Jays win big 8-3 behind Drabek and the two Jose's.

Jays v Mariners. Game three.

Jays on a freefall right now with four consecutive losses. Farrell is sitting Hill, Lind and Snider and I agree with this 100%, they are the three big concerns right now on this road trip and Jays have alternatives. Encarnacion covering first instead of Lind, Johnny Mac. for Hill and Rivera in left and you know he is going to break out any time. With Lind the more serious issue is that pitchers have started to go around Bautista to get to Lind. This has effectively shut his bat down now and his walks are now 10 which is leading the league. Should be interesting game. Jays need a win also to fly east with some respect. 2-4 road trip will be a lot better than 1-5. The annoying part of this is that Seattle was on seven game losing streak when Jays came in. Now Jays have woken them up.

Line-ups: Jays: Escobar, Patterson, Bautista, Rivera, Nix, Arencibia, Encarnacion, McDonald, Molina and Drabek pitching.
Mariners: Suzuki, Kennedy, Bradley, Cust, Smoak, Langerhans, Ryan, Rodriguez, Gimenez and Vargas pitching.

Top 1st: Escobar leading off, grounds to Rodriguez at third, throw to Smoak at first one down for Patterson, Corey has been playing very well and will be pushing Travis to get his hitting together. Grounds this one very hard to Kennedy at second nice play throw to first Smoak two down. Bautista 3-1 takes strike two, and this is what is different for Jose, Last year he was far more aggressive on that pitch no need to take it. Strikes out.
Bottom 1st: Ichiro grounds hard to Encarnacion playing at first today, flips to Drabek one down. Kennedy singles back up the middle. Bradley grounds to Nix, oh no Jayson bounces off his body, and Bradley is safe at first, that one hit the edge of the grass and awkward hop for Nix, error to Nix. Two on for Cust, fly ball to Rivera in left. Both runners hold. Smoak grounds slowly back to Drabek throw to first and Kyle is out of this one.

Top 2nd: Rivera, grounds to Ryan at short, throw to Smoak at first one down, Nix singles to Bradley in left, he will feel better about that after the error. Arencibia DH today with Molina catching Drabek. Encarnacion fly ball to Bradley in left to end this one and leave Nix out there.
Bottom 2nd: Langerhans, walks, one on for Rodriguez, oh very nice play, Drabek picks off Langerhans at first, one down. Kyle has a great pickoff move. Rodriguez, fly ball to Rivera in left two down. Ryan, grounds to Nix, throw to first for third out.

Top 3rd: Johnny Mac. Strikes out swinging. Molina, there we go, nice double to the wall in left. That might have been a triple with others running but he is in scoring position here. Escobar lines this one into right, just fair and bounces into the seats, ground rule double, here comes Molina, Jays go out 1-0. Escobar lucky there as he thought it was foul and hesitated, he could have been caught or at best stuck at first. Patterson with Escobar in scoring position, Jays could add here. No, fly ball to left two down. Bautista with runner at second. Strikes out looking.
Bottom 3rd: Gimenez singles to centre. Ichiro grounds to Johnny Mac at second throw to Escobar back to Encarnacion, they get Gimenez but they are not going to double up Ichiro. One down. Kennedy lines out hard to Nix at third, that was a bullet at Jayson. Two down. Bradley doubles to the wall in centre, here comes Ichiro easily and this game is all tied up again 1-1. Cust off the end of his bat a slow roller to Escobar at short, safe on the throw and Bradley moves to third on the play. Smoak with two on, strikes out swinging. Kyle escapes further damage here.

Top 4th: Rivera lines out to Langerhans in centre field. Nix strikes out looking. Arencibia full count, ball four. Encarnacion, fly ball to left to end the inning.
Bottom 4th: Langerhans, full count, strikes out swinging. Rodriguez, oh very nice play, drives a bullet to first and Encarnacion leaps to his right to make nice catch. Ryan ball four and walks, Giminez, two down and one on, strikes out.

Top 5th: McDonald, first pitch fly ball to right, one down. Molina, another hit, singles into left, the old guy showing the youngsters how to do it. 2-2 today. Escobar strikes out looking, Patterson, grounds to second throw not in time. Speed kills. Molina stays put. Bautista now about time you earned some $ Jose. Full count. Gets hold of it but mile high pop up to left for Bradley. Jose not having much luck these days. Just keeps on getting worse for Jays hitters, totally at sea in Seattle and this road trip.
Bottom 5th: Ichiro leading off, lines out to Patterson in centre, one down. Kennedy singles to centre, Bradley strikes out, two down. Cust, full count, strikes out swinging, number five for Drabek. Kyle getting stronger and stronger but his pitch count is now high, he may have only one more inning left. That’s the problem with going deep into these counts.

Top 6th: Rivera leading off, grounds to Ryan at short, bobbles it but still has time to get Rivera at first. Nix, same again, grounds to Ryan at short, just gets Nix at first with the throw, two down for Arencibia, grounds to short Ryan’s throw to first gets him. Busy guy Ryan.
Bottom 6th: Smoak, full count, this is trouble, opposite field hit into left field seats, his first of the season 2-1 Seattle. Langerhans, Frasor warming up in bullpen. Another full count, ball four, Drabek has hit the wall. Rodriguez, bunting up the line, Drabek throw to first for the out. One down. Ryan, pops up to Encarnacion, two down. Gimenez, full count, walks him and wild pitch to enable runner to third. You can see this game slipping away from Jays for the last couple of innings. Jays body language is awful defeatist. That’s it for Drabek, did more than enough but with no run support he can only do his part. Rzepczynski now pitching. Ichiro with runner at third, gets him, strikes out. Nice pitching Marc.

Top 7th: Jays now need to get back into this one. Encarnacion leading off grounds to Kennedy throw to Smoak one down. Johnny Mac. Strikes out looking, two down. That’s it for Vargas, gets a great ovation, Jamey Wright now pitching. Molina two hits today, not this time, strikes out swinging. Time running out for Jays today. It could be a miserable flight east and plus the thought of Boston waiting for them and eager to take out their own frustration on someone.
Bottom 7th: Kennedy leading off, grounds back to Rzepczynski, throw to Encarnacion, one down. Bradley fly ball to Bautista in right, two down. Cust strikes out looking. Rzepczynski doing a fine job today in relief. Now to get the hitters back on track. Running out of time though.

Top 8th: Six more outs for Jays to get back in this. Chris Ray now pitching. Top of the order Escobar leading off, that will do grounds to Ryan at short, safe at first, speed kills. Patterson, another speedster, bunting to first, perfect and safe at first, Escobar to second, small ball and speed the new Jays. This is what we saw that first opening series in Toronto. Bautista now, can you do it Jose, a base hit will tie this up. Oh YES Jose... gets hold of this one fly ball to left and into the seats, home run Jose and three runs score, that’s more like it. Jays take the lead back and more, 4-2 Jays. Pinch hitter for Rivera, Travis Snider, still no one out here. Pops up to Gimenez behind the plate. You had your chance Travis, one down for Nix, doubles to Bradley in left, his second hit tonight. Arencibia, there goes Jayson and safe at second, now we are seeing the aggressive play that we saw that first week in Toronto and has been missing on this road trip. It helps of course to get on base. Arencibia grounds to Kennedy at second throw to Smoak, two down. Encarnacion, that’s the way Edwin doubles to left, here comes Nix, and Jays keep on rolling 5-2. Second hit for Edwin, he seems to be coming around or getting more comfortable. Here comes manager, that’s it for Ray, Lueke now pitching. Johnny Mac. Ball four, walks to keep the line going. Molina now with two on and two down, two hit afternoon already, Jose does it again doubles to Langerhans in centre, here comes Edwin here comes Johnny Mac. Jays go out 7-2. Payback for that game one. Jays have hit around Escobar for the second time, another hit, singles to Ichiro in right. Molina to third, too bad Jose does not have the speed but then they may not have challenged Ichiro’s arm. Escobar two hit inning, I like that. Patterson for the second time, strikes out. But Jays send ten to the plate and score six to break this one open. Now over to the bullpen to close Mariners down.
Bottom 8th: Travis stays in left. Smoak walks, not what we need Marc, we remember the first game of this series. One on for Langerhans. That will do grounds to McDonald, throw to Escobar to get Smoak but no chance for two. Rodriguez grounds out to Encarnacion, Langerhans to second. Jays will take the outs here, two down. That’s it for Rzepczynski, Marc did his job. Rauch now pitching. Ryan singles to Snider in left, Langerhans scores. 7-3 game. Hold them here Jon. Gimenez grounds to Nix at third throw to second to get Ryan.

Top 9th: Jays have four run lead and would like to get a couple more. Wilhelmsen now pitching. Bautista leading off. Fly ball to Ichiro in right, one down. Snider, last chance Travis, that’s the way singles to centre, he will feel better about that. Nix, there goes Travis and safe at second, even better day for him. In scoring position for Jayson. Strikes out swinging, two down, Arencibia, singles to left, here comes Travis, 8-3 Jays. JP joins the party. Encarnacion, ball four and Arencibia to second. Two on two down. here comes the pitching coach. McDonald fly ball to centre to end this one. Now major question can Jays avoid another meltdown here?
Bottom 9th: Rauch finishing this one off we hope. Ichiro not this time lines out to Snider in left. Kennedy, ball four, walks, one on one down for Bradley. Strikes out swinging. Two down for Cust, that will do it grounds to Escobar at short, throw to Encarnacion and this one is in the books and Jays are celebrating bigtime with relief.

The very good: Lots today. Drabek into the sixth although he doesn’t get the win it was his game pitching 5.2, six hits and two runs plus a great pick-off. The downer was his high pitch count of 114 pitches but he had good stuff today. The two Jose’s four hits and five RBIs between them. Bautista three run home run to get him back on track and Molina with a three hit day. Escobar a three hit day. Jays 14 hit attack, and the bullpen of Rzepczynski and Rauch, 3.1 innings one hit, one run relief. And we have to mention the runners in scoring position today 6-13 which is huge improvement.

The good: Nix two hits and a stolen base. Have to give Travis a star also, a hit, stolen base and run in two innings work.
Not so good: ??? Can’t think of anything today.

Jays end the road trip 2-4 winning the first and last games but head back east with some degree of optimism to face Boston.