Game two Jays v Oakland A’s.
Line-ups: Oakland: Crisp, Barton, DeJesus, Willingham, Matsui, Suzuki, Ellis, LaRoche, Pennington and Braden pitching.
Jays: Davis, Escobar, Lind, Hill, Rivera, Encarnacion, Snider, Arencibia, McCoy and Litsch pitching.
Bautista still not in Toronto at home for the birth of his daughter and should re-join team on the west coast. Crowd so very small at the anthems. Raptors are playing Cleveland at Air Canada Centre five minutes away. Plus Leafs are on TV. The crowds will come back and I think there will be some major crowds this season.
Night day game back to back so this post will not be long tonight….. Jays traffic hits the same time as Raptors tonight so a little slower getting out of town for everyone despite fast game at Rogers Centre.
Comment: If I have to sit there and see Edwin ground into yet another double play ball I shall scream… come on John, put us all out of miseries. Agonies more like it. Not least that pop up at third that he should have had.
Jays go out ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first and it could have been more if Davis had not been picked off stealing. In the fourth Litsch gets into trouble and Matsui lines first pitch into right to score two. Jays immediately get three back in the bottom of the inning capped by Travis Snider three run home run after Rivera and Encarnacion get on in front of him. Bottom of the eighth Jays have another wonderful opportunity with runner at third and one out but Encarnacion grounds into yet another double play.
The very good: Bullpen tonight especially Rzepczynski but also Rauch getting last two outs and his first save. Definitely Escobar 3-3 and the triple which resulted in his head hitting LaRoche’s knee and being pulled from the game. That is not good. Yunel has had an excellent start and it would be a shame to lose him for any length of time. Let’s hope that tomorrow will bring better news when he is re-evaluated, but if doesn’t play tomorrow they may not want him travelling west for the next trip. Travis Snider three run home run top put this one away, great to see Travis hit this off a leftie. Once again the top four in the order playing well and get 7 of the 11 hits tonight.
The good: Litsch going the six, but the downside was the number of pitches he took and one of the reasons he was out of there before the seventh whereas Oakland pitcher Braden goes seven. Great throw by JP Arencibia to catch runner Pennington at second. Hill makes great diving stop after changing directions on a Lind deflection buy Lind and throwing runner out at first sitting on the ground.
Fast game this one was over by 9.30.
Lind two hits, Johnny Mc. replacement for Escobar first at bat single that lead to a run.
The not so good: Encarnacion dropping the catch at the wall at third. A couple of fly balls to Rajai Davis in centre that he let drop, these are catchable balls and ones that Vernon made routinely so to me it looks as if Rajai is still adjusting to that ball off the bat and the lights. But on the other he made a superb running catch in right centre that a speedier right fielder than Rivera would have had, and another attempt that went off his glove. Rajai getting picked off stealing in the bottom of the first that cost Jays at least one run. Arencibia also dead in the water at second with throw by Willingham trying to stretch his single. A for Juan Rivera now 1-14 to start the season, .071 not exactly what Jays had in mind. Not good to see this crowd so small (11, 684) but tomorrow will make up for it and I think these young players will feed off the energy of the students. It could be interesting.
Jays 2-8 with runners in scoring position.
Jays win this one 5-3 and go 4-1 on the season good enough for tie at first as Baltimore loses their first game. Yankees-Twins game rained out but Boston and Tampa both lose their games and fall to 0-5 to start the season. Red Sox Nation definitely in mourning, just read the Boston Globe or the team website in the morning. $180 million team is supposed to be winning it all this year..
Tomorrow Jays go for the series sweep and on school day which should give the 20,000 plus school students something to scream about. I love school days at the ballpark, the noise and atmosphere is so very different and deafening although last year Jays did not give the kids much to get excited about. Tomorrow I hope will be different.
Bautista and Escobar could both be out of the line-up though so I anticipate Nix back in there at third, please, please John.
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