Blue Jays Debut Of Buehrle Not Quite Impressive
The results of spring training do not appear to be good for Mark Buehrle, who was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays from Miami through a blockbuster trade.
Four hitters were retired by Buehrle before he allowed three singles and a two-run homer. After 35 pitches, he was taken out of the game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Buehrle indicated that he does not seem to pitch well during spring training. He added that he tries to strike out the batters even during spring training. Two of the outs by the pitcher came from fly balls. He also struck out one hitter. The Blue Jays acquired him in addition to Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson.
Buehrle prefers ground balls and when becomes better, he normally gets them. He also said that he is not in the zone if he gets fly balls. Reyes was one for two in his first game with the team.
Sergio Santos retired three batters when he came in the third inning. He was sidelined in April 2012 following a surgery on his right shoulder. Starting for Baltimore was Jair Jurrjens, who was able to retire the first four hitters of the Blue Jays. However, he also allowed a single, a walk and an RBI single.
Buck Showalter, the manager of the Orioles, indicated that Jurrjens did not do well with the breaking ball, which is normal for anybody at the start. He was dealing with a strong lineup and he will have work on it. Jurrjens said that he will have to work hard since he is competing for a spot in the team. He normally loses his timing during spring training although his confidence increases if he gets more time on the mound.
On the other hand, Kevin Gausman allowed a hit and a run during the game against the Blue Jays.