Toronto @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 11, 2010 ) Toronto 3, Colorado 5
Fans expecting a pitchers' duel between Ricky Romero of the Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies' hurler Ubaldo Jimenez were disappointed Friday night.
They may still get one, given the way Saturday's pitchers have performed lately.
Brandon Morrow and Jason Hammel look to continue their resurgences as the Blue Jays and Rockies do battle in the second of a three-game series at Coors Field. The Rockies earned a 5-3 victory in Friday night's series opener, a game shortened to six innings due to persistent rain showers.
Neither of Friday's starters showed the form that made them two of the most feared pitchers in their respective leagues. Romero was tagged for four runs on seven hits in five innings, while Jimenez surrendered three runs for the first time all season but still picked up his league-leading 12th win.
Saturday could be a different story, especially if Morrow and Hammel continue their recent hot streaks.
After scuffling through the first two months of the season, Morrow (4-4) has been sensational over his last two starts, allowing two runs on seven hits over that 14-inning stretch. More significantly, the erratic right-hander has issued just three walks over that span after struggling mightily with his control in April and May.
Morrow's previous outing was a thing of beauty. Facing a powerhouse New York Yankees lineup, Morrow tossed seven innings of four-hit ball, walking one and striking out eight. Unfortunately, he had to settle for a no-decision as the Yankees rallied for a 4-3 victory.
Morrow has faced the Rockies just once in his career, boasting a 3.00 ERA in three innings all-time.
Toronto dropped to 0-4 all-time at Coors Field with Friday's loss, which came in dreadful conditions. Rain delayed the start of the game for nearly two hours, and the final two innings were played in torrential downpours before umpires decided to halt play.
Hammel (3-3) will look to extend the Jays' misery in Colorado. Like Morrow, the 27-year-old struggled in April and May before pulling things together in June. And like Morrow, Hammel enjoyed one of his best performances last time out, when he threw 7 1/3 shutout innings in a 5-1 victory over the Houston Astros.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander has a 2-0 lifetime record against the Jays, but boasts an ugly 5.87 ERA with 12 walks in 23 career innings versus Toronto.
Friday's victory halted the Rockies' three-game losing streak and moved them back above the .500 mark for the season. It also continued a strange trend in the Toronto-Colorado series, where the home team has won all 10 meetings so far.
The Jays lead the all-time series, 6-4.