[Lefty Noob]

An impressive performance by Blue Jays P Gustavo Chacin yesterday against the Angels.

Gustavo Chacin outduels Kelvim Escobar as Blue Jays edge Angels 2-1
02:23:00 EDT Sep 10, 2006
Canadian Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - When Gustavo Chacin was a prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays' minor league system, Kelvim Escobar was one of his mentors.

Chacin showed he was paying attention, outduelling the Los Angeles Angels' right-hander with seven strong innings Saturday night in the first matchup between the two Venezuelan pitchers, and the Blue Jays got RBI doubles from Adam Lind and Frank Catalanotto in a 2-1 victory that snapped the Angels' six-game winning streak.

"He's one of the guys I took under my wing when he was a rookie," Escobar said. "We played on the same team in Venezuela and then in Toronto when he made the 40-man roster. I lived with him a couple of times in spring training and I talked to him a lot about pitching. Tonight the guy on the other side pitched better than me."

Chacin (8-3) threw just 87 pitches, allowing a run and six hits in his fourth start since coming off the disabled list and escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first inning. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in four career starts against the Angels.

Chacin has been limited to 14 starts and 71 innings because of elbow problems that landed him on the DL twice while missing 11 1/2 weeks. Last year he tied the club record for most starts by a rookie, set by Jerry Garvin during the franchise's inaugural 1977 season, and became the first Blue Jays rookie since Garvin to pitch at least 200 innings.

"In about a year and a half in the big leagues, he's got 22 wins. That ain't bad," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "He's got a chance to get to get 10 wins under his belt this year, which would be a heck of an accomplishment for him after missing a couple of months. It's all about location for him - keeping the ball down and throwing strikes. He's been locked in his last three starts."

So what do you guys think of this kid Chacin? What kind of potential are we looking at here?