Jays break the slump with huge 6-1 win in New York

Jays v Yankees. Game one of three. Friday July 2nd.

Jays at rock bottom only one way to go, I hope along with any fans left. The whole lineup in a collective slump. The bad news is that Marcum has shoulder problem and slated for MRI. On 15 day DL. Can it get worse?

Lineups: Cito has Gonzalez back in and Hoffpauir at third, not sure that is a major shakeup but Cito is a believer. Burnett in a personal slump himself, losing last five but you can bet he is up for this one to get out of his.
Toronto: Lewis, Gonzalez, Bautista, Wells, Lind, Hill, Overbay, Buck, Hoffpauir.
NYY: Jeter, Swisher, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Cano, Posada, Cervelli, Granderson, Gardner.
Pitching : Cecil v Burnett.

Top 1st: Lewis, empty stadium to start this one. Jays are hardly a draw unless the seats are so expensive no-one is buying. Fly ball to left one down. Gonzalez strikes out, two down for Bautista. Singles into left. Wells, with one on. Catcher sets up way outside but gets the call on the corner for Vernon to swing at. Same again, and now strike three. Gets Vernon on three. Vernon may want to move over three feet.
Bottom 1st: Jeter leading off. Full count and walks. Ho hum…here we go. Swisher with one on. 3-1 count. Full count. Ball four. Two on no outs and Cecil already in trouble. Let alone the Yankees working the pitch count. Teixeira, grounds to Overbay steps on first, no chance to get Swisher. Speed. Rodriguez with both runners in scoring position. First pitch fly ball to Lewis. Two down. Jeter scores on sac fly, 1-0 NY. Swisher to third on the play. Cano with two down. 3-0 count. Classic, move runners over and then sac fly with less than two outs and no hits, a lesson to this Jays side who have not been able to do that all season long. Fly ball to Wells for third out. 23 pitch inning.

Top 2nd: Lind strikes out looking. One down. Hill first pitch pop up to Teixeira, two down, Overbay. 3-1 count. Singles to centre. Buck, HA! Check swing base hit past second. That was funny, a piece of luck there for Jays. Two on. Hoffpauir. No RBIs. Don’t worry AJ. Ball gets away runners move up. Two pieces of luck. Strikes out swinging at ball in the dirt. Jays are outhitting Yankees with three hits to none for NY and yet are losing. How many ways can this team lose? 35 pitches for Burnett.
Bottom 2nd: Posada, strikes out swinging. One down for Granderson. Grounds to Overbay steps on bag himself, two down. Cervelli, singles into left. At least Cecil cannot lose now on a no-hitter. Gardner, strikes out on three. Nice inning for Cecil. Stadium filling now but behind home plate loads of empty seat. 33 pitches.

Top 3rd: Lewis, 3-1 count. Ball four. One on for Gonzalez, now small ball ? or double play ? Well, someone is listening, there goes Lewis and throw not in time… No double play this time. Finally they realize they have to do this until the hits come back. Can Jays bring him in though? 3-0 count. Another ball four. Bautista, with two on. Fly ball to Granderson shallow centre, runners are holding. One down. Wells, with two on. Full count. Grounds to first, runners move up but two down. Lind, 0-2 count. Pops it up to Granderson for third out. Two on and nobody out and once more Jays cannot bring him in. 57 pitches for Burnett.
Bottom 3rd: Jeter leading off. Singles into left. Swisher. 3-0 count. Ball four. Two on and no outs. Teixeira, with two on, I don’t think Yankees will leave them out there. Double steal and safe at third on the throw. Girardi rubbing it in here unless he wants a big score early and then rest the regulars. Certainly giving this Jays team a lesson in baseball basics. Walks him to load them up for guess who Rodriguez. Living dangerously Cecil. Still no outs. Strikes out swinging, one down but don’t even think about relaxing. Cano, strikes out swinging on three pitches. Two down, can he do it? Posada, YES he does, grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay for third out and leave those base loaded. That is some pitching Brett. Take a bow.

Top 4th Can the hitters take advantage of that? Hill, pops up to Cervelli. Overbay, lines it to centre, turns him around great catch by Cano. That was a double for Lyle. But when things are going badly. Buck, pops it up to right. Three up and down VERY quickly. Easy inning for Burnett.
Bottom 4th: Granderson pops up to Hill. Cervelli singles to centre. Gardner fly ball to Wells in centre. Wild pitch by Cecil, Cervelli moves up to second. Jeter grounds to Hill throw to Overbay. Cecil has settled down after the difficult third.

Top 5th: Hoffpauir leading off pops up to Cano at second. Lewis hit by a pitch, looks as if he didn’t make too much effort to get out of the way of that one. Gonzalez lines to Jeter, quick throw to Teixeira at first, Lewis is out, double play ball, caught way off base by that play, not great base running Fred.
Bottom 5th: Swisher strikes out. Teixeira one down, walks. Rodriguez grounds to Gonzalez throw to Hill to get Teixeira. Rodriguez safe at first, Hill may have had a chance there to get double play. Two down for Cano fly ball to Wells in centre.

Top 6th: Bautista full count, ball four, one on for Wells. Wild pitch by Burnett, Bautista to second. Jays have another player in scoring position with no outs. Wells strikes out. Vernon just cannot do it can he? Lind strikes out. It is as if Jays hitters freeze when they come into this situation. Hill fly ball to Gardner. Once again cannot bring a runner in from second with three tries.
Bottom 6th: Posada singles to centre. Granderson 3-0 ball four, walks on four pitches, two on Posada to second. Cervelli grounds to Hoffpauir throw to Hill over to Overbay, double play ball, Posada to third. Gardner pops up to Overbay. Once again Cecil escapes trouble.

Top 7th: Overbay grounds to Cano throw to Teixeira at first, one down. Buck grounds to Rodriguez throw to Teixeira. Two down for Hoffpauir singles to left. That’s it for Burnett, leaves to a huge ovation by crowd. Marte now pitching. Passed ball by Cervelli, Hoffpauir to second. Lewis pops up to Jeter.
Bottom 7th: Camp now pitching. Jeter grounds to Hill throw to Overbay, one down. Swisher singles to centre. Teixeira lines hard at Overbay unassisted, steps on first to double up Swisher.

Top 8th: Jays had better get something here or sayonara in the ninth with Rivera. Chamberlain pitching. Gonzalez hammers this to left, great catch robbed by Gardner. That was home run, now highlight reel. When things are going badly…..nothing goes for you. Bautista walks. Wells fly ball to Swisher in right, two down. Lind singles into centre, Bautista to third. But that emphasises lack of Wells moving him over. Two down for Hill. Singles into left and here comes Bautista. This game is tied up. Wise pinch running now for Lind at second. Overbay with two on and two down. Not this time grounds up the middle for Jeter to flip to second. But the good news is that Cecil does not take the loss and of course AJ does not get a win. Battle of the bullpens now.
Bottom 8th: Camp pitching, Rodriguez leading off. Fly ball to Vernon in centre. One down. Oh boy here comes Cito. Now Downs to face Cano. Grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay, two down for Rivera warming up. Let’s hope Jays make sure they don’t need him. Posada, grounds to Overbay steps on first for the third out.

Top 9th: Rivera out there to keep Jays quiet. Do they have their spirits up now after last inning? They should bigtime. Buck, grounds to third, A-Rod, throw to first, one down. Hoffpauir, full count, singles into centre, nice at bat for Hoffpauir. Lewis now one down and one on. They have to bring him in. 2-0 here Lewis patience. 3-1. Grounds to short, flip to second Lewis out, throw not in time to get Lewis. Gonzalez. Hits him. No, umpire says no. Arguing and here comes Cito wants an appeal, no change. Strikes out.
Bottom 9th: Granderson grounds to Hoffpauir, throw to first just gets him. Cervelli, grounds to Hoffpauir, nice play throw to Overbay for second out. Gardner pops up to Lewis for third out. Jays at least get to extra innings, they will be happy with that. But it would be nice to get the win.

Top 10th: Robertson pitching, Bautista, fly ball to centre, one down. Wells, 0-4 today. Not a great week (month?) for Vernon. Grounds to Cano, throw to first two down. Wise, came in to pinch run for Lind in the eighth. Full count. Ball four for DeWayne. Very nice at bat. Speed on the base. Hill two down and one on. There goes Wise, safe at second and now goes to third as Cano gets in the way of throw by Cervelli. Speed always puts extra pressure on a team. Hill now just need a single Aaron. Lines it hard in to left but right at Gardner to make the catch. He hit it hard BUT….
Bottom 10th: Frasor now pitching. Jeter leading off, grounds to Hoffpauir at third, throw to Overbay one down. Swisher strikes out. Two down. Teixeira grounds to Hill throw to Overbay for third out. Nice pitching by Frasor.

Top 11th: Robertson pitching. Overbay leading off singles to right. Buck singles to left, Overbay to second. Once again runner at second and no outs, surely the law of averages will bring him in here. Hoffpauir bunting ???? Cito really going overboard tonight with two steals and a bunt, but this one works sacrificed to Rodriguez at third throw to Cano for the out, Overbay to third, Buck to second. Lewis intentional walk to load them up here. Gonzalez, yes indeed way to go Alex, singles to left, here comes Lyle and Jays take the lead. 2-1. Buck moves up to third Lewis to second, bases still loaded with Gonzalez at first. Park now pitching. Green pinch-running for Buck. Bautista strikes out. Two down with bases loaded. Wells, full count, ball four. Here comes Green. 3-1 Jays. Bases still loaded. Lewis at third, Gonzalez at second and Vernon at first. Wise who came in earlier for Lind. Hammers this one to centre, this is going to break it open, here comes Lewis, here comes Gonzalez, here comes Vernon and Wise ends up to third, Three RBI triple. 6-1 Jays. WOW. Hill hit in the back by a pitch, this is not over. Two on two down. Overbay grounds to Teixeira for the out but Jays have indeed broken this one open 6-1 and in New York, can the Jays break their losing streak here.
Bottom 11th: Kevin Gregg pitching not a save but he has not pitched for a very long time and needs the work. Molina in for Buck as catcher. Heart of Yankees order. Rodriguez fly ball to Wells in centre. One down. Cano grounds to Hill throw to Overbay. Two down. Posada strikes out. YES it is true. Jays win one, they win in New York ! and they win big 6-1.

The very good: Jays pitching staff held Yankee hitters to one run in leeven innings.
The good: Bullpen, Cecil yes despite the six walks, he made great pitches when he had to and especially the third with bases loaded and no outs, that was the game right there. Five scoreless innings after the first.
Jays bullpen Camp, Downs, Frasor and Gregg with five scoreless innings only 52 pitches.
Wise with the three run triple to seal it, Hill
Overbay hit very hard tonight, robbed twice by great defence.
Speed, small ball, and timely hits. This Jays attack had everything today, Cito knows he has to do this. Too bad is not a regular part of the game. But for now lets hope Wise and Lewis get more situations to show their speed.

The bad: Runners in scoring position Jays 3/15. Not quite as bad as Yankees 0/8.