Halladay wins number 19 with help from the bullpen and a few bats

Toronto v Boston. Saturday September 20,2008.


Pitching: Halladay 18-11 v Lester 15-5
Lineups: Boston: Ellsbury, Pedroia, Ortiz, Youkilis, Bay, Lowrie, Crisp, Cora, Varitek and Lester pitching.
Toronto: Scutaro, Bautista, Rios, Wells, Overbay, Rolen, Mench, Thigpen, McDonald, ad Halladay pitching.

The Result: Jays win 6-3. Halladay win number nineteen.
The good: Halladay, and the bullpen to shut down Boston after the third inning. Rolen HR.

The bad: Wells and Overbay the biggest goat today, double play with bases loaded and one down in a 5-0 game that could have driven Lester from the game in the second inning. Wells also hits into a double play. Then again the first pitch swinging. The six pitch inning 5th ??/6th yet again by Jays. Overbay and Mench. Wells and Overbay hitless again today 0-7. Last season Vernon had an excuse, not this year. Overbay has gone backwards since Gibbons left. Hitters 3/9 with runners in scoring position today. You can’t give a team like Boston giveaways.

The game: Top 1st: Ellsbury leading off and singles to LF. One on for Pedroia, there goes Ellsbury and steals 2B. Boston serious today, Pedroia 3-0 count and walks on four pitches. Not the start Halladay had in mind today. Ortiz at bat with two on and no outs, I don’t think he will be bunting here. Fly ball out to RF Rios, Ellsbury moves to 3B. One down, another sac fly here will get them ahead. Youkilis strikes out that is huge. Two down with two on. Bay at bat, birthday boy today. Pedroia is stealing, safe at 2B. Boston is running on young Thigpen today. Red Sox now have two in scoring position. Bay fly ball out to LF Mench. Halladay and the Jays escape but this might be a long afternoon.
Bottom 1st: Will Jays hitters emerge today ? Scutaro leading off singles to CF. It is not Scutaro’s bat I worry about, it is the big guys behind him who went 0-15 collectively last night. Bautista at bat grounds to 2B Pedroia throw to 1B Youkilis, moves Scutaro into scoring position but can the bats behind him bring in the run? Rios singles to LF and Scutaro scores. 1-0 Jays. Where was that last night Alex? Wells at bat another slumper, strikes out and continues his hitting woes. I don’t mind streaky hitters but it would be nice for Vernon to have a streak this season. Overbay at bat another goat from last night, Rios stealing and safe at 2B. Not enough of that in my opinion.Cito is not an aggressive manager but if hitters are not getting the job done then he has no choice. Overbay fly ball out to CF Crisp, leaving Rios in scoring position.

Top 2nd: Halladay has a lead to work with. Lowrie fly ball out to CF Wells. One down for Crisp singles to CF. One on one down for Cora fly ball out to LF Mench. Two down for Varitek strikes out. Halladay a better inning.
Top 2nd: Rolen singles to RF. Mench walks and Rolen moves to 2B, two on and no outs. Thigpen bunting and gets a great one down to 3B Lowrie throw to Pedroia, to get Inglett, Rolen to 3B, Mench to 2B. Two in scoring position and only one down. McDonald is hit to load bases.Lester really in a mess here. Scutaro at bat, YES Marco, doubles to LF , Rolen scores, Mench scores, ad Johnny MC to 3B. Jays up 3-0. Still only one down for Bautista, singles to LF, McDonald scores,4-0 Jays. Scutaro to 3B. for Rios grounds to Cora at SS, Cora comig home with the throw and wild into the Boston dugout. Error to Cora and Rios safe at 2B. Scutaro scores, 5-0 Jays. Bautista at 3B. Still only one out for Wells, intentional walk. Sorry Vernon no hit here to break that slump. Bases loaded yet again. Overbay at bat, NO Lyle. Grounds a 2B Pedroia to SS Cora on to 1B Youkilis, double play, and the inning ends. That was NOT a good at bat Lyle. Boston has the bullpen up and working and could have been the end of Lester. Jays have given Halladay a lead to work with at least.

Top 3rd: Ellsbury grounds to 2B Scutaro throw to 1B Overbay. One down for Pedroia, doubles to RF. One on and one down for Ortiz, he singles to CF and Pedroia scores. 5-1 Jays. Youkilis at bat fly ball out to RF Rios. Two down for the birthday boy. Bay 3-1 and gets hold of this one this is out of here HR to LF, two runs score and this game is a little tighter for Halladay at 5-3 Jays. Two down for Lowrie grounds out to 1B Overbay for the third out. But this has saved Lester. Too bad. You don’t often see Halladay let a team get back in a game that quickly.
Bottom 3rd: Lester rejuvenated by that comeback Rolen strikes out. One down for Mench strikes out. Two down for Thigpen grounds to 3B Lowrie throw to 1B Youkilis. Jays go very quietly, momentum has shifted bigtime back to Lester.

Top 4th: Crisp grounds to 3B Rolen throw to 1B Overbay. One down for Cora fly ball out to CF Wells. Two down for Varitek grounds to Halladay tags him for third out. Halladay also has quick three up and down.
Bottom 4th: McDonald grounds to 2B Pedroia throw to 1B Youkilis. One down for Scutaro grounds to 3B Lowrie throw to 1B Youkilis. Two down. Bautista infield single to SS Cora, one on one down for Rios walks, was that semi intentional with Wels on deck? Bautista moves to 2B.
Wells pops up to SS Cora. One of the good fallouts with Wells awful hitting is that he may not be selected for the World Cup in March 2009 and will have to send more time in Spring training getting his hitting stroke back. Downside is however the last time he played in that tournament he started the season very well and not his usual two months to get warmed up.

Top 5th: And now both pitchers have settled in but Lester should have been out of the game in the second inning if Overbay had found his missing stroke. Top of the order. Ellsbury grounds to Halladay throw to 1B Overbay. One down. Pedroia fly ball out to RF Rios.Ortiz with one on his usual patience full count and walks. Boston hitters work the count in their favour most of the time, how come Jays cannot do the same? Instead of that inane first pitch swinging? Perhaps Jays hitting coaches should observe Boston and for that matter Yankees with similar styles. But then was not Denbo a Yankees coach before he came to Toronto? Youkilis singles to LF. Ortiz moves to 2B.One down but two on Boston getting to Halladay again. Wild pitch, Ortiz to 3B and Youkilis to 2B. I wonder if Thigpen is tuned into Halladay yet? Must be an ordeal for the young catcher to be catching with Halladay. Bay now with two on, full count and walks bases loaded with two down for Lowrie. Strikes out, a huge strike out for Roy. That was big trouble brewing.
Bottom 5th: Can the Jays take advantage of that escape here? Overbay (first pitch of course) pops up 3B Lowrie. Lyle is really struggling at bat. He had such a great on base percentage before the current coaching regime. Rolen grounds to SS Cora throw to 1B Youkilis. Two down.
Mench NO ! (first pitch of course) grounds to 2B Pedroia throw to 1B Youkilis. One of those great six pitch !!!! innings by the Jays hitters to get the opposition pitcher pumped up….That was rock bottom. No excuse at all especially for Mench but he is probably history next week anyway.

Top 6th: Jays hitters giving Lester every chance to get stay in the game. Crisp grounds out to 1B Overbay. Cora grounds to 2B Scutaro throw to 1B Overbay. Varitek fly ball out to CF Wells. Halladay quick three up and down. Boston hitters are now being bewitched by the awful Jays. But Roy;s pitch count is way over 100 so that could be it for him today but at least he still has the lead.
Bottom 6th: Thigpen leading off singles to LF. Johnny MC bunting here ???? YES great bunt to Lester throw to 2B Pedroia, Thigpen moves to 2B. Runner in scoring position for the top of the order but I am beginning to think that it is better situation with the bottom of the order. Scutaro fly ball out to RF Ellsbury. Two down. Bautista strikes out. Not good friends. Jays hitters have certainly had their chances.

Top 7th: Bullpen now taking over, Carlson pitching. Ellsbury pops up to 2B Scutaro. One down. Pedroia grounds to SS McDonald throw to 1B Overbay. Two down. Ortiz fly ball out to RF Rios. Very nice inning from Carlson.
Bottom 7th: Lester still in there. Rios leading off singles to LF, second hit today, where was this yesterday ? Wells now woith one on, his last chance today probably to break his slump. NO Vernon… grounds to 3B Lowrie throw to 2B Pedroia on to 1B Youkilis, double play and the hurt goes on for Vernon. Overbay grounds to 1B Youkilis to Lester and Lyle continues his own futlility.

Top 8th: League now pitching. Youkilis strikes out. Pone down for Bay, grounds to Rolen but beats out the throw Bay. Lowrie at bat safe on fielder's choice and Overbay's error, Por Lyle noting is going right for him in this series, perhaos tomorrow will be his day along with Vernon and Alex Bay moves to 2B. Crisp grounds to 1B Overbay to League, Bay to 3B Lowrie to 2B,. Red Sox nation fans here are getting excited. Cora grounds hard up the middle but League makes great save here and throw to 1B Overbay for third out. That could have scored two runs there. League helps himself with that play and Halladay will speak to him again..
Bottom 8th: Masterson now pitching. Rolen at bat, gets hold of this one and this one is out. Another HR for Scott into LF and Jays get an insurance run for BJ. 6-3 Jays. Snider now pinch-hitting for Mench, should have been in the lineup today. Snider grounds to 3B Lowrie throw to 1B Youkilis.Thigpen pops up to SS Cora. McDonald grounds to 2B Pedroia throw to 1B Youkilis. Now the game rests with BJ.

Top 9th: Snider in at LF for Mench who was a bust today. Cito should really let Snider play out the season if they are serious about him for next year. BJ Ryan now pitching. Varitek fly ball out to RF Rios.One down for top of the order. Ellsbury grounds to 2B Scutaro throw to 1B Overbay. Two down for Pedroia grounds to SS McDonald on to 1B Overbay for the third out and well deserved win for Halladay. He struggled earlier with control but hung in there and once again the Jaya bullpen shut the Red Sox down.

What they said: Ellsbury: "We're still trying to catch Tampa. It would have been nice to have won today but we know we've still got (eight) more."

Halladay: "I don't think I was around the zone as much as I normally am. I kind of compounded the problem myself. They're a good team. They're going to make you work either way."

Lester: "You can't spot a pitcher like Halladay five runs in the second inning and hope to have a chance to win,"

Boston manager Terry Francona: "He's (Halladay) always one pitch away from a double play. He sinks the ball so well, he cuts it. He threw a couple of changeups today. That's why he's got 19 wins. He's done it against everybody. He's got tremendous stuff."