Jays win second today, Halladay and the bats together.

Game four of this series Thursday July 24,2008.

Not much time to get ready for next game now but Jays will be happy at least to be in this position especially with Halladay out there. This could open up a two and half game lead on Baltimore and even season once more at .500 going back to Toronto.

Lineups: Toronto: Inglett, Scutaro, Rios, Overbay, Stairs, Rolen, Lind, Wilkerson, Zaun, and Halladay pitching.
Baltimore: Roberts, Jones, Markakais, Huff, Mora, Scott, Payton, Quiroz, Castro and Daniel Cabrera pitching.

The very good: Pitching and more pitching. Halladay for the win and the bullpen today of Tallett and Frasor to keep that win.
The good: This is a big win for several reasons. One they move ahead of Baltimore by two and half games. They have a three win streak to return to Toronto on a high. The bats came alive. Four players with multi-hit game, Scutaro, Rios, Lind and Wilkerson. Only Inglett and Stairs hitless today but both reached base. Good also to take both games today even though the first one was completing last night’s game, it still seemed like a double header.
The bad: Jays hitters 5/15 with runners in scoring position but on the other hand the five hits were more than enough to win and is a better percentage than previously. And Baltimore had far worse going 0-6 with runners in scoring position.


Top 1st: Inglett leading off, strikes out. Scutaro at bat lines out to 3B Mora. Rios now at bat two down, Jays need a good game from this guy and soon. Singles to CF, that will help. Rios stealing here and safe at 2B. Number 27. Overbay at bat, grounded out, second baseman B.Roberts to first baseman Huff. 12 pitches.
Bottom 1st: Halladay pitching, Roberts singles to CF. Threat to steal here at 1B. Jones at bat pops up to Scutaro at SS Markakis at bat, one down. Strikes out looking. Huff at bat full count, singles to CF. Roberts to 3B. Two on two down for Mora another full count. Grounds it to Inglett. No damage here but close enough. 27 pitch inning though. Roy has to cut pitch count down.

Top 2nd: Stairs at bat. 3-0 count. Walks on four pitches. Rolen now with one on. Strikes out on checked swing. Lind at bat singles up the middle, this kid is so good. Stairs at 2B. Two on, one down. Wilkerson 3-30 last at bats. Singles to Markakis in RF. Wilkerson one happy guy.Stairs holds at 3B. Bases loaded. Zaun bases loaded. 0-17 for Gregg. Would love a hit here. Gets the hit fly ball out to Markakis, Stairs tagging but thrown out at the plate. Double play. Oh dear me…. Great throw, BUT lack of speed hurts here. Jays get nothing out of this. 27 pitches after all that.
Bottom 2nd: Scott at bat, Strikes him out. Payton at bat, pops it up to Inglett at 2B, two down. Ex-Jay Quioroz at bat two down, 0-2 and hits him. Castro at bat. Strikes out. 40 pitches. Much better than first inning.

Top 3rd: Inglett at bat, hit hard on his thigh. That was not intentional. Scutaro at bat, Inglett stealing and safe with high throw. Number five on season. Singles to shallow RF. Inglett holds at 3B. Two on no outs. Rios at bat, Jays have had something going all three innings but have no delivered yet. 0-2 count. Down and away but Alex does not swing and a wild pitch brings in Inglett from 3B. 1-0 Jays. Scutaro at 2B. Fly ball out to Markakis in RF. One down. Overbay at bat drops it into LF. Scutaro scores 2-0 Jays and throw wild Overbay to 2B. Stairs at bat gets hold of this and long fly ball out to Jones CF, Overbay half way to 3B and cannot tag stays at 2B. Two down. Rolen at bat. Watches this one down the middle and strikes out, ugly at bat for Scott. 48 pitches now for Cabrera.
Bottom 3rd: Can Halladay shut them down here? Roberts at bat, grounds to Scutaro at SS, throw to Overbay one down. Jones at bat. singles to center. Markakis at bat, has been a real thorn in Jays side this series, grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay, Two down for Huff, Jones moves to 3B. Huff grounds to Inglett throw to Overbay and leaves Jones at 3B.

Top 4th: Lind at bat doubles to LF second hit in this game, this kid is red hot over the last month and he gives full credit to the new coaching staff. Wilkerson at bat singles to RF, Lind scores. 3-0 Jays. Wilkerson’s second hit after 3-30 slump but in trouble here with Markakis throw behind him to Huff to Castro to Roberts, Wilkerson out. Zaun at bat gets hold of this one but long fly ball out to Markakis in RF corner. Inglett grounds out to Huff but Jays are giving Halladay breathing room here.
Bottom 4th: Mora doubles to CF. Scott strikes out. Payton grounds back to Halladay bounces off his foot to Scutaro throw to Overbay gets Scott, Mora moves to 3B. Halladay escapes one, if it had not hit his foot that would have gone into CF and scored Mora. Quiroz at bat with Mora at 3B. grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay and no damage done.

Top 5th: Scutaro at bat doubles to LF his second hit of the afternoon. Rios at bat fly ball out to Markakis, Scutaro at least able to move up to 3B. Overbay at bat, can he bring him in? Yes Lyle, lifts this one deep enough to Payton in LF and Scutaroi scores 4-0 Jays. Two down for Stairs. Stairs at bat fly ball out to Jones but Jays have another.
Bottom 5th: Castro at bat strikes out. Top of the order Roberts at bat fly ball out to Wilkerson in RF. Two down for Jones fly ball out to Rios. Good inning for Halladay.

Top 6th: Rolen at bat two strikes outs already today, singles to left gets the monkey off his back.Lind singles to CF, his third hit already today,Rolen moves to 2B. Wilkerson at bat, wild pitch, Rolen to 3B, Lind to 2B.Two in scoring position now for Wilkerson, full count and walks bases loaded for Zaun who has hit ball very hard today. There it goes Zaun singles to CF, Rolen scores, Lind scores and Wilkerson moves to 3B. 6-0 Jays. That’s it for Cabrera replaced by C. Cabrera no relation. Top of the order with no outs and Wilkerson in scoring position at 3B. Inglett fly ball out to Payton too shallow for Wilkerson to score. Scutaro now trying, this time fly ball to Markakis in RF, Wilkerson scores 7-0 Jays. Zaun tags and gets to 2B as difficult throw for Markakis from the corner although Zaun only just beats it out. Rios at bat can he bring in Wilkerson strikes out.
Bottom 6th: Halladay now with a seven run lead. Markakis at bat grounds out to Overbay one down. Huff at bat singles to CF. Mora singles to CF, Huff to 3B with one down. Scott hits one high to Rios in CF, sac fly Huff scores. 7-1 Jays. Payton singles to CF, Mora moves up to 2B.Quiroz at bat two down, two on, strikes out. Halladay escapes further damage but pitch count is high now, no complete game today.

Top 7th: Overbay at bat strikes out. Stairs strikes out. Rolen fly ball to Payton in LF and Jays go quietly this inning.
Bottom 7th: Halladay still pitching Castro fouls out to Inglett. Roberts full count, now walks.Jones grounds back to Halladay throw to Scutaro, Roberts out at 2B. Jones at 1B. for Markakis at bat fly ball out to Lind in LF.

Top 8th: Castillo now pitching. Lind at bat another three hit day for him. Lifts this one to Jones in CF, one down. Wilkerson a two hit day which he will be pleased with fouls this one out to Mora.
Zaun at bat one hit but has hit the ball hard and has two RBIs today grounds this one to Castro at SS throw to Huff for the out.
Bottom 8th: Halladay has finished for the day 119 pitches. Walked one and struck out six, and but for the long first inning on 27 pitches he might still be in there. Tallet now pitching. Huff at bat grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay, one down. Mora grounds to Inglett throw to Overbay. Two down. Scott at bat, two down, grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay. Very efficient thirteen pitch inning to hold it for Halladay.

Top 9th: Fahey in at SS. Castro in at 3B. Sherrill pitching although hardly a save situation, needs the work. Top of Jays order. Inglett strikes out. Hitless tonight but did get on base when he was hit and made the most of it with a stolen base and run. Scutaro at bat two hits today singles to LF for a three hit afternoon.Looks as if he is out of his mini-slump. Rios singles to LF his second of the game, Scutaro moves to 2B. two on for Overbay with only one down. Overbay strikes out.
Stairs at bat,his last chance with runners on fly ball out to Payton. Stairs remains hitless for this game at least.
Bottom 9th: Frasor now pitching and with a big lead ad no one on base, no pressure Jason relax here plus bottom of the order. Payton at bat fly ball out to Wilkerson. Quiroz hitless so far grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay, two down. Castro at bat also hitless today, fouls out to Wilkerson and this game is in the books. Frasor three up and down and on twelve pitches.

Jays win 7-1.