NewsRyan offering Jays encouraging signs
Toronto (32-27) at Texas (33-23), 8:05 p.m. ET
By Erika Gilbert / MLB.com
06/07/09 8:20 PM ET
TORONTO -- The Blue Jays may not have needed reliever B.J. Ryan on Sunday, as ace Roy Halladay logged his second consecutive complete game, but as the team heads to Texas to face the home run-happy Rangers at their hitter-friendly ballpark, Ryan's recent improvement is encouraging.Against the Royals on Saturday, Ryan pitched his first perfect inning since his mid-May return from a left trapezius injury, retiring three batters in order in the top of the ninth. He induced a ground-ball out off the bat of catcher Brayan Pena on a slider with the count full, tossed an 89-mph fastball to center fielder Mitch Maier for a called third strike and got left fielder David DeJesus to fly out to right field on the second pitch he saw.
For Rick Langford -- the Jays' roving rehab and pitching coach, who is filling in for pitching coach Brad Arnsberg while Arnsberg is out of town to attend his son's graduation -- Ryan looked like the 32-save closer he was in 2008 with his performance Saturday.
"On the mound, he looked like he was very comfortable out there and aggressive," Langford said. "He looked like his old self."
Ryan, who was the team's closer going into the season, struggled at the start of the year, compiling an ERA of 11.12 before being placed on the 15-day disabled list April 23. Upon his return, Ryan said he wasn't sure if the injury dated back to Spring Training, but he did know that the tightness in his trapezius and the flaws in his mechanics may have been interrelated.
During his time on the DL, Ryan spent some time in Florida for a rehabilitation stint with Class A Dunedin, where he worked with Langford on slowing his delivery.
"That's what we talked about -- just trying to slow him down just a little bit so his timing was better," Langford said. "He can just do the things that pitchers have to do to get out front and finish his pitches off and help his command."
There have been ups and downs in Ryan's recovery process -- he gave up three earned runs in one inning over two combined appearances in Baltimore in late May -- but the Jays' former closer has not given up any runs in his past three appearances.
While Ryan struggled with his command before going on the DL, Langford said he has looked better in that respect.
"When they do their practice sessions out here and their flat-ground work," Langford said, "his command is just so good, and when we watch him warm up, his command is very good. He's gotten comfortable with his arm slot and his tempo."
Pitching matchupTOR: RHP Casey Janssen (1-2, 5.82 ERA)
Janssen recorded his shortest outing of the season, logging only four innings in a loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday at Rogers Centre -- his third game of the year. He was charged with five runs -- all earned -- on seven hits, including a two-run home run to Angels right fielder Bobby Abreu with nobody out in the top of the first inning. On a positive note, Janssen issued only one walk and has yet to walk more than two batters in a game this season. He struck out two, which tied a season high set in his previous start, after recording no strikeouts in his season debut. TEX: RHP Scott Feldman (5-0, 3.79 ERA)
Feldman's last outing wasn't particularly pretty, but it was effective. Despite allowing five hits and three walks, Feldman gave up just two runs in 6 1/3 innings and earned the win against the Yankees on Wednesday. Through the first three innings, he surrendered three hits and three walks, but he then settled down and shut down one of baseball's best offensive teams in the new Yankee Stadium -- a ballpark known for being a hitters' paradise. Bird Feed
On Sunday, Halladay notched his MLB-leading 10th win of the season. Halladay has now pitched at least seven innings in all 13 of his starts this year, becoming the first pitcher to accomplish that feat since Curt Schilling did it in 2001. He had not pitched back-to-back complete games since April '08. ... First baseman Lyle Overbay's second-inning home run Sunday extended his season-high hitting streak to 13 games, tying second baseman Aaron Hill for the longest streak by a Blue Jay this season. ... Hill's team-leading 13th home run in the third inning Sunday snapped an 0-for-25 skid. ... Outfielder Alex Rios stole two bases Sunday, marking his first game stealing multiple bases since Aug. 12, 2008, in Detroit. Tickets
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• Tuesday: Blue Jays (Brian Tallet, 3-3, 4.54) at Rangers (Brandon McCarthy, 5-2, 4.92), 8:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Blue Jays (Ricky Romero, 3-2, 4.10) at Rangers (Kevin Millwood, 5-4, 2.96), 8:05 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Blue Jays (TBD) at Rangers (Derek Holland, 1-3, 6.54), 8:05 p.m. ET
Erika Gilbert is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
