Vazquez (4-3, 4.03)
Johnson (2-3, 3.93)
Oh, look, it's another game thread. No, it's not a doubleheader, but I'm not scheduled to leave work till 1:30 Sunday morning, and this game starts at ten a.m. If today was a sample, we'll not surface much before noon; might stop by and offer a few pyjama-clad comments on the game, but that'll be about the limit of it.
Hence an early delivery; better safe than sorry on this. Just make sure you post your comments on the right game to avoid confusion and any possible false elevation of the Injury Threat meter to red that may result. ;-)
Admittedly, last night I did get out of work early (if midnight can ever be called "early"), but went for drinks to celebrate Go Daddy offering me a permanent position. [Woo-hoo! Medical insurance, here we come!] I was introduced to the delights of Jagerbombers - Jagermeister + Red Bull - though given the unholy cocktail of that and Sam Adams I was drinking, I didn't feel all that bad this morning.
Vazquez might get his ERA under four today, a 7.1 innings, three earned run outing would do it. Given it was an off-the-scale 37.80 on Opening Day, that gives you some idea how he's improved; ignoring that fiasco, his ERA since has been 3.04.
A tall pitcher called Johnson? Yes, and no. It's not Randy, and Jason Johnson is "only" 6'6". He's actually a diabetic (he wears an insulin pack on the mound), and has gone eight innings in his last two starts, though hasn't won a game in over a month. Lefties hit .344 off him so far, so that might well impact Melvin's starting lineup. Johnson is notorious as a bad fielder, so keep an eye for bunts and steals too.