Sunday, July 24, 2011

Brilliant masterpiece complete game shut out by Cecil supported by Jays bats to beat Texas 3-0

Jays v Rangers Game three of three.

The burning questions today in the emails from blog readers are did Farrell blow it twice big-time last night and did Patterson mess up the catch? From this seat, yes he did to all three. He should have brought in closer in one run game save situation, two he should have been ready for suicide squeeze and Patterson not only messed up that catch he did it three times on the same catch. Farrell was out managed by Ron Washington which is no big surprise as he is a rookie, but the closer situation he has done this before. If Francisco is pitching and busting them in on the hands at 97mph they will not be bunting especially three times. Frankie had had an excellent three up and down inning the night before, throw him out there, his old team he would love it, plus Rauch was still ready as back up. But Rzepeczynski as closer. No way, not even for the lefty-lefty match-up. Bautista in right and this is an out, by the way where is Brett Lawrie? Enough is enough with Patterson out there. Or alternatively leave Thames in.

Tonight Jays have Cecil out there. Who knows? Bruce Walton says they have made some changes to his mechanics from his last outing.

Line-ups: Jays: Escobar, Thames, Bautista, Lind, Encarnacion, Snider, Hill, Davis, Arencibia and Cecil pitching.
Rangers: Kinsler, Andrus, Hamilton, Young, Cruz, Napoli, Davis, Gentry, Moreland and Alexi Ogando pitching.

Top 1st: Escobar singles into right, one on for Thames. Full count, NO, lines it at second throw to first and Escobar caught off the bag, double play. Very poor judgement there by Escobar, two down for Bautista, full count, down and ball four. Lind, strikes out swinging. 20 pitch inning should have been more without Escobar brain spasm.
Bottom 1st: Kinsler, grounds to Escobar, throw to Lind, one down. Andrus, grounds to Hill, throw to Lind two down for Hamilton, shift right on for Hamilton. 1-2 count, strikes out swinging, great inning for Cecil.

Top 2nd: Encarnacion leading off. Strikes out swinging, one down for Snider, not a great weekend for Travis so far, grounds to Andrus at short, throw just beats Travis at first, two down for Hill. Strike three looking. Pitch count 33.
Bottom 2nd: Young grounds past a diving Bautista into left. Cruz, hammers this one high to left but no problem Travis has it for the out, almost at the wall. One down for Napoli, full count, strikes out swinging, nice pitching Brett. Davis, pops it up to shallow left for Snider. Pitch count 23.

Top 3rd: Rajai Davis leading off. First pitch pop up to short, one down. Arencibia, pops up to right for Cruz, two down for Escobar. 2-2 count, singles to Gentry in right centre. Now use your head Yunel. Thames, that’s better singles into right, Escobar ambles over to third, does he ever run flat out? Bautista two down two on. 1-2 count, oh boy, Jose strikes out on high pitch. 48 pitches for Orgando though. Jays hitters doing a good job being more patient tonight.
Bottom 3rd: Gentry bunting and safe on the throw, speed. One on for Moreland. Lines this one to left, Oh Travis, GREAT running catch up against the wall in left, great catch for the out. Kinsler, full count, pops up to Lind. Two down for Andrus, grounds first pitch to Hill, throw to Lind for the out. 35 pitch count.

Top 4th: Jays hitters have been on base, just not broken through yet. Lind, come on Adam, first pitch grounds to second, throw to first, one down. Encarnacion, grounds to Young at third, throw to first, two down for Snider, long overdue Travis. strikes out swinging, Travis is starting to go after that pitch down and away, that’s a bad habit Travis from the past. Lay off it because they will keep throwing it at you with two strikes on you. 58 pitch count.
Bottom 4th: Hamilton, 2-2 count, down and away and Hamilton cannot resist, strikes out swinging. Travis you are in good company but it still does not mean you have to copy. Young, full count, pops this one up to shallow right, Thames running flat out makes a great running catch. Two down for Cruz, grounds to Escobar, makes a very poor throw which bounces in front of Lind who manages to dig it out. This lazy nonchalant manner of Escobar is not good. That could have been a base hit there. I like his glove, I like his bat, but the rest of him needs work.

Top 5th: Hill leading off. A little tentative here Aaron, those two were down the middle, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging. Davis, 2-2 count, lines it at Andrus at short, throw to first, two down for Arencibia. Grounds to Young, throw to first, three down, pitch count 70.
Bottom 5th: Napoli, hammers this one to centre but Davis has it at the wall, that was close, but just a long out. One down, Davis, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging. Gentry, 1-2 count, whoa great pitch, to get him. Pitch count 65.

Top 6th: Top of the order again, Escobar two hit night. Time to make this guy Ogando pitch a few this inning. Singles into right again, 3-3 night. Just be careful out there Yunel. Thames, first pitch fly ball to right, come on Eric. One down for Bautista. 0-2 count, he does not like that call, get mad Jose. Outside, perfect Jose, lines this to the wall in left centre, here comes Escobar puffing and huffing but makes home plate, and Jays go out ahead 1-0. Jose at second, Lind, lines it to centre, Jose tags and gets to third. Encarnacion, two down. 1-2 count, very nice Edwin, lines it to the wall in centre, here comes Jose, 2-0 Jays and Edwin at second. Snider, is this ever the time Travis. way to go, lines it down the line in right, here comes Edwin 3-0 Jays, and Travis at second base. Three successive doubles off Ogando. Hill, excuse me hit off the end of his bat to first, for the out. 90 pitch count.
Bottom 6th: Now Cecil has to close them down here. Moreland, 3-1, hammers this to right, OH WOW... what a play, Bautista is playing in shallow right for the shift and runs to his right and dives flat out to make a catch to rob Moreland, that is not just highlight reel, that is a season highlight. WOW. Kinsler, lines to Snider in left two down. Andrus, 3-0 count, ball four. Come on Brett. Hamilton. Ball one high, get it down Brett. That’s better, 1-1, pops up to Escobar for third out. Pitch count 77.

Top 7th: Davis leading off. Bunting but just foul. 2-2 count, lines it to left but right at Hamilton for the out. Arencibia, bullpen working, Hunter. 2-1 count, pops it up to Kinsler at second. Escobar 3-3 tonight. 3-0 count, high ball four. One on two down for Thames. Here comes Washington, Ogando will not win this one. Hunter now pitching. 1-2 count, singles into right, two on for Bautista. Jose grounds to Andrus at short, throw to first for third out.
Bottom 7th: Young, 2-2 count, grounds to Bautista at third, throw to Lind, one down. Cruz, bounces to Bautista and long throw to Lind for the second out. Napoli, 3-0 count, come on Brett. That’s better strike one. High ball four. One on two down for Davis, pops it up to Snider in left. Pitch count 90.

Top 8th: Lind leading off. Grounds up the middle but Kinsler great play to get to it and throw Lind out at first. One down for Encarnacion. Lines it to Kinsler at second, throw to first two down. Snider, grounds first pitch to Moreland, for the third out.
Bottom 8th: Crunch time, Gentry singles into centre. One on for Moreland high fly ball to Snider throw to second almost gets Gentry sliding in. His head hits Hill and he is shaken up, stays out there. One down one on for Kinsler. High pop up to shallow right, Thames makes the catch and Gentry has to hold at second. Andrus, 0-2 count, strikes out, could not hold up. Great pitching by Cecil. Still under the 100 pitch count. 97 pitches.

Top 9th: It would be nice if Jays hitters could do Cecil a big favour here and get a couple more. Hill leading off. Strikes out. Davis, grounds it to Moreland right at the bag, two down. Arencibia, come on JP up to you here. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging. Not even one measly hit.
Bottom 9th: Here we go, and the big bats as well, nothing is easy here for Cecil. Hamilton, full count, a nubber back to Cecil, he fumbles it but throw to Lind for the out. one down for Young, grounds first pitch to Bautista at third, strong throw to Lind two down. Cruz, full count, fouling them off here, ten pitch at bat slow roller to Bautista and safe on the throw. No chance there. One on for Napoli, 2-2 count, strikes him out, wow. Complete game shutout. His first major league shutout. Very nice Brett.

The excellent: Cecil complete game shutout. Bruce Walton deserves some credit here for making the changes to his delivery. That was one amazing outing tonight.
The great: Bautista rbi double to start the offence, and incredible defensive play to rob Moreland of a double. Snider a couple of great plays in left. The three consecutive doubles in the fifth to break the game open. Escobar three hit night.
The not so good: Escobar base-running, caught off base in the first.

Other: Great to see the Mariners give Red Sox a shock in last two games, they had the lead into the seventh yesterday and hit grand slam off Wakefield today. The first inning was the difference in this game today and the Mariners should take heart from this as they head to Yankee Stadium and maybe end this losing streak.

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