Published July 01, 2009 10:59 pm -
Lind hits 16th HR, Jays beat Rays 5-0
The Associated Press
TORONTO — Ricky Romero spent the past two winters tinkering with his changeup.
All that extra work is starting to pay off.
Romero pitched four-hit ball over eight innings, Rod Barajas, Highland grad Adam Lind and Scott Rolen each homered and the Toronto Blue Jays ended the Tampa Bay Rays’ seven-game winning streak with a 5-0 victory Wednesday.
For Lind the home run was his 16th of the season.
“(Romero) throws a decent fastball but he has an above average changeup,” Tampa Bay slugger Pat Burrell said. “He was mixing it up and locating it fairly well. We just weren’t able to make the adjustment.”
Barajas said Romero’s off-speed pitch has few equals.
“I’ve caught some good changeups and he’s right up there with the best I’ve caught,” Barajas said.
A first-round draft pick in 2005, Romero didn’t reach Triple-A until last season after scuffling in the low minors. Finally harnessing his changeup helped him land him a rotation spot with Toronto this spring.
“That was one of my pitches the past two offseasons,” Romero said. “Just working on that pitch, trying to throw the hell out of it when I played catch. It’s becoming better and it’s just getting better every time.”
Romero (6-3), who took a no-hitter into the seventh in his last start, matched the longest outing of his career in winning his third straight start. He walked four, struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 2.85. The rookie left-hander allowed just two hits through the first six innings.
“I’ll ride this little thing I’ve got going for as long as I can,” Romero said.
Romero is 5-1 in his past six starts and has not allowed a run in his past 20 innings.
“He’s good,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s going to be very good for a long time if he stays healthy.”
Jason Frasor pitched the ninth to complete the four-hitter, the Blue Jays’ sixth shutout.
Toronto snapped a four game losing streak thanks to a trio of solo home runs off James Shields (6-6).