Jays give another one away after almost perfect Marcum.

Friday June 6, 2008. Baltimore v Toronto.

Baltimore had a great start to the season and have dropped back but Jays would be unwise to take this team lightly. Jays also need a great home stand here of nine games to make some headway in the rght direction. Tonight would be a good time to end that pesky two game losing streak and get over New York heartbreakers.

Tonight Marcum v Burres.

Lineups: Orioles: Roberts, Markakis, Mora, Huff, Millar, Scott, Hernandez, Bynum and pitching
Jays: Stewart, Scutaro, Rios, Rolen, Mench, Overbay, Barajas, Wilkerson, Eckstein and Marcum pitching.

Result: Jays lose this one 6-5. But the big story is the implosion of bullpen giving up six runs in the top of the eight after a great seven inning shutout by Marcum. However bats must also take some blame on this one leaving too many runners stranded yet again. Bullpen has been magnificent all season and kept Toronto above .500. Bats have been terrible all season long and are playing well below potential. Forget this one tonight and tomorrow get out there and hammer that ball.

The good: Marcum for seven and the question will be should Gibbons have left him in? I don't think so, the bullpen is there for a reason and should have been able to finish eight to get Ryan in there for the ninth. They are one of te best in the league although the last week has not been their finest of the season. Barajas, Wilkerson,Mench and Eckstein rbis.

The bad: I would say most of the team tonight. Tallet, Benitez and maybe Carlson to some extent for blowing it in eighth.
The bats, bats and more bats with runners in scoring position.
Eckstein error in the eighth. Stewart now in a slump.


Good news is that Yankees and Boston lost so it could have been worse.

The game itself. Top 1st: Roberts strikes out. Markakis singles to LF. Mora at bat grounds to Eckstein to Scutaro and on to Overbay. Double play ball saves Marcum here.
Bottom 1st: Stewart lines out to Mora at 3B. Scutaro lines out to Markakis in RF. Rios grounds out to Mora. Not an auspicious start by Jays bats.

Top 2nd: Huff strikes out. Millar single to CF. Scott full count, walks. Millar to 2B. Jones fly ball to Rios. Hernandez grounds to Eckstein Scott out at 2B.
Bottom 2nd: Rolen doubles to LF. Scott has been such a great addition this season. When Vernon gets back and is in full swing in second half, this lineup will be very different and much improved and we know Alex can only get better. Mench fly ball to Jones in CF, Rolen to 3B. Overbay very patient again, full count walks. Barajas singles to CF, scores Rolen. 1-0 Jays. Barajas is also playing very well in Zaun’s absence. Overbay at 2B. Wilkerson singles to CF, Overbay scores, Barajas to 2B. 2-0 Jays. Eckstein great hit here but Scott gets it at the wall in left centre, almost there David. Stewart grounds out to Mora at 3B. But Jays are off and running now.

Top 3rd: Bynum strikes out. Roberts grounds out to Scutaro. Markakis full count here now walks. Mora fouls out to Overbay at 1B.
Bottom 3rd: Scutaro grounds out to Bynum at SS. Rios doubles to CF. Steals 3B. Aggressive Alex tonight ? Rolen walks. Mench at bat sac fly to Jones in CF scores Rios from 3B. Rolen moves to 2B on the throw. 3-0 Jays. Jays bats are alive tonight. Overbay grounds out to Roberts at 2B. Burres 69 pitches.

Top 4th: Huff at bat, doubles to RF. Millar at bat singled in the 2nd, fly ball to Rios CF. Huff moves to 3B on throw. Scott pops up to Rolen at 3B wall. Two down. Adam Jones at bat. Strikes out. Marcum escapes trouble with leadoff double but pitch count 67 pitches.
Bottom 4th: Barajas, first pitch swinging here fly ball to CF. Wilkerson grounds out to 2B. Eckstein doubles to the Centre wall. Previous at bat he slammed it to the wall but was caught, Stewart pops up to SS leaves Eckstein at 2B. 83 pitches.

Top 5th: Hernandez high fly ball to CF wall. Rios playing shallow but nice catch. Bynum bounces off the plate, Barajas throw wide of Overbay. One on one down. Brian Roberts Bynum running but great throw by Barajas to get him. Roberts lines one over head of Eckstein to LF. Markakis at bat two down. Lines one here to RF centre. Roberts to 3B on the play. That Bynum caught stolen base is very important now. Mora swings at first pitch lines out to Mench in LF. Marcum escapes again but pitch count now in the 80’s.
Bottom 5th: Scutaro at bat this could also be last inning for Burres with 83 pitches. Walks Scutaro. Rios now at bat nice double last at bat. Strikes out. Everyone wants Alex to get going but it is so painful to watch him at bat. Rolen now on base twice tonight already. Orioles have outhit Jays tonight,6-5. Hits him on the back foot. That’s it for Burres 94 pitches. Lance Cormier now pitching. Mench at bat, two on and one down. Mench grounds to SS double play ball.
Tampa, New York and Boston plus Baltimore of course are all losing right now. That would be a good evening for the Jays.

Top 6th: Huff at bat. Grounds slowly to Overbay on to Marcum to get Huff. One down. Kevin Millar at bat fly ball to Wilkerson. Two quick outs. Luke Scott now at bat. Fly ball out to Mench. Great quick seven pitch inning by Marcum and kept pitch count down to give him a chance at one more inning.
Bottom 6th: Overbay at bat bounces one here to 3B but Mora’s throw not in time Lyle safe at 1B. Nice piece of running Lyle. Barajas now Overbay stealing and throw not in time. Lyle second time lucky this inning, his first stolen base this season. Barajas singles up the middle Overbay holds at 3B, I think he may have had a chance but there are no outs and Pevey obviously feels they can bring him in. Wilkerson two on no outs. Strikes out on high ball. Not a great at bat. Eckstein now has hit the ball hard twice already tonight. Sac fly ball to LF, Overbay scores. 4-0 Jays. Stewart now at bat Barajas at 1B. Lines weakly to 2B. Barajas out at 2B. Jays score one but Gibbons would not be pleased with only only run after runner at 3B and no outs. Same old problem.

Top 7th: Seattle thrashing Boston 8-0. Jones at bat showing bunt but now fly ball to Rios in CF. One down. Hernandez another fly ball to Rios in shallow CF. Bynum grounds out to Scutaro at 2B. Throw to Overbay gets him but catches spike in turf almost pulls Lyle off base. Marcum improves on last inning six pitches and still under the 100. One more inning?
Bottom 7th: Scutaro at bat singles to RF. Alex now, grounds to SS. Double play ball. Rolen now at bat walks on four pitches. Mench lines one into RF. Rolen at 2B. Two on for Overbay. That’s it for Cormier. Sarfate now pitching. Overbay shatters his bat grounds out to 2B. Jays leave another in scoring position. Just think where Jays would be if their hitting with runners in scoring position were better?

Top 8th: Inglett in now for Mench in LF. Marcum still pitching. Roberts at bat doubles to left centre. Captain Hook for Marcum but good decision, that’s what a bullpen is for. 100 pitch shutout so far for Marcum tonight. Tallet in to preserve it. Not tonight. Markakis first pitch singles to CF Roberts scores. 4-1 Jays. Mora at bat 3-0 count here. NO way… HR to CF… two runs score. 4-3 Jays. Still no outs. Huff at bat another 3-0 count loads of boos now for Tallet, Huff pops up to Rolen crowd jeers. One down and here comes Captain Hook a little late for Tallet tonight, Benitez now in to face Millar. Another HR this time to LF. 4-4. Scott at bat singles to Eckstein through his legs error on the play. Jones now at bat swings wildly at this pitch. NO way… another HR to LF…. Two more runs. 6-4 Orioles. Hernandez strikes out, crowd jeers. Bynum at bat strikes him out.
That is probably one of THE worst half innings by Jays pitchers this season.
Bottom 8th: Chad Bradford pitching. Payton in LF for Luke Scott. Barajas at bat full count, now walks. Wilkerson now at bat bunting here, Bradford slow with throw and Wilkerson safe. Two on no outs. Eckstein bunting but wild pitch gets away from Hernandez both runners move up. Now Eckstein is pulled for Stairs pinch hitting. Grounds to 1B. Barajas scores, 6-5 Orioles. Stairs out at 1B. Wilkerson to 3B. Stewart now with runner at 3B. Grounds weakly back to Bradford. Runner holds at 3B Stewart out at 1B. Two down for Scutaro grounds to 3B. How many more is that left with runners in scoring position? We can criticize the relief pitching but this game and yesterday could have been many times over if the bats were half effective with runners in scoring position.

Top 9th: Jesse Carlson pitching. Inglett now at 2B. Scutaro at SS and Stairs in LF. Fly ball to Wilkerson in RF. Markakis doubles to LF. Intentional walk to Mora. Huff at bat 3-0 count. Walks bases loaded now for Millar. Captain Hook out Shawn Camp now pitching. YES, YES double play ball. Millar grounds to Inglett to Scutaro to Overbay at 1B. Nice pitching by Camp. Now as ever back to the bats and the big bats who have failed most of the season.
Bottom 9th: George Sherrill pitching has twenty saves this season, Rios at bat. Doubles down RF line just foul. Full count swings at high ball four inside. Rolen now grounds out to SS Bynum. Inglett at bat, another full count and walks, great at bat Joe. Overbay strikes out.

Orioles win this one but once again the bats were terrible not bringing in those runners. They are the worst in the league right now in that category.