Toronto Blue Jays

[GinFizz]

He was the Opening Day starter. He really didnt pitch all that bad, ok, maybe on the road he did but.....

[blayze]

I would have rather had Hutch going at Rogers Center last night over Dickey.

I hope you're joking. Hutch is absolutely brutal.

Before last night happened, no person in their right mind would have had Hutch starting over Dickey, especially given Dickey's dominant performance his last game.

Hutch can't even hold his shit together for an inning of relief...

[Godin]

I don't understand MLB. I don't mind the early starts but wouldn't it make more sense to start the Jays home games later since they have a climate controlled stadium while NY and Chicago do not?

[dooley89]

So glad I went to that game ha ha

[2014olympicgold]

I don't understand MLB. I don't mind the early starts but wouldn't it make more sense to start the Jays home games later since they have a climate controlled stadium while NY and Chicago do not?

Straight up ratings. The target audience isn’t ready to sit and watch TV till after dinner. It’s like why is Monday Night Football on at 8:30? Same reason.

[bondon]

I personallyf eel like it's really unfair to question the decision to go with Dickey. The dude was has shown that he can be dominant over stretches and pitched pretty well this season after the dust settled. I think the leash was just too long, though when you're stuck in this situation of a shitty bullpen your hands are kind of tied.

[PenguinHunter]

Did the MLB conspire to allow KC to win big in this game, just so it didn't look like there was a conspiracy going on?

[2014olympicgold]

Dickey warmed up on the same mound Ceuto had in Monday’s game obviously. And KCR were stealing signs all day

[PenguinHunter]

Dickey warmed up on the same mound Ceuto had in Monday’s game obviously. And KCR were stealing signs all day

Would the MLB just deal with this already! haha

[Axeman33]

I personallyf eel like it's really unfair to question the decision to go with Dickey. The dude was has shown that he can be dominant over stretches and pitched pretty well this season after the dust settled. I think the leash was just too long, though when you're stuck in this situation of a shitty bullpen your hands are kind of tied.

And yet the leash was way too short in the deciding game vs Texas.

He's so on/off like most knuckleball pitchers and while I agree, he was pretty solid down the stretch, he still makes most people nervous everytime he steps on the mound. Every game is so important at this stage and to go with that much uncertainty at this point is just a big gamble. This time, it bit them in the ass.

[PenguinHunter]

And yet the leash was way too short in the deciding game vs Texas.

Does anyone think that him getting pulled in that game played with his confidence in yesterday's game? I know if I got pulled when I was pitching decent and not really struggling that I might be gripping the ball a little tighter in my next game...

[LawMan]

Wow, brutal loss yesterday. I'm not going to fault Gibbons for how he handled Dickey to be honest. I've said it all year, Dickey is a knuckleballer and at the end of the day a knuckleball relies a lot more on luck and tricking the batters than any other pitch. When Dickey (or any knuckleballer) takes the mound I'm never going to think my team has a major edge, and even if he goes 3 perfect innings I'm not thinking "this guy is dealing" ala Price in Game 2, the pitch is very inconsistent by it's nature, so everytime he throws you're on the edge of your seat.

That being said Dickey does have very good numbers this year, better in the 2nd half, and great at home. Dickey was the only choice for Gibbons to go with yesterday, it just didn't work out... Regarding pulling him Dickey especially has had many games this year where he gets beat up early, figures it out and goes on to post what ends up being a respectable 7 inning line. Given that the bullpen is hurting, and we don't have a top long-man I liked Gibbons call to send Dickey back out for the 2nd to give him another shot at it, then I figured he had to pull him when he couldn't, ultimately the 2nd we only gave up 1 run.

What a hell of a performance by Hendriks to come in like he did and go 4.1 innings of scoreless pitching. After we scored 2 in the 3rd and Hendriks was solid in 4 I thought we had a real shot to turn it around in the game, like we did so many times before this season and put up 4, 5 or 6 runs, and we did have our chances but were always that 1 key hit away from getting to within 1.

To me the white flag by Gibbons was going to Hawkins in the top of 7, down 3 runs. Yes we're down 3 but we have the best offense in baseball, if you at least go to Lowe you give yourself another chance to score in the bottom of 7, then you can make a call on if you want to use Sanchez and Osuna or save them. Instead Hawkins comes in and the Jays give up 4, game is blown open and it's over. I get wanting to save your studs for an elimination game but that decisions didn't sit well with me.

Ultimately that 14 on the scoreboard looks nasty but outside game 3 the Jays run totals have been: 0, 3 and 2 which is hard to win with given the Jays makeup and capable Royals lineup.

[PenguinHunter]

Wow, brutal loss yesterday. I'm not going to fault Gibbons for how he handled Dickey to be honest. I've said it all year, Dickey is a knuckleballer and at the end of the day a knuckleball relies a lot more on luck and tricking the batters than any other pitch. When Dickey (or any knuckleballer) takes the mound I'm never going to think my team has a major edge, and even if he goes 3 perfect innings I'm not thinking "this guy is dealing" ala Price in Game 2, the pitch is very inconsistent by it's nature, so everytime he throws you're on the edge of your seat.

That being said Dickey does have very good numbers this year, better in the 2nd half, and great at home. Dickey was the only choice for Gibbons to go with yesterday, it just didn't work out... Regarding pulling him Dickey especially has had many games this year where he gets beat up early, figures it out and goes on to post what ends up being a respectable 7 inning line. Given that the bullpen is hurting, and we don't have a top long-man I liked Gibbons call to send Dickey back out for the 2nd to give him another shot at it, then I figured he had to pull him when he couldn't, ultimately the 2nd we only gave up 1 run.

What a hell of a performance by Hendriks to come in like he did and go 4.1 innings of scoreless pitching. After we scored 2 in the 3rd and Hendriks was solid in 4 I thought we had a real shot to turn it around in the game, like we did so many times before this season and put up 4, 5 or 6 runs, and we did have our chances but were always that 1 key hit away from getting to within 1.

To me the white flag by Gibbons was going to Hawkins in the top of 7, down 3 runs. Yes we're down 3 but we have the best offense in baseball, if you at least go to Lowe you give yourself another chance to score in the bottom of 7, then you can make a call on if you want to use Sanchez and Osuna or save them. Instead Hawkins comes in and the Jays give up 4, game is blown open and it's over. I get wanting to save your studs for an elimination game but that decisions didn't sit well with me.

Ultimately that 14 on the scoreboard looks nasty but outside game 3 the Jays run totals have been: 0, 3 and 2 which is hard to win with given the Jays makeup and capable Royals lineup.

Well said!

[LawMan]

from ESPN homepage (I don't have twitter):

Jim Bowden ESPN Insider
John Gibbons just told us he plans on using Price today and if he does Stroman will come back on 3 days rest for game 6 he also said that he is prepared to use both Osuna and Sanchez multiple innings of course all if needed

Not really surprising I guess. Gibby has no other lefies and their is no sense worrying about Game 6 if you don't win Game 5. I do think he'll have a much tougher call if we somehow get a 2-3 run lead in the middle innings.

[Axeman33]

So if the Jays win today and have to use Price (I hate hearing Gibbons say this again but I can see him yanking Estrada at the slightest hint of trouble when he may not even need to pull him), and come back with Stro the next day and win, is there enough time for Price to start the next game?