Hitters hammer Halliday

Jays v Phillies at Bright House. Wednesday March 31.

Baseball is a funny game and totally unpredictable. I went to the park along with many other Jays fans thinking this would be a win for Halladay in his first start against former team.

Instead this game was over with one out. Jays hitters hit Doc hard from the lead off double to the wall by Bautista and the two run home run by Aaron Hill to take a 2-0 lead before most had sat down.
Lind gets a double. Encarnacion double brings in Adam, Gonzalez single brings in Edwin. And that was 4-0 to Jays in top of the first.

Halladay settles in but it was too late. Second inning Cecil leading off did not take his bat off his shoulder and let Roy throw strikes. That was all he needed to settle down. Unfortunate timing to have Cecil coming up at that time.
By the way Cecil did that all three at bats, was he told to avoid any type of injury by swinging or even bunting or getting on base?

Phillies had their first team lineup out there but Cecil too good this time around.
But this was Jays day today at Bright House. Vernon adds a fifth with sac fly in the top of the fifth. Downs, Frasor and Valdez are enough to protect the lead for Cecil and give three scoreless innings to finish this one off.

Cecil was outstanding and certainly pitched well enough for the rotation. Getting very tight now but with Rzepczynski now injured Jays need backup to start the season at least. Evidently 4-6 weeks. Eveland and Cecil this week have given very strong outings.

Alex Gonzalez starts again and fumbles it right away in bottom of the first to let leadoff Rollins get on base, that was a routine Johnny Mac ball Cito and you know it. No error given but sorry that was playable. The negative of this play was that Cecil needed a good start after that 4-0 lead and to get his ground ball to short and then to see Rollins on first was not good but to his credit he then got three more outs.
What is wrong with Jayson Werth ? A shadow of his form last season. Now down to .173 average after today’s 0-3.

Jays hitters meantime nine hits today with multiple hits for Bautista and Hill. This should be an interesting season if we can see one or other of these two on base for the big bats. However Adam Lind is all at sea right now, not having a good time at all, one hit today but average at .214. When we look at Bautista and Hill respectively at .444 and .447, you realize he is not having a good spring but he will get his swing and all will be well.

More good stuff today a great bunt single by Michael MCoy, this kid can run down that line. No doubt about it today. Johnny Mac trademark play in the eighth, deep in the hole right on the grass to make the play and the throw. On the bench ??? Come on Cito especially when Gonzalez messes a far easier one in the first. Encarnacion also another error, misjudged one at third, I don’t think we appreciated how good Scott Rolen was at third until we see Encarnacion. Let’s be more generous than the scorer and hope Edwin is rusty. Aaron's second home run in as many games. Great to see him hot.

Cecil is the story today though despite giving up two home runs he was hot.
Before the game Chavez to Vegas, this must have been a late call as he was already on the scorecard at Bright House. Molina now the backup catcher, no surprise.

Tomorrow Tallet goes against the Yankees in the last Dunedin game of the spring. There are two more games in Houston before opening day.