Split Jays squad outhit Rays first team but lose slugfest

Jays v Tampa Rays Friday March 26th

Jays split squad today facing Tampa’s first team. Not Cito’s fault, the spring schedule this year has been a mess compounded with two rain outs and three (yes) three days off. That is five days wasted for Cito to get this squad sorted out. It has meant that Marcum for example with only one spring outing has had to throw in a simulated game. Today he gets his only second appearance and that is against a hot Rays lineup. No second stringers today for him. Cito is thus left with the only option he has to spoilt the squad into two and divide up the team today, making both slit games opportunity for blowouts. In comparision Rays have played four more games than Jays this spring already and are set with their lineup.
Fortunately today is the last of this nonsense and Jays will field their starting day lineup tomorrow and for rest of the spring. This only gives them a week. Today however the squad is spilt and Jays have only four of their lineup out there (the infield) with most of the remainder playing Boston in the other split squad game.

So we have recipe for huge blowout and it started that way with a shaky or rather very, very rusty Marcum. This guy has pitched in one real game in over a year. Not surprising that Rays lineup enjoyed the first inning; scoring three to take early 3-0 lead. In addition Rays Crawford takes out Lyle at first running directly into him and injuring knee although after the game Marcum is saying it was his throw inside that pulled Lyle into Crawford’s path. Lyle leaves the game after only five minutes leaving three !!! first team to face the Rays opening day lineup.

However give these Jays credit. They storm back in the bottom of the first against Davis and score three of their own courtesy of a three run home run by Kyle Phillips who came into to replace Lyle at first. Great move Cito……
But alas even though Jays get another in the second to go up 4-3, Rays superior batting lineup proves too much for Marcum today who gives up but the roof fell in the sixth with Register replacing Marcum and giving up hit after hit after hit until Cito finally pulls him after giving up five more runs to make it 14-4 after six and the stadium emptying.

But these Jays never give up and in the bottom of the eighth score four more themselves mainly on the three run triple by John Tolisano (his first hit this sporing in four games and six at bats, it was really a double but the funble by Rays enbaled him to take third and another run to score) and then in the bottom of the ninth a two run home run by Jose Molina to make it 14-10 but that was as far as they could go today. Great ninth inning by Kevin Gregg, looked very very sharp, meaning business from the first pitch and three up three down inning. The best we have seen him all spring. Great to see.

The heroes today though Jeremy Reed three hit game, playing hard for that outfield spot. Phillips three hit game and triple short of the cycle. Not bad for a replacement. Aaron three hits and the big one in the first a double to the wall to get the game going for the Jays after going down three in the top of the inning. Double steal. Everyone’s favourite Michael McDade DH today and with three hits. This kid has the tools at age of twenty. We should follow him during the season. Molina two out bottom of the ninth with two run home run. Jays have 16 hits and ten runs.

The bad: Marcum ? No. I think for the reasons above including lack of pitching time this spring hurt Shawn today. He probably has only one more start and that should be against the Yankees on Thursday next week. He needs more work, Jays are gambling with him right now for April 5th. Hill, the usually very efficient Aaron, blew his copy book when he failed to run out what he thought was a foul ball down first base line which turned out fair and bounced off first baseman and Aaron could have made first base but left it too late. Bad mental error. Cito immediately went into the dugout and I hope gave Aaron the same message. Register, well suffice to say that this kid is not ready to face the Rays first team. Faced nine in two thirds of an inning, five runs five hits and two walks, he will remember this outing for a long time.
Tampa ? hard to judge as they were not playing anything like the Jays lineup they will see during the season. Even so they were outhit by the Jays. They made two bad fielding errors, I do believe that Crawford did not need to run into Lyle. Rays starter Davis had a rough start.

Meantime with the other half of the first team playing Boston they all go hitless…
Wells, Encarnacion, Lind, Snider, Buck as they lose 3-2. But again not as bad as it seems as Jays outhit Boston 9-6 and are winning this one 2-0 until the bottom of the ninth when Boston score three off non-roster invite Zach Jackson who played for Cleveland last season.

Brad Emaus playing at second, had a perfect game with three hits in four at bats with a walk and two RBIs. Cecil and McCleary went seven scoreless two hit innings and only one walk before Jackson. Johnny Mac gets another hit taking his average to .320. Cecil making a late run for the roster but probably too late. Cito will give him at least one more shot next week and we shall also see Brad Purcey again. McCoy playing in left field and leading off had one hit, one run and a walk and his average at .474.

So with one week to go Cito will make the decision for starting lineup. Who will it be in the outfield ? Snider, Reed, Gathright or ?
And is the pitching roster settled ? Will Cecil, Purcey or Eveland be in the mix? Or is it settled at Marcum, Rzcepzynski, Morrow, Romero and Tallet? And is Frasor the closer or did Kevin Gregg show Cito enough today.
And of course is Lyle ok? Report from clubhouse is that it is a knee contusion and that Lyle is day to day.