Jays give this one away with another pathetic hitting display.

Toronto v Cleveland. Game one of three.

You just know that the Indians are going to give Jays a whole load of trouble. Media today setting them up for a fall, below .500 opposition, have owned them, Lee coming off bad spell, hitless “punchless” Indians etc etc… All that Jays need against them tonight is a rookie and then they are truly cooked.

Lineups: Cleveland: Sizemore, Cabrera, Choo, Martinez, Hafner, Peralta, Francisco, Carroll, Shoppach and Lee pitching.
Toronto: Scutaro, Hill, Wells, Rolen, Overbay, Rios, Millar, Barajas, Bautista and Cecil pitching. No Lind, and Wells back at number three, what will he do? Cito must have seen something ??

The bad: How a team can come off winning great series against Boston league leading team and then go into their collective shells, against the bottom team of the Central division that Jays have owned in the first half? Cecil on a tight rope all night but survived. Hitters ? don't know where they were. Cito ? inability to get anything going, small ball, hit and run, stealing, and outmanaged by Indians manager. He has to become more than a one dimensional manager, he is fine when things go well but seems unable to manufacture runs or put any pressure on the opposition especially with that first pitch swinging, does he not know that opposition scouts have relayed that? And managers are playing to it ?
Tonight it also meant that Lee would be able to pitch complete game with such a low pitch count. Overbay error yes, but this game should have been locked up in the first few innings.

The very bad: Jays 0/6 tonight with runners in scoring position. They were lucky also as Cleveland went 3/14 mostly with those bases loaded situations for Cecil.

The good: Rolen, with bat and glove, Hill with his two hits out of his slump. Cecil gets a good and bad. It is fine to get nine strikeouts but add in four walks and you are constantly in trouble. Still not sure he belongs here yet. It is too bad that he did not have one more year in Vegas. He obviously has good stuff, but was in deep trouble most innings, but without run support ???

Top 1st: Sizemore strikes out. Cabrera triples to centre. Indians have speed, don’t underestimate them. Choo strikes out. Martinez hit by a pitch. Two on two down for Hafner, strikes out. Cecil gets all three but makes it tough to watch
Bottom 1st: Scutaro strikes out. Hill singles to right. Wells grounds back to pitcher Lee throw to short Cabrera on to first base Martinez, double play ball. Welcome back Vernon, we have missed all those inning ending double plays in the first inning.

Top 2nd: Peralta grounds to Scutaro throw to first base Overbay. Francisco doubles to left. Carroll singles to centre, Francisco to third and Cecil in trouble again. Shoppach with one down strikes out. Sizemore grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay to get out of trouble, but you can’t keep hoping for this kind of escape Brett.
Bottom 2nd: Rolen strikes out. Overbay fly ball to centre Sizemore. Rios grounds to third base Peralta throw to first Martinez. Quick one for Lee here.

Top 3rd: Cabrera grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay. Choo singles to centre. Martinez full count and walks, Choo to second. Cecil just can’t seem to make it easy for himself. Hafner strikes out. Peralta ful count and another walk, Choo to third, Martinez to second. Bases loaded for Cecil really struggling here, he can’t keep playing with fire. Francisco strikes out.
Bottom 3rd: There we go Kevin, doubles to the wall in centre, just misses going out. One on for Barajas. Grounds to short, Millar going nowhere. Barajas out at first. One down for Bautista. Pops upo on wild swing to catcher, not a good at bat Jose. Jays back to their usual, get the leadoff guy at second and cannot bring him in. Scutaro,grounds to second throw to first, Awful. They don’t seem to realize that Cecil needs every bit of help he can get here.

Top 4th: Sizemore full count, and walks him. Two on one down, that’s ok if Jays had five run lead, but Cecil has nothing. Cabrera singles to left. Great throw by Bautista saves run on the play. Bases loaded now Cito has had enough and gets Camp up in bullpen. One down for Choo, oh boy escapes yet again, grounds to Scutaro flip to Hill on to Overbay double play ball to get out of this jam but Cecil is using up his nine lives very fast. He needs run support help and bigtime.
Bottom 4th: Hill, 1-1 and now doubles to the wall in right, 2-2 and perhaps just perhaps Aaron has his swing back. Jays really need him right now. Wells, strikes out, well I guess at least it was not a double play. Rolen, one on one down. Pops it up to shallow centre, seemed to lose that one in the lights, Two down and Hill stands out there lonely at second. Overbay, grounds to third, throw to first and Jays hitters continue their season long futility with a guy on second. It is of no value at all being league leader on doubles and probably franchise record in getting leadoff double if they leave him out there. That is bush league, and you know that Cleveland is going to break this thing open any inning now. 55 pitches for Lee, he will be pitching tomorrow night at this rate.

Top 5th: Martinez, walk and hit by pitch.fly ball to Rios in right. Hafner with right shift on, first pitch lines softly to Rolen, Two down. Peralta, strikes him out throw to first for third out much, much better inning by Cecil, probably his best so far. However 84 pitches. Not good.
Bottom 5th: Now can Jays get past second base ? Rios to try. Grounds back to Lee, throw to first, one down for Millar. The only guy so far who has looked threatening. Pops it up to in foul ground behind first. Two quick outs, Barajas, strikes out, number four for Lee. 66 pitches a walk in the park so far for Lee.

Top 6th: Francesco first pitch lines to Wells in centre, one down, Carroll, strikes out, throw to Overbay for second out. Number eight for Cecil. Shoppach, strikes out on ball in the dirt. Cecil doing his job but…can the hitters get out their collective swoon?
Bottom 6th: Jays just have three hits all game two of which have been from Hill, the other the double from Millar and that’s it tonight.. Bautista to leadoff, pops up to Shoppach. Scutaro like the other seven, hitless tonight, grounds to short throw to first two down for Hill. You may have to do it all yourself tonight Aaron. Not this time, lines it to right for quick three up and down for Lee. There must be something on in the city tonight that this team wants to get at. Not even one and three quarter hours, to get through six.

Top 7th: Sizemore, grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay one down 100 pitches though for Cecil. Four walks will do that to you. Tallet up in bullpen. Cabrera pops it up to Rios in right, two down. Choo, grounds hard to Overbay, great save by Lyle but throw not in time to Cecil. Cecil slow to get over there, now pitching. Martinez doubles to left, throw in time but Hill misses tag, that could be costly. Why is Cecil still in there? Cito has said he does not want to push arms of the young pitchers. Haffner with two in scoring position, grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay for third out and young Cecil escapes once again.
Bottom 7th: Wells, hitless, lazy fly ball to Sizemore in centre and Vernon stays hitless and does not even look as if he would get a hit. Rolen with one down. Yes Scotty, this one is out of here, home run to centre, and Jays bats finally get to Lee. 1-0 Jays. Number seven for Rolen this season. Overbay, grounds to Carroll off glove of Lee, throw to first two down. Rios lines one into shallow left. Now Alex get moving on those bases. Millar with two down and Rios at first. Alex not going, no use going on full count Alex, Kevin needs a target, doesn’t matter grounds to third throw to second to get Rios to end this one. Oh to have an aggressive Manager for this team, one unafraid to get something going. But the good is that young Cecil is in line for a win if bullpen can hold Indians here.

Top 8th: Accardo pitching, Peralta leading off. Strikes out on three last two were way out of the zone but he swung anyway. Francisco, shatters bat and grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay two down. Carroll, bounces one to Rolen, great play by Scott moving to his left and throw on the run to Overbay to get third out. He makes it look so easy.
Bottom 8th: Can Jays make it a little easier for Downs in the ninth? Lee still out there and why not. Barajas leading off. Long fly ball to Sizemore in centre, one down for Bautista, also hitless grounds to Carroll at second throw to first two down. Scutaro, hitless tonight, there you go Marco, singles up the middle. One on two down for Hill, two hits tonight. Grounds to third, throw to second and here comes Downs to try to hold this one. Not much run support though tonight from a hitless group, Indians have outhit Jays.

Top 9th: Garko pinch hitting, Grounds to Scutaro long throw but not in time, great play but an impossible throw to try to get him. Valbuena pinch running. Sizemore, showing bunt, watch this Cito, small ball to win a game. Great bunt Overbay going for two, throws into centre field ! and runners end at second and third, Aggressive play Cito, not in your play book. Downs in major trouble here, Cabrera, intentional walk to load the bases. Choo, grounds to Rolen, throw home and just gets him, bases still loaded for Martinez with one down. Will be swinging bigtime here. doubles to left and two runs score and just like that Cleveland ahead 2-1, even that intentional walk misfires on Cito, definitely not his night, and with two more in scoring position. Now if this were BJ Ryan Cito would be out there blaming him right ??? Hafner, strikes out two down for Peralta, full count, but a base open. Walks him. Downs thought he had the strike. Bases loaded again for Francisco, grounds to Rolen throw to second to get lead great throw Scott just gets him to end this nightmare giveaway.

Top 9th: Lee to close and win this one, he didn’t think he would be out there tonight. Giminez at first, Victor Martinez catching. Here comes the guy who started this one off so badly, Wells, chance for redemption here Vernon. Are you really worth it? 0-3 tonight and the inning ending double play in the first. First swing going the opposite field at least, foul, pops this one up to left centre for the first out. Cito cannot get that lineup change right either. Where will he put Vernon tomorrow? Rolen, singles to third, beats out the throw, Where would this team be without Rolen this season? Overbay, chance to redeem himself for that error, first pitch !! pops it it up to third, this is another reason that Lee is still out there, the lack of disciplined hitting by the Jays lineup. Jays down to their last chance. Oh boy, look who it is, Alex… grounds to second throw to first and Lee gets a deserved complete game win.

Indians did not steal this one, Jays gave it away every single inning, out hit and outpitched and outmanaged Jays tonight. If you only get one run then the odds are not very good.