Jays power supported by excellent Litsch outing and outstanding defense

Game two of three Jays v Royals. Tuesday July 20, 2010.

Cito and I are not often on the same page, but he agrees with me on last night’s game. It was not Gregg who was the problem it was the lousy base running in particular by Lind. You can accept a guy is having a rough time with his hitting but elementary base running should be second nature by the time they to the big game. Lind cost the Jays that game last night not Gregg. Overbay didn’t help either with his fielding of great barehanded throw by Escobar and Bautista error in right was the final blow. Cito says Gregg will be back in tonight if needed and I say hooray 100%. He has 21 saves this season which was good enough to be in the top five a few days ago. Jays runners in scoring position is the bête noir of this team, 3/16 last night five innings with two on and no outs and could not score. Tonight no Escobar, that hit hand last night is not broken but enough to keep him day to day. That is huge blow, he has been the spark with this team for the last four games. Someone else has to step up tonight.

Lineups: Jays: Lewis, McDonald, Bautista, Wells, Lind, Hill, Overbay, Buck, Encarnacion.
Royals: Podsednik, Kendall, DeJesus, Butler, Guillen, Callaspo, Maier, Aviles, Betancourt.
Pitching: Lerew v Litsch

Top 1st: Lewis, 3-0, ball four, Lewis on deck for McDonald, will he be bunting? Not like Escobar for sure. Sac bunt not bunt singles. Lewis making Lerew throw over to make him earn his money. I like that. Puts more pressure on the pitcher, and you never know when throw gets away at first. Foul, 0-2, now. Pops up to Butler, one down. McDonald is definitely not an Escobar. Bautista, 2-2 count. WHOA Jose… gets hold of this one high, very high into the left field seats, here comes Lewis, here comes Bautista, number 26 for Bautista and Jays go out ahead 2-0. Wells, this is another underachiever recently. Going after everything. 2-0 singles here into centre. One on one down for Lind, yet another awful streak. His game is a mess right now. Strikes out way out of zone. Two down. Hill with Vernon at first and two down. 2-0 count, 27 pitches by Lerew. 2-2 count. fouling them off here, strikes out swinging but 33 pitch inning for Lerew.
Bottom 1st: Litsch, has a two run lead to work with but which game has he brought with him tonight? Yet to win a game in seven starts. Podsednik leading off. Grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay, one down. Kendall, pops up to Overbay, two down. DeJesus, with two down. Lines it hard back at Litsch, throw to Overbay for the out. Three up and down. Eight pitches. Cito will love that as do we all. It also gets Lerew back out there quickly before he can regroup.

Top 2nd: Overbay leading off. 3-0 takes first strike. Ball four, second walk for Lerew. Buck with one on. This is trouble doubles it down the line into the left field corner, two in scoring position with no outs, Jays have to bring them in now. Encarnacion, hammers it right back at Lerew, off his body, throw to first for the out. Runners hold. Off his stomach or ribs. Trainer is out there. He is out of the game. Kanekoa Texeira now pitching. Lewis now with one down and two still in scoring position. 2-2 count. Full count. this should do it lines it to left centre Posdenik cannot make the catch, here comes Overbay, 3-0 Jays Lewis to second. Two in scoring position grounds to short, throw to first for the out awful. Two down for Bautista. Two on and in scoring position for third time. That’s better singles up the middle, here comes Buck, Lewis to third, 4-0 Jays for Wells, two on two down. 0-2 count. Fly ball to centre for the out. Vernon remains hitless. Jays come through with two more but not the greatest achievement when you consider they had two in scoring position and no outs.
Bottom 2nd: Litsch has a larger lead to work with now. Butler leading off. Grounds hard to Encarnacion at third throw to Overbay, one down. Guillen with one down, 1-2 count. Fly ball to Bautista in right for the out. Two down for Callaspo. 1-2 count. Full count. Bounces one to McDonald at short, throw to Overbay for the out. Another three up and down inning for Litsch. 24 pitches.

Top 3rd: Lind, average now .215, singles into left. Hill, here comes the rain, storms all around. 2-0 count. Lines it to right, Lind to third on the play. Two on no outs Error to grounds to third, here comes Lind, throw to first to get Overbay. 5-0 Jays. Buck with Hill at second. One down. Grounds to short, Betancourt throw to first for second out. Hill stays at second. Encarnacion, This will do, doubles hard to the left centre wall, here comes Hill, 6-0 Jays. Lewis for the third time. Lines it hard at Aviles at second for the third out. Will the weather be the decider tonight? Looks very bad with thunder and lightning not much rain yet.
Bottom 3rd: Royals bottom of the order still not had a bat yet whereas Lewis has had three. Maier, fly ball to Wells in centre, one down for Avuiles, bouncxse up the middle but great play by Hill behind bag at second to make great throw across his bidy to Overbay, two down. Betancourt, flare into shallow right in front of Bautista. One on for Podsednik, bounces to Overbay throw to McDonald to get Betancourt. Another good and quick inning for Litsch. 30 pitches.

Top 4th: McDonald leading off. 2-2 count. Fly ball to Maier in right. One down for Bautista, 2-2 tonight. Grounds to Betancourt at short throw to first for the second out. Wells, pulls one from way outside to short, throw to first for the out. Vernon where is your opposite field swing?
Bottom 4th: Kendall leading off. Heavy rain now. Singles to right, DeJesus another hit, singles to right. Butler, with two on and no outs, 2-2 count. Full count. That’s better grounds to McDonald over to Hill on to Overbay double play ball, two down for Guillen with runner Kendall at first. 2-2 count. Lines it right at McDonald very nice diving catch to end this one. Litsch 46 pitches.

Top 5th: Jays have eight hits amongst seven players, Overbay and McDonald the only two with out a hit. Lind, leading off. Bounces one to Aviles at second throw to Butler at first for the out. Hill singles into left, his second hit of the night, good to see Aaron with multihit game, still flirting with the .200 average. That hit will put him right on the .200. Keep climbing Aaron. Here comes manager. Texeira did a good job filling in for Lerew. Overbay with Dusty Hughes now pitching. High fly ball to DeJesus in centre for the out. Hill has to hold at first. Buck, with two down. 3-1 count. Count full. Aaron will be running. Strikes out swinging to end the inning.
Bottom 5th: Callaspo leading off. 3-0 count. Grounds to Overbay throw to Litsch for the out. One down for Maier, hammers it to second, Hill makes incredible diving catch and ball comes out of his glove as he hits the ground, what a great play. Aviles fly ball to Wells two down. Betancourt with one on and two down. 2-2 count. Full count. Grounds to left, McDonald behind third to make the play but not much chance to get him at first. Two on two down for Podsednik, 0-2 count. 2-2 count. Full count, runners going high pop up to Wells in centre. Litsch gets out of trouble. 68 pitches. Angels are hammering Yankees 8-2 in the 8th. Coming back from an early two run deficit.

Top 6th: Encarnacion leading off. Grounds to third throw to first. Lewis, 2-2 count.Lines it hard right at Butler at first for the out. McDonald with two down, pops this one up convergence of three players and off Maier’s glove McDonald to second, Bautista with runner in scoring position. Pops up to DeJesus in centre to end the inning.
Bottom 6th: Kendall leading off, 0-2 count, fly ball to Wells in right centre. One down for DeJesus, lines it to right Bautista takes it on the bounce. One on one down for Butler, 1-2 count, rain getting worse. Singles into right and DeJesus gets to third. Guillen with two on and one down. Pops up to shallow centre, two down, runner DeJesus has to hold at third. Jays bullpen working. Purcey and Janssen. Callaspo, singles to left, here comes DeJesus 6-1 Jays. Here comes Cito. Great outing by Litsch tonight in lousy pitching conditions. 84 pitches. Purcey now pitching with two one and two down. Maier, 2-2 count. Grounds to Overbay at first diving to stop this going into right and touches the bag for the out.

Top 7th: Wells leading off. Pulls it to third, nice diving stop by Callaspo and play by to just get Vernon at first. Lind 1-2 count.strikes out swinging. Two down for Hill, singles up the middle. Three hits and keeps over the .200. Now .203. Overbay, grounds to Aviles at second throw to Betancourt to get Hill.
Bottom 7th: Janssen now pitching. Aviles leading off lines to Hill at second. One down for Betancourt grounds back at Casey off his body and drops but recovers in time to throw him out at first. Podsednik, two down, swinging bunt up third base line Janssen throw not in time. Kendall with two down and runner at first. Lines it right to Hill for the third out.

Top 8th: Hughes still pitching. Buck leading off. Swinging for the fences strike one. Doubles to left, second double tonight. Encarnacion, with Buck in scoring position and nobody out. This will do it doubles to left centre, His second tonight, 7-1 Jays. Lewis with runner at second. Hits him. Boy he is certainly getting hit these days. McDonald with two on. Here comes the manager, hmm not respect for Johnny Mc. surely? Blake Wood pitching with two on and nobody out. 1-2 count. Oh boy, knocks him down but didn’t hit him and on wild pitch runners move up. Pop up to short, Too shallow to get home. One down for Bautista and two in scoring position already has three RBIs. This will definitely do, lines it off the wall, in left 9-1 Jays. 5 RBIs for Jose tonight. Wells with Bautista at second. Pulls it to third, throw to first two down. Vernon can’t buy much these days but he is certainly not helping himself. Lind with Bautista at second. FINALLY…….. Lind gets hold of this one bigtime into right. This one bounces off the padding at the top of the fence in right, 11-1 Jays. Hill with his three hit night. Strikes out on three pitches. Jays break this game open and score five.
Bottom 8th: Frasor now pitching. DeJesus leading off. Great running sliding catch by Bautista in right, two down, Hustle and effort even with a ten run lead. Guillen lines it to left, Wells does the same and dives and cannot come up with it. Nice try Vernon. Pena pinch runner at second. Callaspo with two down lines it to second great diving play by Hill to grab this one out of the air, Incredible defence by Jays and Cito will love that with a ten run lead. Don’t ease up and coast play to the very last out.

Top 9th: Victor Marte now pitching. Overbay leading off, looking for his first hit. 0-2 count. Full count, Lyle ‘s specialty. And walks. Nice at bat after being 0-2. Buck with one on, 2-4 tonight. Make that three, lines another double to the wall and here comes Lyle all the way from first. 12-1 Jays. Encarnacion doubles to left, his third of the night. Here comes Buck 13-1 Jays. Lewis with Encarnacion in scoring position. Pops up to Pena in foul territory. McDonald. One down. 2-2 count. Count full and strikes out. Two down for Bautista 3-5 and, needs a triple for the cycle. Strikes out.
Bottom 9th: Tallet now pitching. Maier leading off. 2-2 count. pops it into shallow right in front of charging Bautista. Butler with one on. Grounds up the middle Hill to McDonald on to Overbay Butler safe at first, Betancourt with runner at first and one down. Back to Tallet throw to first no chance for double play. Two down. Betemit in for Podsednik. 3-1 count. Don’t walk him Tallet. Ball four. Can this guy ever pitch an inning without a walk? Two on for Kendall. 0-2 count. Pop up to Wells in right centre and Jays win firing on all cylinders tonight. 13-1.

Excellent night: Incredible show of Jays power tonight 16 hit attack. Bautista leading it with three hits and five RBIs but Encarnacion three hits all doubles night, Buck three hits all doubles, Hill three hits, Lind home run. Highlight reel defense from Hill, McDonald and Bautista, and finally great pitching from Litsch through the bullpen of Purcey, Janssen, Frasor and Tallet. And more to the point this was played in lousy weather conditions, rain throughout and thunder and lightning all around. Litcsch gets his first win and well earned in these conditions. Hill with his 3-4 night goes to .302 and perhaps on his way.