Jays hammer NL Champs

Jays v Phillies at Dunedin. March 5, 2010
Blue sky, sun, sun and more sun, and above all green grass and sandals! what more could I want, it is Dunedin and Spring. Today the Phillies bring their World Series team to Dunedin and it really is the first team, including Higgins, Howard, Werth, Polanco, Utley, Ibanez and Hamels pitching.

Jays are throwing their first team at them as well. At least for the first half of the game. Order looks to me like an Opening day lineup in the first seven at least. Bautista, Hill, Lind, Wells, Overbay, Gonzalez, Buck, Emaus at 3rd, Gathright in right, and Morrow making his first start. Looks like a sellout crowd and lots of Phillies fans.

This was a blowout for the Jays !!! 14-9. But this game was all over by the 5th as Jays score 8 in the inning. Phillies fans start to file out as score has reached 14 by the fifth.
Morrow first inning definitely shaky but looks like he was overthrowing but mnanaged to escape trouble with fly balls to centre, Vernon busy. But inning two a different pitcher, strikes out Werth on three pitches without Jayson taking his bat off his shoulder, great pitching, and then follows up to end the inning with the same for Dominic Brown. I like the look of this guy and it is only the first week.
MVP today has to be Jose Bautista, leading off first inning with a blast to deep centre, when did we last see leadoff guy with that pop? Follows up with a double and another. 3-3 Jose was hot, hot, hot today. Great to see as I for one mourn a good leadoff hitter for the Jays now that Scutaro has gone. Perhaps Jose might fill this bill. Cito is leaving him there “I think I’ll leave him right where he’s at. He’s been swinging the bat ever since he got the chance to play at the end of last season” Good call Cito.
Today, hitting obviously with 14 runs but also great pitching and base running and no errors compared to three for the Phillies including one to Jimmy Rollins. Very unlike him. Casey Jannsen and Accardo gave two excellent innings to wrap it up and both throwing in the 90’s, good sign for the first week. Carlson and Purcey were (very) shaky and allowed ten hits between them and six runs for Phillies. Crowd favourite today though is Mike McCoy at second. Looks and runs like a smaller version of David Eckstein. Energy and hustle, could be the poster boy for Ontario Power G.

Great bunt single by Gathright and with his speed no doubt at all even though a Phillies error on the play. Bases loaded and Vernon brings one in, bases loaded and Overbay three run double and so it went this afternoon.
Cito did not have much to do at all and his only appearance was when Chavez was hit on his foot by a wild pitch.
Interesting to see the coaches very much into this game and talking to the younger players at the end of the inning, seems to me to be more of a deliberate attempt to do this. Good sign.

Poor Travis though looks like a deer in the headlights, is really struggling and obviously pushing far too hard every at bat. Not Cito’s favourite by any means but he needs someone to tell him just to relax, smile and enjoy the game. He is like a violin wire right now and also bobbled most of the plays in left. Not a great day or week for him so far.

Based on today’s game the Jays showed me the potential depth of their bench especially in the pitching. The relief pitchers for the Phillies after Hamels for the most part had no answer to the Jays who were scoring at will for the first six innings.

Great game for the Jays fans but Phillies return next Wednesday and it may be a different story but for now we can definitely celebrate. Now for the Yankees tomorrow in Tampa. Marcum has the start against Burnett.

Dutch Jay I have sent one for your Fantasy League. Vancouver Jay, Aaron was looking for you.