Halladay complete game to win this one against Burnett and Yankees

Toronto v NY Yankees. Game one of three.

Big game for Jays tonight.
Halladay v Burnett. Tonight this one is personal. Personal for AJ, personal for Halladay and very personal for the crowd to show how they remember Burnett. And a chance for Jays to show the critics that they are for real and not just flash in the pan playing weaker teams in April. Huge crowd up in the 500’s in left field, when did we see that last?

Lineups: Yankees: Gardner, Damon, Texeira, Rodriguez, Matsui, Swisher, Cano, Cabrera, Cash, Pena and Burnett pitching.
Jays: First team out there tonight. Scutaro, Hill, Rios, Wells, Rolen, Overbay, Barajas, Snider and Halladay pitching.
Jays take first blood and win this one 5-1..

The very, very good: Roy Doc Halladay A masterful lesson for the pupil Burnett. Complete game, first of the season. Rolen three hits and three rbis tonight, Scott is coming through now when he is needed. Jays winning percentage now leads the majors at .657. Dodgers lost to Hillies and have dropped to .647. Ex-Jay Jason Werth steals four in that game including home. Tampa beaten by Baltimore and now drop to the bottom, finding it difficult to maintain last season’s pace. Hard to re-peat.
The good: Hill once again…two hits and a very important home run in the eighth.
The bad. No. not tonight friends.

Top 1st: Gardner grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay. One down. Damon singles to left. A constant thorn in Jays side wherever he plays. Trying for two and a great throw by Snider to get Damon at second. I don’t think Yankees will test his arm again. Snider has made some great plays in left. Teixeira pops up to Rolen.
Bottom 1st: Scutaro grounds to shortstop Pena throw to first base Teixeira. Hill fly ball to right Cabrera. Rios fly ball to centre Gardner.

Top 2nd: Here comes the boo birds, A-Rod at bat grounds to Barajas throw to Overbay to loud cheers. I wonder if A-Rod will get that for rest of the season… Some very humorous signs. Matsui grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay. Two down.Cano grounds to Overbay flip to Halladay.
Bottom 2nd: Wells grounds to Cano throw to Teixeira. One down. Lind full count and walks. Rolen grounds to third error by A-Rod crowd loves that. Lind to second. Overbay fly ball to left Damon, Lind to third.Two down. Barajas grounds to Pena throw to Cano, Rolen out.

Top 3rd: Cabrera grounds to Overbay flip to Halladay. One down. Ex-Jay Cash strikes out.Pena grounds to Hill throw to Overbay.
Bottom 3rd: Snider strikes out. Scutaro grounds to Cash throw to Teixeira. Two down for Hill, fly ball to centre field Gardner. AJ matching Halladay tonight so far at least.

Top 4th: Gardner grounds to Overbay flip to Halladay. One down. Damon lines to Hill. Teixeira strikes out. I read somewhere that Texeira does not get going until the hot weather. Too bad Halladay is not waiting.
Bottom 4th: Rios, here we go, doubles to centre. Jays have leadoff in scoring position. Wells patience !!! full count and walks.Two on. Lind full count and walks bases loaded. Crowd going nuts. Burnett in trouble here, has lost his control. Rolen doubles to left, Rios and Wells score 2-0 Jays. Lind at third and still no outs. Overbay strikes out. Barajas with Lind at third and one down. Fly ball to Cabrera in right, Lind scores 3-0 Jays. Rolen moves to third on throw.
Snider strikes out for second time leaving two on. Travis has not faced AJ before but he is a quick learner.

Top 5th: A.Rod grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay. One down. Swisher pinch-hitting for Matsui,strikes out. Cano grounds to Overbay. Another Halladay special. Three up and down.
Bottom 5th: Swisher in lineup now as designated hitter. Scutaro fly ball to centre Gardner. Hill singles to centre. Rios fly ball to right Cabrera. Wells grounds to short Pena throw to second Cano, Hill out. AJ settled down after last inning.

Top 6th: Cabrera grounds back to Halladay throw to Overbay. One down. Cash pops up to Scutaro. Two down for Pena grounds to Overbay. Halladay very impressive, looks totally focused in this one.
Bottom 6th: Rolen singles into right, Overbay with one on. one down, grounds to second great play by Canoe to Jeter at second and at first. Double play ball.

Top 7th: 56 pitches by Halladay, that is ridiculous. Gardner at bat. Full count. Bounces to Overbay for first out. Damon, doubles in to right corner. Texeira one on one down. Strikes out right down the middle, great pitch. A-Rod two down, singles into left, Damon scores 3-1 Toronto. Swisher strikes out.
Bottom 7th: Barajas fly ball to right. One down for Snider singles into opposite field left. Travis has first hit tonight but learned from the first two at bats.Every game he is soaking it up. Scutaro with one down and one on. Marco grounds to second, throw to second on to first, another double play ball.

Top 8th: Cano pops up to Scutaro, Cabrera singles to centre, one on one down. Cash grounds to Rolen on to Hill on to Overbay, double play ball.
Bottom 8th: Big bats now, they need to give Halladay some breathing room. Hill at bat, YES Aaron,,,, this one is out of here, Left field and Jays are up 4-1. Rios 3-0 and walks. Wells 2-0 way outside. That’s six balls in a row from Burnett. He didn’t like Hill’s home run. High fly ball to right, two down. Lind at bat one down, Alex at first, there goes Alex and safe at second as Lind grounds to second and out at first, Two down but stay out of double play. Rolen singles up the middle Alex scores 5-1 Jays and that’s it for Burnett. Here comes Girardi. AJ leaves to 43,000 boos. This crowd has memories. Veras now pitching Overbay at bat, two down one on. 3-1 count, full count, singles up the middle, Rolen to third. Nice at bat by Overbay fouling off several before that hit. Barajas pops it up to Cash at the netting.

Top 9th: Can Halladay finish this one off ? Pena doubles to right. Top of the order here, Gardner pops up to Wells in shallow centre, one down. Damon two hits tonight, grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay, two down and runner holds at second. Here comes Texeira. Grounds to Overbay steps on first Jays win this one 5-1 and Halladay first complete game this season. Nine innings, five hits, five strikeouts, one run, no walks.
Compared to Burnett 7.2 innings, seven hits, five runs and four walks. Those walks and loss of control hurt AJ tonight.

Game took two and half hours. Crowd the tenth man tonight, 43,000. Excellent.
News from the front office. BJ Ryan will not be closing when he returns. JP says that Downs is doing such a great job right now he will continue for now. Not a bad idea as it will take pressure off BJ and if he does return to previous form. Jays have a great one two eight and nine innings along with Frasor, League and Carlson. Tonight BJ in Dunedin one inning, three up and down. In three rehab appearances, three innings, one run one hit, one walk, one strike out. Looks as if he is doing well.