Jays - Cubs Series Preview.

Preview Jays v Cubs Series in Toronto.June 13-15,2008.

Toronto has a very tough inter-league series now hosting the best in the majors Chicago Cubs 43-24 record but like Boston a losing record on the road. This series comes at a bad time for Toronto after losing the first two series of this homestand v Baltimore and Seattle. Now 2-4 on this home stand. Pitching has been fine but once again the bats have been awful.

Comparing the Cubs hitters with Jays will make fans feel very sick.
Chicago: 2B DeRosa with 35 RBIs. 1B Lee with 41 RBIs. 3B Ramirez with 43 (Ramirez is also very patient at bat with 40 walks this season, a tough out) and the catcher Soto with 42. Jays will not see Soriano LF with 40. Reed Johnson has 28. RF Fukodome with 28.

Compare this hitting lineup with tops Jays hitter, Vernon… leads the team with 27 RBIs. Cubs have SEVEN starters with more RBIs. AND I haven’t mentioned Edmonds who had the tie run last night with his third HR since signing with the Cubs. Yes I know, Wrigley Field is friendly for the hitters, BUT bottom line RBIs usually means that hitters are bringing in the runners on base. Touche.


Jays will start Burnett tonight 5-6. 4.98ERA, Saturday Halladay 8-5. 3.07ERA and Litsch 7-2. 3.42 ERA.
Chicago have 33 quality starts this year, and the team has gone 25-8 in those games, with the starters sporting a 1.84 ERA. Zambrano and Dempster both have eight wins and Jays will escape both on them in this series. Kerry Wood has eighteen saves already. Last night he also had his third win.
Chicago will be sending Sean Gallagher tonight 3-2, 4.42 ERA. Gallagher has had eight starts with 13 walks and 31 strikeouts
Saturday against Halladay Jason Marquis 4-3, 4.54 ERA. Marquis in twelve starts has 28 walks and 36 strikeouts.
And on Father’s Day Sunday return of ex-Jay Ted Lilly 6-5, 5.13ERA. Lilly has fourteen starts walked 26 and struck out 77 but has also given up 14 HR’s by far the most of the pitching staff.

If that is not enough they have one of the hottest relievers in baseball.LHP Scott Eyre set club record by working his 32nd consecutive scoreless game. Eyre, who has not given up a run this year. Eyre's streak covers 22 2/3 innings, dates to Aug. 16, 2007. Eyre has stranded all 14 runners he has inherited this year.

Jays get one break as Soriano is out with broken left finger. Ex-Jay Reed Johnson will get a very warm reception on his return. Ironic when his replacement in LF (Shannon Stewart) is now out for several weeks. Reed walked in the winning run in the eleventh last night with bases loaded. Jim Edmonds who had hit the tie run in the ninth was pulled for Reed in the eleventh.

Different management styles on view this series. Lou Piniella for the Cubs. "I don't believe things go your way. I believe you make things go your way,"
And Piniella after Zambrano had dugout tirade last week and beat up on a couple of Gatorade jugs. “These guys are competitors, and they want to do well, and they want to win. I'd rather have a guy who gets upset than a guy that does it with a smile, like he doesn't care."