Tuesday, May 26, 2009

How bad is another two runs, and 2/13 in scoring position?

Toronto v Baltimore game two of three.

Jay sink lower and lower. Seven in a row and still same old runners in scoring position issue, double play balls. And awful hitting all round. Shades of last year’s team.
Baltimore crowd smart tonight they have not even bothered to turn out for this one. Only 10,130 fans, the smallest crowd in the 18-year history of Camden Yards. Jays are not much of a draw even if the home side is beating them up.
Does anyone care anymore on this team?

Lineups: Toronto: Major changes (for Cito) Scutaro, Hill, Lind, Wells, Millar, Rolen, Overbay, Barajasa, Inglett and Romero pitching back from disabled list. He did not pitch very well in his rehab in the minors and don’t forget that he too is a rookie. I agree with sitting Rios but I think Cito could make a stronger point by putting him number seven or eight in the lineup. My other gripe is Inglett, this guy should not even be in the majors let along in the lineup.
Baltimore: Roberts, Jones, Markakis, Mora, Huff, Wigginton, Reimmold, Zaun, Izturis and Jason Berken pitching.

The good: ? I don’t think so.
The bad, no the awful yet again. 2/13 with runners in scoring position. Almost everyone in the lineup has their token hits but once again not when it counts. Cito has no answers, he has to go. Seriously. If he can’t inspire this team they have to find someone who can. Should Tenace go with him? Probably. He obviously has no solution to the runners in scoring position issue. Even if they were to win tomorrow it will be tainted with the Halladay factor. My concern is going into the Boston series even with a Halladay win 1-8 in last nine. Boston sweeps again and season is over for Jays.
And more important, so far the pitching has not been bad and has also overachieved, even if the hits were to come what if the pitching bubble bursts? Jays leave ten on base.

Top 1st: Scutaro doubles to centre. Hill lines out to first baseman Huff.Lind doubles to right, Scutaro scores. 1-0 Jays. Wells struck out. Millar grounds to third baseman Mora to first baseman Huff.
Bottom 1st: Roberts singles to centre. Jones grounds to Hill throw to Scutaro in short. Double play ball. Markakis grounds to shortstop Scutaro throw to Overbay.

Top 2nd: Rolen full count and walks. Overbay singles to left, Rolen to third. Overbay to second. Barajas singles to left, Rolen scores, Overbay to third 2-0 Jays. Inglett strikes out. Scutaro grounds to Izturis to Roberts on to first base Huff. .

Bottom 2nd: Mora grounds back to Romero throw to first Overbay. Huff homers to right field on first pitch. Wigginton singles to right. Reimold grounds into fielder's choice, shortstop Scutaro to second baseman Hill, Wigginton out. Zaun also grounds to Hill throw to shortstop Scutaro, Reimold out.

Top 3rd: Hill lines out to center fielder Jones.Lind walks. Wells lined out to center fielder Jones. Millar singles to centre, Lind to second. Rolen fouled out to first baseman Huff.
Bottom 3rd: Izturis grounds back to Romero to first baseman Overbay. Roberts singles to center.Jones strikes out. Markakis grounds out, to Hill throw to Overbay.

Top 4th: Overbay fly ball to Reimold in left field. Barajas grounds back to Huff.
Inglett strikes out.
Bottom 4th: Mora doubles to centre. Huff grounds to Overbay flip to Romero, Mora to third.Wigginton grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay. Reimold grounds to Hill throw to Overbay.

Top 5th: Scutaro singles to left. Hill fly ball to right fielder Markakis. Lind grounds to Roberts throw to short Izturis, Scutaro out. Wells doubles to centre, Lind to third. Millar walked. Rolen lined out to centre field Jones.
Bottom 5th: Zaun struck out. Izturis grounds to third base Rolen throw to. Roberts at bat full count and walks. Jones home run to left, two runs score 3-2 Baltimore. Markakis singles to left.Mora singles to left, Markakis to second. Huff strikes out.

Top 6th: Albers pitching. Overbay fly ball to centre. Barajas grounds to Roberts throw to first base Huff. Inglett lines out to right fielder Markakis.
Bottom sixth: Wigginton doubles to right. Reimold hone run to centre, two runs score. 5-2 Baltimore. Zaun fouls out to Rolen. Izturis singles to center. Carlson pitching. Roberts strikes out. Jones fly ball to Wells.

Top 7th: Scutaro doubles to right.Hill fouls out to first base Huff. Lind grounds out, first base Huff to pitcher Albers, Scutaro to third. Wells strikes out.
Bottom 7th: Markakis pops out to second baseman Hill. Mora flied out to right fielder Inglett.Huff grounds to Rolen throw to first base Overbay

Top eighth. Johnson now pitching. Millar grounds to third base Mora throw to first Huff. One down. Rolen walked on a Overbay grounded into a double play, shortstop Izturis to second baseman Roberts to first baseman Huff, Rolen out.
Bottom 8th: Downs pitching has not pitched for a very long, long time……. Jays have not had any winning scores to preserve. Wigginton grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay. Reimold striles out. Zaun singles to left. Izturis singles to right, Zaun to third. Roberts doubles over head of Wells, why was he playing so shallow? That was a catchable ball if he had not been a hundred feet in from the wall. Zaun scores, Izturis with that speed scores easily from first. Who did Jays get in exchange for Izturis ? Jones lines out to left fielder Lind.

Top 9th: Barajas, strikes out on three pitches. Inglett. Hitless tonight should not even be in this lineup. Walks. Scutaro 3-4 tonight but you can get lots of wagers that he is not going 4-5. Inglett a statue on first does not even get a throw over. Not his fault, Cito no way will risk an out five runs down ?? better the double play ball. Scutaro fly ball to left.
Two down and mercifully for Jays fans only one more out to go to end tonight’s misery. Hill hitless like Inglett. Shatters his bat and singles to left, I think the infield were trying to avoid the bat fragments. Whatever 2/12 RISP and Lind at bat. Good news is that will not end on a double play ball. Lind grounds back to Johnson, throw to Huff at first.
Jays lose number eight, end 2/13 with runners in scoring position two more left on and on an on it goes.. beaten by a rookie in his first major league outing.

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