On a day the Toronto Blue Jays drafted a high school outfielder-first baseman with their first-round pick, they'll look to a former collegiate standout in hopes of halting Baltimore's win streak.
Ty Taubenheim, who starred on the mound with Edmonds Community College in Wisconsin, tries for his first big-league win Tuesday night in Game 2 of a four-game series between the Jays and Orioles at Camden Yards.
The right-hander, acquired in the off-season in a deal with Milwaukee that also brought first baseman Lyle Overbay to Toronto, is winless in four appearances with the Jays.
Righty Ty Taubenheim is winless in four appearances with the Blue Jays. (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)
Taubenheim has a record of 0-2 and a 6.75 earned-run average, and has walked seven batters in his two starts against Colorado and the Chicago White Sox.
In his last outing, Taubenheim yielded five runs — four earned — over 2 1/3 innings in a 7-5 loss to the visiting White Sox on May 28.
"They took advantage of every mistake that I had," Taubenheim told reporters after the game. "They were smart in knowing that I was struggling with command and they weren't swinging at the first pitch."
Taubenheim, who has failed to pitch into the sixth inning in either start, will be matched against the equally struggling Erik Bedard, a native of Navan, Ont.
The Canadian left-hander started the season 4-1 for the Orioles, but has failed to pitch more than five innings in his past three starts — all losses.
Bedard is 5-5 this season with a bloated 5.97 ERA, thanks in large part to 1-3 and 7.85 totals in May.
He'll try to right himself against the top-hitting team in the majors as Baltimore attempts to tie its longest winning streak this season at three games.
Toronto (31-25) boasts a .301 batting average after Monday's 4-0 shutout loss, just the second time in 56 games this season the Jays have been held scoreless.
Toronto is 2-2 on its current seven-game road trip but might have to play a second straight game without third baseman Troy Glaus, who is hampered by back stiffness after colliding with teammate Aaron Hill in Sunday's loss in Tampa Bay.
Left-handed hitting outfielder Frank Catalanotto also tweaked something in his left groin during the same game but probably won't play Tuesday with a lefty on the mound.
Toronto's Casey Janssen (4-3) will face fellow righty Kris Benson (6-4) on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. EDT.
Jays select high-school prospect
Before Tuesday's contest, the Jays selected Travis Snider of Everett, Wash., 14th overall in the annual June draft of high schoolers and collegians.
The six-foot-one, 220-pounder is considered the second- or third-best high school position player in the two-day, 50-round draft.
Snider led Jackson High School to a 25-0 record this season — racking up 11 home runs and 39 runs batted in with a .538 average — and has signed a letter of intent to attend Arizona State University.
The Kansas City Royals had the No. 1 overall pick and took right-handed pitcher Luke Hochevar, who reportedly agreed to a pre-draft contract on Monday night.
A first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005, Hochevar didn't sign with the National League club and re-entered the draft.
Colorado (Stanford pitcher Greg Reynolds), Tampa Bay (Long Beach State third baseman Evan Longoria), Pittsburgh (Houston pitcher-first baseman Brad Lincoln) and Seattle (California pitcher Brandon Morrow) rounded out the top five picks.
