Jays power and Halladay more than enough to win again

Toronto v Chicago Game three of four.

Lineups: Chicago: Podsednik, Getz, Dye, Konerko, Thome, Ramirez, Fields, Betemit, Miller, Lillibridge and Floyd pitching.
Toronto: Scutaro, Hill, Rios, Wells, Lind, Rolen, Overbay, Barajas, Snider and Halladay pitching.

Looks like a great crowd today, I can always tell from location of security in fifth deck. Today they are only four aisles from the foul pole in each direction. Plus lineups at the ticket gates as I walked past. It is Rios bobblehead day but I also think Halladay pitching has something to do with it.

The very good: Halladay despite lousy first inning managed to get in seven innings, now 8-1 in his nine outings. Roy has now worked seven innings or more in all his nine starts this season. Bullpen two scoreless innings. Lind three run home run. Hill his number eleven on season and Rios gets this started in first inning with his home run number five.
The good: Multi-hit games for Hill (plus a walk), Rios, Lind and Barajas. Great defence from Rolen again. Rolen takes two walks.
The bad: Possible injury to Scutaro. Am not putting Snider in here, this is still a kid. He will be ok and he is giving everything in left field.

Top 1st: Podsednik doubles to left, first pitch off Halladay. Aggressive ! Getz bunts up the first base line, Halladay covering drops the ball and Getz safe at first. Error to Halladay, Podsednik to third. Dye singles to right Podsednik screes 1-0 White Sox, Getz to third and still no outs, not a great start here for Halladay. Konerko singles to centre, Getz scores 2-0 Chicago. Dye to second. Dye stealing, great throw by Barajas to Rolen, Dye out at third. One down. Thome full count and now walks. Konerko moves to second. Ramirez pops to Overbay. Fields strikes out. Eight batters in first inning for Halladay. Very unusual start for him but could have been a lot worse.
Bottom 1st: Scutaro fly ball to Dye in right. Hill in his own mini-slump, grounds to catcher Miller throw to first base Konerko. One on one down for Rios. Gets hold of this one and home run to left, that gets crowd back in this one after shock of Halladay facing eight hitters in first inning and down two runs before they had chance to reply. Alex saying thanks for his bobblehead day. 2-1 Chicago. Wells strikes out.

Top 2nd: Miller strikes out. Lillibridge strikes out. Podsednik grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay. Much much better inning for Halladay.
Bottom 2nd: Lind strikes out. Rolen fly ball to centre field Lillibridge. Two down for Overbay grounds back to Floyd throw to Konerko at first base to end a very quick inning.

Top 3rd: Getz fly ball to Rios. Dye grounds to Hill throw to Overbay. Two down for Konerko fly ball to Rios.
Bottom 3rd: Barajas singles to centre. Snider strikes out. Scutaro grounds to second base Getz throw to Ramirez on to Konerko, double play ball.

Top 4th: Thome with the shift on right, doubles to right. Ramirez fouls out to Overbay. Fields pops up to Rios. Miller strikes out.
Bottom 4th: Hill singles to left. Rios bounces one high to third, no chance here for Fields for throw and Alex safe at first, Hill to second. Wells grounds to Getz at second throw to Ramirez, Rios out but his slide prevents a double play. Hill to third, two on for Lind. YES Adam, gets hold of this one bigtime and it is out of here in right centre. Hill scores, Vernon scores and here comes Adam, 4-2 Jays. Rolen full count and walks. Overbay fly ball to centre field Lillibridge. Lillibridge throw to Getz at second gets Rolen to end inning but Jays have broken this one open for Halladay.

Top 5th: - Lillibridge singles to centre. Podsednik at bat, Lillibridge stealing and safe at second. as Barajas bobbles the ball and could not get hold of it otherwise I think he might have had a chance as Lillibridge slid into second far too soon. Podsednik strikes out. Getz fly ball to Rios, Lillibridge to third. Dye fouls out to Rios. White Sox are getting the hitters in position but just cannot bring them home.
Bottom 5th: Barajas singles to right. Snider strikes out swinging for second time today. Scutaro doubles to centre, here comes Barajas chugging home throw arrives at same time but umpire calls him safe, catcher Miller arguing but no luck. Jays get another run for Halladay 5-2. Hill, full count and walks. Rios at bat, Scutaro stealing third Miller’s throw hits him and Scutaro is hurt. He was safe but throw hit his body somewhere. Trainer and Cito out there but Marco is up and continuing. Rios grounds to Ramirez on to Getz at second to get Hill but no chance for two and Scutaro scores 6-2 Jays. Two down for Wells fly ball to centre field Lillibridge. But Jays have added two more.

Top 6th: Konerko doubles to left. Thome strikes out. Ramirez grounds to Hill throw to Overbay, Konerko to third. Two down for Fields grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay.Once again Sox leave man in scoring position.
Bottom 6th: That’s it for Floyd another Sox starter not getting into seventh inning. Gobble pitching. Lind strikes out. Rolen strikes out. Overbay strikes out. Sox fans wish Gobble had been in last inning strikes the side out here.

Top 7th: McDonald in as short for Scutaro. Miller strikes out. Lillibridge strikes out. Halladay still rolling along here. Podsednik grounds to short McDonald fumbles it and Podsednik safe at first, error to Johnny Mc. On his first play !.Getz grounds to Hill throw to Overbay for third out. Halladay over the 100 pitch count now so that may be his last inning. After that disasterous first I didn’t expect to see him here at the end of the seventh.
Bottom 7th: Barajas lines to Fields, great diving catch. Barajas hit that very hard. Snider strikes out for third time. Johnny Mc in for Scutaro grounds first pitch to third base Fields throw to Konerko at first for third out..

Top 8th: Frasor now pitching. Dye pops up Hill. Konerko doubles to left. That’s it for Frasor, Cito has lots of options with an underused bullpen. Carlson now pitching. Lefty lefty matchup with Thome fly ball opposite field to Snider.Two down for Ramirez, fly ball to Wells.
Bottom 8th: Jenks now pitching. Hill yes Aaaron, gets hold of first pitch and this is in left field seats, another home run for Hill. 7-2 Jays. Rios grounds to third base Fields throw to first base Konerko. One down for Wells, strikes out. Two down for Lind grounds to Ramirez at short. Rolen walks, Lind moves to second. Overbay keeps it going here and singles to right, Lind scores 8-2 Jays. Rolen moves up to second. Barajas grounds to third base, Fields to first baseman Konerko for third out.

Top 9th: League now pitching. Cito is enjoying this period of underused bullpen. The last few games the starters have gone deep. Betemit pinch-hitting for Fields. Full count and Betemit walks. Pierzynski pinch-hitting for Miller fly ball to Wells. Nix pinch-hitting for Lillibridge, full count and walks. Betemit to second. . Podsednik two on and one down grounds to Hill flip to McDonald throw to Overbay, Double play ball to end this one. Jays win another, stay on top regardless of what Boston does later today.
Jays also beat Floyd for the second time this season. They scored six runs on nine hits off him in a 14-0 win in Chicago.

Tomorrow Richmond has to bounce back from his last bad start pitching against Clayton Richard.

Poor Travis Snider in another rut here but give him a break he is so very young but the debate will continue. Would it have been better for him to spend another year at AAA-Vegas or is it better for him to learn every day every at bat, Cito obviously favours the latter and as long ads Jays are winning they can afford to carry Snider.