Go Time: Johnson Day

Meet Josh Johnson.  Specifically, meet those numbers.  He's a good pitcher.  A really good pitcher.  Our really good pitcher.  Good to see you.

Johnson is the proud owner of a career 3.15/3.20 ERA and FIP.  Those numbers are good.  He's also the owner, probably slightly less proud, of a strikeout rate and walk rate that have worsened over each of the last two seasons.  Those are bad things.  Most projections have his k-rate steadying, while his walk-rate improves over the course of this season.  That's a good thing.  Since becoming a regular, Johnson has only reached the 200 inning plateau once.  That's a bad thing.

There are some good aspects to him being on our team, and there are some less good aspects of him being on our team.  Such a thing is fairly typical when it comes to baseball, pitchers and humans in general.  When he's on, he's pretty awesome.  When he's not on, he's probably injured.  It would be nice to see him healthy.

You know who else it would be good to see healthy?  Jose Bautista.  He left last night's game after rolling his ankle over on first base, grouding out in the 8th inning.  Last I heard was from Ben Nicholson-Smith (formerly of MLBTR and currently of Sportsnet), who passed on that Bautista and Gibbons will decide before the game, after the training staff has a look at the ankle, whether or not he'll play tonight.  He won't miss much time, if any.

And finally, John Farrell comes to town tonight.  If I had my own way, I'd just not even acknowledge him, because if I were him, I'd want to be booed by the Toronto crowd.  Let's just move on and be finished with it.  I mean, he's got things bad enough as it is already; he's coaching the Red Sox.

Stuff
Where has this guy been all my life?  Cashew Mirman is back with another Blue Jays 8-bit adventure.  Give him a follow on twitter while you're at it.  Anthony Gose apparently ran in to through a wall last night too.

Actual story about Gose running through a wall.

Drew analyzes Mike Trout and Emilio Bonifacio, hustling.

Finally, I'm thinking about making a gif of every Sergio Santos breaking ball this season, if I happen to get bored some day.  Here's a preview of that.

If not, at least ones where he makes someone look silly.

Lineups
Jays

Reyes SS
Bonifacio 2b
Cabrera LF
Encarnacion 1b
Arencibia C
Davis RF
Rasmus CF
DeRosa DH (!!!!!!)
Izturis 3B

Johnson-P


Red Dicks
Ellsbury CF
Nava DH
Pedroia 2B
Napoli 1B
Salty C
Middlebrooks 3B
Victorino RF
Bradley Jr. LF
Iglesias SS

Doubront P