Final
  for this game

Blue Jays-Indians Preview

May 4, 2010 - 4:03 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Toronto (13-13) at Cleveland (10-14), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Ricky Romero finally got some well-deserved run support last week when the Toronto Blue Jays broke out of an offensive funk with a burst of power.

The Blue Jays kept hitting in their series opener against the struggling Cleveland Indians, and they'll try to help Romero win back-to-back starts for the first time this season Tuesday night.

Despite allowing two runs or fewer in each of his first four starts, Romero (2-1, 2.25 ERA) earned only one win as his teammates provided him with a combined seven runs.

That changed in Thursday's 6-3 home win over Oakland as the Blue Jays, held to one run in their previous two games, hit a season high-tying four home runs - three by John Buck.

That was enough for Romero, who yielded three runs and four hits over six innings.

"(Buck) did a tremendous job," Romero said. "It's pretty cool when you get to see something like that. Three home runs in one game is not something you see every day. Good for him. He deserves it, he's been working hard."

Toronto (14-13) hit 10 home runs while winning three of four over the A's and had another three in Monday night's 5-1 victory at Progressive Field, including Buck's ninth-inning solo shot.

The catcher started the season 9 for 58 (.155), but he is 9 for 15 (.600) with four homers and eight RBIs in his past four starts.

"It helps that balls I hit hard now are not going into gloves," Buck said.

The Indians, meanwhile, have been held to 41 runs in losing nine of 13. Cleveland has also hit an AL-low 14 homers - one in their last five games.

They didn't get a hit off Brett Cecil in Monday's loss until Jhonny Peralta's two-out RBI single in the seventh inning. Grady Sizemore had the Indians' other hit with a single.

"We're not worried about trying to break up the no-hitter or the perfect game. That's the mindset," Sizemore said. "We're trying to score five runs when they have four."

That's not a good omen for Tuesday's starter Jake Westbrook (0-2, 5.53), who has also struggled to get run support lately.

The Indians (10-15) have scored four times in Westbrook's last three outings, but he avoided a loss Wednesday in Los Angeles despite blowing a three-run lead. The right-hander retired the first 11 batters he faced but gave up the tying runs in his sixth and final inning of an eventual 4-3 defeat.

The 32-year-old Westbrook is searching for his first victory since April 2008. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June of that season and missed the 2009 campaign. He hasn't faced Toronto since May 2, 2007.

Westbrook is 2-2 with a 4.71 ERA in six career starts against the Blue Jays but 0-1 with a 5.23 ERA in three home matchups.

Romero won his only career start versus the Indians on July 22 despite allowing four runs, six hits and five walks in a 10-6 home victory.






  • 15
    roots
    MattDOOM777 Added 5 roots

    Blue Jays 8, Guardians 5  FinalMay 5 4:10 AM


  • Indians 5, Blue Jays 8 - FINAL
    TORONTO ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
    F Lewis lf 5 2 2 1 1 1 2 .246
    A Hill 2b 6 0 2 0 0 0 3 .236
    A Lind dh 5 0 0 0 1 2 2 .243
    V Wells cf 2 1 0 2 3 1 1 .321
    L Overbay 1b 3 0 1 1 2 1 3 .181
    A Gonzalez ss 4 1 1 1 1 0 4 .279
    J Bau

    May 4 10:36 PM


  • AL
    AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY LYLE OVERBAY SCORED FRED LEWIS
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, L OVERBAY ON FIRST, V WELLS ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
    CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 8
    CLEVELAND 5 TOP,7TH
    DUE UP FOR TORONTO: A GONZALEZ (.282, 1-FOR-3, BB, RBI)

    Blue Jays 8, Guardians 5  Top 7, 0 OutsMay 4 9:49 PM


  • AL
    AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY FRED LEWIS SCORED TRAVIS SNIDER
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, F LEWIS ON SECOND, 0 OUTS
    CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 7
    CLEVELAND 5 TOP,7TH
    DUE UP FOR TORONTO: A HILL (.226, 1-FOR-4)

    Blue Jays 7, Guardians 5  Top 7, 0 OutsMay 4 9:37 PM


  • AL
    AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY ALEX GONZALEZ SCORED VERNON WELLS
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, A GONZALEZ ON SECOND, L OVERBAY ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
    CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 6
    CLEVELAND 5 TOP,6TH
    DUE UP FOR TORONTO: J BAUTISTA (.223, 2-FOR-2, HBP, HR, 2 RBI)

    Blue Jays 6, Guardians 5  Top 6, 0 OutsMay 4 9:16 PM
  • 10
    roots
    RUWTbot Took away 16 roots

    Blue Jays 6, Guardians 5  Top 6, 0 OutsMay 4 9:16 PM
  • 26
    roots
    RUWTbot Added 26 roots

    Blue Jays 5, Guardians 5  Bot 5, 0 OutsMay 4 8:53 PM


  • AL
    AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY TRAVIS SNIDER SCORED JOSE BAUTISTA
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, T SNIDER ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
    CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 5
    CLEVELAND 5 TOP,5TH
    DUE UP FOR TORONTO: F LEWIS (.241, 1-FOR-2, BB)

    Blue Jays 5, Guardians 5  Top 5, 0 OutsMay 4 8:49 PM


  • AL
    AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY MARK GRUDZIELANEK SCORED LUIS VALBUENA
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M GRUDZIELANEK ON FIRST, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 4
    CLEVELAND 5 BOTTOM,4TH
    DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: G SIZEMORE (.217, 1-FOR-2)

    Blue Jays 4, Guardians 5  Bot 4, 0 OutsMay 4 8:34 PM


  • AL
    AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
    BASES LOADED WALK TO VERNON WELLS SCORED TRAVIS SNIDER
    SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, V WELLS ON FIRST, A LIND ON SECOND, A
    HILL ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
    CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 4
    CLEVELAND 4 TOP,4TH
    DUE UP FOR TORONTO: L OVERBAY (.174, 0-FOR-1, BB)

    Blue Jays 4, Guardians 4  Top 4, 0 OutsMay 4 8:22 PM


  • AL
    AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
    TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY JOSE BAUTISTA (6) TO LEFT WITH 0 OUT IN
    THE 4TH OFF JAKE WESTBROOK SCORED ALEX GONZALEZ.
    CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 3, CLEVELAND 4
    DUE UP FOR TORONTO: J BUCK (.240, 0-FOR-1)

    Blue Jays 3, Guardians 4  Top 4, 0 OutsMay 4 8:12 PM


  • AL
    AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY JHONNY PERALTA SCORED AUSTIN KEARNS AND SHIN-SOO
    CHOO
    SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, J PERALTA ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
    CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 1
    CLEVELAND 4 BOTTOM,3RD
    DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: T HAFNER (.200, 1-FOR-1)

    Blue Jays 1, Guardians 4  Bot 3, 0 OutsMay 4 8:05 PM


  • AL
    AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY SHIN-SOO CHOO SCORED GRADY SIZEMORE AND MARK
    GRUDZIELANEK
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, S CHOO ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
    CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 1
    CLEVELAND 2 BOTTOM,3RD
    DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: A KEARNS (.349, 0-FOR-1)

    Blue Jays 1, Guardians 2  Bot 3, 0 OutsMay 4 7:58 PM


  • AL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    TORONTO 1 1 2 0
    CLEVELAND 0 0 0 (BOT 1)


    CURRENT PITCHERS: TOR - RICKY ROMERO
    CLE - JAKE WESTBROOK

    DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: M GRUDZIELANEK (.231, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
    G SIZEMORE (.211, 0 HR, 11 RBI)
    S CHOO (.304, 4 HR, 16

    Blue Jays 1, Guardians 0  Bot 1, 0 OutsMay 4 7:16 PM