Jays win number eight with Purcey and Carlson shutout

Toronto v Tampa. Series closer.Sunday September 7, 2008.

Preview: Jays go for the sweep and a 6-0 homestand. That is far easier said than done today. Purcey is going against Garza one of the Rays best. A tough assignment for the rookie today, he will need some run support to make any difference at all. Plus you know that the Rays want this one very badly having lost the first two and also a heart-breaker in thirteen yesterday. Looking good an hour before the game there are fans sitting in the section in fair territory just past the left field foul pole, long time since I have seen that. I don’t think it is because of the Carter figurine giveaway, I believe the Jays are playing very entertaining baseball this month and the walk up traffic is helping Mr. Rogers finish the season in a good way. Whatever the reason long may it continue as this place is far better rocking with noise.
Correction re yesterday’s comment about Zaun extra innings walk off grand slam it was not the first in franchise history. George Bell did same July 9, 1985 against Seattle. Bell also had another walk-off grand slam but in the ninth inning on September 4, 1988.

Lineups: Tampa: Iwamura, Upton, Pena, Baldelli, Aybar, Bartlett, Pereez, Riggans, Zobrist and Garza pitching.
Toronto: Inglett, Scutaro, Rios, Wells, Lind, Overbay, Barajas, Rolen, Snider and Purcey pitching.

Sorry Gregg I guess a 3-5 afternoon with a throw out of a base stealer and by the way the first walk-off grand slam to win the game in more than twenty years for the franchise, means you are not in the lineup next day? Not Cito’s way Gregg, don’t take it personally I am sure ! he would do it anyone in the lineup. This is a lineup after all that has the worst record with runners in scoring position remember. However obviously Cito has given up on Gregg whatever he does and I don’t believe that is a very smart attitude. Zaun is one of the few players in this lineup that plays every out. However Inglettt is out there, Joe with the two errors in the last two games one of which cost them BJ Ryan bigtime yesterday in the ninth. AND what ever happened to Bautista? Surely he can spell Rolen off the last couple of weeks and get Rolen some break.

Pitching: Purcey, 2-5 v Garza, 11-8.


The very good: Purcey and Carlson combine on a shutout.
The good: Barajas sacrifice fly. Throw to get Upton stealing. Carlson’s second save and Toronto longest winning streak since Apr. 14-22, 1999. Jays six hits are spread between six players: Rios Wells, Lind, Overbay, Rolen and Snider all one each.

Rays on the other hand three players but two with multihit games. Upton three hits, Aybar two,and Bartlett one. Looks like they miss Crawford and Longoria. Jays certanly didn't...

The bad: Jays 0-7 with runners in scoring position and leaving seven players on base.

The game: Top 1st: Iwamura pops up to shallow CF Wells. One down for Upton strikes out. Two down for Pena grounds to 1B Overbay flip to Purcey for the third out. A neat first inning for Purcey.
Bottom 1st: Inglett strikes out. Scutaro strikes out. Rios DH today with Snider in RF his natural position, Alex triples to CF wall. Nice hit Alex. Wells with two down and Alex on 3B. First pitch swinging and pops up to 1B Pena. Not a good at bat by Vernon. Never put any pressure on Garza at all with Rios at 3B.

Top 2nd: Baldelli at bat, good to see him back in regular play and is having a great return with the bat. This time fly ball out to LF Lind. One down for Aybar singles to LF. Barajkas has great throw to 1B and Aybar is picked off on tag by Overbay, two down. Bartlett doubles to LF. That pickoff is big now, that could have been a Tampa run. Perez at bat with two down, fly ball out to CF Wells.

Bottom 2nd: Lind doubles to RF. Overbay grounds to SS Bartlett throw to 1B Pena to get Overbay but he moved Lind to 3B on the play. Barajas now with one in scoring position and one down. Lifts this one high into LF to Zobrist who makes the catch but cannot get Lind tagging and scoring here, throw wide of home plate, , Lind scores and Jays get first blood today 1-0 Jays. Rolen pops out to 1B Pena to end the inning but Jays bats have started.

Top 3rd: Purcey with a lead, strikes out Riggans. One down for Zobrist grounds to Rolen throw to 1B Overbay, two down. Iwamura fly ball out to CF Wells.

Bottom 3rd: Snider strikes out. Inglett grounds to 2B Iwamura who fumbles this one, ball bounces away and no throw to get Inglett. Looked to me as if he might have hustled a bit more there and attempted a quick short throw to 1B. Error on the play to Iwamura. Scutaro pops up to SS Bartlett for second out. Inglett stealing and safe at 2B but Riggans' throws away at 2B and on the error Inglett moves to 3B. Rios with Inglett on 3B strikes out. That is the second inning Jays hitters have had someone at 3B and failed to bring them in. They can’t keep doing that against a team like Tampa.

Top 4th: Upton leading off singles to CF. Pena strikes out. Baldelli fly ball out to CF Wells. Upton now hung up and is caught stealing, Purcey throw to Overbay for the out at 1B. Joe Maddon will not like that effort from Upton.

Bottom 4th: Wells fouls out to Riggans. Neither of his at bats have left the infield yet. Lind grounds out to Garza who beats him easily to 1B for the out. Two down for Overbay who singles to LF. Barajas pops up to Iwamura leaving Overbay on base.


Top 5th: Aybar doubles to CF. One on for Bartlett who strikes out. Perez grounds to 3B Rolen throw to Overbay, two down. Riggans fly ball out to RF Snider. First play to go his direction today !!

Bottom 5th: Rolen singles to CF. Snider singles to LF. Two on and no outs. Inglett strikes out. Scutaro grounds back to Garza throw to Pena for second out, Rolen at 3B, Snider at 2B. Rios once again with runners in scoring position. Fly ball out to CF Upton.Alex leavestwo more in scoring position. Jays are really rolling the dice today but Purcey is matching Garza inning for inning so far.

Top 6th: Zobrist at bat fly ball out to LF Lind. Iwamura strikes out. Upton singles to CF. Pena fly ball out to Wells. He has been very busy tonight and earning his money. He is so good out there like Rolen they may these plays look so easy and yet we know they are not at all..

Bottom 6th: Wells singles to CF. Lind strikes out. Overbay lines out very hard to Pena, he was playing off the bag and thus closer to that ball otherwise that wpould been a bullet into RF corner. On Garza's balk, Wells now stealing but balk is called on Garza and Vernon is safe at 2B and eases up grinning there. Barajas at bat with Vernon in scoring position, grounds to 3B Aybar throw to Pena for third out.

Top 7th: Purcey still in there, he has been so good today and you can see it on his face, a Halladay mask of concentration. Baldelli fly ball out to Lind, one down. Aybar full count and walks. One on for Bartlett strikes out. Crowd is chanting pizza, pizza for the free slice if he gets one more strikeout. Perez at bat strikes out. Crowd loves their pizza n Monday, That is the second game this weekend that Jays pitchers ensure that crowd will get free pizza. Pitch count over the 100 now and someone is warming up in bullpen. Jesse Carlson so that might be it for Purcey today, a great outing against a very tough pitcher and not least a good hitting team.

Bottom 7th: Rolen strikes out, one down. Snider lines out to SS Bartlett. Two down for Inglett full count and walks. Scutaro with one on and two down lines out to 2B Iwamura.There is a lot of tension in the stadium at least around my area. It looks to me that Rays are really having hard time with this game, there is no energy level evident at all.

Top 8th: NO here comes Purcey again for one more inning at least. Riggans lines out to SS Scutaro one down. Zobrist walks. Iwamura fly ball out to LF Lind. Upton singles to CF, Zobrist tags and moves up to 3B. Pena at bat and walks, Upton moves to 2B. This could be trouble here with two in scoring position. Baldelli at bat and fly ball out to F Lind. One more chance for some runs in the ninth inning.

Bottom 8th: Wheeler pitching. Rios strikes out. Wells lined out to 2B Iwamura. Lind fly ball out to LF Zobrist.

Top 9th: Carlson now pitching. Citao had said he would like BJ to get two days rest. Wilkerson in at LF. Aybar strikes out.One down, crowd sensing an upset here if Jays win this one and sweep this series. Bartlett grounds to Scutaro throw to 1B Overbay. Crowd is now in their feet the noise is like a playoff game, seriously Jays fan will make noise if there is something to cheer about. Perez with two down and no one on base, strikes out. Bedlam in the Rigers Centre. Jays have just beaten Rays and also as a result swept them this weekend.

That is very,very sweet for not just the fans but also the Senior Management Brains Trust. Jays pick up another on the Rays. Yankees are not playing until later in the afternoon in Seattle.
AL East-leading Tampa loses five of six games now heading into a three-game series with second-place Boston that starts tomorrow.
The Rays have also lost eight straight at Fenway Park.
Jays head west for a tough series against the Chicago White Sox who are fighting for playoff spot with Minnesota. Right now we are all celebrating longest win streeak since 1999.... WOW....