Jays awful and lose another with poor hitting.

Monday July 21, 2008. Toronto v Baltimore.

Six of the eight games v Baltimore have been one run wins. Jays have won four of them. Jays need to get to Liz early tonight.

Lineups:
Toronto: Inglett, Scutaro, Rios, Overbay, Barajas, Stairs, Rolen, Lind, Eckstein and Litcsh pitching.
Baltimore: Roberts, Jones, Markakis, Huff, Mora, Scott, Millar, Hernandez, Fahey and Liz pitching.

The result: Jays lose this one 8-3.

The good: Hard to find anything here but perhaps Scutaro with another two hit game. And on base four times. Rolen and Overbay on base three times.

The bad: Where do we start tonight? Runners left in scoring position, runners left on base, double play, poor pitching by League and Frasor. Litsch didn’t get any run support, I don’t think he pitched too badly.

What to do???? I would designate both Frasor and League for assignment to Syracuse. Mel Queen has evidently been hired and can make them his project until September. Bring up David Purcey. Bench Matt Stairs permanently unless Jays have blowout game either way. It is embarrassing to see the poor guy out there outclassed. Bring up Coats or Snider give them a chance, they cannot do any worse than Stairs and the other hitters. I am still not convinced that Cito is the answer, he has had very little impact on this team. John Gibbons at least had a 20-10 month in May, would send double steals, would try some aggressive ball. Cito unfortunately had the stand pat label before he was hired, and so far I have not had my mind changed. They are not an entertaining team to watch.

The game:
Top 1st: Inglett, Scutaro Rios, Empty stadium tonight at start at least. Inglett at bat. Strikes out on three pitches. Hmm! Perhaps not quite the leadoff anticipated. Scutaro at bat one down, much better at bat, now full count. Walks him. Eight pitch at bat. One on for Rios, can he continue from yesterday’s 3-5 ? No, grounds this one to Mora at 3B throw to Roberts 2B and on to Millar 1B you guessed it, double play ball. And this inning is over. What can you say about this team? The ONLY solution is to get guy on 1B stealing and have no one on 1B. 14 pitches for Liz.
Bottom 1st: Roberts, grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay, one down. Jones at bat, taps it in front of pitcher, Litsch quick to pounce on this and throw to Overbay gets Jones, two down. Markakis at bat grounds to Eckstein and throw to Overbay three up and down, nice tidy inning from Jesse here. 11 pitches.

Top 2nd: Overbay at bat, 3-0 count, walks on four pitches, number two tonight. Now will they have yet another double play ? Barajas at bat 0-13 slump, 2-0 six balls in a row here, singles to LF, but Lyle is stretching it out here just beats the throw. Now two on no outs and one at 3B. Stairs is he ever overdue bigtime. Gets hold of it but not deep enough, to RF Lyle fakes but holds on throw. One down. Rople’s yturn….. that’s better Scott, no nonsense here taking pitches, first pitch singles up the middle, Lyle scores 1-0 Jays. Barajas at 2B two on one down for Adam Lind. Liz throwing a lot of pitches, but strikes out Lind, two down. Eckstein something to prove here. High fly ball out to Jones but Jays are ahead. 32 pitches.
Bottom 2nd: Huff at bat, lines this one very hard into RF corner but Inglett moving to his left, very nice catch Joe. One down for Mora, grounds hard to Rolen at 3B, great stop Scott and throw to Overbay just gets Mora. Two down for Scott. Nice pitching Jesse, strike his out swinging. 23 pitches.

Top 3rd: Inglett at bat shows bunt pulls back. Grounds out to Millar at 1B one down for Scutaro. Grounds hard to 3B but great save by Mora and throws out at 1B. Great play saved a single. Two down for Alex at least no double play this time. Dribbles this one to Roberts at 2B, out at 1B. I guess Alex had his big game yesterday, 0-2 tonight. 43 pitches.
Bottom 3rd: Millar at bat singles over Eckstein at SS into LF, one on for Ramon Hernandez, doubles over head of Overbay into RF corner, Two on in scoring position and no outs for Fahey. Grounds to Scutaro throw to 1B gets Fahey but Millar scores, 1-1. Hernandez moves to 3B. One down for Roberts very nice Jesse, grounds hard bouncer back to Litsch checks runner at 3B and throws out Roberts at 1B, that certainly helped him there. Two down for Jones, gets hold of this one over Inglett’s head into RF crowd. 3-1 Orioles. Markakis at bat with two outs. walks him, steady here Jesse. Huff at bat. one on two down. Fly ball out to Lind in LF. Jays bats need to wake up here now and get something back. 45 pitches for Jesse.

Top 4th: Big bats Overbay, Barajas and Stairs but… Lyle singles this to RF. Barajas gets hold of one but high fly ball out to RF corner. Almost but not quite. Stairs good hit but lines out hard to Jones in CF. Rolen now, 3-0 count. Walks on four pitches. Third walk tonight. Lind with two on and two down. Swings and strikes out. Two left again. 56 pitches.
Bottom 4th: Mora singles up the middle on first pitch, one on. Scott at bat high fly ball out to Rios, Mora tags and gets to 2B. Rios throw is way off. I don’t think Alex thought he would be going. Millar at bat, one down one on. Grounds to Eckstein, Mora in rundown but Millar gets to 2B. Two down. Hernandez ground to Eckstein throw to Overbay and this inning is over without any damage this time. 59 pitches. Jays bats have to give Jesse some run support here. Once again they are making Liz out to be Cy Young.

Top 5th: Eckstein at bat, 3-0 count. Walks on five pitches number four for Liz. Inglett at bat, one on. First pitch fly ball out to Jones in CF. Not a good at bat, Joe, the guy has just walked Eckstein, take a couple. Scutaro also first pitch swinging. Bunting now and misses. , singles up the middle Eckstein at 2B. Two on on down. Rios, 0-2 tonight and not at all comfortable. That’s better doubles this one to the wall, Jones misses it, Eckstein scores 3-2 Orioles, Overbay now with two in scoring position and one down. Intentional walk here. Barajas now with bases loaded. Sarfate up in bullpen. Fly ball to CF Jones, Scutaro scores 3-3 game. Stairs now with two on. Rios stealing and gets to 3B.Throw not in time. Number 25. Stairs strikes out. Matt not your season this year but Jays get two back for Litsch. 78 pitches.
Bottom 5th: Fahey grounds to Eckstein throw to Overbay one down. Roberts at bat full count. Grounds it into LF great speed by Roberts to make this a double. Jones at bat, grounds it to Eckstein at SS but throw not in time, two on and no outs. Speed kills. Roberts and Jones. Markakis at bat, high fly ball out to RF Inglett. Roberts tags to 3B. Two down. Huff at bat 3-0 count. Semi intentional walk. Bases loaded with two outs. Mora at bat and League now up in bullpen. Singles up the middle Roberts and Jones score. 5-3 Orioles. That’s it for Litsch. League now pitching. Scott hammers first pitch to RF Huff scores 6-3 Orioles. Millar at bat taps in front and League throws him out at 1B. Damage is done though. However Jays have had more than enough opportunities tonight to chase Liz and have not done much damage at all.

Top 6th: Rolen, Lind and Eckstein can they do anything here ???? Liz has had five walks SO FAR, Rolen pops up to Hernandez. Lind with one down. First pitch fly ball out to RF centre. Jays hitters now are getting frustrated and swinging wildly. Eckstein at bat much more patient here, 3-1 count and walks sixth walk for Liz and that is what I would have thought Lind and Rolen could show. That’s it for Liz. Inglett with one on and two down. Patience Joe. See what this guy has. Sarfate pitching, Inglett singles to LF. Nice at bat. Two on for Scutaro. Takes first two, 3-0 count, Castillo throwing in bullpen. Walks bases loaded for Alex Rios. Big chance here Alex. Head in the air fly ball out to RF. Man this kid needs help bigtime from the new coaching staff.
Bottom 6th: League pitching, Hernandez swinging at pitch way off the plate. Strikes out on three pitches. League has good stuff but has been so wild this season. Fahey number nine, full count but walks him. Roberts at bat with one on and on down. 3-0 count. Wild pitch ball four, another walk. Get him out of there Cito fast. Thank you. Here he comes, no he is leaving him in there, major mistake. Jones at bat, grounds to Scutaro flip to Eckstein throw to Overbay double play ball for Jays this time and gets League off the hook.

Top 7th: Jays hitters are 2-8 with runners in scoring position tonight and have left nine on base. Will not win many games like that. The problem is that this puts far too much pressure on the pitchers to throw perfect games and they start to press as Litsch is doing. Chad Bradford throws from the worm’s eye level. Overbay at bat strikes out, one down. Barajas at bat grounds to Mora at 3B throw to Millar for two down. Stairs at bat, why ????? Cito knows best. Grounds to 2B Roberts, throw to Millar and that’s it for hitters. But you have to question why Stairs was left in here. When this team is bad they are awful.
Bottom 7th: League pitching, Markakis grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay one down. Huff at bat, grounds to Overbay two down, Orioles hitters want to get out on town. Mora at bat, lofts it to Scutaro. Three up and down.

Top 8th: Jays hitters have six more at bats to make a difference here but they have NO intensity, and are playing roll over dead ball tonight. Rolen at bat, Jim Johnson pitching. 3-0 count. Walks on four pitches. The number eight walk tonight but Jays have little to show for it. Lind with one on, dribbler to Mora great play underhand to 2B to just get Rolen. One down for Eckstein one on. Grounds to Millar at 1B steps on base to get Eckstein, Lind at 2B. Two down for Inglett first pitch ground out to 2B Roberts. Inglett wants out. That’s the game, Sherrill will be up in the ninth and there is no way Jays hitters are going to win this one playing the way they are tonight. I am not impressed with the new hitting coaches and staff, this team has not changed one iota.
Bottom 8th: Frasor now pitching. Scott first pitch swing fly ball out to Rios in CF. Millar at bat, full count, ball four way over Millar’s head. Hernandez at bat, wild pitch, Millar to 2B. There it goes two run HR over Rios’ head and 8-3 game. This team is being embarrassed. Fahey at bat. Good news is that Sherrill will not be pitching. Strikes out. Two down but damage is already done. Roberts at bat for fifth time tonight. 3-0 count. Full count grounds to Overbay and this agony is over.

Top 9th: I am always interested in how Jays hitters react to a hopeless situation, do they have any fire? Do they have any pride? Do they have the ability? Well they are playing now for bottom place in the East tonight and it looks as if they will be down there yet again. Top of the order, what will we see? Scutaro at bat, Randor Bierd pitching. Full count. Grounds one to 3B Mora, but throw not in time, one on for Rios who has not impressed tonight. Swings out striking with head in the air once more on a very bad pitch inside. Rios is not a leader but who is on this team? Overbay with one on and one down. Swings over pitch way outside and strikes out. Two down, Barajas fly ball out to LF Scott and the Jays agony is over for one night at least but they have three more here in Baltimore and the way they are playing they will be in the second division by Thursday, a truly awful performance all round.