This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis will be out to maintain the form he displayed in his past two starts when he opposes the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.
He also could help the Blue Jays clinch the four-game series. Toronto won the first two contests, improving to 5-0 against the Angels this season.
Toronto prevailed 5-4 on Friday thanks to back-to-back home runs by Joey Loperfido and Addison Barger to open the bottom of the ninth against Roansy Contreras. It was the Blue Jays’ fourth walk-off win of the season.
Francis (6-3, 4.38 ERA) has pitched seven impressive innings in two consecutive starts on the road as he attempts to work his way into next season’s rotation plans.
He held the Angels to one run and one hit over seven innings in Anaheim in a 4-2 win on Aug. 12, his first career start against them. Mickey Moniak’s home run was the only hit Francis yielded.
In his next start, Francis held the Chicago Cubs to three hits in a 1-0 victory on Sunday. He had 15 strikeouts and no walks in the two wins combined.
Francis struggled in two starts to open the season. He went to the bullpen and had only one start, on June 9, amid 13 relief outings before returning to the rotation on July 29.
“Can’t say enough about him,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “What we asked of him early in the year, it’s tough to do. From spring training, he wanted to be a starter, and it didn’t work out at the beginning. And he’s getting a chance now and he’s taken it and run with it.”
Over his past five starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings.
Francis feels a difference as a starter.
“I can slow the game down. I can speed it up if I want to,” Francis said. “When you come in as a reliever, the game’s already set at a tempo. The hitters, they’re toeing in differently. As a starter, you can play a little more chess. Relievers, it’s more like checkers.”
The Angels are scheduled to start right-hander Carson Fulmer (0-4, 4.24 ERA). He is 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA in two career starts against Toronto.
Fulmer allowed five runs and five hits in three innings in a 6-1 home loss to the Blue Jays on Aug. 13. He allowed home runs to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Spencer Horwitz.
“Frustrating part for me is, I personally am pretty hard on myself,” he said after that defeat. “I think it’s unacceptable for something like that to happen. We have a tight-knit group. We show up every day ready to play. I’m not going to say the (Blue Jays) are not as good as somebody else. It’s the big leagues. Everybody is here for a reason. We have to show up and be ready to play. But it starts with me. I need to do a better job of getting deeper into games.”
Toronto’s Daulton Varsho went 2-for-4 on Friday night and has reached base in 21 straight games, the longest active streak in the American League. In that span, he is batting .282 (22-for-78) with two homers and eight RBIs.
Moniak (elbow) did not play on Friday but is expected to return on Saturday.
Guerrero had a day off on Friday.
The Angels selected the contract of right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn on Friday and designated right-hander Mike Baumann for assignment.
–Field Level Media
