Los Angeles @ Toronto preview
Rogers Centre
Last Meeting ( Apr 17, 2010 ) LA Angels 6, Toronto 3
When Ricky Romero was pitching for Cal State Fullerton, radar guns typically clocked his fastball around 95 mph. That velocity later dropped as Romero battled shoulder and elbow injuries.
He seems to be healthy now.
With the blazing fastball back, Romero takes the mound again today as the Toronto Blue Jays try to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels at the Rogers Centre.
Romero took a no-hitter into the eighth inning is his last outing before surrendering a two-run homer to former teammate Alex Rios. Romero struck out a career-high 12 in the game and combined with closer Kevin Gregg on a one-hitter in Toronto’s 4-2 victory over the White Sox.
Romero was the first pitcher taken (fifth overall) in the 2005 draft. He won 13 games as a rookie last season despite missing time with an oblique strain. Those injuries behind him, Romero was dominant in his last outing.
Ervin Santana will make the start for the Angels. Santana has been roughed up in both starts this year. He yielded four runs in six innings in a 4-2 loss against Minnesota in his first start and then couldn’t get out of the sixth inning in a 7-5 loss at Yankee Stadium last week.
Santana was miffed by the strike zone after walking five batters in his loss to the Yankees. He complained after the game that New York hitters get the benefit of a different strike zone than the rest of the league. Santana walked five in a game once last season.
Joe Saunders picked up his first win of the season in the Angels’ 6-3 win at Toronto on Saturday. Saunders, who struggled in his first two starts of the season, limited the Blue Jays to just a pair of unearned runs on five hits in eight innings. Toronto scored in the eighth on back-to-back doubles by Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay but Fernando Rodney came on to get the next three batters for his third save.
Rodney fanned Fred Lewis to end the game. It was Lewis’ first plate appearance for the Blue Jays after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants for future considerations on Thursday.
The Blue Jays, who entered Saturday’s game leading the majors in home runs, failed to connect in the game. Vernon Wells leads Toronto with six homers, second to Texas’ Nelson Cruz, who hit his seventh on Saturday.