Marcum wins one helped by Barajas' bat and SuperMac defence.

Game three. Toronto v Oakland. Wednesday August 6, 2008.

Preview: Jays coming off a very good walk off win last night. Face a rookie tonight and we all know what that meas for the Jays, they always seem to have rt=trouble with rookie pitchers. I hope not tonight. Tampa has already won and they need to keep on winning and also put Oakland down whilst they are in a slump. No mercy. Jays have had trouble all season showing no mercy and showing a ruthless streak. God to see Mench earn his spot in lineup tonight after that no-nonsense winning hit last night with two own and two down. Marcum needs to show he is a starter again tonight after some poor outings.

Lineups: Oakland: Sweeney, Suzuki, Thomas, Gonzalez, Cust, Ellis, Hannahan, Crosby, Barton and Gio Gonzalez major league debut.
Toronto: Scutaro, Eckstein, Rios, Overbay, Barajas, Lind, Rolen, Mench, McDonald and Marcum pitching.

Result: Jays win 5-1.

The good: Marcum very definitely, was in a groove and untouchable for five innings, good to see after his last few outings, Jays need him up there with Halladay and Burnett now. Barajas three run home run in the first inning. Defence again with the double plays especially the one in the 7th inning and bases loaded. Johnny SuperMac has to stay in that lineup. More patience by hitters and the five walks of which Overbay had three.

The bad: Hitters let Gonzalez off the hook tonight after first inning. Only four hits, Rios, Barajas and Lind with two.

The game:
Top 1st: Sweeney, Fly ball out to Rios in CF, one down. Suzuki, taps weakly back to Marcum, throw to Overbay for second out. Thomas batting third tonight, long overdue in Toronto in this series, beware Shawn. Someone will suffer, walks him. Gonzalez now in clean-up position. Was very hot last night with four hits. First pitch weak pop up and bounce to Johnny Mac steps on2B to get Frank. Good quick 10 pitch inning for Marcum.
Bottom 1st: This is where Jays hitters have to make a statement with the rookie pitcher tonight and his major league debut . Get going from first at bat. Scutaro, fly ball out to Gonzalez in CF, one down. Eckstein , strikes out Eckstein. Gui Gozalez pitching very quickly here Two down. Rios with two down. doubles to LF corner wall. Nice hit Alex, head down and great swing. Overbay with Alex at 2B. walks him. Two on two down for Barajas one of last night’s heroes. OH BOY this one has gone bigtime…. Back of second deck in LF. 3-0 Jays. And that is exactly how it should be tonight. Lind at bat singles up the middle. Pitching coach out to calm Gonzalez down. Rolen at bat, fly ball out to shallow CF. 25 pitch inning for Gonzalez.

Top 2nd: Marcum now with a good lead. Just relax Shawn. Cust at bat, pops it up to Rolen, one down. Ellis at bat fly ball out to Rios in CF. Two down for Hannahan fly ball out to Mench in RF. Three up and down very quick inning. 19 pitches for first two.
Bottom 2nd: Now this is where I think Jays need improvement, building on a good lead, and putting this game away very early, get another five runs or so this inning. But so far this season that has been very, very rare event. Mench at bat last night’ s big hero. Full count. Grounds to Crosby throw to Barton 1B one down. Johnny SuperMac with one down. Same play, grounds to Crosby throw to Barton 1B for second out. two down now for Scutaro lines this one very hard to Hannahan 3B throw to Barton 1B to get Scutaro. 39 pitches. Gonzalez works very fast never steps off the hill between pitches. Good to see.

Top 3rd: Crosby strikes out on three pitches. Barrton at bat one down fly ball out to Rios in CF. Two down. Sweeney at bat, grounds out to Overbay for third out. 32 pitches.
Bottom 3rd: Eckstein at bat loops it behind 2B for Ellis grab, nice catch, one down. Rios at bat one down. Grounds to Ellis throw to Barton for the second out. Overbay at bat, full count, walks for Barajas again. Another good hit but this time high fly ball out to Cust in LF. 56 pitches. This was my concern, Jays are not making Oakland pay, They are letting Gonzalez settle into the game and giving his hitters chance to get back in this game. Baseball is a game of momentum and Jays have lost it right now.

Top 4th: Suzuki grounds to McDonald throw to Ovebay for the out. Thomas full count, patient as ever, but strikes out looking this time, Frank does not agree. Gonzalez at bat strikes out looking. 48 pitches. Marcum is cruising but that is not the point, Jays hitters have to bury the Oakland and get Gonzalez out of there.
Bottom 4th: Lind at bat strikes out. Rolen, gets hold of it but lines out to CF. Two down. Mench at bat with two down. Grounds to Crosby at SS, throw to Barton at 1B for the third out and a three up and down for Gonzalez . 67 pitches.

Top 5th: Both pitchers working very quickly. Cust at bat strikes out, number four tonight and third in a row. Ellis at bat strikes out, five and four in a row. Hannahan strikes out number six. Wow, great pitching tonight from Marcum so far. 60 pitches.
Bottom 5th: McDonald first pitch fly ball out to Sweeney in RF. Scutaro at bat, strikes out on three pitches, two down. Eckstein with two down, grounds to Crosby at SS throw to Barton for the third out. Gonzalez is now locked in. 75 pitches. Jays have not troubled him since the first inning.

Top 6th: Crosby at bat there it goes, first hit of game off Marcum is HR to LF, 3-1 Jays. Barton pops this one up to Overbay, one down. Sweeney at bat, first pitch fly ball out to Lind in LF, two down. Suzuki at bat, strikes out. Marcum still rolling but needs some run support. 73 pitches.
Bottom 6th: Can Jays hitters get that run back and more? Rios at bat, grounds to Gonzalez throw to Barton for first out. Overbay at bat, one down. 3-0 count. Full count and grounds out to Barton. Two down. Barajas at bat, full count, strikes out. 91 pitches and Jays hitters are totally flummoxed by the rookie making his major league debut.

Top 7th: Thomas at bat, singles first pitch up the middle, Gonzalez with one on. Loops one into shallow right centre. Two on and no outs. Cust at bat full count, walks bases loaded. Ellis at bat grounds to McDonald. Throw to home gets Thomas one down. Bases loaded. Hannahan at bat, grounds to Scutaro throw to Johnny Mac throw to Overbay, YES Sir a double play. Perfect ending here. 89 pitches.
Bottom 7th: Lind at bat, singles to right and that’s the end for Gonzalez, a very good major league debut. Just one bad inning and then he shut Jays down. Casilla now pitching. Rolen walks, Lind to 2B, two on and no outs. Wild pitch by Casilla, Lind to 3B, Rolen to 2B. Mench at bat grounds to Crosby SS throw to.Barton to get Mench, runners hold. McDonald trying suicide squeeze here but fouls off. McDonald now taps in front, Lind scores, throw by Casilla to the plate was in time but could not get tag on Lind. McDonald safe at 1B. 4-1 Jays. Huge run after the top of the inning. Rolen to 3B, McDonald to 1B. Scutaro walks bases loaded on four pitches, McDonald to 2B.That’s it for Casilla, Devine now pitching. Stairs pinch-hitting for Eckstein. Stairs grounds to Ellis 2B throw to Barton, Rolen scores,5-1 Jays. McDonald to third, Scutaro to second. McDonald trying to come home Barton throws home to Suzuki out at the plate to end the inning. May be a little too aggressive there Johnny Mac.

Top 8th: Downs now pitching. Mench now in LF and Wilkerson at RF. Crosby taps back to Downs, throw to Overbay for the out. Barton grounds to Overbay flip to Downs for the second out. Sweeney at bat two down.Strikes out. Bottom 8th: Alan Embree pitching. Rios big swing. Now grounds to Ellis at 2B, throw to Barton for first out. Overbay at bat, 3-1 count, walks,his third of the night. Barajas at bat, one on, one down. strikes out, two down. Wilkerson for his first at bat for Lind. Grounds out to Barton. BJ Ryan throwing in bullpen.

Top 9th: Ryan getting some work here, not a save situation. Suzuki at bat, full count, walks him for Thomas at bat. Another full count. Pops it up shallow CF, Scutaro drops the ball but Rios throw to McDonald gets Suzuki at 2B one down. Thomas at 1B, Gonzalez at bat another full count. Grounds to Scutaro throw to McDonald gets Thomas at 2B but Gonzalez safe at 1B. Two down for Cust, runner at 1B. Indifference as Gonzalez goes to 2B. Cust strikes out. Jays win three from Oakland.