Monday, August 12, 2019 | 7:07 pm
Rogers Centre | Toronto, Ontario
Ariel Jurado (6-7, 4.74, 1.38) vs. Neil Ramirez (opener, 0-1, 5.40, 1.62)
PREAMBLE:
After splitting a well-fought, four-game series against the Yankees, the Blue Jays welcome their old post-season rivals, the Texas Rangers, to town for a three-game set. Both teams are coming off 1-0 games; the Rangers won theirs and the Jays lost theirs.
Newly-acquired Neil Ramirez will open the game for the Jays in his debut with the team. He'll face off against Ariel Jurado, who was the losing pitcher when the Jays won 1-0 in 12 innings earlier this season. Thanks for the throwing error to bring in the only run of the game and save both teams' bullpens from further extra innings, Jurado.
NOTES:
Freddy Galvis has been claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds. In a corresponding move, OhBilly McKinney has been recalled from Buffalo.
Jason Adam was the one fingered for the Buffalo Shuffle with the Neil Ramirez addition to the 25-man.
Good news, Toronto fans of the Cincinnati Reds and Joey Votto! Blue Jays subscribers were emailed the Reds' 2020 schedule instead of the one for the Blue Jays. For the rest of us, here's the Jays schedule for 2020:
As could be expected, there were plenty of acerbic comments in response to the question of "Which games are you most excited for?" with the leading commentary focused on the longevity of Shapiro (don't faint, Oak).OFFICIAL: Your first look at our 2020 schedule! https://t.co/7xZh28d56e— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 12, 2019
Which games are you most excited for? #LetsGoBlueJays
It's been a while since I posted some fun facts from the mind of Jayson Stark, so here goes...
- Justin Verlander is having a rather unusual season in that he's leading the majors in fewest hits allowed per 9 innings AND allowing the most home runs. Only two guys have done it since 1900: Walter Johnson in 1913 and Bob Shawkey in 1923. And he's also leading in ERA and again only two guys have ever led in ERA and also given up the most HRs: John Candelaria in 1977 and Walter Johnson in 1913.
- More Verlander fun: The Tigers starting pitchers have combined for 16 wins all season; Verlander alone has 15 wins. It hasn't happened where one pitcher got more wins than another team's entire rotation since Don Drysdale (25 wins) won more than the entire Mets rotation (23) in 1962.
- That Tigers rotation? 16-53 with a 5.26 ERA - they've got a decent shot at the worst win % for a rotation ever at .232, currently second to 1919 A's with a .226 mark.
- The oriLOLes are on pace to give up a mind-numbing 333 HRs (not including today's beatdown by the Yankees). That's an absurd 75 (29%) more than the current record of 258 by the 2016 Reds.
- Last Monday, Miguel Sano hit a walk-off HR against the Braves. The very next night, Ronald Acuna led off the game with a first-pitch HR. It's only happened one other time in the 32 years of StatsCast where HRs were hit on consecutive pitches over two days between the same two teams.
LINEUPS:
And... a VOMIT ALERT: The Rangers just had to put that lil fucker's pix on their lineup?
This is your "Texas beatdown" game threat.
