PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Marco Estrada got knocked around in a big way by the Tampa Bay Rays Thursday, not that the Toronto Blue Jays are reading too much into the rough outing. Estrada allowed seven runs on seven hits while recording just two outs in a 10-3 Rays win.
“He got hit around pretty good,” manager John Gibbons said. “It was just one of those days. They happen sometimes. Nobody knows why — you’re a tick off or whatever it is. Leaving balls up a little bit and you get hit around. We’ll chalk it up to that.”
Estrada pitched well against the Philadelphia Phillies in his previous outing, impressing with his change-up and fastball. The Blue Jays are considering him for the rotation, though Thursday’s outing can’t have helped his chances of beating prospects Daniel Norris and Aaron Sanchez for Toronto’s two open starting spots.
Dalton Pompey felt dehydrated and short of breath when he exited midway through the game, but Gibbons downplayed the issue given the weather.
“No big deal,” Gibbons said. “It was hot out there. I was hot.”
The Blue Jays don’t plan on giving Pompey any additional rest and expect him to be ready to play the Baltimore Orioles Friday.
“I didn’t think anything of it if you want to know the truth,” Gibbons said.
Mark Buehrle, who pitched 3.1 innings before reaching his pitch count, said he was pleased with his scoreless outing.
"I’m just building up pitches and innings," Buehrle said. "I’m pretty much just working on getting outs down here."
Buehrle has allowed four hits over 5 1-3 innings in his two spring outings. The 35-year-old left-hander has yet to walk a batter. He threw 43 pitches — 21 strikes– against the Rays.
"His history says he doesn’t have good springs," Gibbons said. "The last couple of years he had a good spring, so who knows what to expect. Hopefully, he gets off to the kind of start he had last year."
Meanwhile, Jeff Francis picked up two strikeouts in one clean inning of work.
With files from Associated Press
