Jays Vs Brewers (17th - 19th)

[arrpy]

Game 1:

Dustin McGowan, RHP (5-4, 3.92) Vs. Manny Parra, LHP (5-2, 4.66)

Scouting Report:
Blue Jays: McGowan dominated the Mariners in his last start. The hard-throwing right-hander tossed a complete-game, five-hitter, allowing just one run. He walked two and struck out seven. An amazing fact from the start was that McGowan was reaching 99 mph on the radar gun in the ninth inning. Also, he tossed a career-high 125 pitches.

Brewers: Parra has won four straight decisions, though he wasn't at his best in Houston on Thursday. Parra surrendered a career-high 10 hits, including three solo home runs, but won on a day that included five Brewers homers. "My thought process and my mental approach was on target, I just didn't make some pitches," Parra said. "There were other times earlier in the year where I would be thinking the wrong thing and was mentally off, which is more unacceptable to me."


Game 2:

Shaun Marcum, RHP (5-3, 2.43) Vs. Ben Sheets, RHP (7-1, 2.72)

Scouting Report:
Blue Jays: Facing Seattle in his last start, Marcum pitched well, despite earning a no-decision -- his third in his last three starts. The right-hander allowed just one run on seven hits over seven innings. He walked two, while striking out nine. Marcum has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 of his 15 starts this season.

Brewers: Sheets got sharper as he pitched deeper into Thursday's start against the Astros, a seven-inning, three-run performance for his third straight win. He whiffed seven of the final 14 hitters he faced on the way to a season-high nine strikeouts, and was the first Brewer to pitch seven full innings since June 2. He beat the Blue Jays in an Interleague start at Rogers Centre in 2005, holding them to one run in eight innings.


Game 3:

A.J. Burnett, RHP (6-6, 4.90) Vs. Dave Bush, RHP (2-7, 5.73)

Scouting Report:
Blue Jays: Burnett has struggled to keep his pitch count down of late, needing 211 pitches to work through 9 1/3 innings across his past two starts. Over that span, the right-hander has yielded 10 runs on 14 hits with 12 strikeouts and eight walks. On Friday, Burnett picked up a win at home against the Cubs after giving up two runs on four hits in five innings, in which he threw 111 pitches, struck out seven and walked four. In his career against Milwaukee, Burnett is 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA in four outings.

Brewers: In his last start, Bush was tagged for four runs (three earned) over six innings, as he gave up 10 hits, struck out three and walked one. Bush (2-7) gave up an unearned run in the first inning after the first of two errors on the night from second baseman Bill Hall, and he then gave up another three runs after the Twins snuck two bunt singles into the right side of the Brewers' infield to start a rally. The Twins collected five hits and sent eight men to the plate in that inning.

GO JAYS!

[Geddy]

The big boy just went deep... but was fun seeing Billy Brewer come sliding out.

edit: Just noticed two game threads. Which one should we use?

[Schad]

Yeesh...can you tell that Craig Counsell is hyped because he's not the shortest person in the ballpark?

[Geddy]

Yeesh...can you tell that Craig Counsell is hyped because he's not the shortest person in the ballpark?

and Scrappy and Macdonald must be a little red today.

[Peteros]

Guys, size shouldn't matter...

[Peteros]

Another HR. 4-0...

[evilRyu]

well let's hope for a late game rally..

[Peteros]

Funny how Rolen was asked after the loss to the Cubs what the reason was for the team's poor performance as of late, (losing 10 of 14 games) and blamed himself for the team's showing, and that he needed to pick it up. What does he do today? Nothing. Thanks for coming out. Goes 0-4.

Rios is another player that has frustrated me this year. 3K's tonight. Only 3 HR's so far?!? Batting .270
I don't see an All Star here folks.

We get smoked 7-0, with arguably our best pitcher this season giving up 3 HR's and taking the loss. It is clear that this team has given up on Gibby. A change is needed.

Sportsnet compared the firing of Willie Randolph to the state of this team. Both teams very similar, with the Jays being in last place in their division, but their manager is still here. It's only a matter of time now.

[jalenrose#5]

Let's bring back Pat Gillick and Cito Gaston to right this "sinking ship"

Another pathetic performance by the bats again tonight. You will have bad nights as pitchers....you can't expect quality starts every night, but with the lineup we can boast, you'd expect us to hit....just a little.

On the plus side, JP's draft picks recently are coming through nicely, Arencibia, Snider, Campbell and Lind are just smashing the ball right now...even Ryan Patterson is getting into the act. Get rid of some of this high priced talent.

I kinda wished we could've pulled the trigger on that Lincecum for Rios deal.

[Peteros]

I kinda wished we could've pulled the trigger on that Lincecum for Rios deal.

Tell me about it.

[evilRyu]

Funny how Rolen was asked after the loss to the Cubs what the reason was for the team's poor performance as of late, (losing 10 of 14 games) and blamed himself for the team's showing, and that he needed to pick it up. What does he do today? Nothing. Thanks for coming out. Goes 0-4.

Well at least he man'd up and took the blame. Seriously, when was the last time we heard something like that? At least we know he's trying.

Let's hope we can win win win....

[evilRyu]

early 1-0 lead for the brewers..

[Geddy]

I promised myself i wouldn't torture myself by watching a game until they turn it around... but i'm sooo bored...

[arrpy]

Were only down by one run, its not that impossible. But with these Jays you never know...

[Geddy]

Is it wrong to want the Brewers to hit more home runs just to see Billy Brewer come sliding out like that? You gotta love his enthusiasm. Him and that mascot race have been the highlights of this series for me so far.

[Schad]

Methinks Gibby will regret PHing Mench for Stairs. Certainly, Mench in against the lefty makes sense, but I hate burning through two guys with power at the same time when playing NL rules...Barajas is the only guy left on the bench now, and all three of the Scutaro/Inglett/Eckstein Trifecta of Light-Hitting Terror will come to the plate over the next two innings (unless the Jays fail to get a single base-runner, at which point it's academic).

[Geddy]

damnit Overbay

could have been a tie game right now

[Peteros]

It's only a matter of time now... Gibbons is good as gone.

Another loss today or tomorrow, might do it. I hope it happens.

I'm just fed up with this team right now. Something needs to happen.

Another double play. Sums up this team this year. Inability to advance runners, and score with RISP. This has got to be one of the weakest hitting teams in Blue Jays history.

[Peteros]

Methinks Gibby will regret PHing Mench for Stairs. Certainly, Mench in against the lefty makes sense, but I hate burning through two guys with power at the same time when playing NL rules...Barajas is the only guy left on the bench now, and all three of the Scutaro/Inglett/Eckstein Trifecta of Light-Hitting Terror will come to the plate over the next two innings (unless the Jays fail to get a single base-runner, at which point it's academic).

I'd rather have Mench hitting against lefties than Stairs right now. Staris can't him lefties period.

But I get your point about burning through the bench. Another reason why this guy needs to go.

[Geddy]

Forget going after guys that can hit home runs because at the moment we need to just get some guys that have the ability to at least get the ball into the out field and fly out. In all my seasons watching the Jays I can't recall a team that has grounded out so often.