Reigning Cy Young winners David Price and R.A. Dickey continue to struggle, and both aces gave up grand slams in their starts yesterday and will get a chance to redeem themselves on Thursday, against each other.
Price gave up nine runs in Tampa Bay’s 9-3 loss to the Colorado.The Rockies pounded Price for 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings, including Carlos Gonzalez‘s go-ahead home run in the fifth inning and Nolan Arenado‘s grand slam in the seventh.
Price said that he had a difficult time getting a good grip on the baseball.
Dickey was charged with seven runs in six innings, and allowed six hits, including a season-high three home runs. He walked two and struck out five.
Dustin Ackley launched a grand slam to left-center field in the fourth inning to stake the Mariners to a four-run lead they would never surrender. Dickey was booed by the Toronto faithful after giving up a one-out triple to Raul Ibanez in the sixth followed by an RBI double from Kelly Shoppach.
“We’re somewhat of a dysfunctional team right now,” Dickey said. “We’re kind of searching for a way to score runs, a way to pitch well. We’re doing a lot of things poorly, myself included.”
Toronto travels to Tampa Bay to begin a four-game series on Monday and the scheduled pitching matchup for Thursday’s game has struggling 2012 Cy Young winners facing off at Tropicana Field. It’s just the third time since both leagues awarded Cy Young awards in 1969 the winners have faced each other the following season.
