Final
Blue Jays-Royals Preview
Apr 30, 2009 - 6:11 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior WriterToronto (15-8) at Kansas City (11-10), 2:10 p.m. EDT
For the second time in five days, the Toronto Blue Jays are on the verge of their first series loss of the season.
The Blue Jays again look to prevent that from happening in the finale of a four-game set with the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
After splitting its first two games in Kansas City, Toronto (15-8) lost 11-3 on Wednesday in a game delayed 31 minutes by rain.
The Blue Jays were in a similar position against Chicago last weekend, but won 4-3 on Sunday to take two of three and match a club record set in 2001 by winning six straight series to open the season.
Toronto has yet to lose consecutive games in 2009, and will be facing a Royals team that's looking to win two in a row for the first time since April 17-18.
Toronto ended Zack Greinke's 43-inning streak of not allowing an earned run Wednesday, but Blue Jays starter Brian Tallet was roughed up for 10 runs in four innings.
Toronto allowed its highest run total of the season. The Blue Jays lead the majors with 136 runs scored but have been held to four in their two losses in this series.
Aaron Hill had two hits and Vernon Wells' RBI single in the first inning snapped Greinke's streak that dated to last season.
Hill is 5-for-11 with two runs in the series and is batting .376 on the season.
"Hill has had a great start," manager Cito Gaston told the Blue Jays' official Web site. "We just hope he continues to swing the bat as he has."
For the second straight contest, the Blue Jays will turn to a fill-in starter.
Inserted into the rotation due to injuries, Brian Burres (0-1, 12.46 ERA) makes his second start and hopes for a better outing than his first.
The left-hander, called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, allowed six runs and seven hits while walking four in 4 1-3 innings of a 10-2 loss to the White Sox on Saturday.
Burres went 13-18 with a 5.88 ERA with Baltimore from 2006-08 before being claimed off waivers by Toronto in February. He's 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two starts against Kansas City.
Royals first baseman Billy Butler is 3-for-4 versus Burres. He went 4-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs on Wednesday after coming into the contest hitting .193.
"I've been hitting the ball hard lately and it just hasn't been working out," Butler said. "But it's a long season and it always evens out. I've got to keep it going."
Mark Teahen added a two-run homer and has a hit in nine of his last 10 games for Kansas City, which hasn't won a series since taking two of three at Texas from April 17-19.
Making his first appearance against Toronto, Kyle Davies (1-1, 4.88) looks to bounce back from his worst outing of the young season.
In the shortest of his four starts, the right-hander gave up seven runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 9-1 loss to Detroit on Saturday.
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TORONTO 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 6 11 1
KANSAS CITY 1 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 x 8 9 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: TOR - BRIAN BURRES, BRYAN BULLINGTON (3RD), BRANDON LEAGUE (6TH),
JESSE CARLSON (8TH) AND RAUL CHAVEZ
KAN - KYLE DAVIES, RON MAHAY (6TH), JAMEY WRIGHT (7TH),
JUAN
Apr 30 5:44 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY ADAM LIND (4) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 0
OUT IN THE 8TH OFF JAMEY WRIGHT SCORED VERNON WELLS.
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 6, KANSAS CITY 8
DUE UP FOR TORONTO: K MILLAR (.343, 1-FOR-3)
Blue Jays 6, Royals 8 Top 8, 0 OutsApr 30 5:17 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY TRAVIS SNIDER SCORED JOSE BAUTISTA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, T SNIDER ON FIRST, R CHAVEZ ON SECOND, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 4
KANSAS CITY 8 TOP, 7TH
DUE UP FOR TORONTO: M SCUTARO (.287, 2-FOR-3, HR, RBI)
Blue Jays 4, Royals 8 Top 7, 0 OutsApr 30 4:56 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY VERNON WELLS SCORED AARON HILL.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, A RIOS ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 3
KANSAS CITY 8 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR TORONTO: A LIND (.308, 1-FOR-2)
Blue Jays 3, Royals 8 Top 6, 0 OutsApr 30 4:36 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY JOHN BUCK SCORED BILLY BUTLER AND ALBERTO
CALLASPO.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J BUCK ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
KANSAS CITY 8 BOTTOM, 5TH
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: M AVILES (.200, 0-FOR-2)
Blue Jays 2, Royals 8 Bot 5, 0 OutsApr 30 4:23 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY JOHN BUCK SCORED JOSE GUILLEN.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, A CALLASPO ON FIRST, B BUTLER ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
KANSAS CITY 6 BOTTOM, 3RD
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: M AVILES (.203, 0-FOR-1)
Blue Jays 2, Royals 6 Bot 3, 0 OutsApr 30 3:46 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY BILLY BUTLER SCORED MARK TEAHEN.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, B BUTLER ON SECOND, J GUILLEN ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
KANSAS CITY 5 BOTTOM, 3RD
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: M JACOBS (.246, 0-FOR-1)
Blue Jays 2, Royals 5 Bot 3, 0 OutsApr 30 3:43 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOSE GUILLEN SCORED WILLIE BLOOMQUIST.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J GUILLEN ON FIRST, M TEAHEN ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
KANSAS CITY 4 BOTTOM, 3RD
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: B BUTLER (.242, 0-FOR-0, BB)
Blue Jays 2, Royals 4 Bot 3, 0 OutsApr 30 3:38 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
TRIPLE BY JOHN BUCK SCORED BILLY BUTLER AND ALBERTO
CALLASPO.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J BUCK ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
KANSAS CITY 3 BOTTOM, 2ND
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: M AVILES (.205, 1 HR, 7 RBI)
Blue Jays 2, Royals 3 Bot 2, 0 OutsApr 30 3:20 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY RAUL CHAVEZ SCORED ADAM LIND.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, R CHAVEZ ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 2
KANSAS CITY 1 TOP, 2ND
DUE UP FOR TORONTO: T SNIDER (.259, 3 HR, 10 RBI)
Blue Jays 2, Royals 1 Top 2, 0 OutsApr 30 3:08 PM - AL
AT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY WILLIE BLOOMQUIST SCORED COCO CRISP.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: TORONTO 1
KANSAS CITY 1 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: M TEAHEN (.320, 3 HR, 9 RBI)
Blue Jays 1, Royals 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 30 2:59 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TORONTO 1 1 2 0
KANSAS CITY 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: TOR - BRIAN BURRES
KAN - KYLE DAVIES
DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: C CRISP (.247, 2 HR, 9 RBI)
W BLOOMQUIST (.333, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
M TEAHEN (.320, 3 HR,
Blue Jays 1, Royals 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 30 2:50 PM
Related News
- Royals Rumblings - News for December 26, 2023 Dec 26
- Royals Rundown: Recapping moves, MJ Melendez update, and love/hate new MLB rules? Dec 25
- Merry Christmas Dec 25
- Happy Birthday Rickey Henderson Dec 25
- Hall of Fame Poll: David Wright Dec 24
- Hall of Fame Poll: Billy Wagner Dec 23
- The Royals got me what I wanted for Christmas Dec 23
- Off Topic: What is the worst Christmas song? Dec 23
- Weekend Rumblings - News for December 23, 2023 Dec 23
- Royals Review Roundtable: The free-spending Royals Dec 22
- Today in Blue Jays History: Brandon Morrow Trade Dec 22
- Royals Rumblings - News for December 22, 2023 Dec 22