Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Brandon Morrow pitches to the Kansas City Royals during second inning AL action in Toronto on Monday April 19, 2009.FRANK GUNN/The Canadian Press
For Brandon Morrow, the adjustment to his arm slot was slight, not even noticeable to the untrained eye.
"You guys probably couldn't even tell but to me it feels like I'm throwing sidearm," Morrow said.
However it appeared neither Morrow nor the Blue Jays were going to quibble with the results.
The Blue Jays hurler was on the mark Monday night against the Kansas City Royals, enjoying his first quality start of the season as Toronto put an emphatic halt to a three-game losing streak with an 8-1 victory.
The game was played before 10,314, yet another low watermark for the Blue Jays this season as far as attendance for a baseball game at Rogers Centre.
"I can't do anything about it," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. "The only thing I can do is go out there and manage the team. If we win some games I think they'll come."
After Morrow got blown out last week with seven runs in four innings against the Chicago White Sox in his second start of the season, Gaston said he met with pitching coach Bruce Walton and bullpen coach Rick Langford to discuss what might be going wrong.
"And they decided to drop his arm slot down a little bit," Gaston said. "You have to give the kid all the credit for listening and trying it. You can suggest sometimes to guys and they won't try it."
The adjustment paid off as Morrow took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before he allowed a single to Yuniesky Betancourt.
Morrow would finish throwing a season-high seven innings with eight strikeouts while allowing just one run off three hits. He is 1-1 on the season.
When combined with a balanced Toronto hitting attack that spanked out a total off 11 hits it all added up to a rather easy night for the Blue Jays in the first of a three-game set against the Royals.
The lower half of the Toronto batting order, which has been dormant much of the season, was especially productive, led by Jose Bautista, who stroked two home runs and drove in five of the Blue Jays runs.
Bautista's first home run came in the fifth inning, a three-run shot to left field that lifted the Blue Jays in front 5-0.
Travis Snider pitched in with two hits, including his second home run of the year, a solo shot in the fourth.
Lyle Overbay, who has been target of plenty of fan resentment for his tepid hitting to begin the season, appears to be getting back on track.
He doubled in his first at-bat in the second inning and would finish the game going 2-for-2 with two walks.
Mike McCoy, hitting out of the nine-hole, also had a nice game, collecting three hits in four trips to the plate while stealing two bases.
"Good for him," Gaston said about the performance of Overbay, whose batting average rose to .115 from .080 with his effort. "It's certainly not going to hurt his confidence. Hopefully he's off and rolling. We could really use him."