Jays salvage some pride with power display lead by Overbay 5 RBIs

Toronto v Washington. Series finale.

Jays looking to avoid a most embarrassing sweep against the worst team in baseball.But up against yet another rookie pitcher Martis who won his first five games of the season. Nationals looking to extend win streak to five.
As to be expected and long overdue Inglett was returned to Vegas but up comes Russ Adams. Sorry I just don’t get that. Have you seen his Vegas stats ?

Lineups:Toronto: Scutaro, Hill, Wells, Rolen, Lind, Rios, Overbay, Barajas and Romero hitting and pitching today.
Washington: Guzman, Johnson, Zimmerman, Dunn, Kearns, Gonzaklez, Harris, Bard and Martis hitting and pitching.

The very good: Overbay three hits and 5 RBIs. And a great Home run. We would all love Lyle to get hot now.
The good: Four run first inning. Good three run ninth inning, not so good in between. Definitely Romero, not fantastic but more than enough for Washington hitters and going into the eighth gave that bullpen much needed rest. Day off tomorrow also will help. Wells and Rios with the ir bats, can we dare to hope that they have turned the corner? I for one hope so. Fans have suffered long enough with both of them. Scutaro three hits, And I have to menton this one Jays hitters 4-6 with runners in scoring position.
The bad: Yes the bad today. Defence. And specifically infield Hill and Rolen but they can’t be perfect all the time. Problem is they are so good usually that when they do make errors we notice them. Also news re Accardo. Martis was 62 pitches after two innings and yet he hung in there for five. Jays should have hammered him out of the game earlier to get into that bullpen. Quibbling now.

Top 1st: Scutaro singles to centre. Good start. Hill lined into a double play, third base Zimmerman throw to first base Johnson doubles up Scutaro. Vernon with two down. full count and walks. Rolen 3-0. Martis having a rough first inning. Singles to centre. Two on two down for Lind. Another full count as Lind takes it all the way. Walks the bases loaded for Alex the Rios. here comes the coach….settle down it’s only Alex. Takes ball one at least. That’s better Alex, goes the opposite way and doubles into right. Wells scores, Rolen sliding, safe at home just beats the tag, 2-0 Jays. Overbay with two in scoring position, chance to break it open Lyle. That’s the way Lyle solid single into centre and Jay go up 4-0. Barajas with Lyle at first, two down fly ball into left corner to end this. Eight to the plate. That’s more like it and how it should have been all weekend in my opinion. 38 pitches for Martis, ouch. Jays 20-2 with runners in scoring position, I have to note that.
Bottom 1st: Romero pitching, Guzman leadoff. Ricky need to help yourself here. Singles into centre. Johnson 3-1 count. Come on Ricky. Ball four way outside. Ricky playing with fire here. Zimmerman, strikes out on pitch in the dirt. One down for Dunn. Still lots of fire Ricky. How about a ground ball? Strikes out swinging Dunn arguing so is Manager says he hit it. Ha Ha… nice try Dunn. Two down two on for Kearns lines out to Rios in right. 22 pitch inning though and now he has to bat.

Top 2nd: Romero leading off. Strikes out looking but it takes five pitches. Now he can sit. Scutaro, singles to second, diving stop by Gonzalez, throw from his knees not in time to get Scutaro at first. Hill fly ball to right, two down for Vernon. Doubles first pitch to left field corner. Scutaro scores from first easily. 5-0 Jays. Rolen, hit batter. Martis getting rattled here. Lind fly ball to Dunn in left. 54 pitches.
Bottom 2nd: Romero needs to settle now and get those Jays hot bats out there again. Gonzalez, grounds to third, off Rolen’s glove, safe at first error not given on Rolen but that was a safe play for him usually.. Harris Doubles to right, Two on and in scoring position and nobody out. That error is big now. Romero needs to ratchet it up a notch here. Bard full count. Need an out here with Martis on deck. Grounds it at Hill, he now messes it up, two runs score 5-2 Jays. the infield is ruining this for Romero. He should be out of the inning. Martis bunting. Romero hesitating only on out now at first. Guzman, strikes out. Romero will have to do it himself with his infield so bad today. Johnson grounds to Rolen throw to Overay for third out. But Washington back in this one and not Romero’s fault, Rolen and Hioll owe him big.

Top 3rd: Rios, first pitch swing, high pop to Guzman, Alex back to normal. Overbay WHOA Lyle. NO question about that one, second deck right field. Home run Lyle. And Jays get one back for Romero 6-2 Jays. Barajas, another high pop up to second for Gonzalez. Romero grounds to second throw to Johnson. 64 pitches.

Bottom 3rd: Zimmerman bunting pops up to Romero, one down. Dunn singles into right. Kearns hits him on the foot. Didn’t even try to get out of the way. With his average .193 I can see why he would want to get on anyway he can. Two on one down. Careful here Ricky. Gonzalez, grounds back to Romero no one at second has to wait to throw then no chance for two, Boy this infield today is making it very tough for Romero. Harris now with runners at first and third. That’s much better grounds to Hill, diving save and from his knees makes the throw to Overbay. That’s much more like it.

Top 4th: Scutaro singles first pitch to left, 3-3 today. Hill 0-2 pops it up to Johnson. Wells, double and a walk, fly ball to Harris in centre, two down. Rolen, pops up to Johnson. Scutaro left at first. Not good hitting by Jays there. Martis at 76 pitches.
Bottom 4th: Bard, lines very hard to left but Lind has it up against the wall. One down Martis grounds first pitch to Overbay flip to Romero, two down. Guzman grounds to Hill, but Overbay also going, Overbay gets it and throw to first Romero covering for the out. Good quick three up and down inning for Romero. Needs to close this one down for a few now and let those bats get a few more.67 pitches for Romero.

Top 5th: Lind grounds to first great save by Johnson flip to Martis for the out. Rios grounds it hard to Guzman at short, throw to Johnson. Two down for Overbay, grounds to Johnson at first, bobbles it, very lucky to hang on to it, but manages throw to Martis covering at first for the out. 89 pitches.
Bottom 5th: Johnson doubles to left. Zimmerman grounds to Scutaro. Johnson has to hold at second. Dunn full count and walks, two on one down for Kearns, another full count. Ball four to load the bases. Here comes Arnsberg to settle Romero down. Gonzalez at bat, PERFECT grounds to Scutaro, flip to Hill on to Overbay double play ball. 86 pitches.

Top 6th: Colome now pitching, his third game in a row. Barajas grounds to Guzman at short. Will it be Romero ? Yes. Cito has learned from the first two games, he needs his starter for one more or is it that everyone is bushed in the bullpen? Grounds to Johnson at first, two down for Scutaro. 3-3 today. Making Colome work here, strikes out.
Bottom 6th: Harris leading off, could be last inning for Romero. Full count and strikes out. One down. Bard singles into right, just stuck his bat out to protect the plate. It all counts though. Pinch hitter Belliard, Very nice. Grounds to Rolen, throw to Hill on to Overbay double play ball. Now his infield is helping him. That might be the end of his day at 101 pitches. He did well without being dominant.

Top 7th: Kip Wells pitching, Hill not a good day at the office today with his bat, 0-3. That’s better Aaron, singles into right, nice shot. Wells against Wells, full count after being 0-2. Strikes out swinging at ball four. Rolen, slow roller to third, Zimmerman quick throw to second gets Hill but relay to first not in time for Rolen. Two down for Lind, full count, is he taking this one ? Yes ball four down and outside. Rios again chance for heroics. Just need a single here Alex. Head up and swings over it. Fouls this one off his foot, that hurts him. Takes third strike.
Bottom 7th: Romero still out there, second game in a week over 100 pitches. Guzman at bat, grounds hard at Rolen, nice stop and throw to Overbay for first out. Johnson, grounds to Hill, diving but off his glove into centre. Would have been highlight reel save. Zimmerman with one on and one down, Carlson and Accardo up in bullpen. Nice pitch slow curve freezes Zimmerman. Two down for Dunn. 0-2, in the dirt here Ricky. That’s it right on the corner freezes Dunn. Didn’t take his bat off his shoulder.

Top 8th: Wells (Kip) pitching Overbay, grounds to Gonzalez second throw to Johnson, one down. Barajas will we see Russ Adams for Romero here? Grounds to second throw to first two down. Yes we are. Jays secret weapon ! Not my choice for call up. Singles up the middle. Top of the order again, Scutaro. 3-4 today, not this time, fly ball to Harris in centre for third out.
Bottom 8th: Kearns at bat, Accardo in 3-0 count there’s a strike. Lines it softly to Hill, one down. Oh boy, here comes trainer for Accardo, and Cito calls for League, Accardo yet another Jays pitcher down? Gonzalez strikes out on three pitches. Two down for Harris first pitch fly bal to Lind.

Top 9th: Hanrahan pitching, Hill leading off. Grounds to Guzman, throw to Johnson for first out. Wells, high pop up to Guzman, two down for Rolen, That’s what Vernon should have done to that second pitch instead of pulling, singles up the middle. One on for Lind, time for a big one Adam. Wild pitch and Rolen moves to second. Full count, ball four. Two on for Mr. Rios. Hitless since the first inning. Chance for glory Alex. Full count. Perfect Alex, doubles to left centre up the middle, Wells scores when did we last have that combination? 3 rbi day for Mr. Rios. 7-2 Jays. Overbay with two in scoring position, 3-0 count single s to right, two more as Rolen and Rios score. 9-2 Jays. Where was all this power all weekend ? and the clutch two-out hitting and with runners in scoring position, welcome back… . Barajas grounds to second, but Jays will take the three extra runs.
Bottom 9th: That has emptied the stadium. Carlson now pitching. Bard doubles over head of Lind in left. Willingham pinch hitting, doubles off wall in left Bard scores 9-3 Jays. Guzman still no outs and runner at second. Singles into left. Here comes Arnsberg, I think his message will be short and sweet. Frasor up in bullpen. Johnson, two on and still no outs. Fly ball to Lind in shallow left too shallow to tag and score. One down for Zimmerman, pops it up to Overbay, two down and much too shallow to tag and score. Dunn with two down and two on. Singles into right, run Willingham scores 9-4 Jays. Guzman at third, Dunn at first. That’s it for Jesse today, they were locked into him. Here comes Frasor with two on and two down. Dukes pinch hitting, fly ball to Wells and Jays win one.

They return to Toronto 4-2 on the road trip but….. could have, should have….. been so much better and even a 6-0 trip. However after their last 0-9 road trip Cito will think he is the World series. Now he has to worry about Accardo.