Jays lose close one in the ninth but give it away early.

Toronto v Chicago White Sox. Game three of four. Wednesday September 10, 2008.

Preview: Ten in a row and counting. Jays are getting lots of people upset and nervous, especially in Fenway….. Of course they are still a huge long shot but they are very entertaining giving it their all right now. Halladay tonight BUT you know that he is NOT taking this game lightly. White Sox are in a close race themselves and hold the one game lead over the Twins right now. Halladay or not White Sox will be fighting every pitch and every at bat all the way and of course Jays still have to score runs to win a game. And they have to cut out these cheap errors that are creeping into their game recently after going for more than two weeks without an error.
Jays have their longest win streak in ten years. They won 11 in a row Aug. 27-Sept. 7, 1998. White Sox have to play without two of their big bats Quentin already out with wrist surgery last week was joined by Konerko last night with a mildly sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
A win would lift Halladay's record to 19-9 and get him his next start on three days of rest in Boston on Sunday instead of the usual four.
Halladay has started on three days of rest just five times in his career and has responded by going 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA.
For Halladay to get that start Sunday, the Jays will have to continue their winning ways both in Chicago and Boston.
The 10-game win streak has been fueled by terrific starting pitching.
Including Tuesday's sweep, the Toronto starters have allowed just three earned runs over the past six games -- 45 innings -- for a 0.60 ERA.

What are they saying: Manager Ozzie Guillen on their own play off situation: "I still believe they can do it,"
Halladay "I've always felt fine (pitching on three days of rest). You just change your work in between."
Jesse Litsch: "We've got to keep it rolling. We're in a race."
Konerko on his injury: "When I first came out, with what the doctor was doing with my leg, he felt real confident about it," "That it was just a nice little sprain. That I kinda pushed it past where it should go and that's it. I think the MRI is more for peace of mind."

Jays winning streak matches a franchise high set in 1998 and 1987, are seven games behind Boston for the AL wild card and playing Tampa at Fenway tonight.

Pitching: Buehrle (12-11, 3.98 ERA) v Halladay (18-9, 2.64 ERA)
Buehrle has won four of his last five decisions. He pitched six scoreless innings Friday against the Angels allowing three hits while striking out seven in a 10-2 win. 9-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 15 home starts. He's won his last six decisions at home, where Chicago has won his last seven starts. Buehrle is 3-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 10 starts and one relief appearance against the Jays. He pitched a five-hitter and did not allow an earned run against them on May 2 in Toronto, but suffered a 2-0 defeat.
Halladay is looking to win his sixth consecutive start. The right-hander has a 2.25 ERA in his last five starts. He pitched seven innings on Friday against Tampa Bay, allowing three runs - one earned - while striking out seven in a 6-4 victory.
Halladay is 3-3 with a 3.06 ERA in nine starts and three relief appearances against the White Sox. On May 4, he allowed three runs - one earned - and three hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 4-3 win. BUT U.S. Cellular Field is the only current AL park Halladay has never won in - he's 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA in three starts here.

Yankees have already lost on the west coast. Jays will be relying on them now to sweep Tampa in New York this weekend in an ideal world. If Jays can get past Chicago.

Footnote : You think Jays are awful with runners in scoring position ? How about Tampa last night in Fenway. They left thirteen on base and went 1/17 with runners in scoring position. OUCH…. (But they still won the game)

The lineups: Toronto: Scutaro, Bautista, Rios, Wells, Barajas, Lind, Mench, Rolen, McDonald, and Halladay pitching.
Chicago: Cabrera, Wise, Dye, Thome, Ramirez, Pierzynski, Swisher, Uribe, Owens and Buehrle pitching.

The Result: White Sox win 6-5.

The good: Defence by Lind, Scutaro and Rolen. Scutaro bat, Rios HR, pinch hitting by Overbay and Inglett in the ninth to make it very close. The fight back in the ninth was good to see. Jays were losing 5-0 in the 8th.

The bad: Defence by Bautista twice and McDonald. 3 errors tonight for Jays. My impression was that Jays were too loose at the beginning of the game. Bautista should probably not have played at 1B it cost the Jays tonight. I don’t blame Halladay he had no run support and the defence and poor hitting provided too much distraction for him to settle into his own groove. You get the impression that Jays hitters relax when Halladay is pitching and rely on him alone to win the game.

The game: Top 1st: Scutaro, singles into RF centre. Bautista at bat one on is he bunting? No but grounds to 1B Swisher, steps on bag and tags out Scutaro for double play, ouch. Rios at bat, Alex singles into LF. Eleven game hit streak. Wells now with one and two down. Good no first pitch swing here. Singles into RF and stretching for two is thrown out by Dye at 2B with Alex all the way to 3B that was far too aggressive Vernon. Not good with Alex at 3B. Jays have to get it together tonight. Think with every at bat and hit. They are not very good at that.
Bottom 1st: Cabrera grounds hard to Rolen at 3B, great diving save to throw to Overbay for out at 1B. Wise singles into right centre. One on one down. Dye at bat, throw over to Bautista gets away and Wise moves to 2B. Error on Halladay. Full count. and walks him to face Thome, two on and one down. Singles into CF. Wise scores, 1-0 White Sox and Dye to 3B. Two on for Ramirez, strikes out. Two down. Pierzynski singles up the middle and Dye scores, 2-0 White Sox. Swisher with two on. Strikes out leaving two on. 29 pitch inning though.

Top 2nd: Can Jays hitters get one back for Roy here? Barajas at bat, pops up to Uribe at 3B, one down. Lind at bat, strikes out looking on three pitches. Two down, Mench singles into LF. One on two down for Rolen, pops it up in foul ground to Swisher at 1B. Jays go quietly and Buerhle is closing the door.
Bottom 2nd: Uribe lines up the middle BUT GREAT catch by Scutaro diving to his right, one down. Owens at bat fly ball out to Lind another good catch running to his right. Cabrera at bat fly ball out to Wells in CF, good inning for Halladay and helps get that pitch count back to normal. 37 pitches.

Top 3rd: McDonald at bat, pops it up to Ramirez at 2B, one down for Scutaro, full count and now walks, Scutaro not sure there of the count. One on on down. Bautista goes around on strike three. Rios at bat with two down and one on. Fly ball out to Owens in CF.
Bottom 3rd: Wise at bat, bunting and ball hits him, Barajas calls it and Wise is out. One down for Dye. Strikes out. Thome now with two down, strikes out on great Halladay curve. 46 pitches.

Top 4th: Jays bats need to get going here, Buerhle is shutting them out. Wells at bat, drives it over Ramirez head but great jump there to get Vernon. That was a two base hit. Barajas at bat one down. Fly ball out to Dye in RF. Two down for Lind. Full count. Strikes out.
Bottom 4th: Ramirez leading off, singles into LF. Pierzynski grounds to Scutaro great play, throw to McDonald steps on 2B to get Ramirez throw to Bautista but drops the ball. Pierzynski gets to 2B one down. Error on McDonald, I think that was more like Bautista’s fault. That was a double play ball. Swisher strikes out. Uribe with two down. One on, pops it up to Bautista for third out. Halladay recovers and no damage.

Top 5th: Come on the hitters….Mench first pitch swing and dribbles one to Buerhle throw to Swisher for first out. Rolen now, pops it up to Ramirez two down. McDonald, singles through legs of Buehrle into CF. Scutaro now with one on singles into CF. just past Cabrera. Two on now for Bautista don’t be a hero Jose, just a hit here. Strikes out swinging. 72 pitches.
Bottom 5th: Owens grounds to Scutaro but Bautista late to the bag and throw not in time and safe. That was very bad. Cabrera at bat, fly ball out to Mench one down. Wise at bat, Owens stealing and throw gets away from McDonald into CF and gets to 3B and strikes out on great curve. Two down for Dye. Pops up first pitch to Barajas and Halladay escapes damage, but it was his own defence that put him in trouble. Resting Overbay is not a good idea tonight Cito. Time for rest days when they wrap this one up. 71 pitches.

Top 6th: Rios now gets hold of this one but under it and high fly out to Owens at the track in left centre. Wells grounds it to Uribe at 3B a trickler compared to his drive last at bat but gets on base this time. One down one on for Barajas, high fly ball out to Wise, just misses this one going out as did Alex. Someone please line one out. Lind at bat two down one on. Strikes out swinging. I think that Lind has lost much of his earlier season form, he has not impressed the way he did earlier. 85 pitches. Jays have outhit Sox 7-5 but all singles.
Bottom 6th: Thome singles into LF. Ramirez doubles to the wall in right centre. Thome is held at 3B. Pierzynski at bat two on and no outs, doubles it into RF corner and both runs score 4-0 White Sox. Swisher at bat strikes out on three pitches. One down for Uribe singles it over head of McDonald but Pierzynski has to wait and now gets to 3B. Owens with two at the corners, Squeeze bunt and Pierzynski scores Halladay throws to 1B for second out. 5-0 White Sox. Cabrera strikes out on three pitches. You cannot win games without runs and Jays offence and defence has let Halladay down tonight, from the first inning their heads were not in this one and Bautista has been a disaster tonight at 1B.
Top 7th: Let’s see what the Jays are made of. Mench at bat grounds to Cabrera at SS throw to Swisher at 1B one down. Rolen grounds to Ramirez first pitch throw to Swisher for easy second out. McDonald at bat 0-2 count. Looks at strike three on three pitches. That was some mediocre performance by Jays hitters.
Bottom 7th: That’s it for Halladay tonight. Frasor pitching ?? why not. Cito has conceded this one. Wise grounds to McDonald first pitch throw to Bautista for first out. Dye singles into RF Mench. One on one down for Thome pops it up to Barajas, two down. Ramirez at bat, Frasor really slows down the game especially with a guy on base. Lines it to Rolen for third out.

Top 8th: Who is ready to get out of the park and get out on the town here? Jays have six outs left. Can they do it ? of course BUT they need their mental game tonight and they have not had that tonight from the top of the first inning. Scutaro at bat, 2-2 one of the few who has had a good game all round hitting and defence. Grounds to Uribe at 3B strong throw to Swisher for first out. Bautista at bat, full count and walks, his only contribution tonight. Here comes the Manager and Buehrle is out of game. Octavio Dotel pitching Rios at bat one on and one down. YES Alex this time it gets out of here hammers it into left centre, two runs score 5-2 Sox. Wells at bat, 2-3 tonight. Singles into LF. Vernon now 3-3 tonight. Barajas with one on and one down. Grounds to SS Cabrera throw to 2B Ramirez gets Vernon, on to Swisher for Barajas, double play ball to end the inning. Jays will have to face Jenks in the ninth and pray that he is shaky.
Bottom 8th: Zaun now catching, too bad he didn’t bat for Barajas. Tallet pitching. Snider in LF for Lind. Pierzynski strikes out on three pitches. Swisher at bat, doubles off LF wall. Uribe full count and now strikes out. Two down for Brian Anderson pinch hitting for Owens. Singles into LF, Swisher is running on the hit and scores on throw. 6-2 Sox. Cabrera at bat, Anderson steals 2B. Interesting play with a four run lead ? A little too much respect for the Jays here. Now they walk Cabrera with 1B open. Wise at bat, grounds to Scutaro for third out.

Top 9th: Bobby Jenks now pitching 28 saves this season. One of the best. Zaun leading off in Lind’s position, strikes out on great curve ball. Inglett at bat, for Mench singles into RF. Rolen with one on and one down. Full count for Scott and walks him, two on for Overbay. Singles into Right center Inglett scores 6-3 Sox. Two on one down for Scutaro, doubles into RF corner and Rolen scores 6-4 Sox. Bautista with two in scoring position and one down. Overbay at 3B and Scutaro at 2B grounds to 3B and Overbay scores 6-5 Sox with two down now. Jays are making it interesting here at least. Scutaro at 3B. Rios at bat. 0-2 count, strikes out with tie run at 3B. Almost but not quite good enough tonight. Jays lose this one in first inning and then again in the eighth with Tallet’s run.

Now they have to start another run tomorrow to stay in the hunt. Boston and Tampa are tied up in the extra innings let’s hope it is a very long game tonight and exhausts both teams for the rest of the week.