Cy race heats up

I always enjoy watching a great pitching performance, whether by or against the Blue Jays. That's why Felix Hernandez's eight-inning, 11 strikeout win in the opener of the final homestand of the kept NFL jerseys my interest.

Believe me, I never enjoy when the Blue Jays lose. Never have and never will, and even though I have to remain somewhat partial, a win is always better than a loss when you're working on the telecast. But watching Hernandez, still just 23 and already with 800 career K's on his resume, makes you remember that it's not always about the long ball. Six of the nine Jays in their starting line-up struck out at least once. Jose Bautista might want to beg off the next time his team sees 'King Felix'. I can't remember which of Bautista's four strikeouts it came in, but Hernandez threw a two strike curve that was the best I've seen all summer.

So, that got me thinking about who the American League Cy Young Award winner is?

Too bad I won't be able to bring Roy Halladay in for consideration. Back on June 7, Halladay would have been the central figure in this column. He had just completed his second complete game in a row, a crafty seven single shutout (say that three times quickly) in just 97 pitches to raise his record to 10-1 after 13 starts. Quite frankly it was as well as I've seen Halladay pitch in his career. But then it all suddenly came apart thanks to a groin strain, constant trade deadline rumours and terrible run support. Then he started missing the spots he always hits and home runs, leading to extra runs that their flagging offence couldn't match, led to some tough losses.

In my mind, the top five for Cy 2009 are - in no particular order - Detroit's Justin Verlander, Yankee lefty CC Sabathia, Royals righty Zack Greinke, Boston's Josh Beckett and the Mariners aforementioned Hernandez. And here's why.

After watching Verlander a couple of weeks ago it was apparent that no one throws harder in the game today. Sure he got knocked around for five runs in the sixth inning of a September 14 start against the Jays when, for some reason, he stopped throwing his triple-digit heater and starting going off-speed. Bad choice. When you bring the high cheese like he can, Verlander should keep firing until they beat him. He leads the A.L. in strikeouts and has helped to return the Tigers to the top of the Central Division. But he doesn't get a lot of ink outside of the ghost town formerly known as Detroit.

You have to tip your slightly askew cap to Sabathia. His 18 wins lead the league under the weight of playing in the new Yankee Stadium, has been Teflon in his first season in New York and he has yet to lay a shaving cream pie on a teammate. He was brought in to get the Yankees back to the post-season, which he accomplished. He's 7-3, 3.20 ERA in 12 start against the A.L. East but has some unfinished business. Last season, brought into Milwaukee as a mercenary, he failed miserably in his lone playoff starter, going just 3.2 innings allowing five runs on six hits and four walks against the eventual World Champion Phillies. His 2009 numbers are worthy of serious Cy Young consideration.

Greinke was the story of the first two months of the season, winning eight of his first ten starts while posting a microscopic 0.84 ERA and almost 10 strikeouts per start. While he did cool in the middle months, Greinke is finishing strong, having allowed only one earned run over his last five starts. His numbers could be far better with a little support. Of his 15 starts that he either lost or was given a no-decision, the Royals only scored a grand total of 23 runs in those starts. On pure stats alone, he should be the hands down winner, but like the Indians' Cliff Lee last season, the fact he makes half of his starts in the weak A.L. Central should be taken into account.

Then there is Red Sox ace Beckett, the hard throwing Texan whose uneven season probably leaves him out of the money. Of the five contenders, his 3.78 ERA is the highest and his numbers were inflated dramatically by a five-start stretch beginning in the middle of August where he gave up 14 home runs - including five in a pair of starts against the Blue Jays. Sure he has 16 wins but that can be attributed, mostly, to a Red Sox offence that has given him over six runs of support this season, which ranks fifth most in the American League.

I've been able to see all five of these pitchers first hand this season. Actually, as I think about this, I'm going to throw a sixth name into the mix in Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera. With just two blown saves in 44 opportunities and a 1.88 ERA playing half of his games in that band box of a home stadium, the ageless right-hander is putting together one of the great seasons of his 15 season career at 39 years of age. Those numbers should not be discounted.

In the end, my choice is Kansas City's Greinke based on his full body work, playing on one of the worst teams in the game. But in a season that may end up devoid of a 20-game winner, the race still has two furlongs to go.