Blue Jays 5, Orioles 4: Let's hear it for the new guys

No pressure.

The long-awaited debut of Brett Lawrie went about like you'd have expected/hoped/expectahoped: he looks perfectly comfortable at the plate (2-4, RBI), and not so hot at the ol' hot corner. But hey: if he hits like it is expectahoped he will hit, it's totally fine for him to be a little awkward in the field. The Toronto standards for glovework at third base are not, like, unworkably high. Anyway, good show, Brett Lawrie! Colby Rasmus went an eerily similar 2-4 with an RBI, which was also totally helpful, and starter Brad Mills, who seriously has some of the worst stuff you will ever, ever see in the major leagues (fastball at 85 MPH, and he leaves it up), somehow continues to get people out (note that it has only been two starts, but still, I amazed at this). Jon Rauch was awful again, and did his best to blow another one, but managed to rein it in after only one run on two hits in what I'm sure was a really, really difficult single inning of work because it was the ninth inning and only proven closers with ice water flowing through their veins and a hard-nosed closer mentality can get through a ninth inning at all.


Also, I am pleased to see that Tommy Hunter has found work with the O's, as he shares his name with Canada's Country Gentleman. 


Finally, here is Yunel Escobar jumping over pop music critic Simon Reynolds, who is sliding in hard to break up the double play:

Escobar disagrees with the premise of "Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to it's Own Past," but he liked "Energy Flash" so much that he's willing to entertain Reynolds' argument, wherever it may lead.

KS