Jays loes number five in a row and fall out of first place.

Toronto v Atlanta. Game two of three.

Lineups: Toronto: Scutaro, Hill, Rios, Wells, Lind, Rolen, Overbay, Barajas, Janssen pitching and hitting.
Atlanta: Johnson, Kotchman, Anderson, McCann, Prado, Francouer, Hernandez, Schafer, and Lowe pitching and hitting.

The good: Hard this time. Janssen yes definitely. But after that ? not even in the ninth when they tried t make it close. Maybe Overbay and Rolen get a star.
The bad: Once again the whole team. Awful hitting lead by the top half of the order, Lind an exception in the ninth. Rios and Wells go 0-8! Bases loaded in the ninth and only one out ? Millar and Scutaro the goats but it should not have come down to that. 2/7 with runners in scoring position. Wells has the lowest average of tonight’s starters. .257. Rios has the next lowest at .260. Cito ???? time to shake them up.

Jays lose this one 4-3.

Top 1st: Scutaro grounds first pitch to short throw to first one down. Scutaro has lost his earlier season success and patience as a leadoff hitter and getting on base. Although to be fair he could be reverting to his normal self. He may have been way over-achieving for first two months. Hill (another cold bat) exactly the same play grounds to short throw to first. Two down. Rios strikes out. Jays go meekly and quietly just like the last four games. There is just no effort. Eight pitches for Lowe.
Bottom 1st: One change in this team and here he comes Janssen, will need to pitch lights out tonight to offset lack of offence from this team and even then it might not be enough as Halladay found last night giving up only one run but that as more than enough for this Braves team. Johnson grounds back to Hansen throw to Overbay one down. Kotchman, grounds to Rolen, nice play and throw to Overbay, two down. Anderson, lines it into right. One on two down for McCann, bunting, Janssen falls as he gets the ball but manages to throw a strike to Overbay, great play Casey. 16 pitch inning.

Top 2nd: Wells, what has he brought to the park tonight? slow roller to Prado, throw to first one down for Lind. Lifts it into left for a single. Rolen with one down and one on. Drives it to short, step on second throw to first, Jays favourite play, double play ball to end that inning. A seven !! pitch inning. Lowe could finish this game with only 72 pitches at this rate.
Bottom 2nd: Prado grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay, one down for Francouer lifts it into centre field for a single. Hernandez, grounds to Rolen, throw to Hill on to Overbay, double play ball.

Top 3rd: Overbay to lead off. 3-0 count, there’s some patience, Scutaro are you watching ??? Overbay walks on four pitches. Would make a much better lead off than Scutaro. Barajas singles into left and Jays have two on with no outs. But we have been here many times before and here comes Janssen Is he bunting ? that’s a joke. Of course he is. And does a great one, moving both runners into scoring position. Here comes Scutaro with one down and even he can’t hit into a double play ball here can he? 2-0 count Lowe may walk him so that Hill can. Lines a double into right corner and Jays finally get TWO run inning…. 2-0 Toronto. A long time since that happened. Hill lines it to right two down for Rios. High fly ball to right. Well let’s not celebrate just yet.
Bottom 3rd: Schafer grounds to Scutaro, throw to Overbay one down. Lowe at bat and singles into left ! Johnson, singles just over head of Scutaro. Two on one down. Kotchman, drives to centre over head of Wells, two runs score. Just like that 2-2 game. Vernon had a shot at it but difficult play but not impossible especially for him. When things are going badly then they don’t even get these catches. Anderson lines out to Rios in right, two down, McCann full count, fouling off four pitches here and now finally grounds to Overbay for third out but not before adding to pitch count for Janssen. 45 now.

Top 4th: Will Jays fight back here? Wells to leadoff. Hitless in last five at bats, but look at the good side Vernon, you can’t ground into a double play. Grounds to third. Throw to first one down. Lind grounds to second throw to first, two down. Rolen doubles down line into left field corner. One on two down for Overbay, another patient at bat, 3-1 count and walks. Nice at bat Lyle you should be this team’s hitting instructor. Barajas with two on. Full count, someone else is learning from Lyle. Strikes out but at least he made Lowe work for it. 57 pitches. Don’t look now but Jays are already 1/4 with runners in scoring position.
Bottom 4th: Prado grounds to Rolen, throw to Overbay for first out. Francouer, doubles to left corner, Lind misplays the bounce but it was probably a double anyway as Lind’s arm is a noodle. Hernandez walks. Janssen does not want a long inning here, he has to leadoff next inning. Two on for Schafer, a dribble back to Janssen, throw to Overbay gets Schafer only. Lowe with two in scoring position. Singles to right and run scores 3-2 Braves. Lowe 2-2 tonight, Jays don’t have any hitter with that. Johnson at bat, runner at third and Lowe at first. Lines it to Overbay for third out.

Top 5th: Janssen at bat. That’s tough for him. All he can do is make Lowe use up some pitches here and not get out on first pitch like most of his free swinging colleagues. Good for him five pitches before grounding to third. Scutaro with one down grounds second pitch to third. Hill, in huge slump after such a great start. Singles up the middle. One on for Rios but once again two down and he will not be stealing. Grounds to short, throw to second and Hill out. Does anyone remember when Jays last hit a home run?
Bottom 5th: Yankees have already won and Boston are winning and Jays look like slipping finally to second place tonight. Perhaps that will take all the pressure !!! off them. Kotchman grounds to Hill throw to Janssen one down for Anderson lines it into left field. One on one down for McCann. Pops it foul to Barajas. Two down for Prado. Bounces one to Hill throw to Overbay for third out. 71 pitches.

Top 6th: Wells to lead off again. That’s good no double play potential. Grounds to short throw to first for the out. I don’t understand why this guy continues to pull the ball. He has had great success just pushing it up the middle and also going the opposite way. But every other at bat ground ball to third or short. But he is trying isn’t he Cito? Lind grounds to short throw to first for second out. He is getting just as bad as Vernon. Rolen full count, patience for Scott, high fly ball to right centre and Jays are gone quickly and meekly once again. Jays have five hits tonight but Rios and Wells are 0-6 between them.
Bottom 6th: Francouer, grounds to Scutaro, throw to Overbay, one down. Hernandez grounds to Overbay, Janssen is there to get the throw, he fields his position very well is very quick off the mound. Schafer with two down and Lowe on deck. Fly ball to Lind. I wonder if Bobby Cox will let Lowe hit in the seventh. I don’t see why not, he already has two hits and an rbi.

Top 7th: Overbay, two walks tonight. BJ Ryan warming up in bullpen. Janssen could be on a pitch count tonight and I guess someone is pinch hitting this inning. Lyle grounds to second throw to first one down for Barajas. Grounds to short, two down. Oh boy Joe inglett? Is he the best you can do here Cito ? or have you thrown in the white flag already ? But Janssen at least gave it his all, first game back, and with even a little run support like two more runs ?? would be sitting on a win. Inglett grounds to short throw to first and inning is over. Lowe 94 pitches,
Bottom 7th: BJ Ryan. Lowe hitting. Pops it up to Overbay, great catch over the Braves dugout fence. Johnson, this one has gone, Johnson gets hold of it home run to right. 4-2 Braves. Which reminds me when did Jays hitters last get a home run ??? Kotchman, grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay two down. Anderson strikes out.

Top 8th: Top of the order. Six more at bats before the fifth loss in the books. Can Jays hitters turn it around? Scutaro to lead off and Lowe to finish this one, why not? Scutaro thinks about bunt but changes his mind. So much for having a play in mind when they go up to bat as Cito says they do. High fly ball to centre Schafer no problem. One down for Hill. Here comes Bobby Cox, just for a chat ? or is Lowe finished? I guess he is, that’s it for Lowe, Cox being overly cautious here with the Jays and giving them far too much respect. Lowe could have finished this one easily. Moylan pitching Hill at bat. Sidearmer. Can’t wait to see Rios and Wells with this guy. 3-0 on Hill all inside. Raining now this might save Jays, or rather the fans, more agony. Walks Hill. Rios 0-3 tonight. He should get a hit as his average is about 1 in 4. Wolfe ready in Jays bullpen. Rios Grounds to short throw to second on to first another Jays specialty double play ball. Vernon will lead off ninth….. Alex another 0-4 night. Pathetic.
Bottom 8th: Wolfe now pitching. McCann, showing bunt, this time down the third base line and ball hits the bag at third, no chance for Rolen and safe at first. Prado, also showing bunt. It’s ok Bobby you don’t need any more runs with this team. Lines to left to Lind. One down for Francouer singles up the middle, almost takes Wolfe’s head off. Two on one down. Hernandez at bat, strikes out. Two down for Schafer. Grounds to Hill flip to Scutaro and the agony is almost over.

Top 9th: Wells, Lind and Rolen. Can Wells avoid another ofer evening ? 0-3 so far. Gonzalez in to save this one. Not necessary Bobby. Weird delivery Gonzalez has, rocks back and forth sideways before pitching.. Full count, high fly ball to centre and Vernon keeps his record intact, 0-4 tonight. Lind doubles off the wall in right centre. One on one down for Rolen. Full count and walks. Overbay with two on and one down. Chance to do something here. Singles to right, Lind scores and Rolen safe at third. Good hustle by Scott. And just beats the throw 4-3 Braves with tying run at third, and one down for Barajas. Millar on deck. 3-0 count. Walks. Bases loaded for Millar. Bobby does not like this performance, that’s it for Gonzalez. Soriano now pitching. Millar strikes out, oh Kevin. Two down. Scutaro fly ball to left and Jays can’t buy a run. Loss number five.

Jays drop out of first and deservedly so, you can’t have a losing streak like this and expect to stay on top. And it really doesn’t matter who Cito puts out there pitching, that is not the problem, it is the hitting almost in every position. And of course Cito’s managing style now is being shown in a different light as he just lets them alone. That’s fine when they are winning but no good in this situation. He does not try to manufacture runs, will not send runners and thus stay out of the continual double play balls that Wells does. He will not move Vernon or Alex in the order. Basically I don’t believe that he is able to manage that way.

On the positive side, I think this team will win again when there is no pressure on them, when they are no longer in first spot and when both Boston and Yankees are ahead of them. It looks increasingly like they have been overachieving for two months and perhaps the schedule was skewed in their favour. They have yet to win against Boston, have only won one against Yankees. Have not played Tampa yet.

A slump yes, but the whole side ?? I don’t think so. Rios and Wells have not produced to their “previous” abilities in almost three seasons. Riso since that infamous All-Star home run competition, and Vernon for the last two seasons even without his injury last year. The year before he was terrible and then his “injury” was announced at the end of the season. Last season he was “recovering” from the injury but what is the excuse this season? Cito says he is “trying”. That is a joke Cito. He had better be doing more than trying for his multi-million contract..

Well another sweep on the books tomorrow and they have already lost their third series in a row, even if they do manage to win but the way they are playing I don’t think that is possible.