Marcum wins one with power support from Bautista and Lewis

Game one of three Indians v Jays. Friday July 30.

Alex making trades that most fans are having problems understanding. Why for Dose and now ??? But so far you have to believe in him as Fred Lewis and Yunel Escobar have come through for him bigtime. Sounds as if he is a great talent at 19.
Rumors still around Downs, even Bautista, deadline tomorrow not that means moves have to end then. Alex is in the driver’s seat and interesting to hear the other GMs saying the price is too high. Sorry guys. This GM is serious about contending. You need Downs then Jays want…. The other good news today Travis Snider is back not in the lineup tonight but he is back first time since May 14. Caribana weekend in Toronto, loads of tourists in town, south of the border. Always huge crowds for the event, I hope we can hear the music tomorrow afternoon as the parade takes most of the day to go west.

Lineups: Indians: Crowe, Cabrera, Choo, Santana, Kearns, LaPorta, Duncan, Nix, Donald.
Jays: Lewis, Escobar, Bautista, Wells, Lind, Hill, Overbay, Buck, Encarnacion. (no change for Cito….never changes does he not when things are working well? But he will have decisions to make soon with Snider back in camp)

Pitching: Marcum. V Masterson.

Top 1st: Crowe leading off. 1-2, strikes out swinging, one down. (Asdrubal) Cabrera, strikes out, two down for Choo. Grounds first pitch hard to right great diving stop by Hill and from his knees makes great throw to get him. Highlight reel Aaron.12 pitches for Marcum.
Bottom 1st: Lewis, grounds first pitch to Donald at second. throw to LaPorta at first for the out. Escobar grounds back up the middle but bounces off Masterson to Donald at second throw to LaPorta at first two down. Three pitches two outs. Bautista, great reception for the crowd, it will be interesting to see how big the crowds are tomorrow and Sunday as I think many are excited about what he has been doing. 1-2 count, singles into right. Wells with one on two down. 1-2 strikes out swinging. Pitch count 12.

Top 2nd: Santana leading off. Pops up to Buck. One down for Kearns, 1-2 count. Strikes out looking, two down. LaPorta, 1-2, full count. Pops up to Marcum for third out. Pitch count 26.
Bottom 2nd: Lind leading off. 0-2 count. Lines it to Kearns in left for the out. One down for Hill, 3-1 count. Full count. Bounces it high to third, Masterson makes great play to get to it and throw Hill out at first. Two down, Overbay, lines it off the glove of Cabrera at short, into left field, one on for Buck, 2-0 count, singles into centre, Lyle to third on the play. Two on for Encarnacion. Pops up to second for third out. This will be Travis’s spot when he comes back this weekend. 33 pitch count.

Top 3rd: Duncan leading off. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, number four tonight. Nix, 1-2 count. Strikes out swinging. Donald, with two down. Marcum 36 pitches 26 strikes impressive. 2-2 count, full count. Pops up to Encarnacion for third out. Pitch count 42.
Bottom 3rd: Lewis, not swinging at the first pitch as before. Yes Fred. Gets hold of this one, lines this one over the fence in right centre, 1-0 Jays. Escobar, 2-2 count, grounds to third, Nix throw to first for the out. Bautista, fans love this guy listen to that reception, definitely the fan favourite right now. 2-2 count. Full count. Ball four way inside. One on one down. Wells, Pops up to shallow left for the out, Bautista almost caught out there if Kearns had been faster there. Two down for Lind. 2-2, lines it to Choo in right for the out. 54 pitch count.

Top 4th: Crowe leading off. Grounds back up the middle Escobar makes great play. Hill was already ducking when Escobar reached the ball. Cabrera, with one down. 0-2 count. Strike three looking. Number six tonight. Two down for Choo, 2-1 count. grounds to Overbay throw to Marcum for the out at first. 53 pitch count.
Bottom 4th: Jays need to give Marcum some run support here. Hill leading off.0-2 count. Pulls this one into left past both the diving infielders. One on for Overbay. Singles into centre, two on, they were listening to me. Bring them in now John. 0-2 count, strikes out swinging ball way outside. One down for Encarnacion. 2-0 count. That’s the way Edwin, lines it into centre, here comes Hill, throw right there but just safe. Ball gets away anyway. 2-0 Jays. Runners at first and second for Lewis. Bounces this one high to second but no chance to get Lewis at first, bases loaded for Escobar. Hitless tonight, big chance Yunel to blow this game open. 0-2 count. 2-2, way outside, full count. Big pitch here. Take or swing. Singles to left, here comes Overbay, 3-0 Jays. Bases still loaded for Bautista, this could be interesting. Huge swing out of the zone turns himself around, 0-2. OH MAN is this guy hot…. Hammers this to centre this one is out of here, here comes Encarnacion, here comes Lewis and here comes Escobar and finally the hero Bautista, grand slam Jose, 7-0 Jays. Wells doubles down the line into left. Lind grounds to second throw to first, Lind out but Vernon moves to third, Hill again grounds back to Masterson throw to first for the third out. 87 pitch count. That is rough with beaten up bullpen for Cleveland.

Top 5th: Marcum now with a good lead to pitch here. Santana leading off. 0-2 count. Full count. Grounds off the glove of Overbay Hill cannot make the throw, his shoe comes off, first hit to Indians. They had time to make the out. I hope this is not a one hitter Aaron or you will be persona non grata. How can your shoe come off? Kearns, doubles off the glove of Encarnacion but that was a bullet, to Lewis in left, Hill off the hook. They give error to Encarnacion, not sure about that it was a reflex play to get his glove down. Hit so hard. Fly ball to Lewis in left one down Santana scores. 7-1 Jays. Duncan with runner at second, one down. 1-1, full count, strikes out swinging, two down and strikeout number seven for Marcum. Nix, 1-2 count, another full count. Strikes out swinging. Pitch count 74.
Bottom 5th: Overbay with two singles tonight. 2-2 count. Strikes out swinging. One down. Buck grounds first pitch to third, throw to first for second out. Score has changed the call on Encarnacion to a double not an error. Encarnacion with two down. 2-2 count. Pops up to Kearns in left. 100 pitch count, but may have to stay out there with the bullpen troubles.

Top 6th: Donald leading off 0-2 count. 2-2, full count. Grounds to Escobar at second, throw in the dirt at first, gets away from Overbay, one on. Error to Escobar. Crowe, fly ball to Lewis in left one down. Cabrera, lines it to Bautista in right, two down. Choo, 1-2 count. Strikes out swinging. Problem with all the strikeouts though is the pitch count. Now 89. May only get one more inning.
Bottom 6th: Lewis leading off, Masterson still soaking up the innings, grounds back to Masterson throw to first for the out. Escobar, wants to amend for that throwing error. 2-0 count. That will help as he singles back up the middle. Bautista, great roar from this crowd. Lines it back at Masterson off the pitcher into centre, Escobar goes to third. Two on one down for Wells, Germano working in Indians bullpen. Vernon the forgotten guy in this lineup with Bautista playing so well. Ball gets away from catcher to the wall; here comes Escobar, 8-1 Jays. Bautista to second. 110 pitches for Masterson. 3-1 count. Ball four. Now here comes the Manager. Enough is enough. Really It was that one inning in the fourth when six runs were scored and although Jays have threatened bigtime all game, it would be a 2-1 game without that one bad inning. Justin Germano first team season debut, has been in AAA until today. Lind pops up to left for the second out. Hill, 0-2 and strikes out swinging. Leaves runner on. Jays 4/10 tight with runners in scoring position.

Top 7th: Santana leading off. Very nice, long drive to centre but Vernon makes nice running catch over the shoulder. One down. Kearns, lines this back at Marcum into centre, one on one down. Gimenez pinch running for Kearns at first. 2-1, Casey Janssen warming up in bullpen. 3-1, full count, pops up high to Lewis in left. Two down. Duncan, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging to ends this one and probably his night as he is way over the 100 pitches at 105. Ten strikeouts tonight.
Bottom 7th: Overbay doubles first pitch to the wall in left, Buck with runner in scoring position. Full count. Grounds to third, throw to first for the out. Overbay holds at second. Encarnacion 1-2 strikes out swinging, two down. Lewis, pitch hits him on the thigh as he tries to jump out of the way. Two on for Escobar, grounds first pitch to third, throw to second to get Lewis for third out. Jays leave that leadoff double at second.

Top 8th: Janssen now pitching. Nix leading off. 0-2 count. strikes out swinging, one down. Donald, 0-2 count. singles into centre. One on one down for Crowe, 0-2 count. Grounds to third, throw to Overbay gets away at first. One down but two on for Cabrera, 0-2 count, full count, strikes out swinging on ball four outside, two down for Choo. 1-2 count, grounds to Hill at second, makes it interesting as he knocks it down and just makes the throw to first to end the inning.
Bottom 8th: Bautista leading off. Three hits tonight. 0-2 count. 2-2 count. Full count. Ball four, on base every at bat with the two walks. One on for Wells, first pitch (sigh) pops up to shallow centre, Travis Snider pinch running for Bautista, easing him in gradually? Lind with one down. 2-2 count. Pops up to Gimenez in left. Two down for Hill. 0-2 count. Strikes out swinging. Travis didn’t get to do much but he would love being out there again.

Top 9th: Camp to finish it off. Travis in right. Santana leading off. Grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay, one down. Gimenez, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging, two down. LaPorta with two down, fly ball to Wells in centre to end this one. Jays win big 8-1 with fourteen hit attack.

The excellent: Marcum one run seven innings and ten strikeouts, win number ten. Bautista with the grand slam and 31st home run of the season and not yet August. Multi-hit games for Lewis (including his home run number seven), Escobar, Bautista and Overbay.
Does Cito make the move tomorrow? Putting Travis at right and Bautista at third, rest Encarnacion or perhaps Travis will DH?

Tampa beats Yankees in NY. Jays pick up one. Boston losing to the Tigers 6-1 in the 8th . in Boston.
The bad ? no not tonight. Memo to Aaron though to tape his shoes on.