Wise a day to remember as Jays fall short but a great show

Jays v Yankees Game three. Sunday July 4th.

No Wells, no Hill and no Buck. Cito playing the second team out there today, giving his people a day off despite another day off tomorrow. Not that any of them are playing particularly well right now. Well we will see, but not sending a great message when “resting”! three of the starters against the best team in the league and Hughes pitching already with ten wins. Plus too many light hitters in this lineup, Lewis, Wise, Molina, and McDonald. Needless to say Girardi does not share the same approach to the game and has everyone out there, no resting of Jeter, or A-Rod or Teixeira today he wants the wins. Wonder how Morrow feels about it handicapped with this hitting lineup before he even starts. Jays have three All-Star selections. Buck, Bautista and Wells.

Lineups: Toronto: Lewis, Wise, Gonzalez, Bautista, Lind, Encarnacion, Overbay, Molina, McDonald.
Yankees: Jeter, Swisher, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Cano, Posada, Granderson, Gardner, Pena.

Pitching: Hughes v Morrow.

Top 1st: Lewis leading off. Strikes out swinging. Wise. Strikes out on three pitches, Highes throwing nothing but strikes. Gonzalez with two down. Fly ball to Granderson for third out, quick three up and down for Hughes.
Bottom 1st: Jeter leading off, strikes out. One down for Swisher. First pitch fly ball to Lewis in left, no McDonald out there today, he is playing at second in place of Hill. I am still unconvinced that he is yet in mood for baseball. Far too many errors, and has looked constantly confused in the last two weeks, his mind is definitely elsewhere. Teixeira, singles to left. Rodriguez. Strikes out. Nice inning Brandon.

Top 2nd: Bautista leading off. Gets away with one here as he pops up first into the camera bay at first. Just out of reach for Teixeira. Pops this one up to Cano at second. Lind, .205 average., cant wait for the break to get a fresh start. 3-1 count. Full count and strikes out swinging, two down for Encarnacion. Grounds to Rodriguez at third, hustles to first but throw just beats him. 20 pitches.
Bottom 2nd: Cano leading off. Morrow throwing hard 97mph.Grounds back to Morrow throw to Overbay almost through him for the out. One down for Posada. Full count. Pops up to Wise in centre, two down for Granderson. Strikes him out, to end this one. Third strikeout for Morrow.27 pitches.

Top 3rd: Overbay leading off, YEAH Lyle….. hammers this one high and far into centre over Granderson and wall at the 408 mark. 1-0 Jays. Molina fly ball to Gardner in left, one down for McDonald, 2-0 count. 3-1, Ball four. Get on anyway you can against this team. One on one down for Lewis, showing bunt. Another mound conference. Typical Yankees wasting the time. Oh man, pops it up, ball drops in behind pitcher, but McDonald out at second as he waited to see if it was caught. Lewis at first but two down. Wise. 0-2 count, there goes Lewis, pitch bounces away Fred at second easily. No throw. The value of putting pressure on the pitcher. I wish Jays would do far more if it. 1-2 count. Swings at ball two high to end this one. Hughes 41 pitches.
Bottom 3rd: The big inning that sunk Jays yesterday and Gardner the grand slam guy to lead it off. Singles into left. Pena playing short today with Jeter DH. Showing bunt, throwdown but Gardner safe at first. 2-0 count. Running but strike 2-2 count. Full count. Grounds to Encarnacion. Looks at second but throw not in time to get Pena at first, two on and no outs with Jeter, bunts to first throw to third Gardner safe and bases loaded. Gardner’s speed, No outs. Déjà vu all over again. Swisher. Pops this up to Lewis almost a mess-up here with Gonzalez. Makes the catch one down. Teixeira, pops it up but foul. 2-2 count, way high, 3-2. Fly ball to Bautista, Gardner scores but two down. Rodriguez with two on. Whoa…over his head, knocks him down, cheers all round Canada, not intentional pitch got away, another high pitch. 3-0 count. Count full, crowd quiet. Singles to left, here comes runner, 2-1 lead. Cano with two on two down. Pops up to Encarnacion. Morrow escapes a lot of damage here, Yankees unable to capitalize on bases loaded no outs, Morrow will be very happy with just two. 57 pitches.

Top 4th: Gonzalez leading off, pops up to left, one down. Bautista, singles back up the middle. Lind, they are pitching him outside, identical pitches, just cannot catch up with them. Pulls this one to Teixiera at first throw to second to get Bautista, Lind safe. Again Jays lack of speed, inhibits bunting and stealing to get to second, huge difference compared to Yankees Gardner, Granderson for two. Encarnacion. 2-2 count. Strikes out swinging. Until the Jays add a small game option this team will live and die by the home run. 59 pitch count.
Bottom 4th: Posada leading off. 3-0 count. Ball four, Yankees hitters are so patient. Granderson, 2-2 count. Grounds to second McDonald shovels it to Gonzalez, throw late at first. Only one out. Speed again. Gardner, strikes out. Pena, but pitch gets away Granderson to second, two down runner at second. 2-0 count. Singles up the middle of glove of Gonzalez, Granderson was running and scores easily, speed. 3-1 Yankees. Jeter, Pena going more speed. No throw. He may go to third as well as Jeter is hitting and could lead off next time if he doesn’t get third. Yankees have too much speed in this lineup for Jays. Full count. Strikes out. 82 pitches for Morrow, he might get one more inning.

Top 5th: Jays have to get hits and runs. Overbay first pitch lines it to left one down. Molina, first pitch, lines to Granderson. When Jays get rid of this first pitch swing garbage I will be the first for one to cheer, two pitches two outs ???? McDonald, now has to take the first pitch right down the middle. Singles to left to defy Cito’s hitting first pitch philosophy. Lewis with one and two down ball gets away and McDonald at second. First Jays player at that spot all game? full count. Ball four. That is what comes of patience Cito, work the count. Two on for Wise, takes ball one. WAY TO GO DEWAYNE…….. hammers this a rocket to right, OFF the foul pole and here comes McDonald, here comes Lewis and here comes Wise, his first home run of the season. Jays get three more to take the lead, 4-3 Jays. Vernon who? Gonzalez, pops up to Pena to end this but Jays are back in this one.
Bottom 5th: Morrow has the lead again, this could be his last inning though. Swisher leading off. Singles to centre. Teixiera, lines it to the wall in centre, over head of Wise relay to Gonzalez throw to Molina blocks the plate and gets Swisher. One down. A-Rod first pitch, fly ball to Wise, throwing home gets Swisher two thrown out at the plate. WOW, defence. What a game for Wise. Two consecutive outs at the plate on two pitches. Vernon ?

Top 6th: Jays have to hammer home this advantage here. Bautista first pitch swinging pops up to short one down. Lind, patience here , full count and finally, gets hold of this one to right, into the seats home run for Adam. 5-3 Jays. Encarnacion, singles to centre. Overbay lines to Gardner in left. Two down for Molina, grounds to Pena at shirt throw to Teixeira to get the out and leave Encarnacion out there.
Bottom 6th: Cano pops up in left for Lewis. One down. Posada singles to centre. Granderson strikes out.Two down for Gardner hammers this on to centre, Wise does not see it and drops the ball, here comes Posada, Gardner chugging all the way round, inside the park home run for Gardner and this game is all tied up again. 5-5. Rough on Wise. Déjà vu the play by McDonald yesterday. Pena strikes out, Molina throws down to Overbay. But the damage is done and this game is all tied up again.

Top 7th: Marte now pitching. McDonald leading off fly ball to Granderson in centre, one down, Cervelli now catching. Lewis strikes out. Wise has to be upset about that defensive play, strikes out to end this one.
Bottom 7th: Camp now pitching. Jeter leading off, singles to left. Swisher singles to centre, Jeter to second. Not good here for Camp. Two on and no outs, Teixieria, doubles to right, here comes Jeter Swisher stops at third. Rodriguez strikes out. One down. Cano intentional walk. Cervelli pops up to shallow right, makes the catch in foul ground here comes Swisher there comes the throw and out at the plate the third one today by the Yankees. Great defence by these Jays outfielders today. Sidebar we shall miss that arm of Bautista playing third when Travis Snider returns.

Top 8th: Chamberlain now pitching. Gonzalez lines to Granderson in centre, one down. Bautista singles to left. One on one down for Lind, strikes out. Two down for Encarnacion, pops it up to Swisher in right.
Bottom 8th: Downs now pitching. Granderson leading off strikes out. One down for Gardner, don’t let this guy beat you Scott. Grounds back to Downs throw to Overbay at first.Two down. Pena strikes out. Downs is so good.

Top 9th: Rivera now pitching. Overbay singles to right, only his second hit off Rivera in ten at bats. Molina strikes out. One down one on for Buck pinch-hitting for McDonald. Buck singles to centre, Overbay to second. Green pinch-running for Buck. Lewis grounds to Pena steps on second to get Green. No chance for two. Although he would have had better shot flipping it to Cano. Overbay moves to third, Lewis to first. Wise, Yes DeWayne, singles to centre, here comes Lyle. Makes up for that error, his fourth RBI today. 6-6 game. Gonzalez grounds to Rodriguez throw to Cano, to get Wise. Gonzalez to first. Rivera blows save for only the second time this season.
Bottom 9th: Green in at second for McDonald. Frasor now pitching. Tough assignment facing the top three of the Yankees order. Jeter leading off fly ball to Wise in centre. Swisher grounds to third safe on the throw to first.Teixeira grounds to Gonzalez throw to Green at second to get Swisher, Teixeira to first, two down for Rodriguez, strikes out, great job by Frasor.

Top 10th: Robertson pitching. lots of empty seats for some reason ??? what’s with this Yankee crowd. They must have felt Rivera had the game in the bag. Bautista leading off. 0-2 count. Singles into centre, in front of Granderson. 3 hits for the All-Star, impressing his All-Star boss ? (Girardi). Lind, now time for another here Adam. 2-0 taking here. 3-0, green light ? Takes it all the way. Strike one. Full count. Ball four, two on no outs for Encarnacion, big mound conference here. Bunting, lets it drop Rodriguez throws to second over to first double play ball. The worst possible time. Bautista at third. Overbay intentional walk. Two on two down. Molina, swings at ball one. Same again, come on Jose, awful. Does not swing this time. High again, 2-2. Strikes out. Not a great at bat there.
Bottom 10th: Purcey pitching, Cano leading off. 2-0 count. 3-0 and ball four come on Purcey. Career limiting move. Cervelli with one on. Bunting of course, to Purcey throw to Overbay for the out. Compare that one to the Jays in top of the inning. Granderson with runner at second in scoring position. Strikes out, his fourth of the game. Here comes the game killer, Gardner. Not putting him on? 2-1 count. 3-1. Strike two. Ball four, but that’s ok, it is the run at second anyway that counts here. Marcus Thames pinch hitting for Pena. Mound conference. 2-0 count. 3-1, strike two, that will do it, singles into centre. Here comes the run, runners were going on the full count. Jays lose a close tough one 7-6. But they should be very pleased with this performance.

Take out that awful third inning yesterday and Jays played Yankees very well this weekend. They will at least leave New York knowing that they can hold their own and indeed beat them and they have a lot more games against them yet to play. What it also shows me though is that the lack of real speed in this lineup hurts the Jays against teams like the Yankees.

The very good: Wise, with his bat and his two plays to get runners at home. Yes he allowed the inside the park home run but he had saved two runs and scored three. I will take that day’s work. Yes maybe Vernon gets both the balls that Wise does not get to but run production ?? maybe not the way Vernon has been playing recently.
The good: Overbay had excellent game, Lind with a home run, that is always good. Morrow was ok. The bullpen once again excellent.
The bad: Obviously that decision for Encarnacion to bunt in the top of the tenth with two on and nobody out.