Jays 4, BAL 3 - May 3rd Recap

The combination of a relentless pitcher and coming out party for a hitter was too much for the Orioles to overcome.

Pitching: Scott Richmond really is pitching like a #2 pitcher should. He was extremely efficient today, and if it wasn't for 2 throwing errors by Rolen and Barajas, he may have been able to pitch one more inning. What was most striking about his performance was how he reacted after each error, striking out Felix Pie after Rolen's error and striking out Aubrey Huff after Barjas's error. He also got stronger as the game went on, needing only 7 pitches to get Pie, Izturis and Roberts out in the 7th inning with 2 ground outs and one line out to Rolen. His final line was 7 IP, allowing 5 hits and 2 walks that led to 2 earned runs, while also striking out 6. His ERA now stands at 2.67 and the outing solidified Richmond's leading role on the pitching staff at this point. Carlson and Downs put the lights out with 1-2-3 innings, with Downs earning his 3rd save of the season.

Offense: Finally, Rios has come out of his shell and it may be the perfect time to do so as others seemed to struggle a little bit. Rios hit a double and a home run and V Dub added a 2-run home run of his own. Barajas continued his consistent hitting with a 2 for 3 day, raising his average to .342 on the season. I'm no expert on MLB contracts or when they're best negotiated, but with Rod becoming a FA next season and JP Arencibia having a mediocre start to the year in AAA, it may be time to sign him to an extension for 2010. Ricciardi can use the economy as a good excuse to resign him at a good price and Rod may be in the best mood to accept the offer. The Jays have not enjoyed this type of input at the C position since Darin Fletcher was part of the squad in the 90s!! Hill, Scutaro, Lind, Snider, and Rolen all had struggles at the plate going 0 for 15 with one walk, but all that matters is that the W number went up by one and these guys will get a chance to redeem themselves in the next game.

Next up: Brian Tallet (1-1, 6.45) will get a chance to redeem himself against CLE and Fuasto Carmona(1-3, 6.28). It's a 7:07 ET start. Let's hope Cito limits Tallet's outing to less than 6 runs if things get out of hand as they did in his last outing!