The Toronto Blue Jays (44-46) will take on the Cleveland Indians (47-44) in the rubber match of a three game series at Progressive Field in Cleveland today at 12:05 p.m. The game can be live streamed here; Blue Jays fans can listen to the game on SN590, while Indians fans can do the same on WTAM 1100.
The Blue Jays will send inconsistent knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (8-9, 4.77 ERA) who appeared to be on the right track after two sparkly starts before getting crushed like a grape by the Minnesota Twins in his latest outing.
Dickey was rocked to the tune of seven hits and six runs in a 6-0 beatdown, in which he struck out just three batters and walked two. Dickey lamented his propensity for serving up long balls this season saying, "I gave up another three-run home run, which has kind of been my bane this year. That's not ordinary for me."
Dickey has given up 19 home runs in 2013, after giving up 24 all of last year, and just 18 in 2011. He is also walking more than a batter per nine innings more than last season, and his strikeout to walk ratio has dropped from 4.26 in his Cy Young 2012 season to 1.93 this campaign.
Opposing Dickey will be 23-year-old Danny Salazar (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who is making his first start in the majors. He was 3-2 with a 3.40 ERA in Triple A, striking out 49 and walking 19 in 42.2 innings of work. When asked about Salazar, Indians manager Terry Francona said, "This is just another step for him -- and a big one -- and hopefully he helps us get a win."
Francona is also hoping center fielder Michael Bourn, who has been disappointing this year and has only swiped 13 bags, getting caught six times, can begin a hot streak. He has five hits in his last 10 at-bats against Dickey.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.