Jays humble Yankees 16-7 in series opener but lose Bautista

Jays v Yankees, Game one of four.

Second half opens with Jays at home to the Yankees for four. They ended the first half on a three game winning note, can the Jays continue? Tough series to start off with but it will be a great measure of their progress. They could spoil a lot of chances for contenders this half of the season.

Line-ups: Yankees: Jeter, Granderson, Teixeira, Cano, Swisher, Martin, Jones, Nunez, Gardner and Colon pitching.
Jays: Escobar, Thames, Bautista, Lind, Hill, Encarnacion, Snider, Arencibia, Davis and JoJo Reyes pitching.

Top 1st: Jeter, fly ball to Thames in right, one down. Granderson, grounds to Hill at second, throw to Lind, two down. Teixeira strikes out. Three up and down. Reyes will be pleased with that.
Bottom 1st: Escobar leading off grounds to Nunez at third throw to Teixeira to get him at first. One down. Thames, lines it to left a stand up double. Bautista, ball four a semi-intentional walk. Lind with two on and one down. Lind grounds to Teixeira, throw to Colon but both runners move up. Two down for Hill, nice hit Aaron, singles to centre, here comes Thames with Bautista just behind him, 2-0 Jays. One on for Encarnacion, ball four, two on. Jays hitters being patient this first inning. Hill to second. Snider, keep it going Travis, singles to left, here comes Hill, 3-0 Jays. Encarnacion holds at second. Two on two down for Arencibia. Grounds to Nunez at third, fumbles the ball and everyone safe. Bases loaded for Davis. Off the end of his bat but out of reach of Colon and Nunez as it dies half way to third. Encarnacion scores, 4-0 Jays. Escobar with bases loaded, another similar play to Davis, just dies out there despite effort by Colon swiping his glove that the ball, Snider scores, everyone is safe. 5-0 Jays. And bases are loaded up again for Thames, lines it to centre, here comes Arencibia, here comes Davis, 7-0 Jays. Thames at second, Escobar to third. That’s it for Colon, could not get out of the first inning but all the runs have been scored with two outs. Ayala now pitching, oh dear, he balks, Escobar scores 8-0 Jays, nothing is going right for the Yankees, but not much sympathy from the Jays crowd tonight. They have not had much to cheer about in the first half and every win against Boston or Yankees pulls them back closer to the Jays. Bautista, finally pops up to Jeter and the nightmare for the Yankees is over. Jays score eight and all with two down. Clutch hitting with runners in scoring position. 8-0 Jays and in the first inning and no friends it is not a dream. I can just imagine ballparks around the league doing a double take on this score. Ties the franchise record. That inning alone was worth the ticket.

Top 2nd: Now can JoJo shut these Yankees down now at least he has lots of breathing room now. Cano leading off. Bounces to Hill at second throw to Lind, one down. Swisher, strikes out swinging, great pitch JoJo. Two down for Martin, grounds to Bautista at third, nice play Jose and throw to Lind. Perfect three up and down and quickly. Just what the doctor ordered tonight.
Bottom 2nd: Lind leading off. Pops it up behind third, and oh dear, not good, Nunez drops it as Jeter also converges on the ball but Nunez had to turn his body, not an easy catch but does not help that 8-0 scorecard. Adam cruises into second WOW. Hill, grounds it back to Ayala throw to first one down. Lind stays at second. Encarnacion, singles into centre, here comes Lind, 9-0 Jays. Snider, bounces high to Jeter steps on the bag and throw to first double play ball. But Jays have another run.

Top 3rd: Andruw Jones drives it into left seats, home run, 9-1 Jays. Nunez, lines it to right but Thames makes the catch, one down for Gardner lines it at Escobar great diving catch but then he drops it as he hits the ground wow great effort Yunel. Jeter with Gardner at first. 3-0 count, ball four, walk to Jeter and now two on and one down don’t let them get back into this thing JoJo. Granderson, this is trouble, lines it to right, bounces way over the glove of Thames to the wall, two runs score, 9-3 and triple to Granderson. Thames misjudged that bounce but give the guy a break he is still learning that right field in Rogers Centre. Teixeira grounds to Bautista throw to Lind for the out as Granderson scores 9-4 Yankees. Cano two down. Singles first pitch into right, Reyes turn to get beaten up here. Swisher, two down. whoa lines it high to the wall in left, Snider makes the catch and collides with Davis for third out. That was probably Davis ball but no way was Travis letting it drop. Saved a run also.
Bottom 3rd: Jays need to answer now and get a couple back. Hector Noesi now pitching. Arencibia, strikes out swinging, one down. Davis, lines it to right centre but Swisher makes the catch. Very nice runs it down. Two down for Escobar. Ball four, walk to Escobar. Thames. Grounds to Jeter, takes it to the bag himself for third out.

Top 4th: Reyes needs to settle down again. Martin grounds to Escobar, throw to Lind, one down. Jones, not this time Andruw, grounds to Bautista at third, throw to Lind, two down. Nunez, pops it up to Bautista for third out. Good quick three up and down inning for Reyes.
Bottom 4th: Bautista leading off. Grounds to third, Jeter long throw but not in time to get Jose this time. Lind, singles to Swisher in right, Jose has to hold at second, two on. Hill, here we go the usual time wasting by Yankees. Conference at the mound. Hill strikes out, one down. Encarnacion. Oh boy grounds to third throw to first double play ball and Jose is down at third as he went into the bag on the play. His ankle. That is not good. Walks off the field with help but out of the game.
Top 5th: Jays now have to make do without their MVP. Johnny Mac at third, Gardner bounces to Hill throw to Lind, one down. Jeter grounds to Escobar, throw to Lind, two down. Granderson, grounds to Lind throw to Reyes but beats the throw. Teixeira, pulls it into left, two on for Cano, pops up to Johnny Mac in for Bautista at third. Reyes escapes damage here.

Bottom 5th: Snider leading off. Strikes out swinging at ball high out of the zone. Travis knows he goofed on that one. Arencibia, getting underneath these pitches JP. Fouling them off here. 2-2 count, takes third strike. Two down for Davis. Pops it up to Cano in shallow right. Not a great display of hitting by all three Jays.
Top 6th: Swisher lines it into left, just wide of McDonald, one on for Martin, also lines it just over the head of McDonald, into left, I think Jose would have had both those with his height and reach at third. Two on nobody out. Jones, Oh Boy, he does it again, lines it into left field seats, home run, and this one is three this time. 9-7 Jays. This is not funny at all friends you don't give these Yankees an inch let alone these runs. Bautista absence bigtime. Cano lines it to the gap in left but Davis runs this one down. Great catch Rajai. That is the first out of the inning. Gardner. Lines it into left. Now Manager Farrell has arrived. A little late, Reyes has been struggling for some time he was not fooling anyone. Luis Perez now pitching. Jeter, one down one on. Singles back up the middle, Gardner stays at second, two on. Granderson. Strikes out swinging, two down. Teixeira. Bounces to Hill at second, throw to Lind for third out. But Yankees are much too close for comfort. Jays need some more runs and without Jose.
Bottom 6th: Escobar, singles to left, Thames, pops it up to Nunez at third, one down for Johnny Mac. Singles into centre, two on for Lind. Another pitching change for the Yankees, not many left in the Yankees bullpen. Boone Logan now pitching. 0-2 count, pops it up to Cano in shallow right. Hill, two down and two on. Nice grounds to Jeter, throw to second but Johnny Mac beats the throw Bases loaded for Encarnacion. Perhaps he can make up for that last at bat double play out which injured Jose. That will do Edwin, lines it into left, here comes Lind here comes Johnny Mac, but Hill is out at third on the play, excellent throw by Thames. Hill gambled that throw by Gardner was coming home, BUT Jays have another two runs. 11-7 Jays.

Top 7th: Cano, pitch gets away over the head of Cano. Singles into centre as his bat shatters. One on for Swisher. Perez losing the zone here. Perfect, grounds to Johnny Mac throw to Hill great throw by an off-balance Hill to Lind for the double play, great play. Two down for Martin. Fly ball to Davis in centre. Nice.
Bottom 7th: Snider leading off grounds to Cano throw to Teixeira pulls him off the bag and Travis safe. Not a good throw by Cano he had plenty of time. That’s it for Logan. Sergio Mitre now pitching. Arencibia, time for you to get a good hit JP. Travis stealing and Martin throw gets into centre field, Travis goes to third. That will do, JP doubles it into left, here comes Travis 12-7 Jays. Great swing JP. Davis, bounces to Cano at second, throw to Teixeira to get Davis but Arencibia to third on the play. One down for Escobar. Grounds to Jeter, throw to Teixeira for second out and Arencibia has to hold. Thames. Perfect, grounds back up the middle and here comes Arencibia. 13-7 Jays. Thames at first, two down for Johnny Mac. Patterson pinch running at first. Grounds to Nunez at third, he bobbles it but throw in time to get Patterson. Jays have added one more and you never know how many you need against these Yankees.

Top 8th: It will be interesting to see who finishes this one off. We have not seen Francisco for a LONG time.....Camp pitching this one. Posada now pinch hitting for Jones. Grounds to Lind throw to Camp at first one down. Nunez, grounds to Escobar, great play and throw gets Nunez, two down, great defensive play by Yunel. Gardner doubles into right field corner. One on two down for Jeter. 2-2 count, oh very nice grounds it to second and great play by Hill on the run and throw to get Jeter at first to end the inning.

Bottom 8th: Lind, Mitre pitching him inside here. Full count, singles into right. Nice at bat Adam. Hill, horrible pops up first pitch to Cano. One down for Encarnacion. Loops it into Granderson in centre, third hit for him tonight. Lind to third on the play. Two on one down for Snider. Chance for another rbi Travis. Lines it into right field corner his third hit tonight. Here comes Lind, 14-7 Jays. Edwin at third, Travis at second. 20 hit attack by Jays and without Jose. Arencibia, chance for more JP. grounds to short off the glove of Jeter, error on the play and Encarnacion scores 15-7 Jays and Snider moves to third. Yankees have three errors tonight. Davis bounces to first throw to second but no chance to double up Rajai, safe at first, speed, as Snider scores 16-7 Jays. Escobar, takes strike three. Not a great way to end but Jays get three more and get that nine run advantage back. A lot of Yankee fans have left the game.

Top 9th: Well, look who is here, Frank Francisco getting an inning work here. He knows he is on trial. It is all up to him. Granderson, high pop up to Snider in left, one down. Teixeira, strikes out swinging, two down for Cano. Singles into left. One on two down for Swisher. Cano takes second, defensive indifference. Francisco has to ignore him, it is Swisher that he needs out. Fly ball to Snider for third out. Yankees thrashed in the opener tonight.
Jays win big tonight 16-7 behind clutch hitting all the way up and down tonight’s line-up.

The very good: Hitting with runners in scoring position a whopping 11-22, that is an amazing stat to start the second half for this team, let’s see how long it continues. Everybody in the line-up tonight, this is the Yankees and to score 17 is an excellent achievement and we should all celebrate as Yankees will be in a foul mood all weekend until they can payback tonight.
Reyes did enough to win the game even though he started to let it get away. Infield defense especially Hill and Escobar but also the corners of Lind, Bautista and Johnny Mac a fine play when he came in for Jose. Bullpen did their job well. The line-up from top to bottom and even Johnny Mac the replacement for Bautista. Mulitple hit games for many of them. Jays also get into the Yankees bullpen in the first game of the series, let’s see what it looks like on Sunday.

The not so good: the injury to Bautista, let us all hope that it will not keep him out for long, but we really need him this series.

Sorry NY Jim if your evening was ruined by these pesky Jays. Maybe have to get used to it.