Jays come from behind to give Dotel the win and ruin opening day for Santana

Jay v Angels in LA. Opening Day tonight for the Angels. Big crowd.

Manager Farrell has had enough…. Encranacion benched… Nix at third and Rivera DH. About time John. Jose back in the lineup, let’s hope he is a happy poppa and pops a couple tonight. Escobar day to day but if Nix can do a good job there should be no major rush to get Yunel back in the lineup and he can take it slowly. We have to mention here Anthony Gose first game yesterday one hit and TWO steals. Love it. I wonder what the Vegas odds are on his getting 50 this season.

Lineups: Jays: Davis, Nix, Bautista, Lind, Hill, Rivera, Snider, Molina catching tonight as Drabek pitching, McDonald in at short. Drabek pitching.
Angels: Izturis, Kendrick Abreu, Hunter, Wells, Callaspo, Trumbo, Conger, Bourjos, and Santana pitching.

Top 1st: Santana pitching, Davis fly ball to Hunter in right, one down for Nix. First pitch fly ball to Hunter, two quick outs, Bautista now has to take a couple, strikes out, but not a good at bat by Nix.
Bottom 1st: Drabek pitching. Izturis leading off. Walks him. Kendrick, strikes out swinging. Abreu, Izturis stealing great throw by Molina to get him at second. Two down, full count. Low and walks him. Hunter with one on, oh boy, singles to right and Bautista throw to third gets away and run scores, Drabek not backing up the play, Hunter goes to third on the play. 1-0 Angels. Vernon, grounds to short, throw to first for the out. Could have been worse without Izturis caught stealing.

Top 2nd: Lind, lines to first for the out. One down for Hill, lines it to left right at Vernon, two down. Rivera .059 average against his old club here, has something to prove tonight. Not this time grounds to Izturis throw to first for the out.
Bottom 2nd: Callaspo full count, ball four, third walk tonight already. Trumbo, first pitch, perfect, grounds to Nix, over to Hill over to Lind double play perfect. Conger with two down. Strikes out looking, Drabek recovers from that walk, now perhaps he can settle here.

Top 3rd: Snider first pitch swinging lines it to Bourjos in centre, this guy can run I can see why Hunter and Wells are flanking him, great outfield. One down. Molina, lines it to right centre, Bourjos gets it again, McDonald, strikes out swinging. Jays hitters have nothing so far against Santana.
Bottom 3rd: Drabek not getting any time to regroup here. Back out there. Bourjos grounds to Nix, throw to Lind for the out. Izturis, full count, another walk. One on for Kendrick. Lines it to Bautista in right, loses it and off his glove, nothing going right for Jays early here. Two on and no outs. Abreu, another full count, Lines it to Davis in centre, two down. Hunter, singles to Bautista in right, throw up the line. Run scores 2-0 Angels. Wells, with two on two down. strikes him out but 60 pitches from Drabek. He needs some offence to help him here.

Top 4th: Santana no hitting the Jays first time through the order. Davis lines it to centre, no problem for Bourjos. One down. Bautista fly ball to Bourjos. 37 pitches for Santana that comes from this first pitch swinging.
Bottom 4th: Callaspo grounds to Nix throw to Lind for the out, Trumbo one down doubles down the line into left, Conger pops up to Hill, two down. Bourjos, lines it to right, Bautista gets this one this time. 71 pitches for Drabek. Will he last six tonight?

Top 5th: Lind first pitch (of course) right at Bourjos, you would think Jays hitters get it by now, Bourjos will get those all night, Hill. That’s the way Aaron single into left, thee goes his no-hitter. But more from lousy at bats. Rivera H. ill breaks and balk called on Santana, way to go Aaron put some pressure on this guy, Rivera strikes out. Two down, Snider, Hill taking third but Snider fouls it off. Full count, much better at bat for Travis ball four. Molina with two on. Grounds it to short, throw to first gets Molina.
Bottom 5th: Izturis, lines it to Davis, cannot handle it and double for Izturis. Jays not getting any breaks here tonight. Kendrick. Grounds it back off glove of Drabek, too late to get him at first. Runner stays at second. Nobody out, Abreu, full count, making him work all night, Purcey up in bullpen. Strikes him out. One down. Hunter, perfect pops it up to Hill, two down. Vernon, down and away and Vernon cannot hold up, strikes out, Nice pitching Kyle. That looked like an ugly inning with two on and nobody out. 94 pitch count though for Kyle.

Top 6th: Now Jays turn. Here we go Johnny Mac singles into left. Davis fly ball into right for Hunter, one down. Nix, lifts it high into left for Vernon two down. Bautista now having lousy return so far, dropped ball, error on throw and 0-2. That’s better singles to Wells in left whilst Johnny Mac gets to third on the hit. Two on two down. Lind, OH WOW, doubles it into left centre drifting away from Bourjos this time, here comes Johnny Mac and just behind him Jose, running on the hit with two down, this game is all tied up 2-2. Just like that. Hill now with Lind at second. That quiets the crowd. Aaron takes strike three but Jays have tied this on up big-time hit.
Bottom 6th: lines out to Davis in center. Trumbo, fly ball to Bautista in right, two down. Conger, pops up to Macdonald at short, six pitch inning for Kyle and probably his last.

Top 7th: Rivera now time for you Juan, way to go singles into left, there you are easy. Snider now, come on Travis let’s have a bomb here, full count Rivera going but Travis grounds right at second throw to first double play ball. Molina, lines out to Vernon in left.
Bottom 7th: Oh boy relax Jim, Octavio Dotel now pitching. He had lousy outings in Dunedin before he went on the DL. Bourjos leading off. Hang on everyone. Whoa, three pitch strike out, one down. Izturis, grounds to second, throw to Lind for second out. Kendrick, strikes him out big-time. Ten pitches all strikes. This is a totally different guy tonight from the spring outings, long may it last.

Top 8th: Jays need some big hits now. McDonald grounds first pitch to thirds. One down. Davis strikes out. Santana still out there only 90 pitches because of all those first pitch swings by Jays. Nix. Very nice swing this one is into the seats in left, home run Jayson. 3-2 Jays, and nobody is missing Edwin out there at third tonight. Bautista now, strikes out looking.
Bottom 8th: Jays need six more outs. Purcey pitching now. Abreu, full count ball four. Farrell out to get Camp now for Hunter. PERFECT grounds to McDonald on to Hill over to Lind, double play ball. Wells, fly ball to right but Jose has it at the wall. Camp does his job superbly.

Top 9th: Can Jays add to this lead here? That’s it for Santana. Fernando Rodney now pitching. Lind, pops it up to Izturis at short, one down. Hill, grounds to Izturis throw to first two down for Rivera, another single into left, two hits for Juan, maybe just maybe he is coming around. McCoy pinch running. Snider, McCoy is going and gets into second on the throw. Two down in the 9th !!! a little different managing here from previous seasons. Grounds to first for third out.
Bottom 9th: Rauch now pitching. Callaspo, grounds to third, nice play by Nix throw to Lind, one down. Trumbo, fly ball to Davis in centre, two down for Conger, soft pop up into centre. Pinch runner Chris Pettit. Bourjos, gets him strikes out swinging and Jays pull this one out of the fire after falling behind 0-2 early. Win this one 3-2 and go 5-2 on the season.

The very good: Drabek hanging in there all night and victimised by some lousy luck, Bautista dropping ball in right, Bautista throw to the plate off the line. Camp with one on gets double play fly ball to get three. Rauch great finish to save his second. Nix his second home run of the season and looking stronger all the time at third base, it will be tough for Farrell to pull him for Edwin.
AND the star, we must give Octavia Dotel his due tonight, gets the win with a ten pitch all strikes inning, a very different pitcher from last month in Dunedin. AND must not forget Juan Rivera with two hits, yes that’s right two tonight, perhaps he is now in his hitting groove.

Not so good: Have to say it, a lot of first pitch swinging by Jays hitters tonight which enabled Santana to go eight innings. Drabek not backing up third base on the throw from right Bautista in right had quite a night, loses one ball in the lights and another throw off the line coming home with the throw.