Blue Jays bullpen could use relief

A group of seven men dressed in Blue Jays uniforms will be sitting near the left-centre-field fence at Rogers Centre on Tuesday night hoping Roy Halladay can deliver another complete game.

Blue Jays reliever Scott Schoeneweis looks on Monday night as Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez rounds the bases after hitting a home run. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)
Vinnie Chulk, Jason Frasor, Francisco Rosario, B.J. Ryan, Scott Schoeneweis, Justin Speier and Brian Tallet are members of a tired Toronto bullpen.
They entered Monday's action with 194 appearances this season — tops in the American League —and were called upon again for 5 2/3 innings of work in a 6-4 setback to the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
Jays rookie starter Casey Janssen was chased in the fourth inning after yielding five runs (all earned) on eight hits en route to his third loss in four starts against the Orioles this year.
Tallet, Schoeneweis and Speier followed and shut down Baltimore the rest of the way, permitting a single run and striking out five.
Halladay has the only two complete games thrown by Toronto hurlers this season, and will be asked to eat more innings as his team attempts to halt a three-game losing streak.
"If he pitches his usual game, we'll have the lead late," Gibbons told mlb.com. "There's no pressure for [Halladay]. He approaches every game the same way."
Halladay holds the fort
In his lone start versus Baltimore this season, the Blue Jays ace allowed three runs in six innings to earn a no-decision in a 7-5 defeat on June 8.
Toronto, third in the AL East division with a record of 34-29, has won 10 of 12 games when Halladay has started this year.
The right-hander, who is 11-4 with a 3.06 earned-run average in 20 career appearances against the Orioles, will be looking for his eighth win of 2006 against one loss.
Halladay will also be looking for better results from the Jays' offence. The third to sixth hitters — Vernon Wells, Troy Glaus, Lyle Overbay and Shea Hillenbrand — went a combined 1-for-15 against Orioles starter Kris Benson and three relievers on Monday.
"It comes down to all 25 guys," Wells told reporters. "If we're not hitting, the pitchers need to pick us up.
"If they're not pitching, we need to hit more.
"That's the bottom line and we've got to do what it takes to win games."
Jays face Canadian
For the second time in a week, Toronto will face Baltimore left-hander Adam Loewen, a 22-year-old native of Surrey, B.C.
The six-foot-five, 235-pounder has made two starts since replacing Bruce Chen in the rotation and is still searching for his first big-league victory.
Loewen's ERA rose to 7.80 after he gave up five runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings against Toronto on June 8.
But Loewen hasn't been hit hard, with 18 of the 22 hits he has allowed in his four major-league starts going for singles.
Blue Jays infielder Russ Adams will go head to head with Loewen for the first time in his career. The shortstop-turned-second baseman went 0-for-4 on Monday in his first game for Toronto since being demoted to triple-A on May 25.
Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons also returned to the lineup after sitting two weeks with a sprained ligament in his right knee.
He'll face Toronto spot starter Scott Downs (1-0) on Wednesday at 7:07 p.m. EDT. Righty Rodrigo Lopez (4-7) gets the call for Baltimore.

Orioles salvage series split with Jays

BALTIMORE -- It's tempting to say Adam Loewen got off light Thursday night, even if he stuck with another one of the American League's heavyweights. Loewen made his second straight start against a former Cy Young Award winner and got his second straight no-decision, but the Orioles rallied late in a 7-5 win over the Blue Jays.
The win allowed Baltimore to salvage a series split with Toronto (33-26) and finish with a 5-5 record on its homestand, which included visits by Tampa Bay and New York. Loewen's only prior start came against five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson, and his second one came against Toronto's Roy Halladay, the league's best pitcher in 2003.
"I know that a lot of people thought it wasn't a great matchup, but I thought Adam rose to the occasion and pitched pretty well against a powerful right-handed offense," said Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo. "That's kind of what we want all our starters to do. The youngster looks like he's getting a little better each time. You've got to give him credit.
"He's in there fighting and concentrating. ... Hopefully, we've got something."
He may be fighting and concentrating, but he was also scuffling. Loewen gave up 11 hits -- none for extra bases -- and allowed at least two baserunners in four of his five complete innings. Still, he carried a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning, an advantage that quickly evaporated. Loewen lasted four batters, getting one out and giving up three straight singles.
Baltimore (28-33) went to Todd Williams, who gave up run-scoring hits to pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto and leadoff man Reed Johnson. Loewen's stat line absorbed all those runs, and Williams went on to walk Vernon Wells to force in one more. That gave the Jays a two-run lead and briefly made Loewen the pitcher of record -- on the wrong side of the ledger.
"That team finds holes, and that's why they're one of the best hitting teams in the league," he said. "I'm happy. I'm pleased with how I pitched. I gave us a chance to win and we pulled it out in the end, which was awesome."
"He pitched well. He got out of some jams," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "We had some guys on base and he made some pitches to get out of some jams. Once he gets his command, he'll be awful tough."
Perlozzo was asked if Loewen would start again, and didn't hesitate in his response.
"I don't see how you can say, 'No,'" he said. "A ballclub like that and he pitched that well. I thought that was pretty good."
Perhaps the win had something to do with that, but Perlozzo had the right to look at the bright side. Loewen's ERA (7.80) says something entirely different, but a lot of that damage came in two relief appearances. The southpaw has a 6.97 mark as a starter and a 9.64 mark as a reliever, but Perlozzo said he has pitched better than his numbers.
Loewen, in his postgame comments, gave reason to believe he may be even better in the near future.
"I feel more comfortable out there. I feel like I can pitch the way I'm capable of," said the former first-round pick. "I had some ups-and-downs and my curveball was off tonight. I thought I did well without it. We came away with the win, which was the most important thing."
Halladay worked six innings and left with eight hits and four runs on his resume, handing the rest of the game over to his relief staff. Toronto handled things until the eighth, when Baltimore put together an odd game-changing rally. Justin Speier came in with one out and two men on in that inning, and he gave up a single to load the bases.
That's where the game got surreal. The Orioles forced in three runs without the benefit of another hit. Brandon Fahey got hit by a pitch to bring in the game-tying run, and one out later, leadoff hitter Brian Roberts had an eight-pitch at-bat. Roberts wound up walking to force in the go-ahead run, and Fahey scored on a wild pitch to provide the final margin.
"Any time you've got the bases loaded, certainly, the pressure's on the other guy," Roberts said. "You've got to try to make them throw strikes, and we did a pretty good job of that."
Baltimore reliever Kurt Birkins, who pitched a scoreless inning to lower his ERA to 0.51, earned his second big-league win. Closer Chris Ray worked the ninth inning and stayed perfect, converting his 15th save in 15 opportunities. The Orioles head on the road for an 11-day road trip, an excursion that will take them to Minnesota, Toronto and New York's Shea Stadium.
"Give these guys credit. They played their hearts out -- actually, the whole homestand," Perlozzo said. "I don't think the record shows the fight we've had this homestand. We shore up a couple areas, [and] it's kind of what we've been talking about -- this team can put something together."

Toronto Blue Jays (31-23) At Tampa Bay Devil Rays (22-34)

In an effort to make sure the rest of the American League East does not overlook the league's lone Canadian representative, the Toronto Blue Jays shoot for their fifth win in the last six outings this afternoon as they close out a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.
Toronto has been one of the hottest teams in the division over the last couple of weeks, posting a record of 8-3 since May 22 and is now just two games out of first in the AL East as a result.
On Saturday former Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay threw eight strong innings in picking up his sixth straight decision in a 6-2 triumph on the road.
Halladay surrendered five hits and two runs, striking out a batter without issuing a walk. He's unbeaten in his last nine outings, with his only loss this season coming on April 9 at home to these same Devil Rays.
Alex Rios went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs, while Frank Catalanotto doubled twice and had two RBI for the Blue Jays, now an even 12-12 on the road. Shea Hillenbrand homered for Toronto.
Mark Hendrickson was tagged with the defeat as the left-hander allowed eight hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings to drop his third consecutive start.
Ty Wigginton connected on a solo homer for the Devil Rays, who have lost eight of their last nine games, are just 12-13 at home and are now 12 games out of contention in the standings.
Left-hander Gustavo Chacin gets the call to the hill for the Blue Jays this afternoon as he tries to keep his unblemished career mark (3-0) against Tampa Bay intact.
Chacin last took the mound on Tuesday when he allowed two earned runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out just one over five innings. While his control may not have been there, Chacin still managed to pick up the victory and move to 6-1 on the campaign.
The victory over Boston was a triumphant return to action for Chacin, who had been on the disabled list with a strained elbow and forearm since May 10.
As for the Devil Rays, they have Doug Waechter slated to start today, the right-hander still in search of his first victory of the season.
Now in his fourth year in the majors, Waechter was saddled with his second straight loss on Tuesday when he gave up five runs on five hits, over the same number of innings against Baltimore on the road.
Waechter has struggled with his control thus far, issuing 18 bases-on-balls, against just 19 strikeouts, which has contributed mightily to his 6.70 ERA this season.
Waechter, who failed to earn a decision in his first appearance this year against Toronto, is 2-3 with a 6.12 ERA all-time versus the visitors.
Wigginton is hitting .320 over his last six games and has five RBI and three runs scored to show for his efforts for the Devil Rays. Carl Crawford, who missed Saturday's game with a knee strain and is questionable for today's meeting, has six RBI in his last four games.
Over the last week the Blue Jays have been one of the hottest hitting teams in the league, batting .332 with a slugging percentage of .599 thanks to 14 home runs. Vernon Wells, who is battling back from a shoulder injury, has four of those home runs, while Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay check in with three apiece.
The Devil Rays are still 35-34 all-time against Toronto at Tropicana Field. The Jays are now 7-4 versus Tampa Bay this season, winning six of the last seven contests.

Toronto Blue Jays (31-23) At Tampa Bay Devil Rays (22-34)

In an effort to make sure the rest of the American League East does not overlook the league's lone Canadian representative, the Toronto Blue Jays shoot for their fifth win in the last six outings this afternoon as they close out a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field.
Toronto has been one of the hottest teams in the division over the last couple of weeks, posting a record of 8-3 since May 22 and is now just two games out of first in the AL East as a result.
On Saturday former Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay threw eight strong innings in picking up his sixth straight decision in a 6-2 triumph on the road.
Halladay surrendered five hits and two runs, striking out a batter without issuing a walk. He's unbeaten in his last nine outings, with his only loss this season coming on April 9 at home to these same Devil Rays.
Alex Rios went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs, while Frank Catalanotto doubled twice and had two RBI for the Blue Jays, now an even 12-12 on the road. Shea Hillenbrand homered for Toronto.
Mark Hendrickson was tagged with the defeat as the left-hander allowed eight hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings to drop his third consecutive start.
Ty Wigginton connected on a solo homer for the Devil Rays, who have lost eight of their last nine games, are just 12-13 at home and are now 12 games out of contention in the standings.
Left-hander Gustavo Chacin gets the call to the hill for the Blue Jays this afternoon as he tries to keep his unblemished career mark (3-0) against Tampa Bay intact.
Chacin last took the mound on Tuesday when he allowed two earned runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out just one over five innings. While his control may not have been there, Chacin still managed to pick up the victory and move to 6-1 on the campaign.
The victory over Boston was a triumphant return to action for Chacin, who had been on the disabled list with a strained elbow and forearm since May 10.
As for the Devil Rays, they have Doug Waechter slated to start today, the right-hander still in search of his first victory of the season.
Now in his fourth year in the majors, Waechter was saddled with his second straight loss on Tuesday when he gave up five runs on five hits, over the same number of innings against Baltimore on the road.
Waechter has struggled with his control thus far, issuing 18 bases-on-balls, against just 19 strikeouts, which has contributed mightily to his 6.70 ERA this season.
Waechter, who failed to earn a decision in his first appearance this year against Toronto, is 2-3 with a 6.12 ERA all-time versus the visitors.
Wigginton is hitting .320 over his last six games and has five RBI and three runs scored to show for his efforts for the Devil Rays. Carl Crawford, who missed Saturday's game with a knee strain and is questionable for today's meeting, has six RBI in his last four games.
Over the last week the Blue Jays have been one of the hottest hitting teams in the league, batting .332 with a slugging percentage of .599 thanks to 14 home runs. Vernon Wells, who is battling back from a shoulder injury, has four of those home runs, while Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay check in with three apiece.
The Devil Rays are still 35-34 all-time against Toronto at Tropicana Field. The Jays are now 7-4 versus Tampa Bay this season, winning six of the last seven contests.