Classic display of aggressive baseball by Jays to win 9-5

Jays v Baltimore.

Line-ups: Baltimore: Andino, Winn, Reimold, Fox, Harris, Pie, Green, Tatum, Izturis and Guthrie pitching. No Guerrero in Dunedin, Baltimore has split squad also playing Boston.
Toronto: Davis, Escobar, Bautista, Lind, Hill, Rivera, Snider, Encarnacion, Arencibia, and Romero pitching. Jays getting their first team line-up into the last few games.

Romero needs a much better outing than his last two before Friday night’s opener this week. Ricky responds by going five one run innings but then Orioles get to him big-time in the sixth though with four runs to go ahead 5-4. Nick Green with his two run home run chases Romero with one out in the sixth. Camp replaces Romero and stops the rot to get both Tatum and Izturis swinging. However do we have concerns here for Romero ??? 7.91 is not the ERA he had hoped for as the numero uno. Opening Day will be nothing but interesting.

Bottom 6th: Jays tie it up immediately with Davis again the catalyst, pulls it back with a leadoff triple and run with Escobar’s ground out, but then Bautista is out at second trying to stretch a single. Lind grounds out but Jays do get the one back. Davis 4-4 today, triple, two doubles and a single. Will he get chance for the cycle?

Top 7th: Rzepczynski pitching gets two quick outs Reimold prolongs the inning with walk. Jake Fox, strikes out swinging.
Bottom 7th: Hill singles to go 3-4, here comes Chris Woodward again to pinch run.. Aaron gets a break, has had a great day. Rivera singles Adam Loewen pinch running, that’s it for Pat Egan Rapada now pitching. Two on and no one out with Snider at bat. Grounds out but Woodward gets to third. Snider at first with one down. Thames pinch running for Travis, here comes Encarnacion. WOWEEEEE double steal here comes Chris Woodward stealing home and safe, Thames also going to second both safe. Jays go out ahead 6-5 what a great aggressive play…. Oh to see these young guys in Toronto but what a treat when they are all in the majors. Encarnacion walks, there goes Thames stealing third, Arencibia fly ball to cash him in 7-5. Small ball and aggressive plays so great to watch. That`s it for Rapada, Hendrickson now pitching. Rajai Davis going for the cycle here. Needs the big one. Singles to left, ah well Rajai a five hit day is fantastic, crowd gives him a great ovation as Mike McCoy pinch running. Escobar doubles and here comes Encarnacion, here comes McCoy running on the hit with two down anyway Jays 9-5. Bautista with runner in scoring position, strikes out swinging. Very nice inning by Jays with both small ball and aggression helped with timely hitting. Package that inning and send it to Rogers Centre. Jays with 18 hit day. Of course Rajai Davis has five of them. And Romero is off the hook for the loss.

Top 8th: Frasor now pitching. Harris pops up to Woodward at second. Three up three down for Jason.
Bottom 8th: Are the Jays done yet. No, the beat goes on, David Cooper singles, Chris Woodward singles, what a game he is having. 20 hits for the Jays today. Adam Loewen flies out, one down two on for Thames. Flies out to left. Ryan Budde pinch hitting for Encarnacion pops up to Izturis.

Top 9th: Hinckley pitching Hernandez pops up to Jonathan Diaz at short. Izturis grounds to Woodward at second. Two down. Ronnie Welty pinch hitting for Andino. Strikes out.
Jays win big… 20 hit afternoon and now go 15-12 for the spring.

The excellent: The most exciting play in baseball, Chris Woodward stealing home and on back end of double steal with Thames going to second. Escobar home run and a five RBI day and takes his team leading average to .414. Davis a five hit game including triple, two doubles, two singles and stolen base. This is first time for many seasons that Jays have had a decent leadoff guy. Jays 12 hits in the first five innings. Everyone in the lineup with Arencibia getting a sac fly ribi.
Hill with three hits including double for Aaron, good to see his bat alive again. Lind, Escobar, Bautista, and Rivera all with two hit games.
Jays relievers Camp, Rzepczynski, Frasor and Hinckley close the Orioles down after they get to Romero for four runs in the sixth inning.

The not so good has to be Romero (again) today. Jury is still out on him, what happened in the sixth after giving up only one run in the first five.

And we have to mention this, runners in scoring position, despite the 9-5 win, Jays hitters went 2-15 today.

Jays send Cooper, Thames, and pitchers Abreu, Cordero, Henn, Hinckley, Ledezma, and Rommie Lewis to minors today but get some of them into the game in Dunedin.