TORONTO – Chances to play in his home and native land haven’t come very often for Jeff Francis, which is why his outing Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays is something special for the Colorado Rockies left-hander.
Over his nine big-league seasons, Francis has pitched at Rogers Centre just once, allowing two runs over six innings with five strikeouts in a 9-6 win for the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 25, 2011.
The 32-year-old from North Delta, B.C., would certainly take a repeat of that performance, especially given how things have gone thus far in an uneven year.
“I definitely look forward to it,” Francis said Monday. “It’s a cool place to play for me, I’ve only been here twice in my career, I watched a lot of games here on TV. I’ll have a few people at the game, it’ll be interesting.”
Francis’ wife is from London, Ont., so he should have a decent cheering section Tuesday as he looks to improve on his record of 2-4 with a 5.87 ERA.
It will be his third start since returning from the disabled list, as a left groin strain cost him about three weeks. He held the Washington Nationals to a pair of runs over six innings with a season-high eight strikeouts in his previous outing, but for the most part isn’t too happy with the way things have gone.
The Rockies are just 3-7 in his 10 starts, and for a team looking to compete in the NL West, that won’t cut it.
“Disappointing at times,” is how Francis described his season. “I’ve had some starts where I’ve been really good, others where I haven’t, others where I’ve had some bounces go the other way. But I’m always working to make it better, to turn it around.”
On the bright side for him, his arm appears to be healthy after shoulder surgery cost him all of 2009 and lingered into 2010. He’s worked regularly since, logging 183 innings for the Royals in 2011.
“I’ve tried to not really change what I do, I’ve really had to work hard to get my arm in a place where I can do the things I’ve always learned to do,” said Francis. “Velocity has dipped a little so I’ve maybe had to learn how to change speeds a little more, not rely on being able to get a ball past a bat, so in that way maybe experience has helped me.
“In the games where I’ve pitched well, I’ve stayed ahead in counts. You throw ball one a lot, ball two, hitters get really comfortable pretty quickly. When I can work quick and stay ahead in the count, those are the games where I’ve been at my best.”
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REHABBING: Jose Reyes and Brandon Morrow each started their rehab assignments with single-A Dunedin on Monday night as they move closer to rejoining the Blue Jays.
Reyes, out since April 13 with a left ankle sprain, played five innings and was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Morrow, out since June 1 with a forearm strain, allowed three runs on five hits and a walk over two innings.
Manager John Gibbons said that both will likely spend some time at a higher level before they return, although a timeline for both remains a moving target.
Gibbons added that J.A. Happ, recovering from a knee sprain, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session in the next couple of days.
Another good day.
