Game three of four. Rangers v Jays. Wednesday September 8.
Interesting thought. Someone mentioned today what would this team be like with Halladay still in Toronto and take out Rzepzcynski. Add on another 8-10 wins to their total and Jays would be right with Tampa and Yankees and well in the hunt for wild card. Interesting. But despite that I think most Jays fans (even those without SN2), would admit that new GM Alex A. has done a great job already and is laying the foundation for a Jays team that will be competing for a long time. The young pitching staff at least the top four can match up with any in the league. Great to see Baltimore handing it to the Yankees last night. If anything was a dead cert it was Sabathia winning his 20th. But not so, and as we have said many times anything can and usually does happen in baseball, despite the odds. Today Baltimore almost swept Yankees and in New York ? That was very embarrassing game for Yankees relying on bottom of 9th to finally get the runs from Swisher. This one definitely a moral victory for the Orioles.
Tonight though Jays have the second team out there, Cito wants the right handed bats out there. We will see. Too bad for Rzepzcynski, I would have thought he needed some power support tonight but obviously Cito does not agree and he is the paid the $ for a few more weeks at least.
Lineups: Rangers: Kinsler, Young, Cruz, Guerrero, Francouer, Murphy, Cantu, Molina, Guzman.
Jays: McCoy, Escobar, Bautista, Wells, Lind, Hill, Buck, Hoffpauir, Molina.
Pitching: Rzepczynski v Holland.
Top 1st: Kinsler leading off. 3-1 count. Drives this one out of here into bullpen in left. Home run. 1-0 Texas. Young, full count, ball four, this will be a long night for Jays fielders. Cruz 2-2 count, lines it hard to left, McCoy (yes McCoy) has the catch, first out of the game. One down one on for Guerrero, no second team out there for Washington. They are going to feast on some runs tonight. Singles to left, two on one down for 18 ? pitches for one out. Francouer, singles into left, here comes Young, 2-0 Texas. Two on, one down for Murphy. 1-1 count, grounds to Hill steps on the bag and throws to Overbay for double play ball. But Jays already two down. Pitch count 23. At this rate? should be four innings for Marc tonight. Maybe we will see some of the minor league pitching call ups tonight. But definitely not Accardo eh Cito ? sort of a sore point with Cito evidently as he criticized management for misleading him last season. Cito certainly bristled when asked whether Accardo would be brought up. Not this year Jeremy, you will have better luck in Spring.
Bottom 1st: McCoy, yes McCoy leading off. 1-2 count, strikes out. One down for Escobar, 3-1 count, ball four, one on for Bautista. 2-2 count, strikes out, two down for Wells. 3-1 count, another ball four, all is not lost but no Lyle tonight. Lind batting behind Vernon, maybe why he had the semi-intentional walk, although Adam did show a sign of life last night with the home run. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging. Leaves two on. Pitch count 25.
Top 2nd: Cantu leading off, 1-2 count, grounds to Hoffpauir at third, throw to Lind at first, takes some getting used to, Bengie Molina, with his brother catching, what do they say to each other at the plate? grounds first pitch to Escobar at shirt, throw to Lind, two down. Guzman, two down, pops up to Lind in foul ground, seven pitches for Rzepczynksi. Much better. Pitch count 30.
Bottom 2nd: Hill leading off, lines it to Cruz in left, one down. Buck, 0-2 count, grounds to Guzman at short, Guzman throw to first high and wide, error to Guzman, Buck, safe at first for Hoffpauir. One on one down. 2-2 count, bounces to second, Kinsler steps on the bag and throw to first double play ball. Pitch count 38. Tampa already hammering Boston again tonight 4-0 after one inning. Next stop for the Rays is Toronto on Friday.
Top 3rd: Kinsler leading off, grounds to Escobar, throw to Lind, one down for Young, full count, lines it to Vernon, makes the catch at the wall in centre, two down. Cruz, doubles first pitch to the wall in centre, no chance for Vernon on that one. Stand up double. Guerrero, 3-1 count, don’t give him one down the middle Marc. Full count, great pitch strikes out swinging. Pitch count 47 but at least he should last longer than predicted four innings.
Bottom 3rd: Molina leading off, hi brother. Lines it very hard to left but Cruz gets it at the wall by Jays bullpen. Nice play Nelson. McCoy, one down, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, two down. McCoy has not seen these fast balls in Vegas. Escobar with two down, singes first pitch up the middle. Bautista, long overdue for a big one. 3-0 count, pops up high to first for third out. Pitch count 51.
Top 4th: Francouer leading off, singles into right. Murphy,2-0 count, Molina throw to first, they have Francouer picked off in rundown and tagged out , one down. 0-2 count, Murphy strikes out, two down. Cantu, 3-0 count, ball four, not good Marc. Bengie Molina, 3-0 count, ball four, that is eight in a row. Come on somebody, settle the guy. Jose Molina out there but maybe a little late here. Guzman, 0-2 count, grounds to Hoffpauir at third, throw to Lind to get Guzman. Pitch count 63. At least he gets into the 5th.
Bottom 4th: Time Jays bats got going here. One hit will not cut it especially when Cito has loaded the lineup with right handed hitters…supposed to be an advantage. Wells leading off. 2-2 count, gets a life on the foul ball in right, strikes out swinging anyway. Lind, 0-2 count, strikes out looking, come on Adam, swing at that one. Hill, 0-2 count, Jays making this guy look like Cy Young. Way high but Aaron swings at that one, number seven strikeout. Awful. Pitch count 64.
Top 5th: Kinsler leading off, singles into centre, one on for Young. Kinsler running throw goes off glove of Hill into centre, Kinsler all the way to third and nobody out. 1-2 count, singles into right, here comes Kinsler for run number three. 3-0 Texas. Cruz with runner at first, Tallet warming up in bullpen, ah well. 3-0 count, there’s a strike. That’s better, grounds to Hoffpauir at third, over to Hill, on to Lind double play ball. Guerrero at least no one is on for him. 3-1 count, grounds to Escobar, throw to Lind at first for third out. Jays escape big damage there. Pitch count 79 but it could have been Marc’s last hitter.
Bottom 5th: Hello out there! anyone hitting tonight ? Bottom of the order, Buck, Hoffpauir, Molina. Buck leading off. 3-1 count, lines it over the head of Francouer to the wall, but gets it back in quickly and holds Buck to a single. Hoffpauir, with one on. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, two down for Molina. 2-0 count, that will do Jose, singles into left, two on one down for McCoy, long, long overdue for a hit. 3-1 count. Harrison warming up in Rangers bullpen. Grounds to Young at third throw to Kinsler second but not in time at first, McCoy safe. Buck at third. Escobar with runners at the corners. 2-2 count, lines it hard but great diving catch by Guzman at short, pitch count 88.
Top 6th: Tallet now pitching, hang on friends. Tampa now 5-4 over Boston. Francouer leading off lines it right back at Tallet into single. 3-3 tonight for Francouer . One on for Murphy, full count, strike three looking, one down. Cantu, pops it up to right, Hill and Bautista going after it, drops in foul but Bautista hobbling there, hope that is temporary. 2-2 count, another full count, ball four, what would an inning by Tallet be without his usual walk? Two on one down for Molina, 0-2 count, oh boy, grounds to Lind throw to Escobar, horrible throw back to Tallet covering first, well wide of the bag, error on the play to Escobar, Francouer scores all the way from second, that was an easy double play ball it was Molina running. 4-0 Texas. Guzman with two down. 3-1 count, grounds up the middle to Hill flip to Escobar for third out.
Bottom 6th: Jays running out of innings. Matt Harrison pitching. Bautista leading off. Pops up to Guzman at short, one down for Wells. Grounds first pitch to Young at third, throw to first two down. Lind, 2-2 count, strikes out waving half –heartedly to end this one. Pretty bad hitting by the Jays here tonight. Good news is that no more Tallet, here comes Casey Janssen.
Top 7th: Top of the order again, Kinsler leading off. 1-2 count, strikes out swinging, one down for Young. 0-1 count, bounces to Escobar, throw to Lind, for the second out, Bronx cheer for Escobar. Cruz with two down, 2-2 count, close there, full count, grounds to Hoffpauir at third, holds on to the ball, did not have grip on the ball. Safe at first for Guerrero. Grounds to Hill at second, throw to Lind for third out. No more damage BUT cannot win this game unless they score some runs here. Boston now beating Tampa 7-5
Bottom 7th: Darren O’Day pitching. Hill leading off. Singles into right centre, one on for Buck. Grounds to Young at third, throw to Kinsler on to first, double play ball. Two down for Snider now pinch hitting for Hoffpauir. Travis grounds first pitch to Cantu, steps on the bag for third out. Five pitch inning, you live by the first pitch swing sword and die by the sword.
Top 8th: Texas has this one under control so far. Jays hitters have not looked like getting any runs against the left handed pitching. However McCoy still out there in right with Snider in left, no Wise out there. Bautista at third for Hoffpauir. Roenicke pitching, Francouer leading off. Grounds to Hill, throw to Lind, one down. Murphy, 2-0 count, doubles to Wells in centre. Cantu, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, two down for Molina. 2-2 count, singles to right, Murphy scores on the throw by McCoy (Bautista is now playing at third, Cito has struck out tonight with all his moves).McCoy tried but he does not have the cannon of Jose. 5-0 Texas. Guzman, two down one on. 2-2 count. Strikes out swinging.
Bottom 8th: Last chance for Jays, before the Rangers closer Feliz (34 saves, lights out) finishes them off tonight. Molina leading off, that’s’ better gets hold of this one, into left field bullpen and finally Jays get one back. 5-1. That’s it for O’Day, here comes the boss. Darren Oliver now pitching. Wise pinch hitting for McCoy finally out of the game. 1-1 count. Lifts it into left Escobar, really owes his team one tonight with that terrible error. 1-1 count. Lines it right at Cantu at first, two down for Bautista. 0-1 count, pops up to Guzman for third out. Jose remains homerless in September. Hope he is saving them up for Tampa this weekend.
Top 9th: Lewis now in right. Purcey now pitching. Kinsler leading off. 2-2 count. Pops up to Wells in centre, one down. Young, 1-1 count. Singles into right. One on one down for Cruz, 1-2 count, gets hold of this one, off the restaurant windows, two runs score 7-1 Texas. Guerrero, pops this one up into right, drops between Hill and Lind, Guerrero at second, nothing going right for this team tonight. Borbon for Francouer last inning. 1-2 count, strikes out swinging. Two down for Murphy, 2-2 count, singles in to centre, here comes Guerrero. 8-1 Rangers. Cantu 1-2 count, singles into left, Murphy to third on the play. Guzman now the only Ranger without a hit tonight. Rommie Lewis warming up in Jays bullpen. Molina with two on and two down, pops up to Lewis in shallow right.
Bottom 9th: It will be interesting to see if Jays can muster any fight at all this inning, seven runs back. Feliz slamming the door shut here. Needs the work. I hope he gets some. Wells leading off. 3-1 count, ball four, Vernon on base. Lind, 0-3 tonight, all strikeouts. 0-2 count. strike three number four strikeout, awful game for Lind. Hill with one down and one on. 2-1 count, grounds to short throw to second to get Vernon but Hill beats the throw at first, and prolongs the inning for Buck. Wild pitch, Hill to second. Pops up to Cantu at first to end this one. Jays go out with a whimper tonight.
In my book they started out with two strikes against them. One Rzepczynski was pitching and two the lineup was the second team. Cito wanted the right handed bats in there but McCoy and Hoffpauir are not first team yet. Texas 16 hits tonight. Jays five and two errors. Molina gets two of those five hits including the home run.
Rzepczynski remains with one win this season. Perhaps he could take over from Tallet in long relief next season.
The good ? I really didn’t see anything tonight. This one was a major payback by the Rangers from very first inning. They really didn’t need more than those two runs to win this one.
The bad: Cito gambled twice and lost, loaded the lineup with right handed hitters…supposed to be an advantage with the lefty pitching, not tonight. And Tallet pitching in the 6th your decisions Cito.
Molina and Escobar throwing errors, lead to two runs.
Tomorrow the final game between these two but does not look much better with local guy Hill pitching in place of Morrow. I hope Cito at least gives him some power support in the lineup.
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