Jays give this one away. Pitiful bats.

Thursday May 8, 2008. Toronto v Tampa.

Jesse Litsch v Edwin Jackson. Series clincher and one the Jays really need to start to move up the standings. After wednesday night they should feel very confident.

Tampa wins this one 8-3. Tampa takes 3-0 lead and Toronto didn’t deserve to win it blowing it bigtime after coming back to tie it in bottom of the ninth 3-3. In the 10th Toronto leaves Rios at 3B after lead-off triple.

The good. Not much in this one. Rolen with three hits, Rios’s triple, Wells HR, and Litsch pitching.
The bad: Utter failure to build on last night’s great win. First seven innings to night were awful for most of the bats. Tampa wins six of seven from Jays.
The ugly: Bottom of 10th with Rios on 3B with no outs and failure of bats to bring him in with anything. This has to be the worst of so many similar situations for the first 5 weeks of this season.

Lineups: Rays: Iwamura, Crawford, Upton, Pena, Hinske, Navarro, Gross, Haynes, Bartlett and Edwin Jackson pitching
Jays: Rios, Stewart, Rolen, Stairs, Wells, Overbay, Hill, Zaun, Scutaro and Litsch pitching.
Litsch allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked none and struck out two.
Litsch set down the first 14 batters he faced before Navarro hit a two-out single to left in the fifth.

Top 1st: Iwamura strikes out. Crawford grounds to Overbay. Upton grounds to Hill. Nice first inning Jesse.
Bottom 1st: Rios time for Alex to step up and show leadership here, grounds to SS. He is pulling everything, no opposite field hits. Stewart 3-0, full count, fly ball to Gross in RF. Rolen 3-0 count, fly ball to CF.

Top 2nd: Pena grounds out to Hill at 2B. Hisnke grounds to Scutaro. Navarro grounds out to Rolen. Jesse pitching well keeping ball down. Five of six outs have been ground balls.
Bottom 2nd: Stairs grounds to Pena at 1B. Wells grounds to Bartlett at SS. Both pitchers keeping ball down. Overbay doubles to LF, that IS good to see. Lyle has been struggling to get that doubles swing. Hill another struggler… fly ball to Upton in CF.

Top 3rd: Gross grounds to Hill. Haynes grounds to Overbay. Bartlett fly ball to Rios.
Three up three down again for Jesse. Now all he needs is that missing run support.
Bottom 3rd: Zaun fouls out to Navarro. Scutaro singles to CF. Making good use of his at bats.Top of order Rios again.Grounds to SS Bartlett, double play ball. Alex is really struggling at bat.

Top 4th: Iwamura fly ball to Wells. Crawford grounds to Hill. Upton grounds to Rolen. Jesse continues fine pitching tonight.
Bottom 4th: Stewart grounds to Pena at 1B. Rolen triples to CF, great hustling by Scott to get in under tag. I don’t think we would have seen that from Troy Glaus……Now one down bring him in bats….
Stairs surely…. No, grounds out to Iwamura. Rolen holds. Wells perhaps, foul ground pop up catch by Pena. One more to add to the inability of Jays to bring in the run. Rolen must be wondering what he has come to.

Top 5th: Jesse not pitching with the lead he should have. Pena lines out to Overbay. Hinske grounds back to Jesse. Two down. Navarro singles to LF. Gross no, HR to RF, two runs score. 2-0 Rays. Jesse does not deserve this. Haynes at bat. Grounds back to Jesse but damage is done. That run missed in the 4th is big now.

Bottom 5th Overbay fly ball to Upton. Hill fly ball to Upton. Zaun infield single. Scutaro on full count, singles to right 2-2 tonight. Zaun to 3B. Rios now with two on, is this the time ? grounded both times to SS and last time double play ball. Pops up first pitch. NO. What more can you say about his ineptness ? Didn’t even take a pitch or pressure Jackson with two on and pitching from stretch.

Top 6th: Bartlett fly ball to Wells running in, nice catch. Iwamura high fly ball to Stewart in LF. Crawford singles to CF, watch the runner Jesse. He will be off. There he goes, first pitch. Everyone in N. America knows it, why not pitch out ? Upton takes pitch. Now Jesse should watch steal of 3B. Grounds to SS gets Upton just…… very close play.
Bottom 6th: Stewart strikes out. Rolen, fouling off pitch after pitch, singles to RF, great at bat. He is certainly earning his money. Stairs grounds to 2B, NO, another double play. Matt definitely having an off night.

Top 7th: Pena HR to LF… 3-0 Rays. that closed door talk Guillen had with him today has worked. Hinske grounds to Hill.Navarro doubles to RF.Trouble again Jesse. Gross lines out to Scutaro. Haynes strikes out. Nice pitching Jesse after that HR. But Jesse should have had some run support by now. Bats have had their opportunities.
Bottom 7th: Wells fouls out to Navarro. Overbay walks four pitches. Hil fly ball to LF. Zaun pops up to SS Bartlett leaving Lyle out there.

Top 8th: Frasor now pitching. Jesse had great outing just lack of run support. On the other side Jackson also pitching well but has escaped the runs through poor situational hitting by the Jays. Bartlett singkes to RF. Iwamura strikes out, Bartlett was stealing Zaun gets him great throw this time. Crawford be careful Jason. Strikes him out.
Bottom 8th: Scutaro fly ball to Upton. Rios…. Strikes out. This guy is really really struggling with his bat. I hope it doesn’t take to the All-Star break to turn him around. Stewart strikes out.. He also is having lousy evening. Jackson looks like Halladay out there.

Top 9th: Upton strikes out. Carlson now pitching. Pena broken bat ground out to Hill. Longoria who came in defensively last inning. Broken bat fly ball to Wells in shallow. More good bullpen pitching but is it too late ? 3-0 Rays and Percival on his way in. Jackson’s night is done and in line for shutout win.
Bottom 9th: The big bats, can they do something ? anything ? but Percival has been dominant as closer for Rays this season so far.
At least Rolen is leading off. Singles to LF. Triple and two singles tonight that is contributing. Alex note. Stairs can he do something at lease move Scott into scoring position. NO strikes out. Wells YES. HR to LF. 3-2.
Don’t go away friends. Overbay at bat, another double…. His second of the night to CF. Tie run in scoring position. Inglett up from AAA to replace one of the injured SS. Now pinch running for Lyle. More speed. But can they bring him in. Hill singles to CF, he does it… this game is tied up 3-3. Inglett close play with catcher but looks as if he jolted ball lose from Navarro.
Still only one down with Hill at 1B. Zaun fly ball to RF Gross. Two down. Hill steals 2B. Makes it easier for Scutaro now at bat. Strikes out. This time Marco you should not have taken that second pitch. That was the one. Extra innings now but Jays had wonderful opportunity again to win this one. It also makes the missed chances early in the game much more important now. This team finds a way to beat themselves.

Top 10th: Barajas now in for Overbay at 1B. B.J.Ryan in, his night to get work but also chance to win. Navarro fly ball to Wells.Gross strikes out. Gomes now in pinch hitting for Haynes fly ball to Rios in RF. Another chance now for Jays. AND with top of order at bat.
Bottom 10th: Wheeler pitching. Gomes in LF. Rios TRIPLES !!!!!!!!!!! Alex where have YOU been ? Great start. This game should be Jays. Jackson looking sick on the bench after such a good outing. Surely someone can bring Alex in. Stewart strikes out. What an awful game he has had tonight. Rolen great night tonight with his bat. BUT will not get chance.
Maddon takes bat out of his hand walks him and also sets up the double play with Stairs coming up. Stairs now overdue tonight stay away from pulling Wheeler to the left side. Strikes out. NO I can’t believe it.Two down and Alex still standing there at 3B. Perhaps Gibbons should try suicide squeeze, they are not going to get bats tonight. Vernon’s chance, walks, they gave him nothing to hit. Bases loaded, Rios is the winning run anyway. Now no Lyle. Barajas is it. STRIKES OUT !! NO.
That inning will go down this season as one of THE worst for Jays hitters, wasted perfect set up by Alex.

Top 11th: Downs now pitching. Bartlett grounds to Scutaro.Iwamura grounds to Hill. Crawford singles to CF. Here we go… watch that steal Gregg. No he doesn’t go… Upton walks, Downs too busy thinking about Crawford on 1B. Crawford in scoring position anyway. Pena at bat, strikes out. Thank you Scott. It must be so disheartening to be a pitcher on this team and see hitters every inning wasting the opportunities.
Bottom 11th: Howell now pitching Hill fly ball to Gross. Zaun walks, Scutaro lines to Gross in RF. Alex again with Zaun at 1B. Can he do it again? Strikes out. I don’t think this team wants to win this thing.

Top 12th: Accardo now in pitching. Longoria singles to CF. It seems as if Rays have had leadoff on most of the game. Depressing. Navarro grounds to Barajas at 1B, double play. Nice. Gross singles to LF. Whoa that double play important now. Gomes fly ball to Wells. Another chance for Jays bats.
Bottom 12th: Top of order… big bats…. Howell still pitching. Stewart grounds out to 2B, what a terrible night for Stewart. Rolen not being walked this time strikes out. This is not meant to be for Jays tonight. Stairs can you do anything ? grounds out to Bartlett at SS. You can feel this one draining away from the Jays after that great 9th inning comeback gave them the momentum. Now they are flat, flatter and flattest.

Top 13th: Camp now pitching. Only Tallet left out there… is this déjà vu from early in season? Will Burnett be keeping his head down right now ? Bartlett infield single to Hill off his glove. One on. Iwamura single to RF, back to back hits and with Bartlett now at 3B. Can Jays escape the way Rays did in the 10th with Alex at 3B? No, not this Rays team. Maddon has the fundamentals drilled into them.
Crawford sac fly to Rios. The tie is broken. Bartlett scores. 4-3 Rays and still only one out. Iwamura also tagged to 2B on throw. Upton singles to RF. Iwamura at 3B. Upton on 2B. Two more in scoring position. This is called execution Jays hitters. Pena now intentional walk to set up double play. Bases also loaded.
Longoria fly ball to Rios in shallow RF. Runners hold, maybe just maybe Jays can get out of this with only one run. Navarro at bat, full count runners will be going. HOME RUN friends, Grand slam to CF. 8-3 Rays. Navarro’s first home run of season and second grand slam of career. Still only two out. Gross strikes out. What a way to end this one.
Bottom 13th: Howell still pitching and why not. Heart of Jays order but you know they have no heart left.
Wells fly ball to Gross in RF. Barajas singles to CF. Hill doubles to LF. Barajas to 3B. we have been here before. Zaun fly ball to Upton Barajas no way running. Scutaro strikes out. Jays go with a whimper and leave Toronto with heads in hands.

What a way to end such a promising homestand but they still have major problem with runners in scoring position.
Rays gave them another lesson and deserved to win this one and also the series.
The Jays put both Eckstein and Johnny Mac on the 15-day disabled list. Joe Inglett was recalled from AAA Syracuse to fill one spot and Jays say second move will be made on Friday. Marco Scutaro started tonight and will continue at shortstop the next two weeks.