After a wildly inconsistent start to the 2009 season, closer B.J. Ryan was finally put out of his misery and sent to the disabled list with soreness in his back and shoulder. Ryan chalked up a pair of saves, but also blew 2 chances to secure a victory for the Jays this year.
Enter dependable veteran Scott Downs to fill the void. The crafty lefty worked a perfect 9th inning against the Rangers Thursday for his 1st save of the season. For the foreseeable future, Downs will be in control of shutting down opponents in the 9th inning. Over the course of his 8 year career, Downs has just 8 career saves, (5 of which came last season) so it will be pretty new territory for the former 3rd round draft pick.
Inserting Downs into the closers role makes the most sense, especially with his sensational start to '09, but it will create a void that he used to fill in the 8th inning. Thursday evening, Jesse Carlson and Shawn Camp combined to work a scoreless 8th frame against Texas. Those two, along with Brandon League and Jason Frasor figure to be in the mix for late inning duties.
Friday, April 24, 2009
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Downs will take over for sure, if BJ Ryan keeps up with what he's doing then there's no way he's gonna be apart of the team in the future. Downs when he steps in has done the job. BJ Ryan better hope when he comes back that his arm turns into Thomas Ian Nicholas's in the movie Rookie of the Year or else he's toast. Downs is cheaper, better, and sealing the deal compared to Ryan, so step up to the challenge or get out off the mound!
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