Das Feller-Forum » three TDs in that game for the win. H

It was an inning like no other in Blue Jays history, at least not one that anyone can remember. In the second game of their day/night doubleheader at Minneapolis, three Blue Jays pitchers, Steve Delabar, Sergio Santos and J.A. Happ combined to issue eight walks, wild-pitched home three runs and gave up six runs in total on just one hit. That turned a 5-3 lead into a 9-5 loss, a twinbill sweep at the hands of the Twins and a series loss. Counting the nine walks issued by the two starters, R.A Dickey and Dustin McGowan in just eight and a third innings, the Jays surrendered 17 free passes on the day. Grant you, one "crappy day" as skipper John Gibbons put it, inflated these numbers, the Jays have dropped to 10th in pitching stats in the American League. Worse than that, their 4.05 team ERA is the worst in the AL East and so is their walks allowed total of 67. The walks total is particularly disturbing when you look at their division rivals. In order, Boston and the Yankees have only walked 37, Baltimore 39 and Tampa Bay 45. A year ago, the Jays issued 98 walks in the first month of the season. At the teams current average of just a fraction over four per game, and with 11 games remaining in April, they will finish with 111 for the month, and remember, they started last April at 10-17 and never really recovered. In the last five years, the Blue Jays exhibited their best control in 2010, the final season under Cito Gaston when Bruce Walton was the pitching coach. That season, they walked only 77. That year, they finished with 85 wins, and wound up in fourth place, 11 games off the division lead. In 2011, the walk total jumped to 107, then improved to 85 in John Farrells second and last year with the team. Then, the total jumped to 98 in April of 2013 and as stated, the club is now on pace for 111 this month. More walks, especially by the starters, generally means more pitches thrown, fewer innings pitched, more stress on the bullpen, and another up the track finish. The Blue Jays, whove fashioned an 8-8 record so far, are by no means in a crisis situation yet, but if they keep this pace up well into May, they will be. Misery Loves Company You know the old saying, misery loves company. Well, the White Sox arguably had an even worse game walk-wise than the Blue Jays did on Thursday night. On Wednesday, they dropped a 14-inning five-hour 17-minute marathon at home by a 6-4 count. But the real story is how they lost. After starter John Danks gave them six decent innings of three-hit ball, albeit walking four batters, skipper Robin Ventura went through seven relievers, including four in the 8th inning. In the 8th, relievers Scott Downs, Jake Petricka, Donnie Veal and Maikel Cleto each walked a batter and the Red Sox scored a run to cut the Chicago lead to 3-2 before Cleto finally got out of the inning. In the 9th though, he walked two more to lead off the frame before getting the hook. Matt Lidstrom took over, and allowed the tying run to score, but did manage to go two innings without walking anyone. Then Ventura handed the ball over to Daniel Webb, who worked the 11, 12 and 13th innings, giving up one run while walking another three. Each team scored a run in the 11th, so it was 4-4 after 13. After 59 pitches, Webb was done. Ventura was out of pitchers, choosing not to use any of his other starters and really messing up the rotation. In the 14th inning, infielder Leury Garcia went to the mound. He proceeded to walk two before giving up a game-winning two-run double to BoSox rookie centrefielder Jackie Bradley Jr. The Red Sox walked only three over 14 innings and struck out 15. The White Sox, who have one of the best pitching coaches in the business in Don Cooper, walked 15 on the night and struck out only five. Hard to believe two games like this happened on back-to-back nights. Altogether, the Blue Jays two games at Target Field lasted six hours and 15 minutes. The White Sox played a game, plus the five extra innings in five hours and 17 minutes. Incidently, the White Sox have walked 79 batters, the worst in the American League, and their ERA is 4.90, better only than Minnesotas. Oddly enough, Chicago has the same record as the Blue Jays at 8-8. The Jays are tied for second in the AL East with Baltimore, two games back of the Yankees, while the White Sox are tied for third with the Royals, just a game behind first-place Detroit. Sandwiched in between, just a half game behind the Tigers, are the Twins, if you can believe it with the worst earned runs average in the American League. Safe to say, nearly three weeks into the season, the hitters are ahead of the pitchers for the most part. Numbers Game Some surprising numbers in the early going. BoSox righthander ace Clay Buchholz still doesnt have a victory. Hes (0-1) with a 5.51 ERA. On top of that, the top two batsmen to switch teams in the offseason are struggling. Robinson Cano, who jumped from the Yankees to Seattle as a free agent, went into Thursday nights game in a 3-18 slide, but did get one hit and drove in three runs in an 8-6 loss to Texas. Overall, Cano is hitting .271 with one homer and eight runs batted in. Prince Fielder, who was dealt by the Tigers to the Rangers, is only hitting .164 with one homer and four runs batted in. Like their parent club, the Buffalo Bisons got swept at home in a doubleheader on Thursday by Scranton Wilkes Barre, the Phillies farm club. On the plus side, Ricky Romero, who thanks to five early season postponements, was making only his second start of the season, gave up just one run over six innings on just two hits in the opener. He did walk four and strike out two, but he also retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced and induced 12 ground ball outs in getting a no-decision. On the flip side, Kyle Drabek got beat up pretty good in the second game. In just four innings, he gave up five earned runs on 10 hits, including three homeruns. He struck out four and walked none, as the Bisons record dipped to 7-5. Cheap Nike Dunk For Sale . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders. Wholesale Nike Dunk . -- Sami Salo joked that as the shootout went on and on, one thing went through his mind: "Youve got to tie up your skates. http://www.cheapnikedunk.net/ .com) - The Kansas City Chiefs activated linebacker Joe Mays from short-term injured reserve on Saturday. Discount Nike Dunk . The freestyle skier from Calgary finished sixth in the qualification round with a total of 82.00 points. Groenewoud won a silver medal at the X Games last month, just over five weeks after undergoing double knee surgery. Wholesale Nike Dunk China . Balotelli was out at dinner with his brother Enoch and came home to discover he had been burgled. The car was later found abandoned. Balotelli wrote Saturday on Twitter: "I feel empty! No emotions .NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Titans safety Michael Griffin and wide receiver Kendall Wright have kept an open spot between them on the sideline during the national anthem this season.Come Sunday, Griffin says he may ask Chris Johnson if he wants to fill that space one last time.Then the jokes will stop, because Griffin knows only too well how dangerous CJ2K can be — no matter how poor this season has been for him or his new team, the Jets.I really just think hes going to come in there and try to prove something, Griffin said. We dont have the best rushing defence right now. Theyre second in rushing offence, so Im pretty sure hes coming in licking his chops thinking he gets that opportunity to get out there and shine.When the Jets visit the Titans on Sunday, its a meeting of 2-11 teams in which the loser moves closer to drafting No. 1 overall in May.The Titans have lost seven straight in the worst skid for this franchise since 1994. The Jets have lost three straight, including 30-24 in overtime at Minnesota last week, with coach Rex Ryans days seemingly numbered.Its definitely draining in the fact that your record says something about your team, that its just horrible, Ryan said. Were 2-11, both teams are 2-11, and obviously nobody feels good about that. Thats for sure. Nobody wants that, nobody in their wildest dreams thought that that would happen, but here we are.Tennessee released Johnson in April to avoid paying $8 million to a running back who turned 29 in September. Johnson is averaging 4.5 yards a carry for the Jets, but splitting the work with Chris Ivory has him set to miss a 1,000-yard season for the first time in his career.So in a season that hasnt been close to what Johnson expected with the Jets, heres a chance in a game he circled when the schedule came out.It should be fun to go back to my old stomping grounds and be able to play at LP Field, Johnson said.Here are some things to watch for Sunday:STOPPING CJ: Johnson is part of the NFLs second-bbest rushing offence, averaging 149.dddddddddddd7 yards per game. Ivory is leading the Jets with 714 yards and five TDs, but New York goes with whoevers running best. Johnson ran for a season-high 105 yards two weeks ago against Miami.The Titans are last in the NFL, allowing 141.5 yards rushing per game.I just hope nobody gets him amped up during the game talking crazy if weve got him contained, Griffin said of Johnson.TESTING GENO: Turnovers have been a problem for the Jets who have had three interceptions returned for TDs this season, including their first play last week. Smith is making his third straight start trying to show management he deserves to stick around in 2015.JAKES BACK: With rookie Zach Mettenbergers sprained shoulder keeping him out of practice, Jake Locker is back as Titans starter after being benched in October. Locker was carried off the field on a stretcher the last time these teams met, but he threw for three TDs in that game for the win. He really carved us up, Ryan said of Locker. Again, we havent forgotten that, thats for sure.WALKING WOUNDED: The Jets hope to get defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson back after turf toe kept him out the past two games, and hes testing a special shoe. Wide receiver Percy Harvin says he will play despite a sprained ankle that had him in a walking boot early in the week. The Titans have been without their starting offensive tackles the past two games.EARLY MISTAKES: The Titans have fallen behind each of the past four games, with the deficits only getting larger. They trailed 30-0 before losing 36-7 to the Giants last week. Obviously, the biggest thing for us is not to shoot ourselves in the foot early, which we seem to have been doing quite a bit of lately, Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said.___AP Sports Writer Dennis Waszak in Florham Park, New Jersey, contributed to this report.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org___Follow Teresa M. Walker on Twitter: http://twitter.com/teresamwalker ' ' '