Jays win third with Vernon's grand slam and great pitching

Toronto v Detroit. Game three. Wednesday August 12, 2008

Preview: Jays need to get into that Tigers bullpen. Will they have some patience tonight against Kenny Rogers and force that pitch count up early? I doubt it, that is not the way this hitting staff coach. Which Alex Rios will be turning up tonight ? and can Jays keep pressure on the Yankees above them?

What they said: Cito on Tuesday night’s win : "This was a real team effort. It was a good win because it was a total team effort. We battled from the start. It something that we haven't done in a long time."

Manager Leyland on bullpen: "We've been losing too many games in the seventh inning and later.You can't do that." Leyland on Zumaya who had a horrible pitching outing last night and helped Jays get back into the game and win: "We're getting him checked out. We're very suspicious he's not right. He's not right - I know that for a fact. I don't know if he's hurt - but he's not right."

Cito on Purcey: “We've got to try and be patient with him and hope he learns something every time he goes out there."

Lineups: Toronto: Scutaro, Eckstein, Rios, Wells, Barajas, Lind, Overbay, Mench, McDonald and Purcey pitching.
Detroit: Granderson, Polanco, Ordonez, Cabrera, Sheffield, Raburn, Renteria, Inge, Santiago and Rogers pitching.

Pitching: Rogers (8-9, 4.92 ERA) won 8-4 against Toronto on April 18 v Purcey (1-3, 7.40ERA) makes his sixth career start and fourth since being called up from the minors on July 25. Also pitched in the same game in April and had no decision.

Result: Jays win this one 4-3 and take first three in Detroit for first time in five years. Purcey gets the win.

The good: Pitching and more pitching. Purcey followed by Frasor for two and League coming in when Downs was injured. Vernon’s grand slam. Eckstein 3-4 plus a walk.
The bad: Downs injury. Everyone is hoping he will be ok. Mench poor game tonight and wild at bats. Not a game he wants to remember.
The very bad: In a class on his own. Alex Rios. This kid has oodles of talent, no one denies it but game after game this season he appears as if his head is not in the game. His worst error tonight was dropping the fly ball out bottom of the ninth which lead to two runs and almost lost the game. He had very poor at bats, and was generally missing in action once again. Someone needs to straighten him out and quickly.

Top 1st: Scutaro leading off with Inglett not in lineup tonight. Marco grounds to Renteria at SS throw to Cabrera at 1B for the out. Eckstein doubles to RF. Making the most of his infrequent playing time. Rios pops up to Renteria at SS. Two down. Wells at DG tonight resting that hamstring, walks on four pitches.Two on two down for Barajas. Lines out to Raburn in LF leaving two on. Rogers 18 pitches.
Bottom 1st: Granderson at bat, fly ball out to Rios playing in CF tonight. One down. Polanco hit, Odronez at bat one on one down. full count strikes out, Polanco stealing and safe at 2B. Cabrera strikes out on three pitches, number two for Purcey. 21 pitches.

Top 2nd: Lind at bat, now hitting .300 again, singles into RF, this kid continues to show the pros how to do it. Overbay at bat one on, full count strikes out. One down. Mench at bat, playing in RF tonight. Fly ball out to Granderson in CF, two down for Johnny Mc. Lind still out there on 1B not a threat to steal with his lack of speed. Grounds to Polanco at 2B, throw to Cabrera for third out. 37 pitches.
Bottom 2nd: Sheffield at bat, pops it up to McDonald at SS. one down for Raburn, fly ball out to Mench in RF. Renteria at bat, two down, walks. Inge at bat, fly ball out to Rios in CF. 29 pitches.

Top 3rd: Top of the order Scutaro at bat, walks. Eckstein at bat, running bunt up the line and dives to beat out the throw, great hustle by Eckstein, two one no outs for Rios. Grounds it to Santaigo at 3B, wicked bounce off his glove and all runners safe, bases loaded and no outs for Vernon. Alex very lucky that was not a double play. Vernon first pitch pulling this one high and hard to LF almost a line drive over the head of Raburn, this one is out of here fast. GRAND SLAM for Vernon. 4-0 Jays. Barajas grounds to SS Renteria throw to Cabrera for first out. Lind at bat just pulls this one foul in RF. That could have been run number five. Goes the other way this time to the LF corner. Foul. Full count strikes out looking. Two down for Overbay. Fly ball out to Granderson in CF. But Jays have a nice lead for Purcey early. Vernon will want to to DH again…. he was a very happy guy there. 56 pitches.
Bottom 3rd: Santiago at bat, WHOA ! gets hold of this one but Lind gets it right in the LF corner, that looked out. One down instead. Granderson fly ball out to Rios in shallow CF. Two down. Polanco grounds first pitch to McDonald at SS throw to Overbay for third out. Three up and down quick for Purcey, he had to hold them there and did. 39 pitches.

Top 4th: Mench first pitch fly ball out to Granderson in CF. Not another one. McDonald at bat, we need a twelve pitch at bat here Johnny. Not this time three and that is it. Four pitches two outs, Scutaro with two down, not swinging, grounds this one to 2B Polanco. Jays hitters make it easy for Rogers three up and down, eight pitch inning. 64 pitches for Rogers.
Bottom 4th: Ordonez at bat, pops it up to McDonald at SS. One down. Cabrera at bat, high fly ball here to RF. Mench fooled at first but gets back to make the catch over his head. Two down. Sheffield walks. Raburn at bat one on, two down. pops it up to Eckstein at 2B. Purcey holding that lead. 58 pitches.

Top 5th: Eckstein at bat golfs this one HIGH just foul in LF corner, that one had the height. Right field this time but fly ball out to Ordonez in RF. One down. Alex, lucky last at bat, grounds to Renteria throw to get Rios at 1B. Two down. Wells at bat, first pitch grounds to Polanco at 2B throw to Cabrera for a very quick six pitch inning. 71 pitches.
Bottom 5th: Renteria at bat, strikes out. Number three for Purcey. Inge at bat, one down, strikes out. Santiago with two down. 3-0 count. back to full count, fouling several off here, lines it into shallow RF. First hit off Purcey tonight. Granderson at bat, grounds to Overbay for the out. NO damage for Purcey here.86 pitches though.

Top 6th: Barajas at bat, pops up first pitch ! to 3B Santiago. This is why Rogers pitch count is 15 less than Purcey. Lind now has to take a few and does. This kid has a head, thinks at bat. 3-0 count. and walks on a full count. eight pitch at bat just for Adam. Overbay, one down. Lines one into left centre but Granderson dives for this one to make a great catch and rin Overbay of at least a single. Mench first pitch !! grounds to Polanco. Throw to Cabrera for the out. He has a grand total of two pitches for his last two at bats. Rain is arriving.
Bottom 6th: Could be Purcey’s last inning. Detroit hitters are not the first pitch free swingers tonight like the Jays. Polanco grounds to McDonald throw to Overbay just gets him. Ordonez with one down. Loops it over 2B Eckstein into shallow CF. Cabrera pops it up in foul ground but Overbay cannot get it. Grounds to Eckstein throw to McDonald on to Overbay, double play ball. Purcey escapes damage and maybe gets another inning. 99 pitches.

Top 7th: Jays hitters have vanished again after Vernon’s grand slam in the third inning. McDonald to lead off. Pops it up foul to Cabrera same place as Overbay in last inning and also cannot get it. A life for Mc. Makes them pay and singles here to LF but trying to stret it and is thrown out at 2B, Johnny Mc running skills have been lacking all season with similar plays like that. Scutaro grounds to Santiago at 3B fumbles it and Scutaro beats out the throw at 1B. Error to Santiago.Now Johnny Mc’s error looms large here. Eckstein at bat, one on and one down. Rain hard now. Singles to LF. This could have been another run if Johnny Mc had held. Two on, one down for Rios. Can he do something? Swinging away at first two pitches but fouling off, where is his home run stroke? Rogers complaining to umpire about rain but no joy. It is only Alex here Kenny. 100 pitches, full count. That’s it, umpires call it.
Rain delay. Resumes at 9.46. 47 minute delay.
Francis Beltran now pitching on a full count. Alex is he taking first pitch? Grounds to SS Renteria gets Eckstein at 2B. Wells now with two on and two down. Swings at ball two and ball three. Fly ball out to CF.Granderson. Jays fail to score and leave two more on. Not very smart at bats by Alex and Vernon. Jays have left six on tonight and are 2/6 with runners in scoring position.
Bottom 7th: Frasor pitching. Have not seen him this week. Sheffield at bat. strikes out looking, great pitch by Frasor. Sheffield not happy with the call and is thrown out by umpire for tossing his bat. Raburn at bat, one down, fly ball out to Lind in LF. Two down. Renteria at bat, grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay for third out. Good inning from Frasor.

Top 8th: Barajas at bat, 0-3 tonight, grounds to Santiago throw to Cabrera one down. Lind at bat 1-3 tonight, including one hit and one walk, strikes out swinging, Overbay two down, full count, walks, nice patient at bat by Lyle. Mench, gets the gold medal for first pitch outs tonight, takes one here, wild pitch now to let Lyle get to 2B. Mench has runner in scoring position now. Strikes out. A night to forget for Kevin. Jays 2/7 with runners in scoring position.
Bottom 8th: Frasor still pitching. Inge at bat, fly ball out to Rios in CF, one down. Santiago at bat, one down, lines out to Scutaro at 3B two down. Granderson at bat. fly ball out to Lind. Good pitching by Frasor six up and down. Carlson up in bullpen.

Top 9th: Jays have not scored since Vernon’s grand slam in the third inning. But have left plenty on and in scoring position. Can they change that here? Crowd has evaporated. McDonald at bat. grounds to Renteria throw to Cabrera one down. Downs pitching in bullpen. Scutaro gets hold of this one but lines out to Raburn in LF. Two down. Eckstein at bat 3-4 tonight. Don’t forget me Cito…. Walks. Alex Rios at bat, 1-4 tonight but lucky to get that hit on a rough bounce to Santiago at 3B that lead to the grand slam by Vernon. Grounds here to Polanco at 2B and throw to Cabrera for the third out.
Bottom 9th: Downs pitching in a non-save situation. Polanco at bat full count, walks leadoff hitter. Ordonez at bat one on, singles to the RF wall. Polanco gets to 3B. Two on and no outs. Scott Downs is on the ground as he backs up the throw from RF, twists his ankle or worse, is now helped off the field, that is definitely not good for the Jays pitching staff, Downs has been almost unhittable. League now pitching, Cabrera at bat. League gets as much time as he needs to warm up here. Tigers crowd getting excited here for first time tonight. Grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay to get the out. Polanco scores 4-1. It is outs the Jays need. One down Ordonez on at 2B Matt Joyce pinch hitting for Sheffield who was ejected last at bat. Gets hold of this one high fly ball to right centre, Alex gets there and drops the ball. Man that kid drives us all crazy. Error on Alex. Runners at 2B and 3B. Raburn at bat with two on now tying run at plate, strikes him out on a great pitch. Two down now. Renteria same situation follow through with bat hits Barajas on the elbow but ok. 0-2 count lines it to the wall in RF both runners score, 4-3 Jays. Two down. Runner Renteria at 2B. Cito is out but leaves League in there. Tie run in scoring position. Inge at bat Crowd going crazy. 1-2 count. strikes him OUT…..
Yes Brandon, great pitching despite Alex’s best efforts to play for the Tigers tonight. Jays win this one 4-3 and move another one closer to the Yankees. Just two behind them now.
Tomorrow Litsch now pitching instead of Halladay who is moved back for Boston series at Fenway. Jays are still making a difference.