Jays show their power behind pitching gem to win 9-0

Toronto v Texas. Game two of four.

The bad news to start with Jesse Litsch season ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, it is amazing that Jays have done so well without Marcum, McGowan, Litsch and Janssen let alone no Burnett this season. I think it shows not only the depth of Jays minor league farm teams but JP’s philosophy of selecting College players as opposed to high school.

Lineups: Toronto: Cito has the first team out tonight. Scutaro, Hill, Rios, Wells, Lind, Rolen, Overbay, Millar, Barajas and Tallet pitching.
Texas: Kinsler, Andruw Jones, Young and Mathis pitching.
The very good: Has to be Tallet seven innings. Lind another home run, Hill number 14. Rolen 3 hits and a walk. Jays had lost nine in a row on the road coming into this series. Toronto’s fifth shutout of the season not bad for a team that has it’s starting rotation decimated by injuries. Lind 20-45 in his last eleven games.
The good: Jays pick up a game on Yankees loss to Boston. Vernon two hits, double and a triple. Interesting the bottom four all get walks to get on base contributing in their own way tonight. BJ Ryan one inning three up and down in a blowout but more important that ERA continues to drop now under 7. to 6.91, he will love that. Dirk Hayhurst also supporting Tallet with shutout inning. AND Jays 5/12 tonight with runners in scoring position, much, much better.
The bad apart from the Litsch news. The problem with Vernon leading off so many innings means that Alex was the last out of previous inning. And with an 0-5 night like tonight not good.

Top 1st: Scutaro fly ball to centre field Byrd. Hill grounds to third base Young throw to Davis at first. Two down for Alex, what will he be doing tonight? Rios grounds to Andrus at short throw to first base Davis.
Bottom 1st: Kinsler fly ball to Wells. Young fly ball to Rios. Jones pops up to Hill. Three up and down for Tallet, good start.

Top 2nd: Wells leading off yet again, all last night it seemed. Lines this one hard to centre off the glove of and Vernon motors safely into third. That should have been an out though but Vernon will take any luck he can get these days. Lind grounds to Andrus at short throw to Davis at first, Wells scores 1-0 Jays. Obviously Vernon would not have scored if that catch at centre had been made it would be two down and no one on. Little things. Rolen 3-0 count and walks on four pitches. Overbay walked on a full count, Rolen to second. Millar with two on and only one down. Singles to left, Rolen scores 2-0 Jays. Jays have to do this with Mathis tonight, knock him out early and get into that bullpen to rough them up for rest of series.Overbay at second, Millar at first. Barajas grounds to Andrus at short, fumbles the ball and Barajas safe at first to load the bases. That could and should have been double play ball. Error on Andrus. Overbay to third, Millar to second. Scutaro with bases loaded and only one down. Yes indeed Marco, singles to left. Overbay scores, Millar scores and Jays go out 4-0. Barajas to second. Hill one down and two on grounds to second base Kinsler on to Davis at first for the out, Barajas to third, Scutaro to second. Alex now with two in scoring position, and a chance to blow this one wide open, grounds back to Mathis throw to first base Davis for third out. I am starting to feel very sorry for Alex. Will he ever get that form back of two years ago? Cito will take the 4-0 start though and so will Tallet tonight.
Bottom 2nd: Cruz fly ball to Wells. Byrd strikes out. Two down. Boggs doubles to left. Davis full count and walks, come on Brian don’t let them get back in this game. Two on for Saltalamacchia, strikes out.

Top 3rd: Wells, yes leading off again, fouls out to first base Davis. Lind singles to centre. Rolen singles to right, Lind to second. Overbay fly ball to left field Boggs. Millar walks for second time tonight, bases loaded for Barajas, Lind at third, Rolen at second. Barajas fly ball to centre field Byrd.
Bottom 3rd: Andrus full count and walks. Number two walk by Tallet. Kinsler grounds to Rolen on to Hill on to Overbay, double play ball. Young fly ball to Lind.

Top 4th: Scutaro grounds to Andrus at short throw to first base Davis, one down. Hill fly ball to right field Cruz. Rios grounds back to Mathis throw to Davis at first.
Bottom 4th: Jones grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay, one down. Cruz strikes out. Byrd fly ball to Lind. Tallet another three up and down.

Top 5th: Wells leads off for the third time tonight and sixth time in two days, pops up to right field Cruz. One down for Lind, YES Adam another high fly ball this time over that high wall in left, that wall is no Green Monster but is 14 feet high, another home run, this kid loves Texas, his third in two games and his fifth in five games. I think he might be hot, Alex should sit next to him. 5-0 Jays. Rolen singles to centre. He is also enjoying this warm Texan weather and more important for him the grass for his back after the Toronto surface. Overbay with one on fly ball to left field Boggs. Two down for Millar grounds back to Mathis to Kinsler to Andrus, Rolen out at second. Mathis 98 pitches, could be his last inning.
Bottom 5th: Boggs fly to Lind. Davis singles to right. One on for Saltalamacchia fly ball to Rios.Two down. Andrus pops up to Overbay. Tallet really in a good groove here.

Top 6th: That’s it for Mathis, he did better than I thought he would do, was no helped by his defense in that second inning.. Moscoso now pitching.
Barajas full count and walks. Scutaro fly ball to right field Cruz.Hill grounds to third base Young on to Kinsler at second to get Barajas. Rios hitless tonight, grounds to second base Kinsler throw to Davis at first.
Bottom 6th: Kinsler pops up to Scutaro. Young grounds to Scutaro on to Overbay, two down. Jones fly ball to Wells. Another three up and down for Tallet.

Top 7th: Guess who is leading off ? Wells doubles to left. Second hit to go with his triple, Vernon will be happy with this tonight. Lind with Vernon at second, grounds to second base Kinsler throw to Davis at first base for the out, but Vernon moves up to third. Rolen doubles to centre and Vernon scores 6-0 Jays. One on one down for Overbay. Wild pitch by Moscoso, Rolen to third. Rangers having no luck tonight. Overbay singles to right, Rolen scores 7-0 Jays. Lyle now with a fifteen game hit streak the longest in the majors right now. So good to see Lyle in a groove after his terrible season last year when his wrist was still healing. Millar still only one out, strikes out. Barajas two down one on strikes out but Jays have two more.
Bottom 7th: Cruz grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay. One down for Byrd, fly ball flied out to Rios. Two down for Boggs, same again fly ball to Rios. And that will probably be it for Tallet tonight, Cito has a rested bullpen and Tallet on 103 pitches. Tallet’s seven innings matches the longest start of his career. He walks two, strikes out three and retired the last eight batters he faced.

Top 8th: Guardado now pitching. Scutaro doubles to left. Hill with one on gets hold of this one, no doubt at all another home run, number 14 for Hill. Two runs score. 9-0 Jays. Rios only one of only two Jays hitters without a hit tonight. stays hitless an goes as he grounds to second base Kinsler throw to first base Davis. Another 0-5 night for Alex, perhaps his turn will come later in the summer doldrums when everyone else runs dry. Wells pops up to right field Cruz. Lind lines out to Kinsler at second base.
Bottom 8th: Hayhurst pitching. Davis strikes out. Saltalamacchia grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay. Two down. Andrus grounds to Hill throw to Overbay. Great three up and down for Hayhurst. Six pitches for Dirk.

Top 9th: Jason Grilli pitching. Rangers just acquired him from Colorado today. Rolen grounds to second base Kinsler throw to first base Davis. One down. Overbay fly ball to left field Boggs. Two down for Millar, strikes out.
Bottom 9th: Johnny Mc in at short. BJ Ryan pitching. Kinsler fly ball to Rios. Young grounds to McDonald throw to Overbay, two down. Jones grounds to McDonald throw to Overbay and BJ has a three up and down six pitch inning. That is fine with him blowout or not.