Jays lose third consecutive series and two sweeps.How much worse before Cito is fired?

Toronto v Atlanta series finale and Jays trying to avoid second consecutive series sweep.

Correction to last night, Boston lost with that home run review. BUT nothing changed as they win today and Jays are not in first anymore.

Jays lucky night last night as Boston loses again to the Mets in the ninth which means the Jays stay on top albeit on percentage points. But note the Yankees are tied now with Boston and another loss by Jays coupled with Boston and NY wins today would mean Jays could drop to third position.

Lineups:Toronto: Scutaro, Hill, Rios, Wells, Lind, Bautista, Overbay, Chavez, and Richmond hitting and pitching.
Atlanta: Johnson, Kotchman, Anderson, McCann, Prado, Francouer, Hernandez, Schafer and Jurrjens pitching.

Top 1st: Scutaro leading off, his game has really tanked. For the first two months he was the ideal leadoff taking loads of walks and also hitting, now he is awful and it may indeed be time for Cito to replace him, grounds here to second Johnson throw to Kotchman at first. Hill grounds to Hernandez at short throw to Kotchman at first. Rios singles to left. Wells fouled out to Francoeur in right.
Bottom 1st: Johnson here we go, home run to left, 1-0 Braves. Kotchman grounds to Overbay throw to Richmond. One down for Anderson strikes out. Two down for McCann, here we go again, home run to right 2-0 Braves. Not the start Richmond wanted. Prado grounds to Bautista throw to Overbay for third out.

Top 2nd: Lind grounds to Jurrjens throw to Kotchman. One down for Bautista, doubles to left. Overbay full count and walks. Lyle would be my bet right now for new leadoff. He actually knows what patience means. Chavez grounds to Johnson at second throw to Hernandez on to Kotchman a Jays specialty, double play.
Bottom 2nd: Richmond not getting any help from his hitters has to settle here. Francoeur strikes out. Hernandez fly ball to Rios. Schafer strikes out. Much better.

Top 3rd: Richmond grounds to Johnson throw to Kotchman at first one down. Scutaro grounds to Kotchman. Two down. Hill singles to left. Rios grounds to second base Johnson throw to Kotchman.
Bottom 3rd: Jurrjens strikes out. Johnson lines out to Overbay. Kotchman grounds out to Overbay.

Top 4th: Wells singles to left. Lind is Vernon stealing? No and full count now. There he goes as Lind strikes out, throw high and Vernon safe but Lind is out. Bautista and there Vernon goes again first pitch. Safe at third, about time Cito started to be aggressive, long, long overdue in my opinion. Something has to change with all these double play balls and constant inability to bring in a runner. Bautista grounds to short and here comes Vernon, throw to first to get second out. 2-1 Jays. It looks as if student Cito has learned something from the master Bobby, but so, so overdue. If a team is struggling with the bat, the Manager has to be more aggressive when the guy gets on base, it should be elementary but Cito hates to do it for whatever reason. Overbay, strikes out. And QED, without those steals Vernon would be on second. Let’s see if Cito continues.
Bottom 4th: Anderson grounds back at Richmond throw to Overbay, one down. McCann singles to centre. Prado doubles to left, McCann to third. Francoeur grounds to Bautista throw to Overbay. Hernandez grounds to Hill throw Overbay.

Top 5th: Chavez singles into right after two brushback pitches. Richmond trying to bunt, strikes out. Scutaro long overdue to do something useful. That’s all it takes note Vernon and Alex, just a push up the middle. Both runners safe. Just made contact and singled between the infield. Hill with two on and one down. Bounces one high off the plate to second, Scutaro out, on replay didn’t even slide in. Chavez at third Hill safe at first. Rios with two down and two on, yes, you got it, grounds to first. When you are playing badly you really look all at sea and that is Alex Rios in May 2009. Another golden opportunity lost.
Bottom 5th: Schafer great drag bunt and great recovery by Richmond to get him at first, just… Jurrjens, wild swing there 360 that could have hurt his shoulder or side, strikes out. Two down… Bobby Cox asks him the same question but he seems ok. But it was not a wise play he could have done a lot of damage for a base hit.. Johnson, singles to left. Kotchman, Richmond luck there as this drive just foul in right corner. Johnson stealing this time great throw by Chavez gets him at second. Chavez does have a great arm and he showed it in Dunedin in spring, the only problem right now is that he does overuse it throwing to third and first and as we have seen it in earlier games it can backfire.

Top 6th: We will see if Jurrjens is ok. Wells, up the middle, I told you Vernon, just stop that pulling to left and you are ok…. A leadoff double here over the head of Schafer to the wall in centre. Lind now another great opportunity for Toronto to at least tie this one up. Lind grounds to second Vernon to third. Bautista should be hammering anything close to him, but a little tentative here full count and walks. We need a hit Jose. Overbay, bullpen up and working for Atlanta. That’s it Lyle lifts it into shallow left centre, Wells scores 2-2 game. Bautista holds at second. Chavez with Millar on deck for Richmond, Cito really playing NL ball today. Jurrjens at 99 pitches now almost half in last two innings, drives it to Francouer for second out. Runners hold. Millar did not perform last night so is ready to make amends here. No, grounds to third throw to second to get Overbay but Jays have at least tied this one up.
Bottom 6th: Carlson pitching, when Cito likes a pitcher he will keep rolling him out there time and again until he doesn’t perform. Grounds to Overbay, throw to Carlson for the first out. Anderson, grounds one off Carlson’s glove deflects it and Scutaro throw just late, McCann with one down and Anderson at first. Grounds to Overbay throw to Hill gets Anderson at second back to Overbay for the third out McCann, double play ball.

Top 7th: Moylan we have seen him before, the sidearmer, Scutaro at bat, singles to short but deep and no chance of a play at first. Scutaro on board at first. Hill Scutaro stealing but Hill fouls it off. Hill strikes out. Rios with one on and one down. Ouch, ouch, that hurts, Rios hit on the back leg, ball behind him. Two on for Wells. 3-0 count, Moylan not on target here, now full count. No double steal here, this is not Joe Maddon managing. Nine pitch count, nine strikes after that 3-0 count. Ball four as Vernon dives to the ground to avoid being hit on the leg. Ten pitch at bat. But bases loaded for Lind and here comes Manager Bobby, not amused at Moylan here. O’Flaherty pitching Lind strikes out. Come on Adam. Here’s Bobby, O’Flaherty did his job. Bennett now pitching to Bautista fly ball to right and once again Jays inability to bring a guy in with one out.
Bottom 7th: Camp pitching Prado grounds to third Bautista throw to Overbay. One down for Francoeur singles to left. Hernandez singles to left, Francouer to second one out two on for Schafer, Chipper Jones on deck. 3-1 count, Camp in trouble here comes Arnsberg. Not much good as Camp walks bases loaded. Cito has had enough, Frasor now pitching. Atlanta exactly the same situation as Toronto in top half of their inning and I will wager it will be very different story. Chipper Jones with bases loaded is money in the bank. Singles to right off Overbay’s glove, run scores, just like that 3-2 and bases remain loaded. The difference between a real team and a pretender. Johnson, ground rule double into right, two more runs, 5-2 Braves. Two more in scoring position. Kotchman intentional walk to load them up and why not Cito, but don’t expect a ground ball here, that’s the way Jays hitters do, this is Atlanta. Anderson fly ball to Wells, another run scores 6-2 Braves. Two down for McCann. Runners at the corners. Full count, Frasor loading them up again? No home run to right instead, scores three. 9-2 Braves have scored seven this inning and are making Jays look minor leaguers. McCann’s second of the game. Prado grounds to Overbay throw to Frasor and one of the most embarrassing innings by this team ends. Camp may have earned himself a trip to Vegas and Frasor certainly will not be pitching for a while. BUT the comparison between two teams in identical situations is the one to look at. Jays cannot do anything with bases loaded Atlanta scores seven.

Top 8th: How will this Jays group react to this? Soriano now pitching. Bautista swing away at first pitch of course grounds to second throw to first one down. Chavez at bat, grounds to third throw to first two down. We are ok here comes giant-killer Inglett. Full count, strikes out. Don’t tell me that this guy is worth sending Snider to Vegas. This team really has a lot of fight in them. They are about to go 0-6 on this road trip and slink out of Atlanta swept for second straight series, but it is the way they are losing that is the key and the top of the seventh says it all.. Bases loaded one out and cannot score. That is their season not the first place they held until today.
Bottom 8th: McDonald in at short and why not? League pitching Francoeur strikes out. Hernandez singles up the middle. Schafer doubles off the wall in centre, Hernandez to third. Norton pinch hitter Grounds to Hill run scores 10-2 Braves. Would that Jays hitters could learn how to that. Norton’s easiest rbi this season. Two down for Johnson. Runner at third. grounds up the middle the usual Johnny Mc. highlight reel save and throw to first and save further embarrassment to Toronto team today.

Top 9th: Only three more outs let’s see how many pitches. Manny Acosta pitching McDonald full count but taking him all the way. Way to go Johnny Mc. Grounds to Hernandez at short throw wild at first as McDonald racing down that line. That was an at bat to get on base at any cost.That was how Scutaro started this season but somewhere forgot how to do it. Hill, singles over third into left. Two on for oh no…. Rios and Wells. Rios grounds to third steps on third a throw to first and good old Alex yet another double play ball. Wells, last hope oh buy… what a thought. Full count strikes out. And finally the agony of watching this team is over. Acosta pitches 20, thanks to Johnny Mc six.
Runners in scoring position 1/12, the story of this Jays team and until they can find a way to overcome this then they are sinking fast. Will Cito last ?

Jays slink out of Atlanta having now lost six in a row, swept in both their last two series and hoping for another two miracles in Boston and New York to even keep them in first. This was definitely rock bottom for this team.