Rodrigo Lopez, RH Gustavo Chacin, LH
(6-2, 4.21) (6-4, 3.39)
2B B Roberts RF A Rios
CF L Matos LF F Catalanotto
3B M Mora CF V Wells
SS M Tejada 3B S Hillenbrand
RF S Sosa DH A Hill
DH J Gibbons 1B E Hinske
1B C Gomez C G Zaun
LF E Marrero 2B O Hudson
C G Gil SS R Adams
Game time is 7:07 on CSN and RSN.
Aaron Hill, who had a big game yesterday, is killing the ball his last five games: 15-for-21 with his first major league homer coming yesterday in the opening inning. Chen finally had a bad start. It was going to happen, it did, we lost, whatever. And Ted Lilly was excellent.
Chacin has emerged as a second reliable starter in the Toronto rotation alongside Halladay. He's been a little lucky, though, as his 1.40 WHIP doesn't quite support the 3.39 ERA. But nevertheless, he's been a solid starter. One thing in our favor is Chacin is much, much better on the road than he is at home. 2.65/1.31 away from the Rogers Centre, and 4.82/1.57 there. The fact that he's made nine of his 14 starts in a grey uniform has helped his overall numbers.
Chacin pitched against us earlier this season and had a weird line, going 7 1/3 with five walks and two strikeouts, but just two earned runs and scattered seven hits. He was roughed up in his last start against the Brewers.
Career-wise, Lopez is real bad against the Jays (1-4, 6.80/1.85, .345 BAA, 72 hits in 47.2 innings - yow), but even worse against them in Toronto: five starts, 1-3 record, and an ugly 9.64/2.06 ERA/WHIP combo. This one looks like it could be a festival of base hits and home runs. And what do we always say when that looks probable? Pitchers' duel.
Oh and just as a quick sidenote, Mike DeJean was released by the Mets yesterday. That guy has fallen off a cliff.