Will No One Rid Me of These Meddlesome Jays?

I will take this opportunity to pat myself on the back and point out that I called the Jays being in a good place this season. Did I think that they would be this good? Well, no. But I figured that with the way Cito Gaston kept them in it until the last series with the Red Sox last season, they'd only be better with a full year with him at the helm. Plus, they've got Millar.

You look at the rotation for this series and think: Woot! No Roy Halladay! It's true, but it's not necessarily all good. The Jays pitching is looking good this season and it's not just the starters, the bullpen is in good shape as well.

Brian Tallet pitches tomorrow. The big lefty is better known as a reliever but he's made six starts this season, five of which have been decent. He throws a low-nineties fast ball, a slider, and a change up. Walks have been a problem for Tallet (he walked five in his last outing against the Yankees) but he does well after he puts people on. In limited exposure, Dustin Pedroia and Julio Lugo have both had success against him (they're both two for three). David Ortiz is two for five but his two hits were a double and a home run; he also drew two walks. Jason Varitek is two for six with a home run and two walks. JD Drew (3 AB), Mike Lowell (2 AB), Rocco Baldelli (2 AB), and Jacoby Ellsbury (2 AB) have never gotten a hit off Tallet. JD does have a walk, though.

Brett Cecil is Toronto's new prize pig. Granted that the teams the baby lefty has faced haven't been all that impressive (Cleveland, Oakland, and Chicago), he has impressed in his three major league starts. He throws a low-nineties fastball, a slider, a curveball, and a change up. More often than not, the first pitch he throws will be a strike. He gets a lot of ground ball outs but also has really pretty strike out numbers (15 so far, 6 against Cleveland, 6 against Oakland, and 3 against Chicago). He also doesn't walk anyone. He has hit three batters but they were all in his first start against Cleveland. He is absolutely dominating against lefties.

Robert Ray is scheduled to pitch the last game of the series. Ray is another baby pitcher but this time he's a righty. Ray throws a high-eighties fastball, a slider, a cutter, a curve ball, and a change up. He does throw strikes and doesn't give up too many walks (with the exception of his first start against Baltimore). He doesn't have huge strike out numbers. He also gives up a displeasing number of flyballs, which might not play well in tiny Fenway Park.

Offensively, they're swinging for the fences and succeeding; they lead the league in hits and doubles, and are third in home runs. They won't strike out a lot and they will take a walk. They don't run a lot.