Romero in mix for AL top rookie award
Blue Jays lefty shoots for 13th win against visiting Mariners
Last Updated: Thursday, September 24, 2009 | 9:41 AM ET
CBC Sports
With 12 wins, rookie pitcher Ricky Romero has been one of the few bright spots in a disappointing season for the Blue Jays. (Ben Margot/Associated Press)Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero remains in the hunt for American League Rookie of the Year honours, while Seattle's Felix Hernandez has joined the race for the Cy Young Award.
They'll continue their quests Thursday night when they go head-to-head on the mound in Toronto in the final home series of the season for the Blue Jays.
Toronto will finish the MLB season with six road games split between Boston and Baltimore, which left town Wednesday night following a three-game sweep at the hands of the Jays.
Romero, unlike Hernandez, has struggled of late, posting a 2-5 record and 5.94 earned-run average in his past nine starts.
Having pitched 159 2/3 innings in his first major league season, there is talk the 24-year-old could be wearing down.
"I wish his last three or four starts would've been just as solid as the other ones so he'd have a chance for the Rookie of the Year," injured Toronto pitcher Jesse Litsch told the team's official website. "He's got three more starts left. So if he can push for 15 wins, that would be awesome."
Romero, who is 12-9 in 26 starts in 2009 with a 4.28 ERA, dropped a 4-0 decision to Tampa Bay on Saturday after surrendering four runs in six innings of work.
On July 27, the Los Angeles native outpitched Hernandez in a less-than-spectacular outing (10 hits, four runs in six innings). Fortunately for Romero, his Mariners counterpart was touched for seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings by the Blue Jays.
Hernandez looks for a fifth straight victory in the opening of a four-game series at the Rogers Centre. He is 16-5 with a 2.45 ERA on the season, The 16 victories represent a career high for the and his ERA is good for second in the league behind Kansas City's Zack Greinke (2.08)
Suzuki boosts lineup
An ordinary 2-2 with a 4.28 ERA in five career starts versus Toronto, Hernandez is 4-0 with a 1.18 ERA in his last five starts and 9-2 with a major-league-leading 1.90 ERA in 17 road starts.
The Mariners righty padded his Cy Young resumé by giving up an earned run and eight hits in a 3-2 win over New York on Friday for his second complete game this season.
Hernandez will try to help Seattle (79-73) bounce back from its second loss in seven games after falling 5-4 at Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
Leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki could provide him with the biggest boost at the plate. He is batting .355 on the season and has eight hits in 13 career at-bats against the Blue Jays (69-83).
In Wednesday's 7-3 win over Baltimore, Travis Snider homered and had two runs to help Toronto to its first sweep since June 18 at Philadelphia.
Snider went 5-for-11 with five RBIs in the series and is hitting .500 (8-for-16) in his last five home games.
With files from The Associated Press
