Cito and coaching staff blow this one bigtime for Litsch.

Toronto v Detroit series closer. Thursday August 13, 2008.

Preview: Big game here today. Jays have great chance to sweep Tigers for first ever four game sweep. Jays have gone 20-12 since July 8 to pull within eight games of wild card-leading Boston and more crucial head to head series ahead. Wells is 5-for-11 with a homer and seven RBIs so far in the series. Gallarago has been Detroit’s best pitcher this season.

Pitching: Gallarrago (10-4, 3.23 ERA) v Litsch (8-7, 4.46 ERA) Galarrago gave up three hits in 5 1-3 shutout innings to earn a 5-1 win at Toronto on April 21. Litsch is pitching first game since recall from Syracuse.
Lineups: Toronto: Inglett, Scutaro, Rios, Wells, Stairs, Lind, Overbay, Zaun, McDonald and Litsch pitching.
Detroit: Grandesron, Polanco, Ordoinez, Cabrera, Sheffield, Joce, Renteria, Inge, Sardinha and Gallarrago pitching.

The result: Jays lose 5-1. Same result as last Galarrago game in Toronto in April.
The good: Lyle’s HR, Defense by Johnny Mc. Defense by Vernon in the eighth to show Alex how that position should be played. Inglett for his bat and glove. Not least Jesse Litsch who pitched a great game and more than enough to win this one. Welcome back Jesse.

The bad: Rios in the eighth not coming home from third base for the second run on contact and easy chance to score. He can’t hesitate once let alone twice as he did. But then this is Rios.

The very bad: Coaching staff. One not sending Rios on contact in the eighth inning from 3B for run two, and then in the bottom of the eighth Cito Gaston for bringing in Frasor for Carlson after Jesse already had one out on two pitches. Frasor is gasoline on a fire in that situation and especially with runners on and in clutch situations. He loses his nerve or something.

What they are saying: Leyland: "This is dangerous, because we're doing just enough to lose right now. That's not good. We have to start doing the things that it takes to win."

Wells playing DH last night: "It's kind of like a day off, but not really. It just kind of gives the legs a break, trying to get back, instead of overworking them and trying to do too much."

Litsch on demotion to Syracuse: "I went down there open-minded. I didn't know when I was coming back, but I'm happy that I'm back here now. I'm just ready to get after it again."

The game: Top 1st: Inglett singles to RF, Scutaro grounds to 2B Polanco throw to Renteria at 2B to get Inglett. Scutaro at 1B. Rios at bat, what mood is this guy in today? grounds to 3B Inge throw to second Polanco at 2B to get Scutaro. Rios safe at 1B. Wells at bat, one on two down grounds to Renteria SS throw to Cabrera for third out.
Bottom 1st: Granderson lead off fly ball out to Rios in RF, one down. Polanco pops out to Inglett at 2B. Two down for Ordonez, full count and walks. Jesse not usually walking hitters. Cabrera with two down, grounds to Overbay at 1B on to Inglett and Litsch for the third out.

Top 2nd: Stairs in one of his mini slumps, strikes out. One down for Lind. Lind walks. One on one down for Overbay fly ball out to Joyce in LF, two down for Zaun in today for Barajas after night game. Zaun strikes out for third out.
Bottom 2nd: Sheffield playing today after his ejection last night for tossing his bat in disgust at te calls behind the plate. Sheffield strikes out. One down for Joyce strikes out. Litsch loving this. Two down and no one on base. Renteria changes that and singles to LF. Inge at bat, playing 3B today and Sardinha behind the plate, now Inge hit by a pitch, Renteria moves to 2B and Jesse has two on base for Sardinha. Sardinha grounds out to Litsch throw to Overbay for third out at 1B.

Top 3rd: McDonald grounds to Renteria at SS and beats out the throw to 1B. Nice hustling Johnny Mc. One on for Inglett strikes out. One down. Scutaro fouls out to Joyce in LF. Rios strikes out. I am not quite sure what we all want to see from Alex’s bat, but I know that is definitely not strikeouts. Will we ever see the power that he had up until last year’s All-Star Home Run contest and that seemed to vanish the day after not to be seen again.
Bottom 3rd: Granderson walked on a full count. Granderson at 1B Polanco grounds to McDonald, throw to Inglett on to Overbay double play ball. Ordonez grounds to McDonald throw not in time to get Ordonez, Cabrera two down one on. Litsch 56 pitches. full count. grounds to Litsch throw to Overbay for the out. No damage.

Top 4th: Wells at bat. Grounds to Inge 3B, throw to Cabrera one down. Stairs at bat grounds to Inge 3B, throw to 1B two down. Lind at bat two down. pops up to Joyce, easy three up and down for Gallarago 60 pitches.
Bottom 4th: Sgeffield. Grounds to Scutaro at 3B throw to Overbay for the out. Joyce at bat one down. full count. grounds to a diving Inglett throw to Overbay gets Joyce. Great play Joe. Renteria with two down. full count. lines out to Scutaro at 3B. 70 pitches.

Top 5th: Overbay at bat gets under one here and high fly ball to RF in the seats HR Lyle, 1-0 Jays. Zaun fly ball out to LF Joyce, one down for McDonald strikes out looking.Two down for Inglett singles to shallow right centre. Scutaro two down one on. bounces one to 3B line, Galaarago fumbles and Suctaro safe at 1B two on for Rios. 0-2 hitless today. 78 pitches. grounds to SS throw to 2B gets Scutaro.
Bottom 5th: Inge Fly ball out to Rios, Sardhina pops up to Inglett. Granderson two down, strikes out, Three up and down for Litsch. 87 pitches.

Top 6th: Wells first pitch (what else) grounds to SS Renteria, on to Cabrera for the out. Stairs at bat, 3-1 count and walks. See Vernon. Lind with one on, full count lines long fly ball out to Granderson in CF. Two down. Overbay at bat grounds to 2B Polanco for the third out at 1B. 94 pitches.
Bottom 6th: Maybe Litsch last inning. Polanco at bat, fly ball out to Wells in CF one down. Ordonez, gets hold of one here but long fly ball out to Lind in left centre for the second out. Cabrera lopps it into shallow centre. One on two down for Sheffield. grounds to McDonald, whirls and throws in midair to Inglett to get sliding Cabrera at 2B, great play by Johnny Mc. That’s over the hundred pitches also.111 pitches.

Top 7th: Jays hitters need some insurance here. One is by no means enough. Zaun 0-2 today, full count, gets hold of this one but long fly ball out to Ordonz at RF wall. Over the hundred pitches. McDonald 1-2 today. Fly ball out to Ordonez in RF. Two down for Inglett 2-3 today and some very good fielding plays. Strikes out looking. Number six for Gallarago today. 108 pitches.
Bottom 7th: Litsch still pitching. Ciito has no one up in bullpen … Joyce singles up the middle, lead-off hitter on base. Renteria at bat, Carlson and Frasor now warming up in buklllpen. Not quite sure why they are so late and did not start the inning. High fly ball out to Lind in LF. Inge at bat, grounds to Scutaro at 3B throw to Inglett at 2B throw not in time to get Inge at 1B but two down. Sardinha pops it up to Rios in shallow right centre. 112 pitches.

Top 8th: Top of the order for Jays hitters, Scutaro, Rios, Wells, surely they can add one here. Scutaro first pitch grounds to 3B throw to Canrera at 1B one down. Rios hitless today swings and misses a mile on first pitch, head in the air and leaning away from pitch. Classic Alex strike, this one is much better lines it very hard to the CF wall, triple here Alex at 3B for Vernon and one down. 3-1 count. grounds it up the middle Renteria great save and throw to 1B to get Vernon. BUT why didn’t Rios go on contact? stays at 3B. Hesitates twice and then too late. Ouch. That was a run. Rios has had trouble this month coming in from third base. He had time there if he had gone on contact. This error could be huge. Stairs grounds to 2B for the out at 1B.
Bottom 8th: Carlson pitching. Granderson at bat, shows bunt, high fly ball to Wells in right centre, great catch Vernon at the wall. One down. That’s it for Carlson one out? Cito ringing the changes here. He could have left Carlson in there. Polanco at bat. Frasor now pitching, full count. Walks him. Ordonez fly ball out to Wells in CF, for second out. Cabrera at bat, wild pitch Polanco moves to 2B. Singles to LF Polanco scores and wild throw over head of Zaun moves Cabrera to 2B. This game is tied 1-1. Here comes Gaston a little late here, he gambled and lost with Frasor over Carlson. Now an intentional walk to Sheffield, Joyce at bat with two down and two on. 3-1 count, walks him to load bases. Cito will learn that pitching Frasor with runners on is never a good idea, any Jays fan can tell him that. Renteria at bat doubles to left centre two runs score. 3-1 Tigers. .That’s it for Frasor but Cito must take the fall here. He has to know his pitching staff better than that. Camp now pitching. Inge at bat with two in scoring position. singles to LF two more runs score. 5-1 Detroit. Sardinha at bat strikes out. Big goat this inning is the Manager.

Top 9th: This should be interesting. Lind, Overbay and Zaun. Will they mail this one in for fight like contenders? I think we know the answer to that. Fernando Rodney pitching. Lind grounds out to Cabrera, one down. Overbay full count, Lyle is trying. Foul tip strikes out. Two down. Zaun at bat, two down, last gasp for Jays. 3-0 count. full count, taking him all the way. Strikes out.

Jays lose this one but in my book poor managing and coaching takes part of the blame here.