April 10th, 2007...questioning the manager

Sometimes you don’t even have to look deeper into the boxscore. You just look at who is listed in the boxscore and it makes you realize all you need to know about the game. Matt Stairs in left field is something meant to make you cringe, certainly with the knowledge that the starting pitcher needs all the confidence he can get after a horrible season last year. Having Jason Smith at SS and Jason Phillips at C on the same night also raises the eyebrow, why bench three starters when the man on the mound could benefit from all the help he can get? This was a badly played game by the team on the field, led by two miscues by Matt Stairs and 4 errors by the defense including Gold Glover Vernon Wells. Did Towers deserve better? Probably…but it was a decent outing for a man who greatly struggled last season, allowing 10 hits, but no walks and striking out six. Two of those hits could be erased by Stairs miscues…Downs’ arm was finally stretched to more than one batter and he mowed through his 1.1 innings, only allowing one hit and striking out two. Marcum outdid him, throwing 2 innings with 1 hit and the two strike outs.

Offensively, the star was the pinch hitter Gregg Zaun who came on in the 7^th inning and hit a 2 run shot to bring the Jays closer. But there were no bright lights on this night, only head shakes and raised eyebrows…