Downs blows this one but miserable hitting and no support for superb Halladay

Toronto v Tampa. Game one of three.

Another big series for Jays with Tampa just above them, they need to make a dent in that gap before they head out west. Of course tonight another ! final game by Halladay. I feel sorry for him having to deal with this distraction for the last couple of weeks. Cannot be helpful for a guy like him who is a perfectionist in his preparation. Other news Dellucci out of his misery and sent down and back comes Joe Inglett who has been burning it up in Vegas with .370 average. He can’t be worse than Dellucci.

Lineups: Tampa: Ever dangerous speedy lineup and one that Halladay has lost to twice already this season. Will it be third time lucky? Upton, Crawford, Longoria, Pena, Zobrist, Burrell, Gross, Hernandez, Bartlett, and Garza pitching.
Toronto: Scutaro, Hill, Lind, Rolen, Overbay, Wells, Rios, Barajas, Inglett and Halladay pitching first team tonight Cito for Halladay ?

The excellent: Roy Halladay in probably his last game for Jays nine innings, ten strikeouts and 115 pitches in a losing cause. Poor guy, he must weep as much as we do.
The good: Nothing much else for this team tonight. Maybe Scutaro and Hill for their rbis.
The awful: Downs, walking two in the tenth but starting with number eight hitter, and blowing this one bigtime, is he closer material? Maybe Jays have another problem. Up and down the lineup tonight, awful, wild uncontrolled at bats. Gave Garza an easy time swinging and getting out on first pitches. Inglett bunt, surely someone on the bench better than this guy but with a .370 average why did Cito make him? 1/7 with runners in scoring position. They get leadoff at second over and over and over again and cannot bring him in. Season long problem.

Top 1st: Upton, grounds back to Halladay throw to Overbay for first out. Crawford grounds it up the middle. Longoria, Crawford will not be long at first. Pitch out, not going. 3-0 now he may. Walks him totally distracted by Crawford. Pena, 0-2. Strikes out, two down for Zobrist. Fly ball to Wells for third out.
Bottom 1st: Now, have Jays hitters brought their bats tonight? More importantly what has Garza brought? In a personal slump right now. Scutaro, also in trade rumours, he would be big loss to this team. Full count, fly ball to Crawford in left, one down for Hill. There’s a life, on popup to dugout that Hernandez catcher could not handle. That was catchable. Full count, called third strike. Two down for Lind. Thirteen game hit streak on the line for Adam, strikes out.

Top 2nd: Burrell, first pitch fly ball to Rios, one down. Gross, 0-2, strikes out on low one there umpire, but obviously Halladay gets those. Hernandez, grounds to Overbay and seven pitch inning for Roy. He will take that anyday.
Bottom 2nd: Rolen leading off. First pitch… grounds to short throw to first one down. Overbay in the doghouse after yesterday’s performance. Taking strike three in bottom of the ninth with two out and tying run at third. Grounds to Zobrist at second throw to Pena at first for second out. Wells, with two down. Pulls it to Longoria at third, throw to Pena and Jays go very meekly here. Halladay will not get much support from this lot tonight.

Top 3rd: Bartlett, full count, and walks him two tonight. Upton, this is trouble, doubles to centre, two on no outs for Crawford. Fly ball to Wells, runs scores. Perfect execution by Joe Maddon’s team he demands and expects nothing else. Therein a huge dfference between these two Managers and their teams. 1-0 Rays. Longoria with runner at second, one down. Halladay not getting that call on the outside corner now. Pitch gets away and Upton to third. Halladay getting rattled. Longoria lines one to Inglett in left, run scores, is there a pattern here? 2-0 Rays, that should be enough tonight. Two down for Pena. Strikes out but 21 pitch inning and realistically I don’t see Jays hitters getting three against Rays tonight. They don’t even have a hit yet. 45 pitches for Roy.
Bottom 3rd: Rios leading off. Grounds to Longoria, long throw bounces gets away from Pena at first and Rios to second. But the problem is will he watch the rest of the inning from second? Barajas pops up to shallow centre !!! Upton, holds Rios at second. One down for Inglett, great chance for you Joe, fly ball to Gross in right, at least he moves Rios to third, but with two down…. Scutaro that’s the way Marco, singles to left and Jays finally produce a run, but why is it always like pulling teeth when they get leadoff guy at second? 2-1 Rays. Hill with two down and Scutaro at first. Oh lucky Aaron, long fly ball to centre, long run for Upton but off his glove and here comes Scutaro to tie game up. 2-2. Lind with Hill at second, bounces to Bartlett at short, throw to Pena at first but Jays have tied this up for Halladay. 46 pitches for Garza.

Top 4th: Zobrist, strikes out. One down for Burrell, grounds to Hill throw to Overbay for second out. Gross, strikes out.
Bottom 4th: Can Jays pad this lead now and let Halladay cruise? Rolen, has seen one pitch in the first seventy minutes of this game. Takes the first one here. that’s better Scotty doubles to left into the cortner. Here we go again with runner at second. Overbay first pitch fly ball to Crawford in left, makes nice catch. Lyle next time just try a bunt OK ? One down and Rolen still standing out there. Wells, can he do any better? 2-0 count, 3-0, making Garza work at least which is more than Overbay did. Full count. Jays 1/5 tonight with runners in scoring position. Vernon hanging tough here fouling them off. Fooled here on curve ball strike. Rios, last chance to bring in leadoff double. 2-0 count, oh boy, excuse me hit, off his bat as he pulls it back, grounds to first for third out. Jays futility with runners in scoring position, that would make me want a trade Roy if I were you. 64 pitches for Garza.

Top 5th: Hernandez, fly ball to Rios in right, one down for Bartlett, strikes out, number six tonight for Roy. Two down for Upton, lines to Rios in right for one, two, three inning.
Bottom 5th: Barajas, strikes out trying to check swing at ball outside. Inglett, one down. lines it at Longoria for out number two. Scutaro got it started last time. Not this time, first pitch ! pop up to Crawford and Halladay hardly had time to sit down.

Top 6th: Crawford leading off. Grounds back to Halladay nice grab Roy, throw to Overbay for first and very big out. Longoria, full count, grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay, two down for Pena. Lines first pitch to Hill, nice catch Aaron. 77 pitches.
Bottom 6th: Boston and Yankees both winning 2-1 but it is this game important right now. Hill leading off. 2-0 count, Garza doing a lot of those counts if Jays hitters let him. Pulls it to Longoria at third, long throw to Pena for first out. Lind, pops it up to Hernandez, two very quick outs for Rolen. Don’t believe it, first pitch grounds to second. What is wrong this group tonight? 78 pitches.

Top 7th: Zobrist, however it is now contagious and lines first pitch to Wells in centre, one down for Burrell, grounds up the middle to Scutaro throw to Overbay, two down. Gross, 3-0 count and grounds to Hill throw to Overbay for third out. Halladay doing his part but all to no good if the hitters cannot do something beyond get out on first pitch and leaving the ones they do get on base out there at second. 88 pitches for Halladay.
Bottom 7th: Overbay, another bad night at the plate so far. Must be yesterday’s goof weighing on his conscience. Strikes out. One down for Wells, hitless fly ball (first pitch) to Upton, two down. This has been far too easy for Garza tonight, Jays hitters getting themselves out with wild clueless at bats. Rios, strikes out.

Top 8th: Hernandez, strikes out on three pitches. Bartlett, Roy leaves one up here and doubles to left corner, he didn’t want to do that. Upton now runner at second, Rays don’t mess these chances up. Fly ball to Wells but too shallow for Bartlett to tag. Two down for Crawford, why is it always this guy? Whoa Roy, strikes him out on three pitches. That is why this guy should NEVER leave Toronto. Wow. Great pitching. If only his hitters could do something.
Bottom 8th: Barajas leading off. That will do leadoff single to centre. Inglett now, bunting ??? Probably. Johnny Mc pinch running. Yes, if anything Cito is predictable. Oh boy, Inglett pops bunt up, and caught by Garza throw to first and doubles up Johnny Mc already at second. Cito rolled the wrong dice again. Inglett has a .370 average Cito, he can hit. Scutaro now with two down. 0-2, now full count. Fly ball to Upton.

Top 9th: Longoria with Halladay still out there, if this is his last game he is going out with a bang. Chavez now catching. Full count. Ball four, does not get that strike on the outside corner. Now is Maddon bunting? Pena no way, not with 24 home runs. Gets him strikes him out great pitch. One down for Zobrist, 0-2 strikes out looking on three pitches number ten for Roy tonight. Burell loops one into shallow centre. Longoria to third, Gross, with two on and two down grounds to Overbay, steps on first for third out. You can’t ask for more from a pitcher. Now can Roy’s teammates give him a well deserved win? Top of the lineup.
Bottom 9th: Hill leading off. Garza 100 pitches. Hill too anxious here going after low balls. Strikes out. One down for Lind who has done nothing all night. Perfect timing Adam here. Full count, please don’t take third strike Adam. Of course he does. Strikes out looking. Awful. Rolen, with two down looking at extra innings now and no win for Halladay. 3-0 count. Takes a strike. Full count. Strikes out swinging. Here comes Downs and Wheeler is up in Rays bullpen but another chance for Halladay win has gone and probably added support to his leaving this club. He deserves a winner. Nine innings, ten strikeouts and 115 pitches.

Top 10th: Downs facing Hernandez 0-2, full count, you can feel this game slipping away here, walks number eight hitter, oh boy. Kapler pinch running, Bartlett lines it to Scutaro throw to Overbay almost gets away, Lyle earns his money for a change. One down for Upton, 2-0 don’t get to Crawford Scott. Grounds to Hill throw to Scutaro to get Kapler but no chance to double up Upton. Here comes Crawford with two down and one on. 2-0, Downs distracted by Upton on first. 3-0, don’t walk him Scott. Ball four. Longoria and now he also has to worry about double steal, Maddon has done this before, aggressive manager. But with 73 RBIs maybe not. Ball one, 2-2, full count, runners on the move. Doubles to left and Upton and Crawford score easily. 4-2 Rays, and fans start to leave. Pena grounds to Hill throw to Overbay but Downs has ruined Halladay’s last night. You can’t walk leadoff guy number eight and then another walk.
Bottom 10th: JP Howell now to close this one out. Overbay, I can’t watch this guy anymore takes first two pitches for strikes, takes another but low, has not moved his bat off his shoulder yet. Ball two. Swings at this and strikes out JP you can trade this guy. Wells, strikes out. All down to you Alex to be the hero. Lines first pitch to second. Jays give another one away and now the trading sounds a very good idea.

Toronto has now lost six times to Rays out of seven games, three with Halladay pitching. They have eleven, yes eleven more to play against Rays…… O me miserum..