Series Preview: Blue Jays Aim to Flatten the Phillies

Aug 13, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher

(56) delivers a pitch against Oakland Athletics at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2: Mark Buehrle (13-5, 3.31 ERA) vs Adam Morgan (3-4, 4.11 ERA)

He still has it. Buehrle keeps defying the simple logic that eventually, when you lose your stuff, you just become a mediocre pitcher playing out a few more years before retiring. If Buehrle ever decides to retire, he will do it standing tall on the mound and not wasting a roster spot for someone else. He throws soft (by MLB standards) but “location location” are not just the words of the mighty real estate gurus.

The man can pick his spots an his ERA is in a constant state of falling. He has given up 2 earned runs or less in every starts since the end of May. He has an outside shot at 20 wins. His WHIP is 1.18. He has given up  16 homers is 23 starts. I am duly impressed as is the rest of the baseball world.

Adam Morgan is another pitcher that is aiming to be in the Phillies rotation for years to come. A 3rd round pick in 2011, he hasn’t had the most outstanding track record in the minors, at least not one that spells out can’t-miss prospect (4.34 ERA in AAA) but here he is and he is holding his own. He started out great but has slid a bit in recent outings. He has 25 K in 44 1/3 innings and a WHIP so far of 1.40. If you believe in the peripheral stats like that then he is not putting his best pitch forward. Unless he tightens up his off-speed stuff and spots his fastball better then he may be fighting for that rotation spot very hard next spring training.