Cecil wins number 12 behind power bats and great defense

Final game of series. Jays v Yankees. Game three Sunday September 5.

Same lineup as yesterday for Cito and I agree with him. Need some consistency for the players. Who is not performing right now? Number one has to be Vernon last home run 26 games ago. That’s an average of 6 per season Vernon, Johnny Mc. has that. Lind, definitely in same boat as Vernon. Hill has shown signs but his glove is now suffering. Jays definitely not focused for this series but we also have to remember that Yankees are playing for keeps here. They have Division title at stake and had better be focused. Today Cecil against Hughes who has not pitched as well second half and lost last week to Cecil, perhaps Jays can leave New York on a high note.

Lineups: Jays: Wise, Hill, Bautista, Wells, Overbay, Buck, Lind, McDonald, Snider.
Yankees: Gardner, Jeter, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Thames, Posada, Granderson, Golson, Pena.
Pitching: Hughes v Cecil.

Top 1st: Wise leading off. I like the way Wise approaches his at bats. Very focused. Pops up to Gardner behind Jeter at second. One down for Hill. Lines this on to left, off the wall, just misses going out and Aaron has to hustle here to avoid tag at second. Too close there Aaron. Bautista with runner in scoring position. Full count. Strikes out swinging, two down for Wells. 0-2 count, WHOOOOO!!! Vernon drives this one out of here and over the fence in centre, 2-0 Jays. You read my notes. Overbay grounds to first for third out but Jays get on top of Yankees to start. Pitch count 17.
Bottom 1st: Gardner leading off. Grounds to Hill but no chance to get Gardner he can motor, no throw. Jeter showing bunt, strike one. This will do though, grounds to Hill on to McDonald throw to Overbay double play ball. Teixeira with two down. 3-1 count, ball four, here comes Rodriguez back in the lineup. Grounds to Bautista dives to get the ball and throws to Hill at second from his knees to get Teixeira. Outstanding play by Jose. Pitch count 12.

Top 2nd: Buck leading off. Skies the first pitch to Golson playing today in right field. One down. Lind, in another miserable slump, full count, strikes out swinging. Two down for McDonald. Grounds to Rodriguez, throw to first for third out. Pitch count 29.
Bottom 2nd: Thames leading off. Oh WOW…. Grounds to Johnny Mc. dives and throws to Overbay, for the out, great defense by Jays so far today helping out Cecil big-time. Posada, full count. Strikes out swinging, two down. Granderson, 0-2 count, grounds to Overbay, takes it himself for third out. Pitch count 26.

Top 3rd: Snider leading off, full count, Travis fouling a few off, strikes out swinging. One down, Wise, singles first pitch in to right. Hill, OH WOWEE, Aaron has got hold of this none no doubt at all into left. Same spot as last hit but into the seats this time, here comes Wise, here comes Hill and Jays are out 4-0. Bautista, full count, grounds to first for second out. Wells, 2-2 count, almost hits him, count full. Grounds to Rodriguez at third lazy throw to first, only just gets Vernon, Hughes pitch count 57. Ouch.
Bottom 3rd: Golson getting his first at bat. Rookie callup. Nice start, pulls it to left field wall, bounces back to Travis who throws a strike to second almost gets Golson. Pena with runner in scoring position. Bunting, great bunt by Pena and runners safe at first and third. Cecil in trouble here. Top of the order again Gardner. Pops it to Snider in left, here comes Golson to get Yankees first run. 4-1 Jays. Travis throw to second keeps Pena at first, one down for Jeter. 2-1 count. Pops up to Wells in shallow centre, two down for Teixeira, full count. Just misses, ball four. Cecil thought he had it. Rodriguez with two on, first pitch off the end of his bat back to Cecil who tags A-Rod for third out. Pitch count 44.

Top 4th: Overbay leading off. 1-2 count, grounds to first, Teixeira takes it himself to the bag, one down for Buck. Strikes out, two down for Lind. 1-1 count, high pop up to Gardner in left, easy inning for Hughes for a change. Pitch count 68.
Bottom 4th: Thames leading off singles into left, Posada, perfect, grounds to McDonald, to Hill over to Overbay double play ball rescues Cecil again. Granderson grounds to Hill, throw to Overbay and just like that Jays are batting again. Pitch count 54.

Top 5th: McDonald leading off. Full count. High and ball four. Snider, now Travis you can end the day for Hughes here. Almost, pulls it into the right field corner but bounces right into Golson’s glove and he almost gets Travis at second on the throw, two on nobody out for Wise. Travis hit that so hard Johnny Mc. had no chance to score. 1-2 count, and strikes out swinging. One down for Hill. 1-2 count, that will do Aaron, lifts it into right here comes the throw from Golson Johnny Mc scores on the tag. 5-1 Jays. Travis goes to third on the throw. Two down for Bautista with Snider at third. Lines it to left but right at Gardner Jays get one more, but could have been more. Pitch count 88. Another long inning for Hughes but could have been much worse.
Bottom 5th: Golson leading off. 1-1 count. 2-2 count. Strikes out swinging. One down for Pena.0-2 count, grounds to Overbay at first, takes it himself for second out. Gardner, two down. Full count, ball four. Jeter, wild pitch, Jays have had too many of those this season. Gardner moves to second. 3-1 count. Ball four. Not good Brett. Teixiera, here comes pitching coach Walton. Just get that ground ball. Perfect, easy isn’t it, grounds to McDonald throw to Hill to get Jeter and end the inning. Pitch count 74.

Top 6th: Wells leading off pops up first pitch to Golson in shallow right, one down for Overbay. Nice swing but gets under it and pops up to Granderson in centre, two quick outs, Buck. That just might do it John, hammers the fist pitch and drives it into the netting I centre. Hughes knew it as soon as he hit it. Did not even turn to watch it. 6-1 Jays. Lind gets hold of this one and pulls it into right corner bounces into crowd for ground rule double. McDonald, 2-2 count, pops up to Gardner in left for third out.
Bottom 6th: Rodriguez grounds to Bautista safe at first. Thames grounds to Bautista throw to Hill to get A-Rod at second. Another wild pitch by Cecil, Thames to second. Posada doubles to centre, here comes Thames, 6-2 Jays. Granderson lines to Wise, two down but Posada to third. Golson with runner at third, strikes out.

Top 7th: Mitre now pitching. Snider leading off. Singles into right. Wise with one on. Singles into right, two on for Hill. 2-2, lines to right but this time Golson has it for the out one down two on for Bautista, you know Jose wants this one. 3-0 count, turns on this one just misses, foul, that would have been three. 3-1 count, ball four and loads the bases for Vernon. Still only one down. Can’t lay off that one down and away. 3-1 count, ball four and here comes Travis 7-2 Jays. Girardi does not like that. Bases still loaded for Overbay. 2-2 count, big groan, grounds to second, throw to short over to Teixeira, double play ball.
Bottom 7th: Cecil still out there. Pena, 3-1 count, lines a bullet off Hill at second, Aaron knocks it down but that was a very tough play. One on for Gardner. 2-1 Cecil laboring here, come on Cito get him out. Pops up to Snider in shallow left, one down. Jeter, now here comes Cito. Janssen now pitching. Jeter strikes out. Way to go Casey. Two down Teixeira, full count, ball four, not what we need Casey. Two down two on but here cines A-Rod, singles to Vernon in centre, here comes Pena, Teixeira moves up to second. 7-3 Jays. That’s it for Casey here comes Cito. Callup Roenicke, now pitching. He has been so good in Vegas. Thames with two down and two on, pops it up Johnny Mc. has it to end the inning.

Top 8th: Buck leading off, gets hold of this one but lines out to Granderson in centre, one down for Lind grounds to Pena at second, throw to Teixeira at first for second. Johnny Mc. with two down, pops up to Teixeira at first. Jays go quietly.
Bottom 8th: Posada leading off strikes out. One down for Granderson, oh no, grounds to Hill but Aaron muffs that one and Granderson’s speed gets him safe at first. Aaron’s glove is not 100% these days. Swisher now, pinch-hitting for Golson, grounds to Overbay to make the play on the bag, Granderson moves to second. Two down for Berkman now pinch-hitting for Pena. Joe Girardi throwing everyone into the mix today, these games are important to him. That’s it for Roenicke, Carlson now pitching. Jesse is getting overworked these days Cito, be careful you don’t ruin his arm. That will do it, Berkman grounds to McDonald throw to Overbay for third out. It will be Kevin Gregg in the 9th.

Top 9th: All those changes for Girardi, Nunez in at second. Kearns in at right field.
Snider leading off, singles to centre, third hit for Travis today, nice going Travis, get the hits going and the home run power will follow. But always good to get the number nine guy on for the top of the order. Wise, NO DeWayne, lines this hard but right at Teixeira who doubles up Travis off the bag, no chance at all for Travis. Two down for Hill grounds to third and beats out the throw, safe at first, that makes that double play tough. That’s it for Mitre, Albaladejo now pitching. Bautista, hit by a pitch, hmmm !!! Yankees want him to leave town on a good note, Jose has not had a happy three days. Hill to second. Wells with two on and two down, strikes out. Ok, now clutch time for Kevin. His first appearance this weekend. What does he have?
Bottom 9th: Gregg now pitching. Not a save but needs the work. McCoy in for Hill at second, what does that mean? Gardner leading off, doubles to left. Ok Kevin relax. You have four runs to play with here. Jeter pops up to Wise in right, one down and Gardner has to hold. Teixeira pops up to Snider, two down Gardner to third. Here comes A-Rod to make his statement, Wooo !!! strikes him out looking. Jays win 7-3 and head home with something at least. Tampa also losing so no change at the top but Jays pick up one on the leaders, not that means anything anymore.

The good: Cecil another excellent outing, has beaten the Yankees twice in a week, that is really something and certainly for next season. The power bats Hill, Wells, and Buck. And don’t forget the defensive plays of Bautista and Johnny Mc. early in the game, huge plays robbing Yankees of base hits. Hill and Travis both with three hits.
The bad: No, not today, let’s enjoy a win in New York.