GDT: Rays @ Blue Jays Game 2 of 3 1:07 EST

[Spanky99]

Rays Lineup...

 

1. Steven Souza Jr. ® RF

2. Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF

3. Evan Longoria ® 3B

4. Rickie Weeks Jr. ® 1B

5. Corey Dickerson (L) DH

6. Tim Beckham ® SS

7. Daniel Robertson ® 2B

8. Jesus Sucre ® C

9. Peter Bourjos ® LF

 

Matt Andriese RHP

 

Andriese was in line for his second win of the season on Sunday before Alex Colome allowed an unearned run in the ninth. Six of his 10 runs allowed this season have come on the home run.

 

Blue Jays Lineup...

 

1. Kevin Pillar ® CF

2. Ezequiel Carrera (L) LF

3. Jose Bautista ® RF

4. Kendrys Morales (S) DH

5. Justin Smoak (S) 1B

6. Russell Martin ® C

7. Chris Coghlan (L) 3B

8. Darwin Barney ® 2B

9. Ryan Goins (L) SS

 

Francisco Liriano LHP

 

After a rough season debut, Liriano has seemingly turned things around. He has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last three outings, with 18 strikeouts compared to seven walks over those 17 1/3 innings.

 

Preview

 

By Keegan Matheson / MLB.com

 

The Blue Jays will send Francisco Liriano to the mound on Saturday afternoon to face Matt Andriese and the Rays in the second game of their three-game set.

 

Liriano has turned his season around after an ugly opening start to post a 2.08 ERA over his last 17 1/3 innings. He's struck out 17 batters over that span and limited hard contact, helping to stabilize a rotation that is currently without Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ.

 

Andriese hasn't seen much of Toronto's lineup in his young career, but he did face the Blue Jays in his season opener on April 7th. The right-hander lasted just four innings on 85 pitches that day, allowing four earned runs on seven hits while striking out four.

 

"They have some injuries, some key injuries that are kind of hurting their team right now. But they're all big league hitters over there," Andriese said Friday about Toronto. "Whatever nine guys they put out there it's going to be a tough lineup. Just have to approach it like any other start and not look too deep into that."

 

Much like Liriano, Andriese has turned it on in his past three starts with a 2.65 ERA over 17 innings. Andriese gave four home runs in those innings, however, and has a career mark of 1.3 home runs allowed per nine innings at the Major League level.

 

Things to know about this game

 

• Liriano's slider continues to be the key to his success. He's thrown the slider 94 times, just behind his two-seam fastball for his most-used pitch and the results back it up.

Opposing hitters have whiffed on 17 of those sliders, which have produced an opponents' batting average of .208 and slugging percentage of just .292.

 

• With April nearing an end, Toronto's league-worst start is putting it at risk of setting the wrong kind of franchise record.

The Blue Jays will need to win two of their three games against Rays this series to avoid the worst April record in franchise history. The 1979 and 2004 Blue Jays finished April having lost 15 of 22 games with a .318 winning percentage.

 

LETS GO BLUE JAYS *CLAP, CLAP* *CLAP, CLAP, CLAP*

 

LETS GO BLUE JAYS *CLAP, CLAP* *CLAP, CLAP, CLAP*

 

LETS GO BLUE JAYS *CLAP, CLAP* *CLAP, CLAP, CLAP*

 

[o2cui2i]

wow... no one here. slow death

[Boxcar]

I hate Ezequiel Carrera so much

[JaysAllMighty]

Cheers to all of you and our Jays for a great game and hopefully a win!

 

[Bobthe4th]

Is no one here because we all have Spanky on IL or is everyone now a Raptors & basketball fan?

[JaysAllMighty]

Is no one here because we all have Spanky on IL or is everyone now a Raptors & basketball fan?

 

 

Like Spanky would say, you're dum

[TwistedLogic]

Bautista still has the best eye in the game. What an at-bat.

[EdwinsParrot]

Lol beckham

[Spanky99]

Take it.

[el duque]

Smoak HR coming

[Boxcar]

You ain't Derek Jeter

[Bobthe4th]

Like Spanky would say, you're dum

 

You can't see started threads by people on your IL, you have to sign out and copy the url.

[Abomination]

Weeks might have had a shot at Bautista at home. Don't know why he just lobbed it, instead of either throwing properly or just holding it.

[Bobthe4th]

KK with the great play

[Boxcar]

Holy f***, how does a human being run that slowly? And why would he run on Kiermaier?

 

Luis Rivera really sucks at his job.

[el duque]

Kendrys the turtle Morales

[JaysAllMighty]

You can't see started threads by people on your IL, you have to sign out and copy the url.

 

you're dum for picking on Spanky for no reason

[Daniel Labude]

Bautista, Morales, ad Smoak all in a row...does anyone have 3 slower players in a row?

 

Decent hitting to start today as well...making a lot more solid contact, good to see

[o2cui2i]

Holy f***, how does a human being run that slowly? And why would he run on Kiermaier?

 

Luis Rivera really sucks at his job.

 

fine line between pushing things and desperation, Rivera flew past desperation weeks ago

[Bobthe4th]

you're dum for picking on Spanky for no reason

 

Haha, I get it now

[Boxcar]

Haha, got you

 

How dare you have Spanky on iggies. I'm outraged.

[Spanky99]

Holy f***, how does a human being run that slowly? And why would he run on Kiermaier?

 

Luis Rivera really sucks at his job.

 

Yeah, he should've held him up, you can always say the throw could be off-line but... Yikes!

[Bobthe4th]

Bautista, Morales, ad Smoak all in a row...does anyone have 3 slower players in a row?

 

Decent hitting to start today as well...making a lot more solid contact, good to see

 

The bats haven't been the biggest issue in the last few games

[BillBucknorslegs]

you're dum for picking on Spanky for no reason

 

There is always a reason to pick on Spanky...

 

Also Morales is a f***ing useless base runner and Rivera had better learn that quickly.

[Spanky99]

How dare you have Spanky on iggies. I'm outraged.

 

My fee fee's are hurt, lol.

[JaysAllMighty]

Yeah, he should've held him up, you can always say the throw could be off-line but... Yikes!

 

Luis Rivera forgot to look at who the runner was.... and it cost us.

[Bobthe4th]

How dare you have Spanky on iggies. I'm outraged.

 

I'm sure he dgaf but if it makes you feel any better it's only something I do sometimes to filter out his arguments with the trolls!

[Pendleton]

Vintage throw by Bautista and a great job by Martin too.

 

Hopefully Russ is OK, ate Beckham's shoulder right in the chops.

[Bobthe4th]

They're going to challenge but I think they got him.

[Spanky99]

Nice throw Bats.

 

Geeze that's got to hurt.