Masterful Morrow just misses no-hitter as Jays sweep Rays

Game three series finale Ray v Jays. Sunday August 8.

Jays going for an unlikely sweep of the Rays. Who would have thought that a week ago?
Should Arencibia be playing today? Cito says he has already has Lind in the lineup as DH. Hmmm… Cito what about the fans? And the thousands who will be coming just to watch this young kid ? My vote is to sit Lind. Molina catching Morrow, his own personal catcher but I have no problem with that if he wins every game.... Cito doesn't like it, says it is a crutch, but if it results in wins what's the issue. Today they will need Molina anyway as Crawford returns and that means stealing bases if he gets on, Molina will reduce that more than Arencibia.

Lineups: Rays: Zobrist, Crawford, Longoria, Johnson, Joyce, Jaso, Upton, Brignac, Bartlett.
Jays: Wise, Escobar, Bautista, Wells, Lind, Hill, Overbay, Encarnacion, Molina.

Pitching: Morrow v Sonnanstine.

Top 1st: Zobrist leading off, strikes out swinging, one down for Crawford, first game this series for Crawford. Strikes out swinging, two down. Longoria, strikes out swinging.
Bottom 1st: Wise leading off, lines it right back at Sonnanstine, ouch, throw to first for the out. One down for Escobar 2-2 count, full count, ball four. One on for Bautista 2-2 count, grounds to Longoria at third, throw to first and Escobar going to third throw not in time. Whoa nice speed and play Yunel. Two down and Vernon lofts this one just behind first, here comes Escobar to score. 1-0 Jays. Lind, 2-1 count. Grounds it up the middle but Bartlett has it and throw to first for the out.
Bloop single but it would not have made any difference if Escobar had not made third on the earlier play.

Top 2nd: Johnson leading off. 3-0 and ball four. Leadoff walk. Joyce high pop up to Overbay, one down for Jaso. Pops up to Encarnacion at third, two down. Upton two down one on. 0-2 count, strikes out swinging. Number four for Morrow.
Bottom 2nd: Hill first pitch pop up to Johnson at first, one down for Overbay, grounds first pitch to Longoria at third, throw to first for the second out. Encarnacion with two down. High and inside, 2-0, high fly ball to Upton in centre for third out.

Top 3rd: Brignac, 1-2 count. Strikes out swinging. Number five. Bartlett, 0-2 count, grounds to Encarnacion throw to Overbay for second out. Zobrist, 1-2 count. Strike three looking. Six strikeouts.
Bottom 3rd: Molina leading off. High fly ball to centre Upton has it at the wall. Wise, singles up the middle. One on, one down for Escobar. Singles to right, two on one down for Bautista. 2-2 count. Ball three. Grounds to Longoria at third, throw to first to get Bautista. Double play ball.

Top 4th: Crawford leading off. 2-2 count. Strikes out swinging, number seven already for Morrow. Longoria high fly ball to the wall Vernon makes the catch at the wall. Two down. Johnson, 2-2 count. Ball three, strikes out swinging. Number eight for Morrow. On fire.
Bottom 4th: Wells, 2-2 count. Pops up to Upton in centre, one down. Lind, grounds to first Johnson dives to get this and throw to Sonnanstine for second out. Hill, two down, grounds to Longoria at third, throw to Johnson for the third out.

Top 5th: 1-2 count. Joyce strikes out swinging, wow, number nine. Jaso, 1-2 count. Pops up to Wise in shallow left for second out. Upton, pops up to Overbay at first.
Bottom 5th: Overbay leading off. Grounds right back to Sonnanstine, throw to first for the out. Encarnacion, lines first pitch to Crawford in left, two quick outs. Molina, 0-2 count, full count, ball four. One on two down for Wise. 0-2 count. Molina going and safe at second, we have seen everything, stolen base number one this season. 2-2 count. Strikes out swinging.

Top 6th: Brignac leading off, 0-2 count, strikes out swinging, number ten !!! Career high. Bartlett, 1-2 count. Hits him, Molina arguing that it hit the bat. Replay says yes. First base umpire says yes, Joe Maddon now arguing but no good. Strikes out swinging. Number eleven. Zobrist, hammers this one to centre, Vernon makes a great running catch slamming into the wall to end this one.
Bottom 6th: Escobar grounds to short, throw to Johnson for the out. Bautista 2-2 count. Snider on deck for Vernon, it looked as if was hurt on the catch, stayed down on the ground for a while. Full count. Ball four. Snider at bat, one on one down. That’s it for Sonnanstine. Choate now pitching.0-2 count. Strikes out on three pitches. Lind, two down, one on. 0-2, strikes out looking as Bautista stealing. Too bad Cito didn’t bring in Arencibia for a bat for Lind.

Top 7th: Wise in centre, Snider in left, Crawford, 3-1 count. Full count. Strikes out swinging, great pitch, number twelve strikeout. Longoria, 1-2 count.2-2, strikes out swinging. Number thirteen. 97 pitches. Two down for Johnson. Grounds to Overbay bounces away, error. Joyce, to down one on. 1-2 count. 100 pitches. Strike three looking, Number fourteen. 102 pitches.
Bottom 7th: Hill, 3-0 count. Ball four. One on for Overbay, singles up the middle through legs of Choate. Two on for Encarnacion, here comes Maddon, that’s it for Choate. Dan Wheeler now pitching. Encarnacion lines it right at Longoria, one down. Molina, 2-0 count. 2-2 count. Strikes out swinging, two down for Wise. 2-0 count. 2-2, count full. Strikes out swinging. Jays leave two more out there. Not helping Morrow much today.

Top 8th: Morrow still out there, Jaso leading off 2-2 count. Full count, strikes out looking, number fifteen. Upton 2-2 count. Strikes out swinging, number sixteen. Aybar now pinch hitting for Brignac. Pops up to Wise running in shallow centre.
Bottom 8th: Escobar leading off. Grounds to Bartlett, throw to Johnson, one down for Bautista, high pop up to Johnson in foul ground between home and first, two down. Snider 2-1 count.3-1, ball four. One on for Lind. Maddon out again. Cormier now pitching. One on two down. Lind doubles to left, Snider holds at third. Hill first pitch grounds to Longoria, throw to Johnson for the out, not a very smart at bat by Hill. Put some pressure on the pitcher Aaron. Make a chance for wild pitch etc etc.

Top 9th: Here comes Morrow again. Bartlett leading off, 0-2 count, crowd is on their feet, fly ball to Wise in centre, one down. Zobrist, 2-0 count, ball three, Morrow in trouble, ball four, walk on four pitches, he must be exhausted let alone nervous. Crawford one down one on. 0-1, strike two swinging over it. Everyone standing again. Fly ball to Snider in left, two down. Longoria, grounds to second, off glove of Hill into left, there goes the no-hitter. No error on the play? Not this time.

What a tough break for Morrow, so close, in fact cannot get much closer. But an incredible pitching effort. Jays coaching staff reckon he has the best stuff of all the pitching staff and we can see why this afternoon. But this game is not over yet, especially with Zobrist at third.
Johnson with two on and runner Zobrist at third. 2-0 count. 2-1, 132 pitches. 2-2 count. Fouls it off. And another. And another. Strike three swinging at ball high inside. Jays win big, sweep the Rays and pick up three games on them. Morrow an amazing performance with 136 pitches.

The excellent: Who else but Morrow. 17 strikeouts. Complete game, one hitter.
Give kudos to Vernon today, his winning rbi and his catch against the wall to save a no hitter.

The bad: Jays hitters had their chances to make this a lot easier for Morrow.