Preview Series closer Rays v Jays.

Thursday May 8th, 2008. Toronto v Tampa Bay Rays.

Toronto went to bed last night tied with Yankees for third in the Division. All other rivals lost, so an unusual night for the Jays to gain on every one of their East Division rivals. Now they have to build on this and keep going.

Tonight Toronto going for series win and Jesse Litsch (4-1, 4.32) a third consecutive win. His only loss this season came against the Rays, a 6-4 defeat on April 22.

Tampa is responding with Edwin Jackson, winless in his last four games with an 0-3 record and 7.97 ERA.
Toronto (17-18 hit five runs in the eighth inning last night in a 6-2 win.

The first time the Jays had more than five runs going back 21 games, the longest such streak since the Detroit Tigers were held under five for 24 games in 2002. That is a really unbelievable statistic when one thinks about it.
Toronto also had three straight hits with runners in scoring position. Something they hadn't done in the last 21 games.
Last six games Wells is 10-for-21 average .476.

The Rays have now lost four of the last five games after winning eight of nine.

Marco Scutaro is expected to start at shortstop again. Last night he went 3-for-4 with two RBIs batting number nine on the order.

The Jays have decided to wait another day before making an announcement as to whether either player will be placed on the disabled list. Johnny Mac said that he didn’t want to be placed on the list. Apart from sitting on the bench he said he doesn’t want to give the club options to replace him. He has worked too hard to get to this stage and had just been given a new role of playing in the late innings as defensive replacement for Eckstein.

Jorge Velandia has been called up from triple-A Syracuse, but Scutaro remains the team's best option at the position. Velandia also replaced Adama Lind who was optioned to Syracuse to make room for him on the roster.
Gibbons is familiar with Velandia, as he managed him at Norfolk, Va., back in 2001. "He's a steady glove guy who turned himself into a guy who can handle the bat pretty good," Gibbons said. Acquired from Pittsburgh at the end of spring training,
Velandia last year was a September call-up of the Rays and responded by hitting .320 in 50 at-bats with four doubles, two homers and 11 RBIs.

Eckstein and McDonald will be re-evaluated today.

What they said:
Scott Rolen re Jays hitting.
"It's been a while. We're still putting some pressure on the staff. It would be nice to be a little more consistent through the game and hopefully keep that coming."

Shaun Marcum collected nine strikeouts and increased his season total to 44 after seven starts, which puts him in a tie for second place in the American League.
It was his second consecutive nine-strikeout performance, his season high. He came within one out of the first complete game of his career, but after two singles and a two-run double, he was taken out.
"That's the first time that Gibby has sent me out for the ninth, so I was excited to go back out there and the fans were behind me. I wish we could have got it done for them, but Downs came in and did what he's supposed to do."

Marcum on his strikeout numbers. "Absolutely not," he said when asked if he considers himself a strikeout pitcher. "It's just locating pitches. I don't know if we're just keeping them off balance and keeping them guessing."

Marcum on his “out” pitch. "It's a different pitch every night. The other night was curveballs, tonight it was fastballs and changeups."

J. P. Ricciardi on Adam Lind: "He's got to play, (everyday) there's no use him sitting here."
Gibbons on Aam Lind: “He looked to me like he was feeling for the ball a little bit.”