Jays v Twins. Opening night at Rogers Centre. Not an easy opener for the Jays as Twins are 2010 Central Champions and at full strength now with Morneau back in the line-up.
Twins: Span, Nishioka, Mauer, Morneau, Young, Cuddyer, Kubel, Valencia, Casilla, and Pavano pitching.
Jays: Davis, Escobar, Bautista, Lind, Hill, Encarnacion, Snider, Rivera and Arencibia with Romero pitching. Romero needs to find his form as his last three outings in Florida were terrible. The last thing we need tonight is a short outing and getting into the bullpen the very first game.
Nice ceremony honouring new Hall of Famers this year Pat Gillick and Roberto Alomar and also with fellow honouree Twins Bert Blyleven.
Great ovation for Canadian Morneau on his return from last season's concussion.
A few newbies tonight first time in Toronto. Manager Farrell, Davis, and Rivera. Plus Romero his first opening day start. Arencibia his first opening day start.
Top 1st: Span, bounces to Hill throw to Lind for the out. Nishioka bounces back to Romero to Lind, two down. Mauer, grounds very hard back to Romero, nice athletic grab, throw to Lind for third out. Nice start for Ricky.
Bottom 1st: Davis, first chance for home crowd to see Rajai in action, I hope they will not be disappointed; this is one great player and one that will make us forget Vernon very quickly. That’s exactly what I mean, grounds to short, but Rajai’s speed beats out the throw, Great speed. Now watch him, Escobar. Oh boy ! pick off but Davis gets back whoa one life... Escobar singles to left. Davis at second for Bautista, double steal ??? There goes Davis and there goes Escobar, yes indeed, double steal and both safe on the throw to second. Now the problem is to bring them in. 3-1 count and ball four, bases loaded for Lind. Hits him coming inside, and here comes Davis, 1-0 Jays. Bases still loaded for Hill. That will do, fly ball to centre here comes Escobar, 2-0 and Bautista goes to third, BUT look out here comes double play king. Encarnacion, Not this time lines it to centre, here comes Bautista 3-0 two down. Lind also to third, Snider singles up the middle off the glove of Nishioka and here comes Lind, 4-0 Jays. Snider gets a life there. Rivera, his first at bat for Jays in Toronto. Balk called on Pavano, nothing going right for Twins this inning. He had Snider picked off s well. Now Travis in scoring position, Rivera strikes out but great start for Jays.
Top 2nd: Romero now should be able to settle and keep that lead, no pressure on him. Morneau lines to centre for Davis nice running catch one down. Young strikes out looking, Cuddyer, singles into left, Kubel, strikes out swinging.
Bottom 2nd: Arencibia full count, pops up to Cuddyer in right, one down for Davis. Grounds back to Pavano, throw to first two down for Escobar. First pitch grounds to third, throw to first for the out. Jays go very quickly this time for Pavano.
Top 3rd: Valencia, grounds to Encarnacion at third nice safe play by Edwin with throw to Lind. One down for Casilla first pitch fly ball to Davis in centre, two down. Span, singles back up the middle, Nishioka
Bottom 3rd: Bautista, grounds to short, throw to first. Lind, pops up to Casilla in foul ground behind third, Hill, doubles to the wall in left, Aaron is definitely back. Encarnacion, gets hold of this one but lines to left for the out.
Top 4th: Mauer fly ball to Davis in centre one down, Morneau, whoa almost, gets under this one high fly ball to Bautista in right at the wall. That was very close, could have gone out there. Two down, Young bounces up the middle nice play by Hill, turn and throw for the out at first, Aaron getting a real workout tonight.
Bottom 4th: Snider, full count. And ball four, One on for Rivera, breaks his bat lining this one to left but out on the play. Arencibia, OH YES JP... gets hold of this one home run to centre, all the way. 6-0 Jays. Great confidence booster for him. Davis, strikes out swinging. Escobar, strikes out swinging but Jays add two more. Baltimore beating Tampa 4-0.
Top 5th: Cuddyer, strikes out, Kubel, pops up to Hill, two down.Valencia, lines to Snider in left. 58 pitches for Romero after five.
Bottom 5th: Bautista, no doubt about this one, Bautista delivers big time with drive to left into second deck, right off the bat, power.....7-0 Jays. Lind, here we go, another bomb from Lind pulls this one into right centre second level seats. Back to back and 8-0 Jays. That’s it for Pavano tonight. Manship now pitching. Hill, grounds to short, throw to first for the out. Encarnacion, full count, pops up to Casilla at the mound. Snider with two down. Another full count, ball flour, his second walk tonight. Rivera, ball four, two on two down for Arencibia. WHOA !!!! drives this one to centre and off the wall, just misses going out. Here comes Snider, here comes Rivera and JP gets to third. Jays go out 10-0. Davis now, this is one long inning for those Twins out there. 3-0 count. Manship now 33 pitches. Count full, strikes out swinging, 37 pitches for Manship. I hope Ricky does not suffer here from sitting so long but the Twins will certainly want a break here.
Top 6th: Romero 59 pitches. Valencia leading off, strikes out, one down for Casilla, grounds to short, great diving stop but throw just not in time. Nishioka singles into left, two on one down for Mauer. Full count, Ricky having problems here. Strikes him out swinging, two down but not out of it with Morneau who almost hit one out last at bat. Six strikeouts for Romero. Grounds a bouncer to Lind throw to Romero who is one happy guy. 78 pitches now.
Bottom 6th: Escobar leading off. Glen Perkins now pitching. Bounces to short, throw to first for the out. Bautista slices one into right. Lind, one on one down. grounds one to short, throw to second over to first for double play to end this inning.
Top 7th: Young singles into centre. Cuddyer, in the dirt and Young moves to second. Strikes out swinging, number seven. Kubel lines it to Bautista in right cannot handle it. Should have had that one Jose. Casey Janssen warming up.Valencia, grounds it to third, Encarnacion fumbles it and no chance to get out, error on the play to Edwin Young scores 10-1. Casilla, doubles down the left field line, another run Kubel scores and two in scoring position. That’s it for Romero not helped there by his team in the field. Span grounds to Lind throw to Janssen to get second out, Twins score another 10-3. Nishioka grounds to first, Whoa.... lucky guy there, Janssen dives for the ball and shovels it to Lind to just get the runner. That could have been another run.
Bottom 7th: Kevin Slowey, pitching. Hill strikes out. Encarnacion owes Romero one here. That’s a start, singles into left. Snider, gets under this one, fly ball to Cuddyer in right, two down. Rivera grounds to second, throw to first for the third out.
Top 8th: Jason Frasor now pitching. Johnny Mac in at second for Hill. Mauer at bat. Singles to Davis in centre. Morneau grounds to McDonald over to Escobar to Lind double play ball. Young, fly ball to Davis in centre.
Bottom 8th: Dusty Hughes now pitching. Butera now catching, giving Mauer a rest. Arencibia, OH NO !!!! Drives to right and this one is over the wall in the corner out of here again another home run, this guy has power, that just kept on carrying, opposite field. Arencibia now 3-4 tonight with two home runs and a triple, five rbis.11-3 Jays. Davis high pop up to shallow centre, Escobar, 3-0 count, full count, ball four. Bautista now with one down and one on. Grounds to third throw not in time and Jose has his third hit tonight. Lind, lifts it into shallow right, here comes Escobar 12-3 Jays and Bautista to third. Johnny Mc. lifts it into centre, sacrifice fly, here comes Bautista 13-3 Jays. Two down. Encarnacion. Strikes out.
Top 9th: Villanueva pitching. Cuddyer pops up to McDonald at second, Kubel, pops up to Bautista in right, two down for Valencia, strikes out swinging. Jays win big to start this season.
The excellent: The power of Arencibia two home runs, a triple and five RBIs.... Now let us hope that he has that monkey off his back from last season and the guy can relax...
Romero takes second place here but goes for six although betrayed by defensive play of his colleagues. Bottom line he has put those last three starts behind him.
The very good: Lind 2-4 and 3 RBIs, Bautista 3-4 plus a walk. Jays bullpen of Janssen, Frasor and Villanueva 3.2 scoreless innings to finish it off.
The not so good ? In the seventh, error by Encarnacion, and dropped ball by Bautista.
The lousy: opening night boors throwing the towels on to the field. Jays should know by now never to give anything out on this night. Give them out when the fans leave the stadium.
Other interesting news today: White Sox beat Indians 15-10 and Rios nary an rbi.
Boston and Lester lose opener 9-5 to Texas... Bard gives up four. Phillies beat Astros but Halladay doesn’t get the win and only goes six innings on 101 pitches.
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