Jays lose this one in the twelfth. Bats missing again.

Friday June 20, 2008. Toronto v Pittsburgh.

First game of Pittsburgh series can Jays continue on the play of last night’s ninth inning and also start to get something going for their new Manager.

Lineups: Toronto: Scutaro, Overbay, Rios, Wells, Rolen, Barajas, Mench, McDonald, Halladay pitching and hitting here tonight.
Pittsburgh: Morgan, Sanchez, McLouth, Bay, LaRoche, Mientkiewicz, Wilson, Chavez, Duke pitching and hitting.

Result: Pirates 1- Jays 0

The good: Rios throw in the 5th to get Mientkiewicz at home plate. Alex’s bat two doubles to start game. Johnny Mc two singles.
The very bad. Injury to Halladay with line drive off the side of his head. At minimum that is concussion. I hope that it will not be like Hill’s. McDonald error to give up run in the twelfth. Jays now sixth loss in a row.

Postscript on Halladay. News from clubhouse is that Halladay is day to day and should make his next start on Thursday.

Top 1st: Scutaro leading off, patient here, full count, and walks. That is what a leadoff guy should be doing. Overbay at bat grounds back to Duke to shortstop Wilson to first baseman Ad.LaRoche, Scutaro out. Rios at bat first pitch swing, doubles to left. Vernon at bat, strikes out. Twenty pitches for Duke.
Bottom 1st: Halladay pitching. Morgan fly ball to Wells in CF. Sanchez, great sliding catch by Rios in RF. Two down. McLouth at bat strikes out. Thirteen pitch inning.

Top 2nd: Rolen at bat grounds out to 3B. Barajas at bat hits him. Mench at bat, one on one out. 3-0 count. Full count. Strikes out looking. McDonald singles to RF. Two on for Halladay. Strikes out. 41 pitches.
Bottom 2nd: Canadian Jason Bay at bat, strikes out three pitches. LaRoche at bat grounds to Overbay, flip to Halladay for the out. Mientkiewicz two down grounds it up the middle, McDonald cannot get to it. Jack Wilson at bat, grounds out to Scutaro. Halladay twenty six pitches.

Top 3rd: Top of the order again. Scutaro pops up to McLouth in CF. Overbay at bat full count, grounds out to SS. Rios at bat another double here this time to deepest part of ground. Vernon now lines hard to 3B great save, throw too weak to get Wells. Two on. Rios moves to 3B on play. Rolen now can he start this thing? Pops up to 1B. Scott that pitch was way out of zone. 57 pitches already for Duke.
Bottom 3rd: Chavez at bat, singles over Scutaro’s head first pitch. Duke bunting? I think so. Yes, and Chavez moves to 2B. Morgan at bat tries bunt. Strikes out. Two down. Sanchez at bat strikes out. Fourth strikeout for Halladay tonight.42 pitches.

Top 4th: Barajas singles to LF. Mench at bat. Grounds to 3B get Barajas at 2B but not in time for Mench. McDonald at bat pops up to SS. Two down. Halladay at bat strikes out. 68 pitches.
Bottom 4th: Halladay must feel as if he has been out there forever as last inning was only nine pitches for Duke. McLouth at bat grounds out to Scutaro. Bay at bat strikes out again on three pitches. LaRoche fly ball to Mench in left centre. Good quick inning for Halladay. He needs the break now.

Top 5th: Top of the order again. Scutaro at bat. Fly ball to RF. Overbay at bat fly ball to Bay in left field. Rios at bat, two doubles tonight, good sign fly ball to RF 76 pitches. This is not good bats, they have to give Halladay some time on that bench between innings.
Bottom 5th: Mientkiewicz full count. Walks. Wilson at bat, hit and run on, singles to RF. Mientkiewicz to 3B. Trouble here for Halladay. Chavez fly ball to Rios in Rf. Bullet to home plate out a mile. Barajas holds on to it as well. Double play. Halladay needed that. Wilson to 2B. Duke now at bat. Strikes him out. Number six tonight. Great pitching Roy. 69 pitches.

Top 6th: Wells first pitch grounds out to SS. Rolen full count at least. Lines hard down the line, great diving catch by Mientkiewicz robs Rolen of a double at least. Barajas at bat. Fly ball to RF. This aggression is not paying off for these guys tonight. 83 pitches.
Bottom 6th: Morgan at bat. Grounds to McDonald, good throw by McDonald to get him. Sanchez first pitch swinging single to right centre. McLouth at bat,fly ball to left centre to Mench running in. Two down. Bay grounds first pitch to Rolen, throw to 2B to get Sanchez. Another good quick inning for Halladay. Needs some run support though…77 pitches.

Top 7th: Mench at bat grounds out to SS. McDonald at bat singles up the middle, 2-3 tonight. Halladay bunts but gets Johnny Mc at 2B. Now Halladay is stuck out there. Scutaro at bat grounds to 3B throw to 2B to get Halladay. 97 pitches.
Bottom 7th: LaRoche at bat, singles to RF. Mientkiewicz, not bunting singles to LF. Wilson at bat he is bunting and moves both runners over. Chavez now intentional walk. Bases loaded. Pinch hitter for Duke, ex-Jay Chris Gomez at bat, strikes out. Gomez could not hold up. Morgan at bat bases loaded two out. Hammers one back off Halladay and right to Rolen to catch the ball. Where did it hit him? That is not good. Halladay walks off but has no clue what happened. Replay looks like the ball hit the side of his face.

Top 8th: Marte pitching. Overbay now at bat, singles up the middle. Pinch runner for Overbay Wilkerson. Rios now at bat pops up to 1B one down. Wells at bat, chops it to 3B double play ball. I think Mr. Gaston has his work cut out for him.
Bottom 8th: Downs now pitching for Halladay. Still no word. Sanchez fly ball to Rios in RF. McLouth at bat. Strikes out. Two down. Jason Bay at bat grounds to McDonald. Very good Scott.

Top 9th: Will the Jays ever score? Rolen at bat. Patient at bat, walks here. Barajas fly ball shallow left. One down. Rolen holds at 1B. Mench at bat, strikes out. Two down. McDonald also with two hits tonight. Fly ball to RF.
Bottom 9th: Downs still pitching. LaRoche at bat. Fly ball to right centre for Rios. One down. Mientkiewicz strikes out, great curve to get him. Wilson at bat fly ball to Wells in CF. Extra innings here.

Top 10th: Matt Capps pitching, Stairs at bat, full count. Singles to Wilson at SS off his glove into foul ground. Holds at 1B. Scutaro is he bunting? Yes, very nice gets Stairs to 2B. Wilkerson came in game as pinch runner for Overbay, full count strikes out looking. Two down. Rios now what can he do? Jays are 1-6 tonight with runners in scoring position. Strikes out. Team now 1-7. Hitting coach has some, sorry lots, of work to do.
Bottom 10th: Wolfe now pitching. Chavez at bat, strikes out. Jose Bautista pinch hitting. Strikes out. Morgan trying to bunt his way on. grounds out to Scutaro.

Top 11th: Tyler Yates pitching, Wells at bat, strikes out. Not Vernon’s year even with his wrist healed. Rolen at bat grounds out to SS. Two down. Barajas at bat gives big sigh, yes Rod that’s how we all feel about you and your colleagues. Grounds out to Wilson, throws him out from his knees. Very nice play.
Bottom 11th: Yankees have already lost to the Padres. Baltimore beating the Brewers. Boston losing to the Cardinals. Rays losing to Houston bottom of the ninth. Wolfe still pitching. Sanchez at bat. Leaves one up there and singles to LF not a good pitch. Here comes Cito to get Wolfe, I shall miss Captain Hook in and out all game. BJ Ryan now in. McLouth at bat is he bunting, looks like it. Yes. Strikes him out. One down now. Jason Bay at bat fly ball to Wells in CF. Two down. LaRoche at bat strikes out.

Top 12th: Someone has to get a run here. Bottom of the order though. Yankees and Tampa have both lost tonight. Chance for Jays to pick up one. Mench grounds first pitch to SS. One down. McDonald at bat grounds to 3B. Inglett now at bat. Grand slam last night. Full count now. And walks. Good at bat Joe. Scutaro at bat now can he move him along. Lines hard up the line right at LaRoche. That would have scored Inglett if it had got past LaRoche.
Bottom 12th: Jesse Carlson now pitching. Mientkiewicz at bat. Doubles to the wall in right centre. Wilson bunting. Nubber in front of home plate safe at 1B. That’s it for Carlson. Frasor coming in. I think this game is over. Chavez at bat 3-0 count. Walks him on four pitches. Bases loaded. Cito will learn quickly that this guy is not the one to have here in this situation. Michaels at bat grounds it through McDonald playing in trying to short hop the ball but misses it and run scores.. Looks an error. Pittsburgh wins anyway. 1-0.
Major job for Cito and coaches.