As Matt Boyd laid an enormous turd on the Rogers Centre mound last night, Bauxite scottt was moved to express a cri du coeur:
Worst start in Jays history?
My kind of question!
What would be needed to answer such a question, of course, would be a database containing all 6114 starts by Toronto pitchers. I have such a database. Let's just sort them by Game Scores and PRESTO! We have... the wrong answer.
Boyd's Game Score last night was 9, which is pretty terrible. It's the worst ever by a Jays starter who failed to record an out. However, to post a really horrendous Game Score you need to go a little deeper into the game. You need to trick your manager into leaving you out there just a little longer, so you can really do some damage. Boyd didn't post the worst Game Score by a Jays pitcher this season. (He didn't even post the second worst.)
All told, there have 10 other starts in franchise history that posted a Game Score of 9, same as Boyd; there have been 44 starts in franchise history that were even worse than that. But there were four starts that were so truly horrendous, so gob-smackingly awful that they actually produced a negative Game Score. I think it's there that we'll find the answer to scottt's question.
The worst of all, as was quickly noticed last night, was David Wells' famous effort against the Brewers on 20 August 1992. In 4.1 IP, Boomer allowed 11 H, 4 BB, 2 HBP and 13 ER, good (bad?) for a Game Score of... wait for it... -14. The 13 runs allowed is the most ever by a Jays starter. But there were special circumstances attendant to that game, which is why I think we should let Boomer off the hook.
A little history. Wells had started the 1992 season in the rotation, although it was understood by one and all that he would go to the bullpen as soon as Dave Stieb returned from the DL in late April. Which is what happened. Wells went back into the rotation when Stottlemyre missed some time in June. Gaston pulled Stieb from the rotation around the same time - Pat Hentgen came out of the pen to make a couple of starts, and went back to the pen when Stottlemyre returned to action.
And so the Jays headed into August 1992 with Morris, Guzman, Key, Stottlemyre, and Wells in the rotation. That month, Morris was a rock (5-1, 3.07, 41 IP) and Stottlemyre was solid (3-2, 3.76). But Key was scuffling (1-4, 6.25) - and the other guys were even worse. If they were there at all. Guzman was hurting. He had missed his start on July 29. Dave Stieb had filled in that day and pitched well, but his elbow was starting to become a problem. Guzman made one more start (August 3) and then went on the DL. Guzman wouldn't pitch again until the end of the month. Stieb got a cortisone shot for his aching elbow and went back into the rotation. It didn't work - Stieb would make just one start, getting beat up by Detroit, before going on the shelf for the remainder of the season. While all this was going on, Pat Hentgen had posted a 9.24 ERA since the All-Star Break and his arm wasn't feeling right. Hentgen went back down to Syracuse in mid-August. The Jays had started the month with six men in the bullpen (Henke, Ward, Stieb, Timlin, Hentgen, MacDonald) but with Stieb and Hentgen now gone, they were down to four. They obtained Mark Eichhorn from the Angels to give them five relievers. And Doug Linton came up and joined the rotation.
Linton made his second start on August 19 and lasted just three innings: Timlin, MacDonald, and Eichhorn went the rest of the way. Which means that when Wells took the mound in Milwaukee on August 20 his mission, above all else, was to go deep into the game. After Linton's poor effort the day before, the only relievers Gaston wanted to use at all were his two short men, Ward and Henke. After three innings, Wells was losing 5-1. But the Jays had no bullpen this day, and Wells went out for the fourth inning. The Brewers scored three more runs. With the Jays now trailing 8-2, but with Ward and Henke the only fresh arms available in the pen, Wells came out to pitch the fifth inning. He allowed a home run to Jaha and a double to Seitzer before getting Surhoff to ground out. He then hit Fletcher with a pitch, walked Listach, and gave up a two-run double to Hamilton. With the score now 11-2, Gaston finally made the call to the pen, and brought in Bob MacDonald. Before the game was over, Mark Eichhorn, Duane Ward, and Tom Henke would all end up having to appear in the Brewers 16-3 win. Gaston couldn't have been too pleased about that development. The next day David Weathers was called up from Syracuse to give the staff a sixth arm in the bullpen. Randy Knorr was sent down to clear room for Weathers, making Ed Sprague the backup catcher.
Anyway, I've always been inclined to give Wells a mulligan for that one. Gaston certainly would have pulled him in the fourth inning, if not sooner, if not for the team's desperate need to get some innings from a starter.
So that leaves us three other starts with negative Game Scores. The Royals beat Brian Tallet seneseless on April 29 2009 - they pounded him for 11 hits, 3 HRs and plated 10 runs in just 4 innings. Game Score of -1. Really, really awful. But we can do worse... after all, Tallet did record 12 outs, which in games like these is kind of remarkable.
The worst start in franchise history was... well, I can't quite decide. We have two contenders. Both were the work of outstanding starting pitchers, men who had multiple 20 win seasons.
After losing David Cone and Jimmy Key in the off-season (while just getting rid of Dave Stieb and David Wells), Pat Gillick thought he could fill all these holes in his rotation by signing one guy - Dave Stewart. But Stewart got hurt in spring training and didn't make his season debut until May 13. He was probably on a pitch count that day - Gaston pulled him with two out and two on in the fourth inning with a 1-0 lead. Stewart made his second start as a Jay six days later in Fenway Park. It was ugly. He walked 3 men in the first inning, gave up a couple of hits, and the Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead. In the second inning, Stewart got a couple of quick outs sandwiched round a base hit - but he simply could not get that third out. He walked Quintana. He walked Vaughn to load the bases. Calderon doubled to clear the bases (7-0). Hatcher singled to drive in Calderon (8-0). Riles doubled to score Hatcher (9-0) and Valentin singled to score Riles (10-0). Eichhorn, who probably didn't even get his jacket off until the Vaughn walk, came in. Stewart pitched 1.2 IP, allowing 7 H, 5 BB, and 10 ER.
Game Score: -4. A strong contender indeed.
But we got one that might be even worse! You decide!
In April 1999, Roy Halladay was a 21 year old rookie. He had made his debut the previous September, and come within one out of throwing a no-hitter in his second major league start. He opened his rookie season in Jim Fregosi's bullpen - the five starters were Hentgen, Wells, Hamilton, Escobar, and Carpenter. Hamilton made two starts, went to the DL, and Halladay took his spot in the rotation. His first start was a dandy, as he threw 7 shutout innings against the Orioles. He escaped with a no-decision his next time out, and made his third start of the season on April 29 against the Angels.
It did not go well. It began walk-double-single, putting Doc behind 2-0 before he'd retired a batter. Tim Salmon grounded out, Erstad singled and Glaus drew a walk to load the bases. An Anderson sac fly made it 3-0; then Doc hit Walebeck to re-load the bases. This brought utility infielder Andy Sheets (cousin of Ben!) to the plate. Sheets cleared the bases with a grand slam, one of his 19 career homers, and Doc was trailing 7-0. Palmeiro singled in his second PA of the inning, but Doc got Velarde to finally end it. He came back out for the second inning and quickly allowed a leadoff single to Vaughn. At this point, he had retired just 3 of the 12 Angels hitters. But he set down the next three in succession, and Fregosi was fooled just enough to send Halladay back out for third inning. Big mistake. It all went sideways from the start, as Anderson led off with a double and Walbeck drew a walk. Halladay got Sheets to pop out this time, but Palmeiro's RBI single made it 8-0 and Velarde followed that with a three run HR. And the Jays were down by 11-0 and Fregosi came with the hook. In his fifth career start, Halladay went 2.1 IP, allowing 9 H, 3 BB, 1 HBP and 11 ER. Two HRs by backup middle infielders accounted for 7 of those runs.
Game Score: -7. I think it gets my vote.
Worst Game Scores of the Year by Jays starters:
Year GS Guilty Party Date IP H BB HBP HR R ER
1977 17 Dave Lemanczyk 23 Jul 5.2 9 3 0 3 8 8
1978 13 Balor Moore 6 Aug 4 7 4 0 1 8 8
1979 12 Phil Huffman 24 Jun 4.1 10 0 0 2 8 8
1980 10 Jack Kucek 5 Aug 2.1 8 3 0 0 7 7
1981 22 Jim Clancy 27 Aug 3.2 6 4 0 1 6 6
1982 13 Jim Clancy 11 Apr 0.2 6 1 0 0 7 6
1983 14 Jim Gott 31 Jul 3 9 1 0 0 7 7
1984 2 Luis Leal 15 Aug 5.2 13 4 0 0 10 10
1985 15 Luis Leal 8 Jun 3 7 1 0 2 8 8
1986 13 Doyle Alexander 1 Jul 2.2 8 2 0 0 7 7
1987 9 John Cerutti 25 May 1.1 5 3 0 3 8 8
1988 13 Jim Clancy 12 Apr 2 6 3 0 0 7 7
1989 16 Dave Stieb 16 Apr 0.1 4 3 0 0 6 6
1990 7 Jimmy Key 17 May 2.2 7 2 0 1 9 9
1991 12 Tom Candiotti 23 Sep 0.2 5 1 0 0 7 7
1992 -14 David Wells 20 Aug 4.1 11 4 2 1 13 13
1993 - 4 Dave Stewart 19 May 1.2 7 5 0 0 10 10
1994 3 Dave Stewart 30 Apr 3.2 10 4 0 1 9 9
1995 3 Danny Darwin 17 May 2.1 10 0 0 2 9 9
1996 3 Frank Viola 28 Apr 4 10 2 0 2 10 9
1997 3 Robert Person 20 Aug 3.2 9 6 0 0 10 9
1998 12 Pat Hentgen 10 Sep 3 10 1 0 1 7 7
1999 - 7 Roy Halladay 29 Apr 2.1 9 3 1 2 11 11
2000 2 Chris Carpenter 20 Jun 2 7 4 0 3 9 9
2001 8 Chris Carpenter 12 May 4.2 12 5 0 1 7 7
2002 6 Esteban Loaiza 20 Sep 2.1 7 3 0 0 9 9
2003 8 Pete Walker 27 Apr 3.1 10 4 1 3 8 8
2004 8 Pat Hentgen 21 Jul 2.2 7 4 1 0 8 8
2005 1 Dustin McGowan 21 Aug 4.1 9 2 3 2 12 10
2006 6 Casey Janssen 17 Jun 3 11 4 0 1 7 7
2007 6 Roy Halladay 5 Jun 3.1 12 1 0 2 8 7
2008 7 Dustin McGowan 10 May 3.2 9 1 1 1 9 9
2009 -1 Brian Tallet 29 Apr 4 11 3 0 3 10 10
2010 5 Dana Eveland 22 May 1.1 8 2 0 0 8 8
2011 5 Luis Perez 6 Sep 2.2 10 2 0 1 8 8
2012 5 Kyle Drabek 27 May 3 8 3 0 2 9 9
2013 7 Mark Buehrle 10 Sep 4 12 1 0 3 8 8
2014 15 Mark Buehrle 25 Apr 5.1 12 3 0 1 7 6
2015 7 Drew Hutchison 12 Jun 2.1 9 3 0 3 8 8
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20150703144931300