(Sports Network) – Mark Buehrle eyes another win on Wednesday when the Toronto
Blue Jays resume a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre.
Buehrle became the fourth active pitcher to reach 200 wins on Friday, as he
won his first start of the year, holding the Baltimore Orioles to a pair of
runs and eight hits in six innings.
Tim Hudson, CC Sabathia and Bartolo Colon have also reached the milestone.
Buehrle, of course, opened the 2014 campaign by winning his first four starts
and allowing only two runs in that span.
The 36-year-old left-hander has faced the Rays 28 times (23 starts) and is
10-5 with a 4.05 ERA.
Getting the call for the Rays on Wednesday will be righty Erasmo Ramirez, who
was acquired from Seattle toward the end of spring training. It was believed
that Ramirez was going to be the team’s fifth starter, but the Rays opted to
use reliever Steven Geltz on Friday against Miami.
Ramirez, though, actually pitched in that Friday contest, but was torched for
seven runs in a two-inning relief stint.
In 35 starts for the Mariners Ramirez was 7-12 with a 4.72 ERA.
Tampa has taken the first two games of this set and eked out a win on Tuesday,
as Desmond Jennings’ eighth-inning sacrifice fly proved to be the difference
in a 3-2 win for the Rays. Steven Souza ended up 3-for-5 with a solo homer and
scored twice for the Rays, who have won four straight overall.
“I’ve seen a lot of baseball games here, and that has got to be the furthest
ball I’ve ever seen hit,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Geltz (1-0) tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and Kevin Jepsen closed
things out with a scoreless ninth to pick up his first save.
Jose Reyes and Kevin Pillar knocked in a run each for the Blue Jays, who have
lost three of their last four.
Miguel Castro (0-1) took the loss after allowing an unearned run on two hits
while striking out two over 1 1/3 frames.
These teams face each other seven times in the season’s first month.
As has been tradition each April 15 since 2009, Major League Baseball will
celebrate Jackie Robinson Day with all players and on-field personnel wearing
No. 42 during that day’s games, including the Civil Rights Game at Dodger
Stadium.
