Burnett's last gem ruined by Scutaro and Cito errors

Toronto v New York Game two, Wednesday September 24, 2008.

If Cito and coaching staff had not already been anointed and discussing contract on the table, I seriously believe Rogers /Jays management would be looking at new faces. Take out that ten game win streak and what do we have? This team is just not hitting. One run in eighteen innings before today’s game is hardly playoff material. Tonight Burnett going for his win number nineteen against a Phil Hughes 0-4 this season after injured rib caused him to miss most of the season. You know that is a recipe for disaster for the Jays tonight and they will not be able to blame the umpire this time. Yankees have also won six straight and nine of 11 but AJ is one guy who can stop them, but once again Jays have to score more than one run.


Lineups: New York: Gardner, Cano, Abreu, Nady, Giambi, Betemit, Ransom,Miranda, Moeller and pitching. Second team for the Yankees tonight which is an even worse omen. No Damon, Jeter or Rodriguez.

Toronto: Inglett, Scutaro, Rios, Wells, Lind, Overbay, Rolen, Snider, Zaun and Burnett pitching. (the first team) I don’t think Lind should be batting behind Wells, should probably switch with Rolen. He needs to get his confidence back. His hitting is not good right now but then who is hitting?

Pitching: Burnett (18-10, 4.18 ERA) Hughes. 0-4. Yankees have struggled against Burnett, who is 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA in four starts against them this season. Burnett, who is 8-1 with a 3.06 ERA in his last 12 overall starts. Burnett is 6-3 with a 2.58 ERA in 10 career starts against New York.

Result: Yankees win with grand slam in the tenth by Abreu 6-2. Tough no decision for Burnett after pitching so well for eight. Is that his last game for Jays? Did Cito blow this one ? Scutaro’s error certainly made it a tie game instead of 2-1 lead for Jays in the top of the ninth and is the goat tonight.

The good: Burnett a tremendous effort. Rolen HR, good execution in the 1st by Jays hitters.

The bad: Scutaro game losing error, Cito and his pitching judgement which backfired tonight. Jays 0-4 with runners in scoring position. Priority number one for Dunedin but do Jays have the coaching staff to make a difference ?

The game: Top 1st: Gardner singles to LF, trying for two and great throw by Snider to 2B Inglett to get Gardner out. That was a Forrest Gump moment “stupid is stupid be”. Gardner trying to impress manager ? I think Damon is safe for now. Cano grounds to SS Scutaro to 1B Overbay. Two down for Abreu pops up to SS Scutaro. Quick inning for AJ.

Bottom 1st: Inglett doubles down the line into LF. Nice start. Scutaro, is he bunting ? No, but grounds to 2B Cano throw to 1B Miranda, and moves Inglett to 3B. Key though is can Alex or Vernon bring him in from 3B ? Rios gets hold of this one, a high fly ball to LF Nady, Inglett scores and Jays go ahead 1-0. Good execution for a change by Jays. Wells with two down singles to CF. They are jumping on Hughes this first inning as they should. Lind grounds out, to 1B Miranda. His troubles continue. I think he should move down the order and take some pressure off him.

Top 2nd: Nady strikes out. Giambi strikes out. Two quick outs. Betemit infield single to SS Scutaro. Ransom full count and walks, Betemit moves to 2B. Miranda fly ball out to LF Snider.

Bottom 2nd: Overbay grounds to 2B Cano throw to 1B Miranda. One down. Rolen strikes out.Snider strikes out. Jays quiet again.

Top 3rd: Moeller singles to CF. One on for Gardner grounds to 2B Inglett throw to SS Scutaro, to get Moeller. One down one on for Cano, singles to SS Scutaro short, Gardner moves to 2B, Scutaro trying a Johnny Mac play throws it away at 1B. There was no chance there, that was reckless brain spasm play by Scutaro. Gardner moves to 3B and Cano to 2B. Scutaro's error. Still only one down but two runners in scoring position. Abreu strikes out. Two down for Nady singles to CF, Gardner and Cano score. Yankees take the lead 2-1. There Scutaro’s error is big as Cano would have had to hold at 3B. Giambi grounds to 2B Inglett throw to 1B Overbay. Now that error is even greater, this should be a tied game. A small thing but I am sure Burnett is not happy.

Bottom 3rd: Zaun fly ball out to LF Nady. No way is Gregg striking out. Inglett fly ball to CF Gardner. Scutaro grounds to Hughes throw to 1B Miranda and Jays go quietly.

Top 4th: Betemit doubles to CF. Ransom grounds to SS Scutaro throw to 1B Overbay. One down. Miranda singles to CF, Betemit moves to 3B. Two on again and only one out. Moeller strikes out. Two down. Gardner strikes out. Great pitching by Burnett to get out of big trouble.

Bottom 4th: Rios doubles to LF Good start, Alex is producing tonight. Wells grounds to 3B Betemit throw to 1B Miranda. Alex has to hold at 2B. Lind strikes out. Please Cito get this kid out of his misery, you can see him tighten up in his at bats. Too much pressure for him. Overbay lines out to SS Ransom. Jays hitters have three tries and cannot bring in the runner at 2B. Cito this is the problem you and your staff should be working on bigtime.

Top 5th: Cano grounds to 2B Inglett throw to 1B Overbay. One down for Abreu strikes out.Two down for Nady fly ball out to RF Rios. Good inning for AJ, he is more than doing his part.

Bottom 5th: Rolen grounds to 2B Cano throw to 1B Miranda.Snider grounds to Hughes throw to 1B Miranda. Zaun singles to CF. No messing around with taking strikes tonight for Gregg. Inglett fly ball out to LF Nady. Jays leave another one on.

Top 6th: Giambi walks on four pitches. Betemit grounds to 2B Inglett on to Scutaro, that was not a good play Joe but Scutaro manages throw to 1B Overbay, Betemit just out. Two down. Ransom strikes out. Another quick one for AJ but helped by that double play.

Bottom 6th: Top of Jays order, Hghes is making it look very hard for Jays hitters tonight. Scutaro fly ball out to RF Abreu. One down for Rios grounds to 2B Cano on to 1B Miranda. Two down for Wells. Fly ball out to CF Gardner. Looks as if Burnett will have to be perfect tonight there is nothing coming from the Jays bats again tonight for the third game this week.

Top 7th: Miranda strikes out. Moeller fly ball out to CF Wells. Two down for Gardner strikes out. Three up and down for AJ pitching very well but pitch count is nearing 100, you know he wants to stay in to get the win.

Bottom 7th: Lind fly ball out to CF Gardner. One down for Overbay, strikes out. Rolen, here we go, gets hold of this one, from my seat this is going out all the way. HR Scott to LF and this game is tied up 2-2. Snider strikes out.

Top 8th: Burnett still out there with pitch count over 100. Cano strikes out. Abreu strikes out. Burnett is just getting stronger. Nady with two down fly ball out to CF Wells. AJ gets a standing ovation all the way back to the dugout. Is this the last time we shall see him pitching for Jays? Eleven strike outs tonight and but for Scutaro error in the third he would be leaving game 2-1 lead and BJ Ryan would be preparing for the ninth. Little things and Jays have lots of those recently and throughout the season.

Bottom 8th: Can Jays hitters get one run for AJ ? Zaun strikes out looking Gregg ? not again.. that is the first time you have not been aggressive tonight. Top of the order. Inglett ground sto 2B Cano throw to 1B Miranda. Two down for tonight’s goat. Scutaro fliy ball out to CF ed out to Gardner.

Top 9th: Not BJ Ryan I am afraid. Carlson now pitching. Giambi hit by a pitch. One on and here comes Damon pinch-running for Giambi. Betemit pops up to 2B Inglett. One down for Ransom, Damon stealing, Zaun throw to 2B Inglett, lots of time and Damon is out. Nice throw Gregg.
Ransom strikes out.

Bottom 9th: Damon in as designated hitter. Veras now pitching to the big bats. Alex and Vernon have hits tonight. Can they do it here ? Rios grounds to SS Ransom throw to 1B Miranda. One down for Wells fly ball out to CF Gardner. Two down for Lind, strikes out. Cito are you watching this kid ? Give him a break here. Take the pressure off him.


Top 10th. Extra innings for Jays. No Ryan though, Carlson in for a second inning, Cito is rolling the dice here, not his usual one inning and with such a great bullpen plus Halladay pitching tomorrow they should be available. Miranda doubles to RF. Cabrera pinch-running for Miranda.
Moeller full count and walks. Carlson is staying in there ???? Gardner trying to bunt and not a great at bat but finally manages it to 3B Rolen throw to 2B Inglett, Cabrera to 3B, Moeller to 2B.
Cano hit by a pitch to load the bases, still no Cito. Abreu with bases loaded, there it goes HR to RF, this game is blown open 6-2 Yankees. Cito you blew this one by not taking out Carlson here. Definitely not your style to leave a guy in like that, you were gambling on his previous inning but that is why you have a (very good) bullpen. This one will come back to haunt you for the naysayers who remember your last stint as Manager and the handling of pitching staff. Still only one out for Nady and Carlson still pitching. Nady grounds out to 1B Overbay. Two down here comes Damon. Singles to RF. Carlson is in there to finish this one off. Betemit with one and two down pops up to SS Scutaro.

Bottom 10th: Nady in at 1B. Cabrera in at LF. Ponson now pitching to finish this one up.. Overbay grounds out to 1B Nady with the crowd that are left groaning. Not happy with Lyle. Rolen grounds back to Ponson throw to 1B Nady. Two down for Snider fly ball out to LF Cabrera. Yankees didn’t need Rivera tonight. Very disappointing loss.

What they are saying: A-Rod. "The last two weeks we've shown the kind of baseball we can play. It's just very unfortunate and frustrating that we weren't able to put stretches like this together more often. It was a very inconsistent year for all of us. With the talent that we have in this clubhouse, that's the way we should have played all year." ( I think he could be talking about the Blue Jays)

Burnett on future: "My plans, my goals are to finish out a healthy season. And then we'll go from there."

Hughes on his early season problems: "I really felt like I would have gotten out of it, it's just the injury held me back. I never really got an opportunity to dig myself out of that hole."

Manager Cito Gaston. “Third place is certainly better than fourth place," "With some luck we wouldn't be playing for third place, we'd just about have it wrapped up. But to finish third is very important for us."
Gaston said of last night home umpire Vanover's strike zone "Guys were complaining about it, but I'm not back there, I can't see it. That's a lot of strikeouts." (14) tied a season high.