Masterful Burnett wins number seventeen and Jays streak hits nine.

Toronto Jays v Chicago White Sox. Tuesday September 8, 2008.

Preview: It does not get much better than this for the fans in September. Jays are really hot and this series could be very important for the AL East race. Now in third spot Jays need to stay there. Yankees lost again in Seattle last night. It will be tough of course for the Jays as White Sox are leading their division but not impossible for this lineup right now. A good start this afternoon will be huge impetus for the Jays. Jays are looking for ninth win for first time in ten years since reeling off 11 straight Aug. 27-Sept. 7, 1998. Eight games behind wild-card leading Boston but they have to play them six times. But as the cliché goes one game at a time and that is the only way to approach this. It is unreasonable to expect Jays to win the play off spot BUT they have a very good chance of upsetting he race in most of their series left in September. The magic number remains at 12 thanks to the sweep of Twins and Rays and Rays los in Fenway last night. The Rays have a very, very tough road trip after Toronto. Fenway now for three and then Yankees Stadium and even if Yankees get swept by the Angels this week you know they will be fired up for Tampa at the weekend.
The Jays swept a four-game home series from White Sox May 2-5. Outscoring them 12-5 in their series in May, posting two shutouts. BUT that was the month that they went 20-10… Toronto has not won five straight over Chicago in a single season since winning seven in a row May 28-Sept. 6, 1989.
White Sox have lost star Quentin for surgery on his broken wrist and have a 2.5 game lead over the Twins.

What they said: Barajas "We have something fun going here," If we would've had a little better first half, we'd be in a lot better situation." (Rod you don’t have to remind all the Jays fans of that.)

Pitching: Javier Vazquez (11-12, 4.34), v A.J Burnett (16-10, 4.47 ERA) his first start of the season against Chicago. Burnett is 1-2 with a 3.55 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox.
Vazquez has pitched well at home lately, but he has not received much help from his offense. In his last five starts at U.S. Cellular Field, Vazquez is 1-4 with a 3.55 ERA, as he's been backed by eight total runs of support in those four losses. Vazquez also pitched well in his only start of the season against Toronto on May 5, but again didn't get much help. At Rogers Centre, the right-hander allowed one run and eight hits with nine strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings of a 1-0 loss. He is 2-2 with a 1.15 ERA in his last four starts versus the Jays.

Game is now game one of double header on Tuesday,

Lineups: Toronto: Inglett, McDonald, Rios, Wells, Lind, Overbay, Rolen, Zaun, Snider and Burnett pitching.
Chicago: Cabrera, Pierzynski, Dye, Thome, Konerko, Griffey jr, Ramirez, Swisher, Uribe and Vazquez pitching.

The Result: Jays win another heart stopper with BJ. 3-1 but Burnett was masterful.

The very good: Burnett today was masterful today and but for McDonald’s two errors might have gone eight innings. One hit in seven innings work and deserves win number seventeen.
The good: Overbay two more hits including two run double and Inglett’s single in the ninth to make it three. Ryan recovering from walking first two hitters in the ninth to save the game.

The bad: McDonald without a doubt today on his play in the sixth which lead to a run instead of getting Burnett out of the inning. And a second error in the seventh BUT redeems himself with a more typical play in the eighth to start double play.

The game: Top 1st: Inglett leading off, grounds to 2B Ramirez, one down. McDonald at bat, I am not a big fan of putting Johnny Mc. in second, Cito is gambling that Inglett can get on for bunt, didn’t work last game but I guess Cito is playing the percentages, full count, Johnny Mc. walks. Rios at bat, AL player of the week, singles into LF, two on for Wells, now please Vernon not first pitch swing. Vazquez has already walked one, takes first pitch. Grounds back to Vazquez throw to Cabrera at 2B to get Alex but not in time to get Vernon. Two on at the corners. Lind grounds first pitch to 1B Konerko for third out. A little hasty there Adam. 17 pitches.
Bottom 1st: Konerko grounds to McDonald throw to Overbay for first out. Pierzynski, grounds out to Overbay at 1B. Dye at bat two down, strikes out on great breaking ball.18 pitches.

Top 2nd: Overbay at bat, full count, see Adam? Strikes out this time. Rolen still playing every game? Fly ball in shallow right centre Ramirez takes it. Zaun first pitch pop up to Uribe. That was pretty bad at bat Gregg. I don’t think you will be second game today. Vazquez has had at least three full counts so far so come on take a couple of pitches. 27 pitches.
Bottom 2nd: I feel sorry for AJ not getting chance to sit let alone relax the way this team hits some days. Thome at bat, gets under this one fortunately, high fly ball out to Wells in CF. Konerko at bat one down, strikes out this time. Griffey Jr. we saw this guy in Dunedin but in Reds uniform, high fly ball out to Wells in CF. Three up and down for AJ, nice inning. 28 pitches.

Top 3rd: Snider at bat, will be interesting to see if he has been watching Vazquez from the bench, strikes out but takes a couple. Inglett with one down, full count, grounds back to Vazquez throw to Konerko for second out. McDonald at bat, strikes out. 42 pitches.Burnett is not getting much help yet from his hitters.
Bottom 3rd: Ramirez dropping bunt here but foul. Hit on the elbow. One on for Swisher, number eight guy with 24 HRs, ??? grounds to Inglett flip to Burnett drops the ball. Error to AJ. Two on, no outs for Uribe. Trying bunt here. strikes out, That is good. One down for top of the order again. Cabrera at bat, strikes out on great breaking ball in the dirt. Two down for Pierzynski grounds hard to Johnny Mc. throw to Overbay for the out. AJ escapes his own trouble but pitch count climbing. 48 pitches.

Top 4th: Rios at bat, interesting goes 0-2 and then takes three pitches down and away, very different from earlier in the season when he would swing and miss at that pitch every time, walks here, very good at bat Alex. Vernon we need a big one here now, not this time grounds to Konerko throw to Ramirez back to 1B and double play. You have to start wondering why Cito does not start Alex in these situations. Lind now with two down, takes first two pitches! strikes out swinging. Four strikeouts for each pitcher. 56 pitches and in a double header the count may be important for the team that gets into the other’s bullpen earliest, this is a four game series but two today.
Bottom 4th: Dye grounds to Inglett, throw to Overbay for out number one. Thome at bat, high fly ball out to Snider this time, right at the wall. Burnett escapes a second time with Thome. Konerko with two down. 3-0 count and walks him on four pitches. Griffey Jr. with one on and two down. Full count.60 strikes him out, that was huge. 61 pitches.

Top 5th: Overbay at bat, yes Lyle, gets hold of this one, doubles over the head of LF Swisher and off the wall in LF, Rolen now with runner at 2B. strikes out swinging. Zaun at bat, full count. walks him. Nice at bat Gregg. Snider now with two on and one down. Pops it up to Cabrera behind 2B. two down. Inglett now with two on and two down. Pops it up to SS and Jays leave Overbay lead off double stranded. No one could move him 90 feet ? Cito may have to start thinking some strategy instead of waiting for a hit. Get runners moving? 79 pitches.
Bottom 5th: Ramirez at bat, didn’t like that strike call. Full count after 0-2. Grounds to Inglett throw to Overbay for first out. Swisher another full count. Breaks his bat pops up to Rolen. Two down for Uribe. pops up to Inglett, nice play Joe running to his left behind Overbay. 80 pitches.

Top 6th: McDonald at bat, high fly ball out to LF Swisher. Rios, high fly ball out to Griffey in CF. two down. Wells now with two down. Grounds to Cabrera cannot get Wells at 1B on the throw. Lind now with one on and two down. Long time since Adam came through, perhaps today?? This might be it singles to right centre and Vernon gets to 3B , first time for a Jays hitter to get there today. Overbay now with runner at 3B, another full count. Adam has head start. YES LYLE, hard drive off the wall in RF corner. Wells scores Lind scores, 2-0 Jays. Rolen at bat with Overbay at 2B and two down. Can he bring him in here? Pops it up first pitch, Ramirez at 2B doesn’t even have to move. Don’t tell me that is good hitting. I hope Cito moves Rolen out for Bautista for the second game.99 pitches.
Bottom 6th: AJ has the lead for the first time in this game. Can he shut Sox down here? Cabrera at bat, singles off the glove of Rolen at 3B first hit today for Sox. Pierzynski, bunts in front of plate and Zaun throw to McDonald 2B is good to get Cabrera. Great throw Gregg. One down for Dye. Grounds to McDonald messes up this one bigtime. Tries to rush it himself and misses the bal. Error to McDonald. Both runners safe that was a double play ball easily. Poor AJ. Thome now. Wild pitch and both runners move up. 3-0 count. Thome at bat, fly ball to Snider in LF, Pierzynski, tags and scores on the throw. Two down but 2-1 Jays. Konerko with Dye at 2B. Full count. High fly ball out to Wells in CF. Johnny Mc. owes AJ bigtime. That error not only caused a run but probably also cost AJ another inning of work. 98 pitches. Hitters have to get it back for Burnett here.

Top 7th: Horacio Ramirez pitching to Zaun as leadoff. Full count, lines this one hard to LF Swisher. Snider now at bat, one down, full count, and walks, nice at bat Travis. Inglett and top of the order now to bring him in here with one down. Fly ball out to Swisher in LF. Two down. McDonald ? That’s it for Ramirez, Ehren Wasserman now pitching. Johnny Mc. owes Burnett a hit here. Grounds to Cabrera at SS throw to 2B gets Snider.
Bottom 7th: Burnett still pitching Griffey at bat, shift on for Griffey right and grounds to McDonald behind Overbay flip to Lyle for the first out. Ramirez hard grounder out to McDonald, bounces off him, another error on him, second today. Swisher at bat, Ramirez stealing and Zaun’s throw not in time and into shallow CF. strikes out. Two down. Cito is out but AJ says he is ok. Uribe at bat, League and Carlson up in bullpen. Ramirez stealing but Uribe strikes out on three pitches. 112 pitches for Burnett but could have been a lot fewer but for McDonald’s errors today.

Top 8th: Wasserman still pitching. Rios grounds to Uribe at 3B throw to Konerko for the out. Wells at bat, fly ball out to Dye in RF. Two down. Lind at bat, that’s it for Wasserman. Matt Thornton pitching, three pitch strike out, but Lind blind swinging at them. Not a good at bat by Lind. Cito may need to drop him down the order for a couple games to get his confidence and stroke back.
Bottom 8th: Barajas catching. Downs now pitching. Cabrera at bat, 3-0 count, not what Cito wanted. Now walks him. Pierzynski at bat with one on. Downs in early trouble here. Bunting Downs throw to Inglett gets Cabrera. Spikes were high there going into Inglett. One down. Jerry Owen pinch running. Dye at bat, singles up the middle.Two on one down. Thome at bat. Grounds to McDonald throw to Inglett at 2B on to Overbay. DOUBLE PLAY ball. Finally Johnny Mc. comes through big time. That was huge in that situation and it was atypical of Johnny Mc. Going to his right, backhand play and spinning for the throw to 2B.

Top 9th: Can Jays hitters get another or two? Overbay at bat, strikes out, Thornton is just pouring in the strikes. But that’s it for him, Guillen is out to make change. Pitcher number five is Mike MacDougal called up in September from AAA. Rolen at bat, 3-0 count. Grounds to Uribe 3B throw to Konerko for the second out. That was ball four Scott. Barajas at bat, singles into LF. One on two down for Snider hitless today. Singles into RF, Barajas moves to 3B, nice at bat Travis. Inglett now, two down singles into RF Barajas scores and Snider to 2B. 3-1 Jays. McDonald at bat, two on and two down, strikes out looking, not his best day today. Here comes BJ Ryan, hold on to your seatbelts friends.
Bottom 9th: Konerko at bat, 3-1 count, walks him. Here comes Griffey. Jason Bourgeous pinch runner for Konerko another 3-1 count. Another walk, two on, no outs. Here comes Arnsberg. Brian Anderson pinch runner for Griffey. Now the bunt? Ramirez at bat, bunting and misses twice now strikes him out swinging. Swisher at bat, strikes out on three pitches. Two down for Uribe taps it back to Ryan, throw to Overbay for the out. Jays win 3-1. Number nine in a row. Heart stopping by BJ….. but he gets it done. Burnett win number seventeen. BJ Ryan save number twenty eight.

Is Boston getting anxious ? They should be.