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DETROIT – Its the annual rite of the first week of June, baseballs amateur draft, where clubs take part in a three-day, 40-round marathon, selecting more than 1,000 players they hope will improve their fortunes in the years ahead. The Blue Jays had two picks in Thursday evenings first round – ninth and 11th overall – and used them to take a pitcher and a catcher. First, the club took right-hander Jeff Hoffman, a 21-year-old from Latham, New York, who attended East Carolina University. Two selections later, the Blue Jays selected Kennesaw State University product, 21-year-old catcher Max Pentecost from suburban Atlanta. Major League Baseball uses a slotting system – a recommended signing bonus value based on where a player is taken – and the Blue Jays, if they pay in full, will be on the hook for about $6 million for their two picks. Hoffman is an interesting case. He has a plus fastball, mid-90s miles per hour which can top out in the high 90s, a strong curveball and a developing changeup. But, just last month, Hoffman underwent Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. The procedure, now so routine its rarely flawed, was hardly a concern to Torontos front office and top scouts. "We just felt like the talent was too big to walk away from," said Blue Jays director of amateur scouting, Brian Parker. "This guy was going to go top three, top four picks prior to his injury and we just felt like even with the Tommy John, we felt this was a good gamble for us." Pentecost was a seventh round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2011. He was projected to go higher but suffered a stress fracture in his throwing elbow, which dropped his stock. He didnt sign with Texas, choosing to go to school instead. The first catcher the Blue Jays have taken in the first round since, take a breath, J.P. Arencibia in 2007, Pentecost is a versatile player who projects to be a good hitter, although more gap-to-gap than for power. A.J. Jimenez is the Jays top catching prospect, currently toiling at Double-A New Hampshire more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery of his own, and the Blue Jays have shipped out catchers like Arencibia, Travis dArnaud (to the New York Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade), Yan Gomes (to Cleveland for Esmil Rogers) and Carlos Perez (to Houston in the J.A. Happ deal) in recent years. "Taking Max had nothing to do with any of those trades or getting rid of any of those players," said Parker. "When you pick nine and 11, you just have to line up your board and take the best player and thats what we did. We like Max, we scouted him pretty hard from last summer in the (Cape Cod League) and throughout this spring. Hes an athletic, two-way position player and we like the bat. I think theres a lot of positives with him. Obviously, a guy at a premium position that can help out offensively and defensively is something that attracted him to us." In two of the last three drafts, the Jays have failed to sign their first round pick. In 2011, it was Tyler Beede, who instead chose to go to Vanderbilt University and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants 14th overall on Thursday night. Last year, the Jays failed to land right-hander Phil Bickford, who instead went to California State-Fullerton. The pick that landed Pentecost was compensation for missing out on Bickford. Going with two college kids, including one coming off an injury, increases the likelihood of the player being willing to sign. Neither has a full school ride to fall back on. Hoffman, who is pleased with the progress hes making early in his rehabilitation from elbow surgery, sounds eager to put pen to paper. Chris Kline, the Blue Jays area scout in the Carolinas, did most of the legwork on Hoffman. Mike Pidick, an area scout whose region includes Georgia, watched Pentecost. Cheap Jordan 8 Wholesale . Summers has seen scant playing time with the Coyotes since being selected 29th overall by the club in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, having played in 47 career NHL games. Cheap Authentic Jordan 8 . 15-23, the Ottawa Senators will by hoping to avoid going five straight games without a victory for the first time since a 0-3-2 drought from Oct. http://www.cheapairjordan8.com/ . Just ask last seasons Supporters Shield winners, the New York Red Bulls, who were resoundingly defeated last weekend by a rampant Vancouver Whitecaps in a match which produced two contenders for MLS Goal of the Week from Sebastian Fernandez and Pedro Morales. Cheap Jordan 8 Retro . "Im very pleased to be able to add a quarterback with Adrians experience and skill set," Calgary head coach and general manager John Hufnagel said in a statement. Cheap Jordan 8 . -- Jonathan Vilmas season is over and his future on the football field is in doubt. SAN DIEGO -- Years later and some 500 miles to the south, Tyson Ross still considers the San Francisco Giants to be rivals. Born in Berkeley and raised in Oakland, where he later pitched for the As, Ross beat the Giants for the first time in six career appearances by throwing eight scoreless innings to lead the San Diego Padres to a 2-1 victory Friday night. "East Bay, man," Ross said. "That was a lot of fun. I grew up an As fan, so that rivalrys definitely there. The Giants were the rival at heart for me growing up." Ross held the Giants to four hits, struck out nine and walked one. The Padres handed Matt Cain his third straight loss. Ross (2-2) beat Cain five days after topping AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander was rarely in trouble, despite allowing a leadoff double to Angel Pagan. Ross then retired the next eight batters. He walked one. "From there he really made pitches. I thought his stuff was outstanding," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He was in a pitching duel with one of the proven National League pitchers in Matt Cain, and matched him. It was a great, great pitching duel." Pablo Sandoval was the only Giants runner to reach third base against Ross, after hitting a single leading off the seventh and advancing on a walk and a double play. Sandoval was stranded when Ross got Brandon Crawford to line to shortstop. Ross has made two strong starts after opening with two shaky outings. Black said Ross made a big mechanical adjustment between his second and third starts. "He just sort of reverted back to sort of muscling the ball with his upper body and not really driving off the mound and keeping his right foot securely against the rubber and pushing off," Black said. "When a pitcher doesnt use his lower half, his stuffs going to suffer." Ross said hes worked to keep his foot against the rubber longer and not rush his pitches. "Since Ive made that adjustment Ive been more consistent in the strike zone and had a better feel for all my pitches," he said. Cain (0-3) allowed four hits and one unearned run in seven innings while striking out eight and walking two. The Giants have played eight straight games decided by one run, their most since another streak of eight in a roww in August 1910, according to STATS.dddddddddddd "Its tough," Cain said. "Any way you lose, its not fun. Tyson threw the ball really good over there and he didnt give us many opportunities to score runs. When we had chances to do it, he (bore) down and got the job done." Chris Denorfia tripled to right-centre with one out in the first and scored on a passed ball by Hector Sanchez, who couldnt hold onto ball four to Jedd Gyorko. "We were trying to throw outside and it cut on him a little bit," Cain said. "I got to a count where I shouldnt have. I should have been a little more aggressive in going after Gyorko and getting him out." Yasmani Grandal, pinch-hitting for Ross in the eighth, homered off Juan Gutierrez, his first. Huston Street got his sixth save in six chances, but not before allowing Brandon Belts homer to right with one out in the ninth, his sixth. Street walked Hunter Pence with two outs before striking out Sanchez. After allowing Denorfias single with one out in the third, Cain retired 11 straight batters until Will Venable singled leading off the seventh. It was Cains second straight start allowing one run and four hits in seven innings. "He couldnt get a win his last two games, with the way he threw the ball," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Giving up one run, and the way he gave up the run, its a shame." NOTES: Plate umpire Jerry Layne was scratched due to an illness, and a three-man crew worked the game. Hunter Wendlestedt took over behind the plate. ... Giants C Buster Posey got the night off. ... The series resumes Saturday when Giants RHP Tim Hudson (2-0, 2.35 ERA) is scheduled to face LHP Eric Stults (0-2, 5.52). ... When the Padres go on the road next week, LF Carlos Quentin, who started the season on the disabled list with a bone bruise in his left knee, will go to extended spring training in Arizona to continue working toward his return. If he does well, itll be the last step before hes cleared to go on a rehab assignment. Black also said RHP Casey Kelly, whos rehabbing from reconstructive elbow surgery, threw a side session and is scheduled to throw another extended spring game Monday. If all goes well, Kelly will go on a rehab assignment to Triple-A El Paso. 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