Jays win one in Baltimore.

Toronto v Baltimore. Game one of three.

Jays will not have an easy ride here in Baltimore. Baltimore swept them easily last time here and that was when Jays were playing well !!.
Will be interesting to see how Cecil does after his last start and also if the break yesterday has affected Rolen and his 25 game hit streak. I think it was huge mistake to rest him. He was in a real groove and you cannot turn that on and off to rest it for a day. On the other hand maybe it was a good idea. Dellucci back in the lineup, why? No way is he better than Bautista. Bautista’s on base percentage is .402, by far the highest of the lineup tonight. Put him in there. I find the lack of win at all costs attitude missing in the Jays under Cito. Far too laid back for me.

Lineups: Toronto: Scutaro, Hill, Lind, Rolen, Wells, Overbay, Rios, Dellucci, Chavez and Cecil pitching.
Baltimore: Roberts, Jonbes, Markakis, Huff, Reimold, Scott, Mora, Wieters, Izturis and Berken pitching.

The good: Cecil despite a poor start did enough to win. The bullpen of Camp, Carlson, Frasor and Downs. Hitting from Rios two doubles. RBI from Dellucci, but left others on base and is still hitless.

The bad: 1/6 with runners in scoring position says it all, awful and until they can even double ! it they are not gong to threaten Boston or the Yankees let alone Tampa. Jays had several chances to put this away a lot earlier. End of Rolen hit streak, I rest my case for that break yesterday. He was in a zone for those 25 games and the magic was broken (unnecessarily) yesterday. Hill ? not sure what is happening with him at bat? Tentative and indecisive, will watch this tomorrow but that is two games in a row and at least four at bats that I have noticed.

Top 1st: Scutaro fly ball to centre Jones. Hill pops up to catcher Wieters. Two down for Lind grounds to short Izturis throw to Huff at first base.
Bottom 1st: Roberts grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay. One down for Jones strikes out. Markakis fouls out to Rolen.

Top 2nd: Rolen lines out to centre field Jones. Wells fly ball to Jones. Overbay full count.and walks. Rios doubles to centre, both runners in scoring position and two down but here comes Dellucci. Why is this guy still up here and why is in the lineup? Bautista much better player, grounds to second throw to first . I rest my case. So maddening. That could be 2-0 Jays.
Bottom 2nd: Huff, strikes out. Reimold, strikes out. Scott, singles over the head of Hill. Mora with two down and one on. 3-1 and walks him. Two on, come on Brett seems to have lost the strike zone. Wieters, 2-0 Cecil all over the place, settle him down someone. 3-0 one strike in last seven pitches. Walks him on four, back to back walks and bases loaded. Good job Cito is not here, No one talking to him, big mistake. Chavez is too raw. Izturis, another ball, now Arnsberg is out, a little late Brad. There’s a strike although a little high from here. 1-2 now, 2-2, Finally gets a ground ball to Scutaro throw to Hill but that was a very messy inning from Cecil and with two outs could not finish them off. Plus he has pushed that pitch count way up now. 47 in two innings. Brett at this rate you will be in the shower in four. Get focused and throw strikes.

Top 3rd: Can the hitters get their act together now and quick before Cecil self destructs? Meanwhile Berken with half the pitch count of Cecil. Chavez, lines it at Roberts at second. One down, top of the order again. Scutaro, full count, grounds to Roberts throw to first two down for Hill. Strikes out tentative half swing. That is the second time in two nights Aaron. Gotta commit one way or the other. This is too easy for Berken.
Bottom 3rd: Roberts, fly ball to Dellucci. Jones, lines it right at Overbay, nice jump Lyle. Two down. Markakis, singles up the middle past diving Hill, that bounced off the mound which may have deceived Hill. One on two down just like last inning. Huff, 3-0. What’s with Cecil when he has a runner on? Huff pops up to Scutaro for third out.

Top 4th: Lind, fly ball to Jones in centre, makes it look easy but that was not an easy out. Rolen, pops up to Izturis. Two down for Wells, high pop up to Mora at third. Merken not even at fifty pitches for four innings. Jays hitters toothless tonight. They had their chance in the second.
Bottom 4th: Reimold grounds to Rolen throw to Overbay. Scott singles to right. One out one on. Mora grounds to Hill nice play going to his left and gets him at first. Two down and Scott moves to second on the play. Wieters strikes out, number four for Cecil but at 70 pitches already. He will be very lucky to go six tonight.

Top 5th: Overbay, singles up the middle, about time Lyle. We have missed that swing. Rios, doubled last time but Dellucci ended that brief excitement. Again doubles to the weall in centre over the head of Jones, Lyle stops at third, two in scoring position, same as last time for Dellucci, well at least he cannot hit into double play, can he? Yet to have any hit at all. Grounds to second, throw to first to get Dellucci. Lyle scores 1-0 Jays. Rios at third on the play. Delucci gets his first RBI for the Jays but…. Not convinced yet that he is better than Bautista. Chavez with one down one at third, come on Raul, gotta bring him in here. Good boy, doubles into left corner. And you know that if he can get a double with his speed that was triple for others but we quibble, he did the job and is in scoring position for Scutaro. 2-0 Jays. Fly ball to right, Chavez tagging and just beats the throw from Markakis. Hill with Chavez at third and two down pops it up ten feet from the plate, for Mora running in from third. But Jays have given Cecil a lead. Can he hold it? Jays hits all from the bottom four so far tonight including the Deluucci RBI.
Bottom 5th: Izturis, grounds to Hill, one down. Roberts grounds to Scutaro throw to Overbay two down. Cecil getting the message now, just let your defence work for you Brett. Put the ball in play. Jones singles up the middle. Markakis pops it up to Scutaro for third out. Much better for Cecil. 85 pitches.

Top 6th: Lind, with Berken on 68 pitches. Adam hitless tonight. Not anymore, singles into right. Rolen also hitless so far tonight. OK Scott, is this number 26 ? full count. Not this time, fly ball to Jones. I think it was a mistake to take a break yesterday. Vernon with one down and one on. Baltimore bullpen busy. Fly ball to Jones in left centre. Two down for Overbay, full count and walks. Two on now for Rios, 2-2 tonight, with two doubles, would love another here. That’s it for Berken though. Here comes Trembley. Not as good an outing as the last one against Jays. Matt Albers, now pitching. Not this time Alex, hits it hard but right at Mora for third out.
Bottom 6th: Can Cecil make it through this one at 85 pitches? Huff lines it at Hill, one down. Reimold, grounds it to Rolen, long throw just gets him bang bang play though. Two down. Here comes Manager Dave Trembley but no joy changing that call. Scott with two down, strikes out.

Top 7th: Dellucci, now with his first RBI is he fired up? grounds to Roberts at second throw to Huff one down. Chavez, first pitch grounds to Mora at third throw to Huff , two down. Scutaro hitless tonight and with two quick outs here has to take one. Camp up in Jays bullpen. Way to go Marco, singles past diving Mora at third into left. One on for Hill, also hitless tonight so far. Strikes out again on a half swing, could not hold back evidently according to umpire. That’s at least the third time for Hill in two games. Not hitting confidently at all, very hesitant and appears indecisive.
Bottom 7th: That’s it for Cecil. Camp pitching. Mora, Carlson up in bullpen. Grounds it very hard at Rolen, off his glove, and Mora safe at first. Wieters Lines first pitch right at Rolen, nice catch, one down one on for Izturis. 3-0 come on Shawn don’t let number nine get on. Walks him on four pitches. Two on and only one out. Here comes “Manager” Butterfield, not giving Camp any slack here, Carlson in to face Roberts and top of the Baltimore order. 2-0, come on Jesse. Fly ball to Rios, Mora tags and goes to third. Two down and runners at the corners for Jones. Pops it up and great catch by Overbay leaning over the rail at first.

Top 8th: Jays need a couple more here. Lind leading off. On 19 home runs would love to have 20 before All-Star break. Grounds to Huff flip to Albers for first out. Rolen now with his last chance to add to that hit streak. Pops it up to Roberts at second. I think Scott will be happy with a win instead if Jays can hold on. Wells with two down. full count. That pitch curved three feet. A dribbler of the end of the bat two feet in front of the plate, throw to Huff for the third out.
Bottom 8th: Markakis leading off, Carlson still in there, lefty-lefty this time. Grounds to Overbay takes it himself to first, one down. Huff with Frasor ready in bullpen. Full count, come on Jesse. Fly ball to Dellucci in left, two down for Reimold but that’s it for Jesse, Butterfield wants Frasor. Downs starts to work. Pops up to Rios in right for third out.

Top 9th: It would be very nice if Jays hitters could get a couple more here. Feast or famine with them these days. Overbay to lead off Kam Mickold pitching, Lyle has a hit and two walks tonight, grounds to Roberts at second throw to Huff for first out. Rios with one down. Alex has had two doubles tonight which is great to see but another hit would be even better. Not this time. Dellucci first pitch !!!! grounds to Roberts throw to Huff for third out, three up and down for Jays.
Bottom 9th: Here comes Downs. Not too impressive last time out on return from that toe injury. Bautista in left defensively for Dellucci, should be in the lineup as well in my opinion. Scott leading off, strikes out. Nice pitch, curve moves across the whole plate to get Scott. One down for Mora, another curve, strikes out Mora. Where have you been Scotty? Weiters, with two down grounds back to Downs throw to Overbay for third out and a win for Jays. Finally…..
Save number nine for Downs and win number three for Cecil.

Boston have won already and Tampa winning, so Jays are treading water but maybe starting climb over .500. Long way to go and to hope that Tampa will go cold. Yankees on west coast.

Some good news for second half. Marcum in his second rehab start. Snider two home runs this week.