The White Sox added two runs in the ninth against right-hander Sergio Santos on

The day after Brandon Morrow walked eight batters in just two and 2/3rds innings and got the hook, Ricky Romero had a two-inning control meltdown of his own Sunday at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo. Facing the Reds Triple A affiliate Louisville, Romero walked the bases loaded in the first inning and again in the second, but he escaped unscathed both times and actually lasted five innings. Romero didnt give up any more walks and didnt surrender a run during the stint. Earlier in the week, an upbeat Romero was on TSN Drive with Dave Naylor and co-host Dave Hodge and said he felt he was pitching better than he had been in a year and a half. He also said he would welcome a call-up right now if the Blue Jays needed or wanted him. As shaky as the Jays starting pitching has been this season, especially over this just completed homestand, Romero doesnt figure to get called up anytime soon. He simply has to be more consistent with his control. The largest pitcher I have ever seen in the Majors is C.C Sabathia. Though he has trimmed down now a bit, there were times over the past two or three years where he weighed between 285 and 300 pounds. Well in that same Buffalo-Louisville game on Sunday, the Bats used a closer by the name of Jose Diaz. A year ago, the 64 native of the Dominican Republic pitched at 347 pounds and of course was known by the nickname of Jumbo. This year having just turned 30, he realized it might be time to shave off a few pounds to try and prolong his career. He got down to 278, but the stat sheets now are listing him at 315. Jumbo racked up his sixth save Sunday against the Bisons. He throws with pretty good velocity, too. Cincinnati already has Aroldis Chapman as their closer, but who knows at some point, he may surface in the Majors. Historic Lineup Since the Blue Jays in the Pat Gillick era were one of the very first teams to extensively scout and sign talent out of the Dominican Republic, it only seems fitting that on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre, they became the first team in Major League history to field a starting lineup that included six players born in the Dominican. The starting 9 included Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Juan Francisco and Moises Sierra. An equally, if not more, historic moment occurred back on Sept 1 of 1971 when the Pittsburgh Pirates fielded an entire starting lineup of African American and Latin American players including Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell. The rest of the starting 9 included Al Oliver, who later played with the Expos and the Blue Jays, Rennie Stennett, Jackie Hernandez, Dave Cash, Manny Sanguillen, Gene Clines and starting pitcher Dock Ellis. Better April The Blue Jays started last season at 10-17 in April and they are already guaranteed a better first month this time around. John Gibbons and company are 12-13 with two games at Kansas City left in this month. But something to remember, there were only two playoff teams with losing Aprils in the American League a year ago. Tampa Bay went 12-14 but rebounded to finish 91-71 to earn a play in the knockout game with Texas to decide the second Wild Card spot. Cleveland earned the first Wild Card at 92-70 after opening April at 11-13. Conversely Texas had the best record in April at 17-8, but finished the season in that knock-out game at 91-71. All of that means if the Blue Jays are going to need 91 victories to have a shot at the playoffs this year, they will have to go 79-58 the rest of the year or 21 games over .500. Thats not impossible, but the starting rotation will have to be far better the rest of the way. Right now, the Blue Jays staff era is 4.45, 25th in the Majors, just slightly ahead of Baltimore at 4.49. I dont know if this is a plus but the only team in the AL East with a sub -4.00 era is Boston at 3.90 and the BoSox are fourth in the division just behind the Blue Jays. This and That Its really interesting to look at the early season gap in some pitching categories between the National League and the American. The Senior Circuit has eight of the top 10 staff ERAs. Only Oakland and K.C. break into that group. The National League has had 10 complete games to just four for the American, including two by Texas. There have been 34 shutouts in the National League to 23 in the American. St. Louis has six and Texas leads the American with six. I guess it just helps to illustrate why Ervin Santana chose Atlanta over the Blue Jays. After going 7-9 in their 1st 16 game segment against the East, the Jays have a 20-game stretch where they dont play their own division at all. Their next game against the East is May 20 at Fenway Park in Boston. In fact, they only have six games against the East for the entire month of May, getting Tampa Bay at home the week after that Boston series. The All-Star voting has begun for the Mid-summer Classic Tuesday July 15th at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins. If voting closed today, the only Blue Jays on my ballot would be lefty Mark Buehrle and Melky Cabrera. Jose Bautista could make it as well, but more on his name and All-Star reputation at this point. I also did a rough count and if Buehrle keeps it up, his natural turn to pitch would fall on All-Star Tuesday so their might even be a chance he could start. But thats still a lot of innings pitched and a long way off. Air Jordan 13 Wholesale" .S. international midfielder Michael Bradley is complete. Jordan 13 For Sale Cheap Real . The Marlies centre set up three goals, including the game-winner, as Toronto cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons in American Hockey League action. http://www.cheapairjordan13.net/ . A lawmaker is hoping the buzz from California Chromes run for the Triple Crown might build support for a bill that would place the U. Discount Air Jordan 13 . They showered him with "MVP! MVP!" chants. In many ways, it seemed like hed never been gone. Jordan 13 Cheap China .com) - Robert Martin and Josh Hicks combined for more than 300 yards rushing and three touchdowns, as Rutgers rolled past North Carolina, 40-21, in the Quick Lane Bowl. TORONTO -- Even the pinch-hit return of Jose Bautista could not help the Toronto Blue Jays. The all-star right-fielder appeared in his first game in a week, pinch hitting in the sixth inning but grounding in to a force out on Sunday as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Blue Jays 4-0, Torontos third loss in a row. "Hopefully, Bautistas back in here the next couple of games to give us kind of a jolt in the lineup," said Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle who took the loss despite holding the White Sox to two runs in eight innings. Chicago got seven strong innings from left-hander Jose Quintana (5-7) and a home run and a double from right-fielder Moises Sierra, who started the season with Toronto. Bautista, who did not play in at all the in the previous six games because of a mild left hamstring strain, hopes that he will be able to return full-time by Tuesday when the Blue Jays next play. "Everybody knows I cant go out on the field and not be 100 per cent," Bautista said before the game after testing the leg by running. "Hopefully by Tuesday I feel better and I can be in the outfield. If not I can DH the whole game and play the day after." The return of the right-fielder cannot come soon enough. The Blue Jays finished with a 12-15 record in June after winning the first five games of the month. They lead the American League East despite losing nine of their past 13 games. The Blue Jays won only the opener of the four-game series against the White Sox (39-44) who are fourth in the American League Central. Besides Bautistas potent right-handed bat, Toronto (45-39) is also without Brett Lawrie who is on the disabled list with a broken right index finger. "Theyre a big part of it, no question about that," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons . "Really its been a couple of weeks weve been cold, regardless. We had some games in there we put some runs up. Overall, since our big streak (21-9 in May), weve cooled off quite a bit there. We need to get going. Today was just kind of flat, one of those dead days. "Buehrle pitched good enough to win, he really did. He did what he always does. We got zero going and its frustrating." Torontos hitters are frustrated with the scoring drought as well. "It is hard because you never know whos going to be in the lineup," said Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes who had a double and a single on Sunday. "Theres a lot of different people every single day, coming up from the minor leagues and stuff. People need to step it up. If we want to continue to be in first place we need to play better baseball." Quintana held the Blue Jays to three hiits and two walks while striking out seven.dddddddddddd Hes won back-to-back starts. Buehrle (10-5), who has not won since June 1, lost for the fourth time in his past five starts. He allowed six hits, two walks and two runs while striking out five against in his second career start against his former team. White Sox designated hitter Jose Abreu extended his hit streak to 14 games with an RBI single in the third inning. He drove in second baseman Gordon Beckham who hit a two-out double. Sierra hit his second homer of the season with one out in the fourth to put the White Sox into a 2-0 lead. Chicago claimed Sierra off waivers from the Blue Jays on May 3. Buehrle knows Sierra will chase pitches out of the strike zone from watching him Toronto but lamented his change-up down the middle of the plate. "I pretty much teed one up for him and thats what hes supposed to do with it," Buehrle said. The Blue Jays did not have as many as two runners on base in an inning until the sixth when Reyes doubled with one out and designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion walked with two out. That brought out Bautista, who had not played since June 22, to bat for catcher Dioner Navarro. Reyes took third on a wild pitch as Bautista worked the count to 3-2 on Quintana. But he hit a ground ball to shortstop and Encarnacion was forced out at second to end the inning. "I tried to keep the ball down with him," Quintana said. "Behind in the count 2-0, I wanted to keep the ball away. After Im behind in the count, I just tried to get the round ball." The White Sox added two runs in the ninth against right-hander Sergio Santos on a single by catcher Tyler Flowers. It scored first baseman Paul Konerko who walked with one out and took third on Sierras double. Left-hander Eric Surkamp pitched the eighth and right-hander Jake Petricka took over for the ninth. NOTES: Attendance at Rogers Centre was 33,177. a.Left-handed reliever Brett Cecil (groin), who is on the disabled list, will start his minor-league rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Buffalo on Monday. aBautista injured the hamstring while beating out a bunt on June 22 at Cincinnati. aLeft-fielder Melky Cabrera also was not in the lineup with Darin Mastroianni starting in his place. Cabrera, who needed a day off and has not hit Quintana well in his career, pinch hit unsuccessfully in the eighth against Surkamp. aThe Blue Jays have Monday off before concluding their home stand with two afternoon games against the Milwaukee Brewers with right-hander Drew Hutchison (5-6, 4.00) facing right-hander Marco Estrada (7-4, 5.06 ERA) on Tuesday. ' ' '