Burnett number 14 win and Jays take 4 from Oakland

Series finale. Toronto v Oakland. Thursday August 7, 2008.

Preview: Don’t think this is going to be a walkover or an easy sweep. Duchscherer is one of the best pitchers in the league and with a 2.33ERA, Jays hitters are in for a tough night. Plus you know Oakland do not want to leave here on a sweep and go ten losses in a row. They will be fighting like crazy tonight. Needless to say Jays have to continue to win, they don’t have the luxury any longer of giving up a game to a team under .500. Tampa and Boston keep on rolling along. However Tampa is now going on the road to the west coast, will be interesting to see if Jays can pickup up some ground.

Pitching: Duchscherer 10-7, 2.33 ERA, Burnett 13-9, 4.57 ERA
Oakland: Sweeney, Ellis, Thomas, Gonzalez, Brown, Crosby, Hannahan, Barton, Bowen, and Duchscherer pitching.
Toronto: Inglett, Wilkerson, Rios, Overbay, Barajas, Lind, Stairs, Rolen, McDonald and Burnett pitching.

Result: Jays win this one 6-4.
The good: Rolen and McDonald hits and the four runs to take lead in 4th. Carlson and Downs to close Oakland down for Ryan. The defense lead by Johnny Mac once again. Play in the ninth to save the game. Burnett to get his win number 14 and Ryan to get save number 22. McDonald two hits tonight playing for that everyday spot and he has earned it.
The bad: Burnett from first inning looked as if he was totally unfocused and not in the game until the last few innings but did enough to win. Oakland outhits Jays 10-9.

Top 1st: : Sweeney at bat grounds very slowly to McDonald throw to Overbay only just gets him, one down. Ellis pops it up to Overbay by the photographers bay, two down for big Frank. Thomas grounds to McDonald throw to Overbay for the third out. Good first start for Burnett. 15 pitches.
Bottom 1st: Inglett back in lineup after slight knee injury. I have no problem with him replacing Scutaro either. Marco has not been hitting well at all this last week in the lead off spot. Inglett singles to RF, one on for Wilkerson batting number two tonight. Duchscherer picks off Inglett at 1B. Great pickoff but Jays hitters should know this from scouting reports. Wilkerson grounds to Ellis throw to Barton two down,that would have been double play ball anyway. BUT Inglett has to use his head, his one weakness I think from what I have seen since Dunedin days. Rios at bat, 3-0 count. Walks, one on two down for Overbay. Jays have to take their opportunities with Duchscherer because they will not get many of them tonight if he is on. Singles to RF Alex to 3B. Two on two down for big bat Barajas. Pops it up to Ellis, no déjà vu last night here. 12 pitches.

Top 2nd: Gonzalez, 3-0 count and now walks on four pitches, Burnett does not look as sharp as last outing. Brown at bat one on, pops it up to Overbay again just in front of crowd at 1B. One down one on for Crosby doubles it to CF wall. Rios cannot get it. Gonzalez scores 1-0 Oakland. Alex gives the impression that he does not see the ball off the bat the way Vernon does. He is ok but Vernon is Gold glove. Looks as if Vernon may be back in there as early as next week and long overdue, they have missed him. Hannahan at bat bounces it to Burnett throw tro Overbay for the out but Crosby moves to 3B. Barton at bat, 3-0 count. AJ continues to miss the plate. 17 strikes 15 balls. Barton gets hold of this one. This one has gone. HR to RF centre. 3-0 Oakland. Bowen singles to CF. Here comes Cito, gives AJ a bee in his bonnet. This game could be over this inning if he doesn’t smarten up. Top of the order again. Sweeney strikes out. 42 pitches and a 3-0 deficit already though that is not good at all. Bullpen will be up early tonight at this rate.
Bottom 2nd: Lind at bat strikes out. Stairs at bat, strikes out looking. Two down, Duchscherer is cruising, this is far too easy. Rolen at bat, full count, lines out hard to Crosby at SS, three up and down. 31 pitches.

Top 3rd: Will Burnett toughen up here? Ellis at bat, strikes out. Thomas at bat, one down, fly ball out to Wilkerson in RF, almost Frank but not quite. Gonzalez at bat two down. Strikes out. Number three on the night, much better inning. 55 pitches.
Bottom 3rd: Jays hitters need to pressure Duchscherer here but easier said than done. McDonald to lead off. Grounds to Crosby throw to Barton one down. Inglett at bat, strikes out looking. Two down. Wilkerson at bat, full count, grounds out to Barton. Three up and down, six in a row for Duchscherer.

Top 4th: Brown at bat, grounds down the line to Rolen and beats out the throw. One on for Crosby, pops it up to McDonald. One down. Hannahan at bat, grounds to Inglett at 2B throw to 2B gets Brown, two down. Barton with two down, full count and Burnett walks him. Bowen at bat two on and two down, strikes out. No more runs but AJ is pushing that pitch count way up. He may not even last six at this rate.
Bottom 4th: Jays hitters missing tonight Rios at bat. Two strikes on Alex, down and away pitch, Alex strikes out. Must drive Cito and Gene Tenace crazy. Overbay at bat, grounds to Barton, throw to Duscherer for the out at 1B, two down. Barajas at bat, finally a hit, singles into LF, first since first pitch of the game and hit by Inglett. Crowd gives sarcastic cheer, they are out of this game tonight but Jays have not given them anything to cheer about so far. Lind with Barajas at 1B grounds up the middle, great save by Crosby but Ellis cannot find bag with his foot and Barajas safe at 2B. Stairs at bat can tie this one up here. Chops it high off the plate and Ellis cannot get it spins away as it lands, bases loaded for Rolen. Very nice Scott, singles first pitch up the middle and Barajas and Lind score, 3-2 McDonald at bat 0-12 slump, not this time. doubles down the 3B line, Stairs and Rolen score. Johnny Mac is held up and tagged out. Give him benefit of the doubt that he was holding up play to allow second run to score. But bottom line second run scores 4-3 Jays. That was one weird inning but the good was hits with runners in scoring position. 77 pitches for Duchscherer.

Top 5th: Burnett now with a lead. Sweeney, well this lead doesn’t last long, Sweeney hits a rocket to RF centre second deck. 4-4. So much for momentum and crowd in the game, they are QUIET on that shot. Burnett is not on his game tonight. Ellis at bat, pops out to Rolen. One down. Thomas at bat, Burnett 86 pitches full count, singles past Johnny Mac to CF. Gonzalez singles to RF. Two on and only one out. Cito has to get him out of there soon. Brown at bat, fly ball out to Wilkerson in RF. Two down and Frasor and Parrish now pitching in the bullpen.This might be AJ’s last hitter. Crosby at bat, 96 pitches. Full count, strikes out swinging.
Bottom 5th: Inglett at bat strikes out. Wilkerson at bat one down. Full count. Strikes out. Rios now at bat two down, Alex doubles to RF. Number 32 double this season. Overbay with two down, in 0-13 slump. Great time to break it here, full count. Rios stealing safe at 3B number 28 for the season. Overbay walks on the pitch number 65 this season. Barajas at bat. Blevins now pitching in bullpen. Full count now on Barajas. Hard fly ball out to Brown in LF. 102 pitches.

Top 6th: Burnett still pitching Hannahan at bat, 3-0 count. High fly ball out to Rios in CF. One down. Barton grounds first pitch to Inglett at 2B throw to Overbay for second out. Making it easy for Burnett. Bowen at bat, strikes out. AJ gives a good effort this time. He wants the win tonight. 119 pitches.
Bottom 6th: Hitters have had their chances tonight. Can they do it this inning? Blevins now pitching. Lind at bat, hit on the arm, that hurt. Mench pinch-hitting for Stairs at bat, 3-0 count now full count. Mench strikes out swinging. Rolen at bat, one down. 3-0 count, walks him on four pitches, for Johnny Mac. Blevins throw to 2B wild throw into CF and both runners move up, Blevins error. Full count. Walks bases loaded for Inglett. Use your head here Joe, just a base hit will be fine. Hits him back of thigh and brings in Lind for the run. 5-4 Jays. Burnett will be happy with Joe, stands to win here. Bases still loaded here. New pitcher Joey Devine pitching to Wilkerson. Fly ball out to Gonzalez CF, Rolen tags and scores on the throw. 6-4 Jays. McDonald also tags on the throw and moves to 3B, smart thinking. Rios at bat, two down two on, full count on Alex. Head high and pops it up to Crosby. That was another very strange inning. But Jays will take it. Lind hit, two walks, wild throw by pitcher, Inglett hit batsman to walk in a run, and sac fly.

Top 7th: Jesse Carlson pitching, Sweeney at bat, high fly ball to Rios in CF, one down. Ellis at bat, strikes out on three pitches. Thomas at bat, two down. fly ball out to Rios in CF. Three up and down, did his job.
Bottom 7th: Overbay at bat, Downs now pitching in bullpen. Overbay grounds to Ellis at 2B throw to 1B Barton for the out. Barajas at bat, long high fly ball out to CF Gonzalez. Two down for Lind, grounds to Hannahan great play to get to the ball and throw to Barton at 1B for third out.

Top 8th: Downs now pitching. Gonzalez at bat, strikes out on three pitches. Brown at bat one down, lines it into CF. Crosby at bat, singles into LF, two on and one down, careful here Scott. Hannahan at bat, fly ball out to Wilkerson in RF, two down, both runners hold. Barton at bat,full count. Whoa… strikes him out,that was big Scott.
Bottom 8th: Brad Ziegler pitching has not given up a run in his first major league 26 games and 34 innings. Time for Jays to get to him…. Mench grounds to Ellis throw to Barton for the out. Rolen grounds to Crosby, throw to Barton two down. McDonald with two down. full count here. Singles to LF. Inglett now with one on and two down. BJ Ryan would appreciate one more run Joe. 3-0 count, good at bat so far, full count, Johnny Mac will be running singles to LF, a good at bat Joe. McDonald at 2B. Wilkerson at bat now big chance Brad for fame. Grounds out to Barton at 1B and Ziegler’s amazing streak continues.

Top 9th: BJ Ryan for the save and Burnett’s win number 14. Can he do it? Inglett in LF for Lind, Scutaro in at 2B. Suzuki pinch hitting for Bowen, full count, grounds to Rolen at 3n throw to Overbay for the first out. Top of the order now, Sweeney at bat, hits him he is hurt, right hand. Ellis at bat,one on one down, another full count. singles up the middle. Two on one down for Big Frank, oh no…… grounds to Johnny Mac throw from his knees to Scutaro at 2B, is upended by Ellis but gets throw of to Overbay, double play ball. Thank you Frank. But a great play by McDonald, he makes it look so easy and also for Scutaro to hang in there despire Ellis taking him out at 2B. Jays hang on to win this one 6-4.

Jays take four from Oakland, Save number 22 for BJ and win number 14 for AJ Burnett. Oakland will be glad to get out of town tonight. They did not play badly tonight, luck was on Jays side, but they have had their share of bad luck this season.