Jays win number ten bigtime 8-2 behind great hitting and Litsch.

Toronto Jays v Chicago White Sox. Game number two of double header.Tuesday September 9, 2008.

Preview: Second game of the double header. Jays now nine wins in a row and giving Boston and Tampa headaches looking over their shoulders. Jays are really turning up the heat and need to keep on going. This one is very difficult, the night game of a double header and Litsch pitching to this very powerful hitting White Sox lineup. He will need to be spot on tonight with his control. However whatever the outcome Jays are giving their fans something to cheer about after a miserable underachieving season. Their longest winning streak since taking a franchise-record 11 in a row in from Aug. 27-Sept. 7, 1998.

What they said: Manager Cito Gaston "I hope it doesn't stop," said. "I hope we keep rolling. It's a good streak. Hey, win as many as we can before it stops."
Burnett . "We're on a good run right now, and I just wanted to come in here and make sure I got the first game of the doubleheader and get things off on the right foot."

Burnett on his bid for his second career no-hitter : "It happens. I wasn't thinking about it. You see no hits up there, but you've got a long way to go even if it's the sixth inning."

Gaston "That ball was hit pretty hard. Maybe on turf, Rolen probably catches that ball, but it was hit pretty hard. I would say it's a hit."
Konerko on Burnett: "He's relentless. He challenges you. It's not like he's scared. ... He comes right at you, makes you hit."
Pierzynski: "It's frustrating because we had a couple chances. Things happen, you've got to move on."

Pitching: Clayton Richards (2-3, 6.39 ERA ) v Jesse Litsch (10-8, 3.76 ERA). Looks good on paper BUT Jays always have problems with the unknown pitchers. This guy is a rookie tonight but then Litsch is not far off rookie status.

Lineups: Toronto: Scutaro, Bautista, Rios, Wells, Barajas, Lind, Mench, Rolen, McDonald and Litsch pitching. I like Bautista in there.
Chicago: Cabrera, Wise, Dye, Thome, Konerko, Griffey Jr, Ramirez, Uribe, Hall and Clayton pitching.

The Result: Jays win 8-2. Number ten win in a row. And the double header today.

The very good: HR power, Scutaro, Rolen, Wells. Alex and Vernon five hits tonight.
The good: Bautista two sac bunts. Jays have fourteen hits. Litsch wins number nine. Johnny Mc. has two hits.

The bad: To be very picky Jays went 5/13 with runners in scoring position.

The game: Top 1st: Scutaro leading off this time. YES MARCO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gets hold of this one lead off HR to LF corner. WOW, what a great start. 1-0 Jays. Bautista fly ball out to RF Dye. One down for Rios. Alex doubles off LF wall. They are going after Richards here. Wells at bat, one down one on. grounds to SS Cabrera throw to Ramirez at 2B Rios out. Wells safe at 1B. Barajas grounds to Ramirez at 2B throw to Cabrera SS for the out. Jays have the lead although looked for a moment that it might be more. 19 pitches.
Bottom 1st:Cabrera walks on four pitches. Wise singles to CF, Cabrera to second.
Dye grounds to Rolen on to 2B Scutaro, Wise out at 2B. Cabrera moves to 3B, Dye at 1B, Thome at bat, 3-0 count. and walks him. Konerko with bases loaded. And one down. Jesse in major trouble here first inning. NOT the start Cito wanted. OH MY…. Grounds to Rolen, on to Scutaro on to Bautista DOUBLE play ball… Litsch escapes bigtime. 26 pitches.

Top 2nd: Lind at bat, sort of in a mini-slump for him, high fly ball to Griffey at the wall in CF one down, Mench he has not started for a long time, full count here, grounds to Uribe throw to Konerko for the out. Two down for Rolen. Looks at third strike and an easy inning for Richards. 28 pitches.
Bottom 2nd: Let’s hope Jesse has settled here. Griffey Jr. grounds to McDonald at 2B with the shift right on, throw to Bautista for the out. One down for Ramirez, strikes out. Two down for Uribe fly ball out to Rios playing in CF this game. 38 pitches for Litsch however. I think Jays bullpen will be in this one tonight.

Top 3rd: McDonald at bat, gets hold of this one to the wall but Wise runs it down in LF on the track. Scutaro now same play high fly ball to Wise in LF on the track, Jays are hitting it hard tonight. Bautista first pitch, this is a Jays disease, grounds to ??? and Richards has a very easy three up and down inning. 35 pitches.
Bottom 3rd: Toby Hall at bat, grounds to Rolen, throw to Bautista for the first out. Cabrera lines it over McDonald into LF. Wise with one on and one down, doubles to the CF wall, Cabrera holds at 3B. Dye, with two in scoring position, Litsch is fooling no one tonight. Doubles into LF corner and two runs score easily. 2-1 White Sox. Thome at bat, Cito you had better get someone up in bullpen. Grounds back at Litsch throw to Bautista for the second out. Dye holds at 2B. Konerko at bat. Grounds to Scutaro at 2B throw to Bautista for third out. 59 pitches already in three innings.

Top 4th: Rios first pitch swing, grounds to SS Cabrera throw to Konerko for the out. Wells pops first pitch up, Ramirez drops the ball, and Vernon gets to 2B. That could have been two outs on two pitches. Vernon escapes here. Barajas should make them pay here, surprise first pitch swing and grounds to 2B for the out at 1B and Wells moves to 3B. Adam Lind at bat two down. swings at first pitch. Lines hard out at Konerko at 1B for the third out, BUT that has to be rock bottom inning for this free swinging team. That could have been a three pitch inning and no one, not even Cito, can convince me that that is good hitting baseball. 44 pitches.
Bottom 4th: Griffey at bat, singles into LF, Griffey had more pitches than the four previous Jays hitters. Ramirez pops it up to Rolen for first out. Uribe at bat singles to Lind in LF. Two on one out for Hall. Fly ball out to Mench in RF, nice running catch. Runners hold. Two down two on for Cabrera. Lines hard to Scutaro leaps to make the catch at 2B. for third out and Litsch escaoes one again. 78 pitches though in four innings. 44 for the rookie Richards !

Top 5th: Mench 3-0 count and walks on four pitches. Rolen YES Scotty, he really tags this one. And it is a rocket out of here in RF. Mench and Rolen score. 3-2 Jays. McDonald lifts single softly into shallow right. One on for Scutaro bunting down the line and Richards misses the tag, safe at 1B. Two on for Bautista but that is it for Richards poor guy he had pitched well up until this inning, Jesse Litsch should be lucky he doesn’t pitch for the White Sox. This Manager has a very quick hook. in Chicago Carrasco pitching. great bunt here just down the 3B line. Bautista almost beats out the throw. Two in scoring position now for big bat Alex. Singles into RF McDonald scores and now Alex is hung up between bases and is tagged asouut as he dives back.now out. 4-2 Jays. With Scutaro at 3B. Konerko is injured though, looks like his knee as he is carried off field. That is not good. Swisher in as replacement. Two down for Wells with Scutaro at 3B, Vernon doubles hard into LF and off glove of Wise 5-2 Jays. Barajas strikes out but Jays get going.
Bottom 5th: Litsch now has to settle with this lead. Wise at bat, strikes out, Dye at bat, strikes out. Two down. Thome strikes out and Jesse strikes out the side but he is on 92 pitches, he might just get one more inning which is a shame, but he only has himself to blame. He has to settle earlier.

Top 6th: Lind at bat, full count, good patience here Adam. Singles into CF. Mench at bat one on. wild pitch and Lind moves to 2B. Lifts it into RF great running stretching catch by Dye. That would have been run number six. Rolen intentional walk to get to Johnny Mc. One down two on, grounds to 3B Uribe steps on 3B to get Lind and throw to Swisher to get Johnny Mc for third out double play but nice fielding by Uribe. Two left on base.
Bottom 6th: Litsch still in there. Swisher at bat, strikes out, four in a row for Litsch. Shift right on for Griffey. Pops up to Rolen for the second out. Ramirez at bat, with two down. First pitch swing high fly ball out to Rios in CF. Another good inning for Jesse but now over the 100 pitches and that may be his last.

Top 7th: Adam Russell pitching. Scutaro to lead off. 2-3 tonight, walks. And on base for third time tonight. Bautista bunts again and Scutaro to 2B. His second successful bunt tonight, Rios at bat that should do it, doubles into LF. Scutaro scores 6-2 Jays. Good execution by Bautista and Rios. Wells now lifts it into shallow right and great catch by Ramirez. Alex has to get all the way back to avoid doubling up. Two down for Barajas fly ball out to Ramirez in shallow left centre for third out. But Jays have added one and Bautista once again has shown his value, I would love to see him play more. Spell off Rolen. Tampa beating Boston in bottom of the 8th in Fenway.
Bottom 7th: Litsch still pitching, Overbay in at 1B. Uribe strikes out. Hall at bat, one down. Lifts it to McDonald shallow left centre. Two down. Cabrera high fly ball out to Mench in RF. Another quick inning for Jesse. 112 pitches, will he start the 8th?

Top 8th: Russell still pitching Lind at bat, singles up the middle. 2-4 tonight for Adam, that is good to see. Mench at bat, singles into RF. Two on for Rolen. Grounds to Cabrera great throw on the run but Mench safe at 2B. Bases loaded for McDonald. Singles into LF, Lind scores 7-2 Jays. Bases still loaded for Scutaro no outs. Grounds to Ramirez, diving save and very nice throw from his knees to get Mench at home plate one down but bases still loaded. That’s it for Russell. Boone Logan pitching. Overbay first at bat tonight. Grounds to Ramirez, throw to Cabrera at 2B and back to Swisher at 1B double play ball to end this inning, thanks Lyle.But Jays get another.
Bottom 8th: Carlson now pitching. Wise hard grounder at Scutaro, throw to Overbay at 1B one down for Dye. Turns on this one and doubles off the wall in LF, that was catchable by Lind he just misjudged the power of the hit. Thome at bat one down one on. Jerry Owens pinch runner for Dye. Full count and Thome walks. Swisher at bat with two on. Parrish and League working in Jays bullpen, fly ball out to Rios in CF. Owens tags and moves to 3B. Griffey at bat, first pitch gets under the hit and high fly ball out to Mench in RF for third out. Always heart in mouth with Griffey and two on base.

Top 9th: Lance Broadway pitching. Rios at bat 3-4 tonight. Pops this one up to Swisher in front of Jays dugout. Wells at bat, YES Vernon, gets hold of this one HR to RF. 8-2 Jays. Barajas strikes out. Two down for Lind, 2-4 tonight. Grounds to Ramirez at 2B throw to Swisher for the third out, but Jays have another.
Bottom 9th: League pitching, Ramirez grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay for first out Uribe at bat, broken bat single into shallow LF. Hall singles into RF. Two on one down for Cabrera grounds hard to Scutaro throw to 2B to get Hall. Two down with runners at corners, Dye at bat 3-1 count. Full count.Grounds to Johnny Mc and throw to Overbay for third out.Jays win this one going away 8-2.