Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jesse Litsch throws against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of their American League MLB baseball game in Toronto July 6, 2010.FRED THORNHILL/Reuters
One good, one bad.
That's been the pattern established by Jesse Litsch since returning to the starting pitching rotation of the Toronto Blue Jays following a year off convalescing from Tommy John elbow surgery.
Tuesday night at a sweltering Rogers Centre was one of the bad - especially the sixth inning where the Minnesota Twins inflicted most of the damage in a 7-6 win over the Blue Jays before 15,072 fans.
For the faltering Blue Jays it was their third loss in a row and eighth in their last nine as their record tumbled to 41-43 following the loss in the first of a three-game series against the Twins (45-38).
After the game, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston was asked if his 25-year-old pitcher can be allowed to continue to try to work out the kinks at the major-league level.
"Well, we'll see," Gaston said. "You ask that, that's been asked before. But I mean you don't let him work it out until he gets his brain beaten out. And then he's going to lose all the confidence he ever had. So you just have to see.
"If he keeps going that way then we might make a decision, do something else."
Gaston has wondered aloud if Litsch is yet "ready" to pitch a year after surgery.
"I'm not saying healthy," Gaston said. "I'm just saying ready. I don't see the velocity there yet. And normally you do have more than he's having right now."
The Blue Jays bats did their part to try to pick up Litsch, who earned his second no-decision to go along with three losses in the five games he has started since his return. His earned-run average is now 7.30.
Litsch lasted 5.1-innings, allowing five Minnesota runs off seven hits, including two home runs.
Lyle Overbay and Dewayne Wise both hit home runs in the four-run Toronto fifth inning that vaulted the Blue Jays in front 5-2.
But Litsch gave it right back in the Minnesota sixth, giving up back-to-back homers to Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel, part of a four-hit, three-run outburst that knotted the score at 5-5.
"Strength was there," Litsch said, denying he was perhaps tiring as he headed into the sixth inning. "Maybe I'm too strong. I mean, I left balls up trying to overthrow. A matter of 10 pitches and the game changes.
"It's very frustrating but I just got to deal with it in ways I deal with stuff."
With the score tied 6-6 through seven, Minnesota's Denard Span won it in the eighth when his single into centre field off Toronto reliever Scott Downs brought Delmon Young in from second base with the go-ahead run.
His ability to compete at the major-league level is a touchy subject for Litsch, who has proved his worth as a Toronto starter in the past, going 13-9 in 2008 before his elbow problems flared up the next season.
Litsch was asked if he felt - in the words of Gaston - "ready" to pitch after surgery last year.
"You know I keep hearing that," Litsch said. "And there's not much you can say about it. I'm ready, I'm out there. I've thrown good games, I've thrown bad games. I'm out here pitching, battling on for the team.
"There's things I've got to do and there's things I need to work on.
"But as it comes to ready there are guys that come back a lot quicker [from Tommy John surgery]than me. It's just a matter of going out there and throwing my game."