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Blue Jays use long ball to defeat Yankees, Jose…

info — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:08:19 +0000

TORONTO – Blue Jays youth was well served Thursday.

Drew Hutchison, 21, showed composure well beyond his years in scattering five hits over six innings to help Toronto defeat the New York Yankees 4-1.

In just his sixth career start, Hutchison (3-1) dug himself out of a few holes as Toronto (21-18) recorded its 11th come-from-behind victory this season. The young right-hander, who skipped triple-A ball completely, has allowed just two runs in his last 12 innings.

“He’s wired in such a way that he keeps things in its proper context and perspective, and goes out and continues to execute pitches,” said Jays manager John Farrell.

Jose Bautista and J.P. Arencibia contributed two-run homers and 24-year-old Yan Gomes, starting at third base for the Jays in place of the suspended Brett Lawrie, made major league history by becoming the first Brazilian-born player to see action.

The Jays swept the two-game series thanks to the long ball. They homered four times in an 8-1 win Wednesday night, snapping a seven-game losing streak against AL East opposition

Thursday’s loss, before 31,266, was the fourth in five games for the Yankees (20-18).

Hutchison walked four and struck out three.

“I think I’ve thrown the ball pretty well, I battled, definitely like tonight. Got in some situations, battled through it,” he said by way of self-assessment this season.

“But four walks for the type of pitcher I am is kind of unacceptable for the kind of pitcher I am and something I need to address and fix,” he added.

He seemed to be in trouble in the fourth, walking the first two batters. But a double play and strikeout of Andruw Jones erased the problem.

“When he needed to make pitches, he made pitches,” said Arencibia.

Hutchison also dug a hole in the fifth, but the Yankees could not take advantage of men on first and second after back-to-back singles with one out. Bautista helped the cause with a acrobatic diving lunge to snare a sharp line drive from Derek Jeter on the first bounce and restrict the Yankees star to a single.

“The kid’s aggressive,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Hutchison. “He’s got some deception to his fastball. He’s got some movement. He’s a young kid that’s not afraid to throw strikes.

“He got out of some jams. We haven’t swung the bats particularly well but he got out of some jams and that’s why he got the win.”

Jason Frasor, Darren Oliver and Casey Janssen, with his third save in as many tries, finished it out for Toronto.

Bautista’s third-inning homer was his fifth homer in his last seven games and 10th overall this season.

The recent run has allowed the slugger “to just take a little bit of a deep breath and relax a little bit and let his true abilities come out,” according to Farrell.

Gomes, who moved to the U.S. with his family when he was 12, struck out swinging in his first at-bat but singled to centre in the fourth to open his major league account. He also singled in the sixth before giving way to Omar Vizquel in the eighth.

“It’s been an amazing day,” said Gomes.

“It’s been an absolute honour to represent Brazil in being the first one. I know it’s a big thing. I’m very proud.”

After entering the game, the 45-year-old Vizquel promptly showed off his skills with an acrobatic grab in the air of a sharp Robinson Cano shot.

After the game, Vizquel stole the show again in the locker-room when he presented Gomes with the balls from his first at-bat and first hit.

The pitching matchup was one of young right-handers in Hutchinson and 25-year-old Phil Hughes for the Yankees.

Hughes (3-5) gave up seven hits, striking out five and walking two before exiting in the sixth with one out and two men, trailing 2-1.

The Yankees opened the scoring when Cano doubled home Curtis Granderson in the first. Granderson walked with one out.

Bautista put the Jays ahead 2-1 in the third when he sent a 3-2 pitch over the left fence, driving in Yunel Escobar who had singled to open the inning.

Arencibia increased the lead to 4-1 in the seventh with his fifth homer of the season, knocking in Bautista who got on base with a broken bat single.

Hughes has now given up at least one home run in each of his eight starts this season.

“It’s something I’ve got to cut back on,” said the Yankee starter. “I’ve got to keep the ball down, I think a lot of it has to do with cutters or fastballs up out over the plate.

“It’s something that needs to change.”

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Mets-Blue Jays Preview

info — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:39:30 +0000

Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero is no longer undefeated, but he has to like his chances of getting back on track with interleague play about to get underway.

Romero looks to continue his dominance of the NL and help the Blue Jays avoid a 15th loss in 19 meetings with the New York Mets as the teams open a three-game set Friday night at Rogers Centre.

Romero (4-1, 3.88 ERA), who mostly cruised through his first seven starts, was knocked around during Sunday’s 4-3 loss at Minnesota. He yielded four runs and a season-high nine hits over 5 1-3 innings, failing to strike anyone out for the first time in 101 career outings.

“We’ve got to get Ricky right. He’s not been sharp in two starts in a row. The walk totals have been abnormally high for him,” manager John Farrell said after Romero issued five free passes for the second consecutive start. “It seems like his arm’s not catching up. It’s a matter of staying over the rubber a little bit longer and allowing his arm to catch up.”

Interleague play could be coming at just the right time for Romero, who’s 4-2 with a 1.88 ERA in nine career starts against the NL.

The Blue Jays, who went 8-10 in interleague play last season, haven’t faced the Mets (21-17) since dropping two of three June 23-25, 2006. New York has taken 14 of 18 all-time matchups with the Blue Jays.

Mets third baseman David Wright went 2 for 2 to increase his average to a major league-leading .411 on Thursday, scoring three runs and driving in another during Thursday’s 9-4 win over Cincinnati. He helped New York bounce back after blowing a late lead Wednesday en route to a 6-3 defeat.

“I think what’s really special about (Thursday’s) game is that people are going to talk about David, because what he’s doing is mythical, it seems,” Mets starter R.A. Dickey told the team’s official website. “And I don’t want to take away from that … (but) everybody’s playing a part, and that’s why we’re able to come back after tough losses like (Wednesday) night. It’s been really neat.

Wright, who is batting .386 with four homers and 24 RBIs in his last 17 interleague games, owns the highest season batting average for a qualifying hitter on this date or later since 2008, when Atlanta’s Chipper Jones was batting .412 on June 12.

“All is good,” Wright said. ” … I’m getting some pitches to hit and I’m just not putting them in play.”

Regular Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie won’t put anything in play this weekend. He’ll be serving the final three games of a four-game suspension for throwing a batting helmet that bounced and hit umpire Bill Miller.

Lawrie dropped his appeal and began serving his suspension Thursday, but that didn’t prevent Toronto (21-18) from winning 4-1 to complete a two-game sweep of the Yankees. Jose Bautista homered for the fifth time in seven games after leaving the yard just once in his first 23 contests of 2012.

“If going deep five times in seven games isn’t locked in then we’re in for a real treat if he’s yet to click in,” Farrell said.

Bautista hit eight homers and drove in 15 runs in 18 interleague games last season.

Bautista will get his first look at Mets starter Jonathon Niese (2-1, 3.40), who scattered five hits over six scoreless innings Sunday, not factoring in the decision of an 8-4 loss at Miami.

The left-hander went 1-2 with a 5.17 ERA and a .354 opponent batting average in three interleague starts last season. He has never faced Toronto.

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