Jays win big 7-2, the game and series. Hill HR #26

Toronto v Oakland Game three.

Jays going for their first road series win in seven weeks. Jays will need it as everyone above them is winning this afternoon so far. Snider is hitting .520 (13-for-25) with two homers and 11 RBI in his last six games at Triple-A Las Vegas. Downs is out again reinjuring that left toe but probably just as well he has not pitched well at all in his last six relief appearances since return from that injury. I was right about Frasor, he will be handling closer role. Chance for him to make it his own.

Lineups: Toronto: Bautista, Hill, Lind, Overbay, Wells, Rios, Encarnacion, Barajas, McDonald and Romero pitching.
No Scutaro in lineup today, too bad Cito cannot rest Wells or Rios instead. Scutaro has bruised heel so will get two days off with tomorrow off day.
Oakland: Kennedy, Davis, Suzuki, Hairston, Cust, Everidge, Crosby, Ellis, Pennington and Mazzaro pitching.

The very good: Hill, to get this one going in the first with home run number 26. Incredible season. He must pinch himself every night. Rios with three RBIs double. Bautista good replacement for Scutaro today.
The good: The hitters in first inning, getting it going early. Barajas number ten home run. Romero win number ten, not bad for a rookie. Now 10-4 on the season.
The bad, no the very bad: 3/15 with runners in scoring position, another double play by Vernon.

Top 1st: Bautista, full count and walks, Good eye Jose. Hill, Wild pitch Bautista moves up to second. Wow Aaron, again and again, this guy is having huge season, home run to left, Bautista scores, here comes Aaron, 2-0 Jays. Lind, doubles to left, Mazzaro not having a good day. Overbay, bring him in Lyle. Both Bautista and Hill taking pitches, one full count and the other 2-2 count before the hit. 3-0 to Lyle and walks on four. Ok Vernon your big chance here two on and nobody out. Surely with Mazzaro throwing balls not strikes, be patient here. Full count, there you are Vernon you can do it, walks and loads bases for Rios. Lets see what he does, he can swing away, just put the ball in play Alex. (into the outfield I mean).There you go Alex doubles to centre and clears the bases, Jays go out 5-0 and still no one is out. Good at bat Alex. Encarnacion now with Alex at second and Mazzaro already on the ropes. 29 pitches. Not this time Edwin fly ball to Hairston in left for first out. Alex stays put for Barajas. Grounds to Pennington at short throw to Crosby at first and here comes McDonald to complete the bat around first inning. Rios still at second. Fly ball to Davis in centre to end this one. Jays have a five run start for Romero. But I know Jays will not have forgotten last weekend in Toronto and the 8-1 lead that they blew. No rejoicing just yet. Mazzaro 37 pitch inning with three walks. Hill now has 76 RBIs. WOW!
Bottom 1st: Kennedy leading off. Strikes out one down for Davis. This is the dangerous guy for Oakland, always ready to steal bases and constantly distracts the pitcher. Singles to short. One on one down. Suzuki, perfect grounds to Johnny Mc. on to Hill throw to Overbay, double play ball to end the inning. 10 pitches by comparison to Mazzaro.

Top 2nd: Bautista to start all over again. Singles to centre, doing a good fill in for Scutaro so far. Here comes Hill, singles to right 2-2 today. Bautista to second. Lind singles to right Bautista scores 6-0 Jays Hill to third on the play for Overbay. Two on no outs. Lyle strikes out. One down for Wells. Error to Suzuki on that, Vernon stays put. Grounds to third, Kennedy home to get Hill, Vernon safe at first. Lind moves to second, Two on two down for Rios. Pops up to Crosby at first. Jays only get one here as Mazzaro escapes more damage.
Bottom 2nd: Hairston singles to centre. Cust full count and walks, two on no outs, come on Rickey. Everidge lines out to Hill, one down. Crosby grounds to Encarnacion throw to Hill to get Cust, one down, Hairston to third, Crosby to first. Two on for Ellis, singles to right, Hairston scores 6-1 Jays. Pennington grounds to Romero throw to Overbay to end this inning but A’s get one back. Romero cannot afford to relax; Jays have been bitten this way before.

Top 3rd: Encarnacion, strikes out, one down for Barajas. Barajas singles to centre for McDonald, yes Johnny Mc. doubles to left, Barajas to third. Two in scoring position, one down for Bautista. 74 pitch count for Mazzaro now. Not much longer surely. Fly ball to Davis in shallow centre. Barajas has to hold at third. Two down for Hill. Pops up to Ellis at second. Not too good there boys. Hope you do not regret it at the end of game. 82 pitch count for Mazzaro.
Bottom 3rd: Kennedy leading off. Pops up to Encarnacion. One down for Davis, doubles to left. 2-2 today, Romero cannot relax with this guy. Suzuki, singles to right here comes Davis, 6-2 Jays. One down one on for Hairston. Pops up to Hill, two down for Cust. Grounds out to Overbay for third out. Romero far from dominating here. A four run game is no big lead.

Top 4th: Mazzaro still out there, Lind leading off, yes Adam, doubles to right, his third hit of the day. Now someone bring him in here. Overbay, Overbay grounded out, first baseman Crosby to pitcher Mazzaro, Lind to third. Wells strikes out. Rios pops up to first base Crosby. That is pretty bad with a pitcher on the ropes. 94 pitch count.
Bottom 4th: Everidge hit by pitch, one on, Crosby grounds to Hill throw to McDonald, Everidge out. Crosby at first. Ellis grounds to McDonald throw to Hill on to Overbay, double play. Romero gets out of that jam nicely. 53 pitch count.

Top 5th: Encarnacion grounds to short Pennington throw to first base Crosby, one down. Barajas, there you go Rod, this one is out of here, home run to left and Jays go up 7-2. McDonald grounds out to first base Crosby, two down for Bautista. Strikes out. I can’t believe that Mazzaro has lasted five after a 37 pitch first inning and seven runs. Must have a bullpen problem in Oakland.
Bottom 5th: Meantime Romero still shaky has one more run back. Pennington singles to centre. Top of the order again, Kennedy, Romero is playing with fire each inning.

Top 6th: Springer now pitching. Mazzaro deserves a medal to get through five and keep the lead at five. Am not so sure Cito would have had that type of reaction and patience with a pitcher. Hill, pops up to Crosby at first, Lind with one down. 3-3 today. Not this time, grounds to Crosby flip to Springer for second out. Overbay, fly ball to Davis in centre, three up and down.
Bottom 6th: Hairston grounds to Romero throw to Overbay, one down. Cust, strikes out. Two down for Everidge. Yankees salvage one in Chicago, Boston wins a wild one 18-10 with Baltimore, Red Sox bullpen shaky ??? Tampa has lost. Everidge doubles to right, error on Rios on the play. And Everidge reaches third. Crosby with runner on third. Strikes out. You owe him one Alex.

Top 7th: Can Jays pad this lead here? Wells singles to centre. Rios fly ball to left field Hairston. One down Vernon holds. Encarnacion, hitless today along with Overbay although Lyle has been on base with a walk. Vernon stealing and safe at second as Encarnacion strikes out, two down. Barajas fly ball to Cust in right.
Bottom 7th: Romero now on 85 pitches, one more inning Ricky. Ellis at bat, lines out to Wells. One down forPennington, fly ball to Rios. Two down for Kennedy top of the order. Doubles to right, here comes trouble, Davis. 100 pitches for Romero. Strikes out Davis, great way to end this one Ricky. 102 pitch count.

Top 8th: McDonald leading off. Gonzalez now pitching. Fly ball out to Davis in centre. Top of the order Bautista. Bautista grounds to second base Ellis throw to first base Crosby. Hill with two down, 2-4 today. Strikes out.
Bottom 8th: Roenicke making Jays debut. Suzuki leading off. Grounds to Hill throw to Overbay one down. Hairston strikes out, two down for Cust. Full count and walks. Cito will not like that. One on for Everidge. Strikes out, that’s more like it. Nice debut by Roenicke.

Top 9th: Lind leading off. 3-4 today. Full count and walks. Overbay pops up to Suzuki. One down for Wells, grounds to short Pennington on to Ellis throw to Crosby, double play ball. I really think Cito has to seriously discus what to do with Wells. Firstly he cannot put him together with Rios in the lineup. He also has to move him way down the order. Put him at number eight or nine and see what happens, but Cito to do nothing just hastens your own departure.
Bottom 9th: Accardo pitching. Retribution here Jeremy for being demoted. Show Cito it was mistake. Crosby strikes out, good start. Ellis pops up to Overbay, two down. Pennington, grounds to Hill throw to Overbay and this game is over.

Accardo makes a statement to you Cito. Sent down yesterday and back today and finishes it off. Hmmm. Decision time but I think Downs will be out of it for several weeks if not the season so Accardo may just have another life.
Meantime Jays win one and a series on the road and pick up one on Tampa. Now for the Yankees on Tuesday for two.