Jays and Yankees win big today

Thursday March 26, 2009
Jays v Braves.

Good comeback win for Jays today with the young guys.
Lineups: Jays: Inglett, Mathews, Lind, Millar, Lane, Bautista, Chavez and McDonald with Mills pitching and hitting.
Braves: Johnson, Escobar, Jones, McCann, Francouer, Norton, Jones, Schater and Lowe pitching and hitting.

Jays come back to win this one 7-6 in the last two innings after being down 5-1 going into the eighth. Dials has the save.

Mills goes six innings today and kept them in it which is all one hopes for. Ten hits four runs, all earned, one walk and three strikeouts.
Did he do enough to tie down that rotation spot? At this stage I don’t think Jays have many options left.

Hayhurst one inning, two hits and his first run of the spring takes his ERA to 1.13.
Accardo gets the win with his one inning and Dials the save, both with scoreless innings.

Jays hits all singles today and spread around Mathews, who continues to impress but another outfielder in an overcrowded spot. Cooper Lane, Shoffit, Bautista, Campbell, Chavez , Johnny Mc and Dopirak. Cooper and Mathews had two hits each.
Rbis Johnny Mc, Campbell his number11 for the spring. Mathews, Adams and Cooper.
Not many first team in this lineup and pitchers had to bat. A good road win for Jays against a NL team that I have picked to win NLCS.

Meanwhile over at Bright House in great sun Yankees are stirring and show power in thrashing the Phillies 10-2 today. In another sell out. Scalpers did very well.
Lineups: Yankees: Jeter (leading off ??) , Damon, Teixeira, Matsui, Swisher, Cano, Ransom, Molina, Cabrera and Chamberlain pitching.
Phillies: Rollins, Victorino, Uttley, Howard, Ibanez, Werth, Stairs, Feliz, Paulino and Carrasco pitching.

HR power from Matsui, Ransom, Swisher and Cabrera.
Doubles from Jeter, Linden, Cash and Cano.
Rbis from Matsui, Ransom, Damon, Cabrera, Swisher, Linden and Cash.

Chamberlain starting and gave 4 1/3 innings but that was enough for Phillies to get there only runs of the afternoon. Yankees bullpen closes them down for the rest of the game.
Yankees had many of their starting lineup today and so did the Phillies.


Uttley and Howard have HRs and the only runs. Both of the off Chamberlain with two out in that first inning giving hope to the faithful but not to be. Stairs another double.
Carrasco takes the loss in five innings of work but Eyre had a horrible inning five hits, five runs all earned and two hr’s .

And that is it friends for my Dunedin Spring, time to head north and as I drove by Jays clubhouse the sight of the Campbell moving van is that the Jays are also starting to pack to head to Toronto. Two more home games ending with Washington next Wednesday. Jays rotation still unsettled but the lineup stronger.

Overall I think it was a much better spring than I had thought it would be.
JP has assembled and developed a great deal of depth in pitching and hitting in the farm teams. He will have no problem reaching out to AAA Vegas for either if he needs. I think the lineup on paper is far stronger than last season heading out of spring. And Jays could surprise this season.

But that is what spring is all about, hope…. And starting the season level in first place with Yankees, Boston, and the Rays (and Orioles...)

Let’s see in the Fall….