TORONTO – Dustin McGowan badly wants to succeed in whats likely his last chance
to be a regular big league starting pitcher.
Divock Origi Jersey . He badly wants to erase
the doubts about the health of his three times surgically-repaired right
shoulder. He wants, once and for all, to eliminate the too-good-to-be-true cloud
that hovers over his unlikely story. After yet another all-too-brief outing,
four innings plus three batters in Wednesday nights 10-8 loss to the Orioles,
McGowan admitted that hes wearing out sooner than hed like. "Maybe a little
bit," said McGowan when asked if he feels fatigued. "I do seem at 60 pitches, I
kind of seem to be falling backwards a little bit, I guess you could say. But I
feel good, my arm feels great, its just sometimes it seems like the ball is not
coming out quite right after 60, 65 pitches." Theres some positive in there with
that negative. His arm, he insists, is healthy. Hes pleased with how he feels
when hes pitching. Hes encouraged with his bounce back in the days after an
outing. The problem, it seems, relates to a lack of stamina. "The body just
feels like it runs out of steam a little bit," said McGowan. "I shouldnt be
feeling that, I should be at the point where I can go 90-100, especially the way
my arm feels. It feels great." Pressed further, McGowan didnt deny hes had
thoughts about giving up his starters spot and returning to the bullpen. "You
think about that, but right now Im planning on being a starter and Ive got to
get past that hurdle sometime," he said. His unlikely return to the rotation
aside, its important to put McGowans issues in context. While hed openly mused
about taking one more shot at being a starter as far back as last September, and
general manager Alex Anthopoulos was supportive of McGowans winter efforts to
stretch out, there wasnt a realistic expectation hed be leaving the bullpen.
McGowan found a home there last season, posting a 2.45 ERA in 25 appearances and
showing the stuff of a late-inning, high leverage, shut down reliever. Then this
year, toward the end of spring training, the Blue Jays fell just short in the
pursuit of free agent right-hander Ervin Santana. There was a spot to fill
behind R.A. Dickey, Drew Hutchison, Mark Buehrle and Brandon Morrow. J.A. Happ
dealt with back inflammation and pancaked with four awful Grapefruit League
starts, resulting in a season-starting stint on the disabled list.
Marcus Stroman was inconsistent and started the year with the Triple-A Buffalo
Bisons. Aaron Sanchez, whose repertoire has Blue Jays personnel frothing, is
working at Double-A New Hampshire and his innings are being monitored early in
the season. Esmil Rogers and Todd Redmond are best suited for long relief, which
left McGowan as the best option. This despite the fact he suffered through a
bout with a nasty stomach virus in early March, which docked about a week off
his spring training schedule and pushed back efforts to get him multiple-inning
appearances. "It could be," said McGowan of whether his shorter than expected
spring has caught up with him. "We sped it up a lot, usually you wouldnt
increase that much that fast, but we had to and we did it. Ive just got to find
a way. Theres a way, Ive just got to get it past that hurdle." Whats still
unclear is how long the Blue Jays are willing to give him. Stroman is off to a
fine start with the Bisons, posting a 2.18 ERA, 1.355 WHIP and 26 strikeouts
against six walks in three starts. His time is coming. So is Sanchezs,
eventually. Could it be sooner rather than later? A Relievers Approach The Blue
Jays entered Wednesdays action a Top-10 team in relief innings pitched.
Relievers have hurled 67 2/3 innings so far this season, getting on average
about 10 outs per game. The bullpen is its own world, made up of pitchers who
take different approaches to getting ready and staying fresh in case theyre
called on to appear in games on consecutive days. Take Brett Cecil, a closer
during his sophomore year at the University of Maryland in 2006. By the time he
debuted in the big leagues in 2009, he was a starter. Cecil won a career-high 15
games in 2010, then had a mysterious drop in velocity on his fastball,
struggled, and has since revived his career as a left-handed relief specialist.
"Its just kind of an everyday thing about how I feel," said Cecil of a days
preparation. "Whether Im off that day, whether Im going to throw that day; it
just all depends on the night before, the two nights before, what Ive done. If I
need to stretch, I stretch. If I need to lift, I go lift." Cecil is being
careful early in the season after experiencing elbow pain late last year. He
made a career-high 60 appearances before being shut down in mid-September. The
games he could handle but as a former starter, Cecil was learning how to prepare
for relief work. Hes got a better handle on the demands this season. "I wasnt
sure how to police myself being a reliever so the days that I felt like throwing
a flat ground, I would throw a flat ground," said Cecil. "Did I really need it?
No." Cecil believes its easier on the arm to be a starter. You pitch every fifth
day, working through a rest, treatment, throwing regimen in-between starts. In
relief, you could pitch on back-to-back days and then sit for a number of games.
There are periods of consistent work, every other day. Its unpredictable. If a
reliever has a two-pitch outing, like Cecil did on Friday night in Cleveland, it
counts as a days work so when he throws again on Saturday, as he did against the
Indians, hes not available for Sunday. "Thats one of those things that people
dont see," said Cecil. "We as bullpen guys dont get a chance to gradually warm
up. Its, youve got to get on the mound and throw and youve got to get hot in a
very short amount of time. It puts a lot of stress on the arm." Closer
Sergio Santos didnt appear in Tuesday nights win over the Orioles but with the
game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth, he was warming up to pitch the ninth.
Its not an appearance in Santos stats line but it is a day of work. "I had two
days off plus an off day so it was technically three days off," said Santos. "It
was fine for me to get off the mound and I threw maybe eight to 10 pitches. Just
something to where I was sharp enough that if the inning were to end, Id be able
to go out and do my job and if it didnt, then it was just a day of a little bit
more than a flat ground." Santos is less concerned about a day like Tuesday in
April but come July and August, the dog days of summer, relievers become more
concerned with "saving their bullets." That is, throw when needed and to stay
ready; just dont throw any more than whats required. Bullpen coach Bob Stanley
charts pitches thrown and keeps track of each relievers throwing schedule. Guys
have different warmup routines. Santos likes eight to 12 pitches off the mound
before entering a game. Cecil likes 15 to 20, throwing the final five at maximum
capacity. If hes rushed, hell factor in the eight pitches he gets on the game
mound. "Some guys warm up with an intensity that matches almost the game and can
be harder," said Santos. "Some guys take it a little lighter when theyre warming
up."
Blank Belgium Jersey . - Erick Torres scored
his 10th goal of the season on a stunning volley, and Chivas USA edged 10-man
Real Salt Lake 1-0 on Saturday night.
Belgium
Jersey .com) - Jahlil Okafor had 21 points, Tyus Jones scored 16
with 10 assists and No.Phil Taylors hopes of a 12th World Grand Prix of Darts
crown came crashing down after a shock defeat by Steve West on Monday night.
Having previously suffered four first-round exits, few would have predicted a
fifth for The Power, but the 56-year-old looked crestfallen as he lost 2-1.
Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just £6.99. No contract. Both players took a
little while to settle but after notching the first 180 of the match, Taylor
stepped up to miss double 12 on three occasions before returning to take the
opening set on double six. It was turning into a dazzling contest as Taylor
piled on the pressure and looked set for a nine-darter only to mess up on the
seventh. It mattered little as he made it 1-1 in the second set. The pair
continued to trade blows and at two legs apiece, West stayed cool to
rattle through a 101 checkout and force the decider.Taylor looked increasingly
unsettled and knew he was in for a huge battle when he lost the opening leg
after failing to find double 14. Steve West was left speechless after defeating
Phil Taylor in the first round of the World Grand Prix. West pounced to takke
the first two legs and sniff victory, but back came the 16-time world champion
with a 180 and the third leg.
Matz Sels Belgium Jersey. As the noise levels
cranked up in the Dublin arena, Taylor could not find a crucial treble and West
jumped in to wrap up the contest in stunning style to check out on 62.World No 1
Michael van Gerwen received a scare as he fought back from a set down to seal a
2-1 victory over Steve West.But fifth seed Peter Wright could not spare himself
from a 2-0 defeat to Brendan Dolan and eighth seed Michael Smith also bowed out
following a 2-1 loss to Alan Norris. Michael van Gerwen beat Steve Beaton to
advance to the second round of the World Grand Prix. Mondays first round
results:Dave Chisnall 2-1 Robbie GreenMick McGowan 1-2 James WilsonMensur
Suljovic 1-2 Daryl GurneyMichael Smith (8) 1-2 Alan NorrisJoe Cullen 1-2 Simon
WhitlockPhil Taylor (4) 1-2 Steve WestMichael van Gerwen (1) 2-1 Steve
BeatonPeter Wright (5) 0-2 Brendan DolanYou can watch Englands tour of
Bangladesh, plus Premier League football and the Japan Grand Prix on Sky Sports.
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