Jays win a

Monday May 12,2008.

Second game of double header and Jays looking at losing four in Cleveland. Facing the hottest pitcher in the majors.

Jays win 3-0.

Lineups.
Jays: Stewart, Hill, Rios, Rolen, Mench, Scutaro, Overbay, Zaun, Velandia and Marcum pitching.
Indians: Sizemore, Cabrera, Peralta, Martinez, Gutierez, Hafner, Shoppach, Tyner, Marte and Lee pitching.

The very good: Marcum eight two hit innings.
The good: 10th inning heroics. Stairs leadoff single, Zaun’s sac bunt. Stewart and Hill to score the runs. Stewart breaks out of his slump. Hill breaks his slump. Bullpen of Ryan and Downs to finish this off in ten.
The bad: This one was not so much a game of bad hitting but one of great defence by Cleveland including the triple play but also great defensive plays in the ninth to rob Jays of runs.

Top 1st: Lee pitching Stewart grounds to 3B. Hilll walks, Rios grounds to SS double play. Some leadership. Rios is having huge problems. Since that contract…not much.
Bottom 1st: Marcum pitching Sizemore fouls out to Zaun. Cabrera fly ball to Mench in RF. Peralta fly ball to Rios.

Top 2nd: Rolen grounds to 2B. Mench grounds to Peralta. Scutaro DH this game, fly ball to RF .
Bottom 2nd: Martinez strikes out. Gutierez doubles off LF wall. Hafner swings but hits Zaun’s glove. catcher interference error to Zaun. Hafner on base. Shoppach fly ball to Stewart. Tyner at bat. Ball bounces away from Zaun, runners move up to 2B and 3B. Hits him on foot. Bases loaded. Marte at bat fly ball to CF.

Top 3rd: Overbay lines out at SS. Zaun grounds to Peralta fumbles it and Zaun safe. Velandia full count, strikes out. Stewart FIRST pitch of course grounds to 2B. Two more left on.
Bottom 3rd: Sizemore strikes out. Cabrera pops up first pitch to Overbay. Cleveland players want to go home. Peralta fly ball first pitch to Rios. 5 pitches !!!!

Top 4th: Hill soft liner over Cabrera ‘s head at 2B. Hill on, first piece of luck today for Jays. Rios first pitch… Yes you’ve got it… double play ball. Second time by Rios this game…. Rolen strikes out. 51 double plays this season for Jays. That is average more than one a game.
Bottom 4th: Martinez, doubles to RF corner. Guettierez grounds to SS. Out at 1B. Hafner, grounds to 1B. Two down runner at 3B. Shoppach strikes out. Nice pitching Marcum.

Top 5th: Mench, fans still waiting for his payoff, singles to LF, better than nothing. Scutaro singles up the middle. Two on no outs for Overbay. If ever a time for a double Lyle this is it. Lyle drives to Cabrera with runners going. Steps on 2B and tags Scutaro for third out. TRIPLE PLAY UNASSISTED. What can we say? ? Is this team jinxed? Did someone break a mirror in Dunedin? This one is only the eighth in AL history. Only six in National League. Ron Hanson who completed the AL fifth unassisted triple play is in the crowd !! Weird.
Bottom 5th: Tyner fly ball to Rios in CF. Marte fly ball to Rios. He is doing something for his money. Sizemore at bat, fly ball to Stewart.

Top 6th: Zaun fly ball to RF. Velandia grounds to 3B. Two down. Stewart 0-18 run now needs something here, singles to LF. Hill strikes out. Good news is that Rios will not be hitting into double play.
Bottom 6th: Cabrera grounds to Overbay. Peralta lines out to Rios in CF. Martinez grounds to Overbay.

Top 7th: Rios now to make a difference. Grounds to SS. (would have been his third double play ball if anyone on base). Rolen now… ??? ground rule double into LF… Yeah ! a runner in scoring position at 2B. Mench chance now to be a hero, not tonight, strikes out… Scutaro now, works full count at least ten pitches. Scott will be running. Strikes out looked like ball four but no way could Scutaro take it. Can’t fault this guy tonight when the big bats are so bad. But I feel for Marcum. Twenty nine and two thirds innings now without a run for Toronto AND only one in thirty three. That takes some doing.
Bottom 7th: Gutierez pops up to Zaun. Hafner grounds to Hill. Shoppach strikes out.

Top 8th: Overbay fly ball to Sizemore in shallow CF. Zaun grounds to 2B. Velandia, first pitch ! grounds out to SS. Lousy at bat by Velandia even for a back up player.
Bottom 8th: Tyner grounds to Overbay and Marcum covers 1B good play by Marcum. Blake pinch hitting for Marte strikes out. Sizemore at bat.. Grounds out to Hill. VERY nice pitching by Marcum 2 hit. shut out 114 pitches

Top 9th: Last chance for the bats. Stewart walks. Hill is he bunting ? Yes sac bunt, Stewart to 2B. Rios now what can HE do? 0-3 with two double plays, lines to 1B Martinez. To be fair to Rios that would have been at least a double, great catch by Martinez. Rolen last chance. Grounds to SS infield single. Stewart to 3B and Rolen on 1B. Now Mench, time to show us what you have. Lines it into RF, Guttierez dives to make great catch robs Toronto yet again. This is obviously not meant to be. Jays can’t do much about the great defence they have seen here tonight. Two plays alone in this inning have saved runs. Now up to BJ Ryan to hold them here and give them another chance.
Bottom 9th: Ryan pitching Cabrera strikes out. Peralta first pitch pops up to Velandia. Martinez pops up to Zaun. This game is extra innings Jays have another chance.

Top 10th: Betancourt pitching. Stairs pinch hitting for Scutaro, singles to RF. One on. Overbay . Stairs running Overbay lines one off elbow of Betancourt, bounces to 3B. Both runners safe. The first bit of luck for Jays tonight. Two on no outs. Keep praying folks. Zaun will he sac bunt? Great bunt down 3B line. Both runners move up. One down. Wilkerson now. Intentional walk to load bases. Stewart sac fly Stairs scores 1-0 Jays. Both runners tag and move up into scoring position. Hill now at bat YES!!! Singles up the middle and two more runs score. 3-0 Toronto, 3-0 Toronto, 3-0 Toronto all with two out……. Rios now pops up to 2B. Can they hold it now ? Ten hits tonight for Jays.
Bottom 10th: Downs now pitching. Inglett in at SS for Scutaro. Wilkerson in LF for Stewart. Gutierez strikes out. Hafner ground rule double into LF. Shoppach grounds to 2B. Two down. Francisco pinch hitting for Tyner strikes out.

Jays win, Jays win, Jays win 3-0. First win in Cleveland in three seasons.
Toronto really needed this one and the one of four that they didn’t expect to win against a 6-0 pitcher in Lee. Now on to the Minnesota Twins beating Boston tonight for second night in a row. Meantime let's enjoythis one and breaking the losing streak.