, 3B
Dane Sardinha, C
PITCHING: RHP Armando Galarraga (10-4, 3.23)
Major League Bastian 
Wow, no one commented today ? I didn’t watch all of the game because I was at work but just going by the line Litsch pitched really well. 7 innings and no earned runs is fantastic against any team; you have to be pleased with that.
Sure, but the crazy thing is that we won 3 of 4 games, and are actually sitting 12 games back – worse than before the series started. Too little, too late.
12 games back and 9 games back? …. we got no chance… i started watching the olympics now… Canada still doens’t do that good though.
Gsumner the reason I have been inactive on the blog is my wife fell anbd broke her arm at the shoulder and between the shoulder and the elbow they were bad breaks so I was at the hospital every day but she came home last night and now I am back.
The wild card looks like it is out of reach.
Does anyone know how many free agents we have at the end of the year? If they walk (like Burnett will likely do), I am wondering how many picks we are likely to have in the first couple of rounds of the draft. Also, those cuban pitchers that left their team in edmonton. Are they seeking asylumn in Canada? Can the jays sign them to minor league contracts?
Garry
Sorry to hear that, I hope she’s ok.
Burt
We should get 2 for Burnett, 1 each for Wilkerson, Mench, Eckstein and Zaun, assuming they all sign somewhere else.
Of course, we do have some elivers coming upfor contract, but my assumption is we’d probably keep them.
Burt
Of course, theJays could sign the Cubans, BUT the real issue-I believe, is obtaining visa’s for them to play in the US-that might take some time.
We do have one former Cuban national in our system now, Kenny Rodriguez who started with us this year at Dunedin. He got off to a great start, was moved up to AA New Hampshire where he floundered and is now back in Dunedin.
What we also have is a few kids from the Dominican Republic, Panama and Venezuela in Auburn, Lansing and GCL Jays, whom I think were graduatesfrom the DSL Jays of 2007-which is great to see.
We also have a number of Canadian kids coming up.Themost noticable one is Johnathon Baksh in Lansing who’hitting .341. He struggles against lefties, but ifhe can get that figured out might be a good one
I know it’s early days yet, but it certainly looks like Travis Snider is liking AAA.
In 6 games he’s hit 2 doubles, 1 home run, drove in 9 and stats wise is .478 BA/.500 OBP/.487 slg.