Jays continue to be outplayed by Tampa losing another badly 10-1.

Game two of three Jays v Rays. Wednesday June 9.

Another tough one for Jay tonight. Price looking at being first AL pitcher to nine wins. Jays hitters totally at sea last night against Niemann. Tonight just as difficult. Hard to think about but we have to constantly remember this is re- building year for Jays. They are overachieving right now but cannot be expected to maintain this. Some players having career years. Bautista leading the league with home runs and up and down the order some great performances. We have to keep reminding ourselves that this is a young team.
My gripe for the day. Toronto media constantly moaning about small crowds at Rogers Centre. Have they seen the crowds here in Tampa ? and this is for a team that is leading the division ?? . Maybe 10,000. It was 12,000 last night this crowd is smaller.

Lineups:
Toronto: Lewis, Hill, Lind, Wells, Bautista, Overbay, Buck, McCoy, Encarnacion.
Tampa: Upton, Crawford, Longoria, Shoppach, Rodriguez, Zobrist, Pena, Navarro, Brignac.
Pitching: Marcum v Price.
Top 1st: Lewis leading off., strikes out. one down. Hill full count, and walks, at first for Lind. Grounds to third throw to second gets Hill but throw not in time to get Lind. Why oh why does Cito not send the runner? Wells, with Lind at first. Full count, Lind running. Ball four. Bautista with two on. 2-2. Huge swing. Takes strike three to end this one.
Bottom 1st: Upton leading off., OH MY !!!!! WOW Lines the ball to left and Lewis makes an incredible sliding catch up against the wall in foul territory for the out. Crawford, did not play last night. Off the end of his bat through the middle. Now Shawn has a problem with Crawford on base. One down. for Longoria First pitch singles into left. Crawford to third, one down runner at third. Shoppach, singles up the middle past diving McCoy. Crawford scores 1-0 Tampa. Two on one down for Rodriguez, doubles to left, here comes Longoria, 2-0 Tampa. Runners at second and third for Zobrist, lines to Wells great catch and doubles up Rodriguez at second great play Vernon. Rodriguez was halfway to third and much too late to retreat. Bad error by Rodriguez he should know that is a Gold glove in centre field. 16 pitches

Top 2nd: Jays turn, they have been scoreless for too long here. Overbay leading off. 2-2 count. Grounds to short, throw to first for the out. One down for Buck, 2-2 count. Strikes out looking. Two down for Encarnacion, 3-1 count. Ball four. Walk number three already for Price. One on two down for McCoy, please don’t try to bunt Mike. Oh boy… if I can prophesy that don’t you think that the scouts are also watching this guy, does it every time. Mike it might be good for AAA Vegas but this is the big time. Drop it. Not only is it stupid with two down but you never manage to do it anyway. Full count. Pops it up to centre for the out. Please Alex come back soon. BUT an important but, Price is already at 48 pitches after two.
Bottom 2nd: Pena, strikes out swinging, one down for Navarro, lines it right at Bautista in right field, two down. Brignac, 2-2, strikes out looking, great pitching by Marcum. Three up and down.28 pitches.

Top 3rd: Jays need some runs. Have not scored a run in 11 innings here in Tampa. Lewis leading off. 3-1 count and walks him, number four for Price. Hill, 0-2 count. Pops it up to Pena in the Rays dugout, leaning over the restraining bar. Lind, taps it back to Price throw to second to get Lewis, Lind safe at first on the throw. Wells two down. Runner at first. Fly ball to shallow right for third out leaving another on base. Jays remain hitless. 61 pitches for Price. Four walks will do that.
Bottom 3rd: Upton bunting and safe at first on the throw by Buck. Crawford. Bunting ? No grounds up the middle to McCoy throw to first to get Crawford. Upton safe at second. One down. Longoria. 2-0 count, Upton going and safe at third, no throw. Buck drops the ball. Walks intentional. Going for that double play. Longoria on first Upton at third, Shoppach. Bunting, pops it up. Fly ball to left Lewis, makes the catch but Upton tags easily and scores, Longoria to second on the throw. 3-0 Rays. Rodriguez doubles to left here comes Longoria 4-0 Rays. Zobrist, singles to left, here comes Rodriguez, 5-0 Rays. Pena, grounds weakly to Hill throw to Overbay for the out, leaving runner on. Rays lose the chance to really break this one open. 47 pitches.

Top 4th: Bautista, pops it up to Pena, one down for Overbay singles to left, one on one down for Buck, Grounds to second huge error by Rodriguez and both runners safe. This is how teams get back in the game. Encarnacion, need one hit out here Edwin. 3-0 count, danger of loading them up. Walks him. McCoy, with one down this is NOT the time to bunt Mike. Ball one, 2-1, 75 pitches. 2-2, Called third strike, Cito next time pinch hit for this guy. Two down for Lewis. 0-2 count. way outside. 1-2, 2-2, grounds up the middle shattering his bat, Encarnacion out at second. Jays remain scoreless and clueless right now. They let Price off the hook there big time. McCoy obviously out of his league. 85 pitches to Price but right now that is not helping Jays much.
Bottom 4th: Navarro, home run to left seats, 6-0 Rays. Brignac, grounds to Hill throw to Overbay, one down. Rays hitters swinging away now they want to get out on the town tonight. This game is over. Upton. Singles to left, Crawford, Upton stealing ? No need, Crawford is swinging away, home run or bust here. Lines to left for Lewis nice catch Fred, two down. Longoria, full count. doubles to left Upton scores Speed.7-0 Rays. Mound conference but this one is for show. Marcum not his day and no help from his hitters, Shoppach., Camp now warming up. Strikes out to end this agony. Jays have gone 13 scoreless innings against Tampa whilst Tampa has scored 16 runs. Ouch that is called dominance bigtime.

Top 5th: Jays will want to get this one over quickly, let’s see what they do. Hill leading off. Grounds to short, throw to first one down. Lind, also flirting with 200 average. Not the greatest season for either Hill or Lind. Singles to left, Wells with one on and one down. Grounds first pitch to third, throw to second on to first Vernon’s usual double play. Must be so discouraging for Marcum to watch this. 14 scoreless innings and counting.93 pitches but does it matter?
Bottom 5th: Will Marcum be out there? .Only 68 pitches. No, Camp’s turn. Rodriguez, grounds first pitch to Encarnacion throw to Overbay one down. Tampa also wants this one over quick. Zobrist, 0-2 home run to centre right 8-0 Rays. Pena, one down. home run to left, first pitch. Just gets over that low wall in left corner, that wall is about three feet high !! 9-0 Rays. Navarro, grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay for the out. Two down. Brignac, strikes out swinging.

Top 6th: Can Jays hitters score a run? 18 unanswered runs in 14 innings. Wow is that ever embarrassing. The good thing will be Rays do not bat in the ninth !! Bautista, hit that’s one way to get on base. Overbay, doubles to centre and here comes Bautista, finally after 14 innings !! Jays get a run. That is nothing to write home about. Even for a team that is rebuilding. 9-1 Buck with runner in scoring position. Pops it up to first, one down. Encarnacion, grounds to short, throw to first for second out. McCoy. Pops it up to first. Ah well at least he didn’t try to bunt but there are some players who are definitely not major league stuff and this guy is one. Gonzalez should be back tomorrow.
Bottom 6th: Who is on the rack now ? Frasor, well at least he is starting an inning, I think that is to his advantage, seriously I believe he is a better pitcher with no one on base. . Upton, hits him on the elbow, that will hurt. Now Frasor is in trouble, Crawford with Upton a threat to steal. And he will go if he can, even with 9-1 score. Grounds to McCoy throw to Hill to get Upton but no throw for Crawford, Crawford will be going. Longoria. One down. Blalock on deck. Joe Maddon taking pity on the Jays. Full count, Crawford had not moved (yet) singles up the middle, two on one down for Blalock pinch hitting for Shoppach. 2-0 count. high fly ball to Bautista right . Crawford tags and goes to third. Two down for Rodriguez, two doubles already tonight. 3-1 way outside. Singles to left, here comes Crawford, 10-1 Rays. Two on two down. Zobrist grounds first pitch to Overbay to end this one. Rays have 14 hits for 10 runs.

Top 7th: Good news for Jays is that Price is no longer pitching, Choate now pitching. Bad news is that they have to score ten. Lewis leading off. Strikes out swinging. One down for Hill, hitless tonight. Grounds to third, throw to first two down. Lind, one of the few Jays with a hit tonight. Huge swing and misses. Another the same, nowhere near the ball. Count full. Strikes out swinging.
Bottom 7th: Who will it be for the Jays? Interesting stats. Jays have left seven runners on base, Tampa only three. Jays 0-3 with runners in scoring position and Rays 4/6. Purcey now pitching, I think he should be starting in place of Tallet and put Tallet in long relief (if he stays up) and of course he will as long as Cito is managing. Not next year though. Pena leading off. Strikes out swinging. Navarro, full count. Fly ball out to Lewis in left, long run for Fred there. Two down. Brignac, singles into right, all the Rays starters now have at least one hit tonight. One on two down for Upton, grounds to McCoy throw to Hill for third out. Is that the first scoreless inning for Rays? No, they didn’t score in the second either but have scored at will in all the others. Take consolation friends Boston is being beaten up by Cleveland 10-0.

Top 8th: Jays down to their last six hitters. Wells leading off. Cormier pitching. Rays bullpen needs some work. Vernon grounds to short, throw to first for the out. One down for Bautista, full count, strikes out. Two down. Overbay, the sole bright light in the hitters, 2-3 tonight, two of the four hits by Jays. 2-2 count. Full count. Takes ball four. One on two down for Buck. Reed pinch runner for Lyle. Grounds to short, throw to second for the out.
Bottom 8th: Who has the last inning for Jays? Purcey stays in there. Problem for Cito is that he still needs pitchers and the bullpen for one more tomorrow in Tampa. Reed stays in game for Lyle at first. Crawford first pitch fly ball to Lewis in left, one down. Longoria, 2-2 count. Golfs this one to Wells in centre for second out that was ball three. Blalock swinging away. 2-2 count. Called third strike and thankfully no more Rays hitters until tomorrow at least.

Top 9th: Sonnanstine finishing this one off. Encarnacion leading off. Strikes out swinging. One down for McCoy, full count, lines it softly to short for second out, Jays down to their last out. Lewis hitless in three. Grounds to first throw to pitcher Sonnanstine for third out and end to a real thrashing by the Rays tonight.
In two games 19 runs and only one by the Jays.

The good: Nothing for the Jays tonight, totally outplayed in every category. I correct that, several good defensive plays by Lewis in left and Overbay at least was in form with the bat. Purcey keeping his ERA at 0.00 with two scoreless innings.
The other good, Boston beaten up by Cleveland so stay within range of Jays but it would have been better for Jays to pick one up with Boston losing.

The bad: Marcum has a lousy night and he is entitled to at least one in a season but with no run support to pick him up he was doubly handicapped. Jays hitters with the exception of Overbay tonight were the worst they have been all season long. They are fortunate in being matched up with game six of the Stanley Cup… so that most fans would not have to see this. Hard to watch Travis sitting on that bench though.

Long way to go for this team to be on the same page as these Rays.
0-6 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base. A far cry from the hot months of April and May. However this might be the real Jays and the other months were overachieving. I hope not, but once again must remind ourselves that this team is rebuilding. Problem with that mantra is that Hill, Lind, Wells etc are not rookies….. and they are amongst the worst offenders in this mini slump.
Tomorrow Jays try to avoid a sweep but so far no encouraging signs.