With the Jays' injury list steadily growing, look for more wild games like Thursday's win in Philadelphia.
With their ace and closer on the disabled list, Blue Jays' fans better get used to a lot more games like Thursday's roller-coaster, 8-7 win over the World Series champion Phillies.
The win completed a three-game sweep which didn't come without a cost. The biggest loss may prove to be closer Scott Downs who, inexplicably, swung his bat with a five-run lead in the series opener and in the process, tore a toe ligament and will be out indefinitely. He's currently fitted with a soft cast and the fact that it's on his left foot - the foot that he pushes off when he throws a pitch - likely means that this will give him trouble for quite some time.
Downs went on the D.L. the same day that ace Roy Halladay was finally shut down with his groin injury. 'Doc' is continuing to throw on the side to keep his arm strong and he will most likely come back ASAP.
Casey Janssen joined the aforementioned pair on the disabled list for what may prove to be an extended stay. His surgically-repaired shoulder, which kept him out for the entire 2008 season and the first weeks of '09, began barking again.
So, with Janssen and Halladay joining Jesse Litsch, Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan on the disabled list, that leaves a current starting rotation of four left-handers and Scott Richmond. Brett Cecil returns to make a start on Saturday in Washington.
Brad Mills, who turned some heads in the spring and was one of the final cuts, made his MLB debut on Thursday. Mills was the fourth Jays' rookie starter to do so this season. From what I saw, he needs to get a few more feet on his fastball if he's going to stay in the Majors. Mills showed a good curve and change but when he brought the gas, the Phillies wailed on it. You might be able to get away with that stuff in Single-A and Double-A where he went 13-5 with a 1.95 ERA in 2008, but it's a different breed of hitter above those levels. Mills arrived from Las Vegas (AAA) this season with a 1-8 record and a 4.48 ERA. His off-speed stuff is good but he'll need more than that.
With Downs out and B.J. Ryan no longer a closing option at the back of the bullpen, it looks like a bullpen-by-committee approach will be used. Jeremy Accardo, who closed for the Jays in 2007 with Ryan out following 'Tommy John' surgery, is the likely choice but he seems to have fallen out of favour and was passed over until this point of the season. He picked up the save on Thursday, so maybe he'll get another shot at the job. Jason Frasor, who also closed back in his rookie season of 2004, will also get a solid look, as will Jesse Carlson and Brandon League. I guess on any given day, whoever is freshest will get the ball with the game on the line.
At this point in time, it will be imperative that the offence carries the bulk of the load. The Jays' batters certainly did their part in the sweep of the Phillies, although their lack of clutch hitting in the series was almost laughable. The long ball, which carried them through their 27-14 start, has returned and that's a good sign. The remolding of the batting order, with Vernon Wells now hitting third, Scott Rolen fourth and Alex Rios sixth, is starting to bear fruit. Look for Cito Gaston to stick with the order for a while.
One thing that will certainly bring a smile back to Cito's face - it was non-existent in Philly - is to get out of the final three Interleague games in the National League without any more injuries. The Blue Jays, like most A.L. teams, are at a distinct disadvantage with their pitchers being forced to hit. After Downs went down with the toe injury, it seemed that the rest of the pitchers were told not to swing at anything. Not exactly ideal, basically going with an eight-man hitting line-up, but at least no one else went on the disabled list.
The bottom line is that the Jays are now heading towards the toughest part of the schedule minus some key pitching pieces. This means that more games like Thursday's wild affair will become the norm and not the exception.
