Jays v Rangers Game two.
Great win last night although it left many of us with heart palpitations as Rauch gives up the hope run and puts runner on. Lind made two inning ending plays for the win and his first play was a highlight reel play taking a hit away from Murphy and possibly the game. Lind is really looking more comfortable at first and making us forget Overbay.
Today Brad Mills making yet another start forever up and down for the last three seasons but he has earned his start with excellent numbers in AAA Vegas. More spotlight today on Rasmus and whether he will get that first hit. My feeling is that let him relax when the team goes back on the road next week and away from what must be unbearable pressure from media as well as the fans. Most fans in our area of the ballpark last night were sympathetic but there are some who expect Rasmus to be another Bautista in his first few games. Lawrie will get the same treatment when, and if he ever arrives, but appears to me far stronger in his makeup.
Line-ups: Rangers: Kinsler, Quintanilla, Young, Napoli, Moreland, Torrealba, Murphy, Davis, Chavez and Holland pitching. No Hamilton or Cruz today. That is a lot of offence missing. But this team has more than enough depth to compensate.
Jays: Escobar, Rasmus, Bautista, Lind, Encarnacion,Thames, Davis, McDonald, Arencibia and Mills pitching. Snider and Hill get the day off. Encarnacion playing at first with Lind at DH.
Top 1st: Kinsler lines it to Davis playing today in left, one down for Quintanilla, strikes out swinging, Young grounds to Bautista at third, throw to Encarnacion at first for third out. Nice start for Mills.
Bottom 1st: Escobar leading off, grounds off the glove of Holland to Kinsler at second, throw just beats a headfirst slide by Escobar, Yunel responding to criticism of his lack of hustle but that might be a dangerous way to do it. Rasmus. One down, 2-2 count, pops it up to Quintanilla, two down for Bautista. Pops this one high to Young at first and drops the ball, as he loses it in the sky. Bautista gets a big break there. Lind, pops up to short for the third out, unable to capitalise on that play, no error given by the way.
Top 2nd: Napoli, 0-2 count, Mills has gone 0-2 on each of the first four hitters. 2-2 count, singles into left. Moreland, oh no, trouble, drives it to centre, Rasmus watches this one go into the stands, 2-0 Texas. Torrealba, another 0-2 count, grounds to Escobar, throw to Encarnacion, one down. Murphy, bounces to McDonald, wicked hop off his glove, and Murphy safe at first. Davis, there we go, grounds to Johnny Mac flip to Escobar at second over to Encarnacion, great double play. Johnny Mac nice quick flip to Escobar. No damage done to the earlier miscue.
Bottom 2nd: Encarnacion grounds to third, Davis throw off line but Young tags Edwin on the shoulder as he goes by for the out. Thames grounds to Young for the second quick out. Davis, full count, ball four down. Davis on base, what the fans want to see. Now let’s see how Holland does? Johnny Mac. Holland throwing over, Johnny Mac bunting and oh Holland throws it away at first into the crowd, runners at second and third. Arencibia. Great chance to tie this one up JP just a base hit will do, forget the home runs. Gets a life here as he pops it right but foul and Young unable to get to it. Full count, takes strike three looking, ouch that was not good JP. At least a swing.
Top 3rd: Chavez leading off. Bunting first pitch to right but Mills easy flip to Encarnacion for the out. One down for Kinsler. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, nice pitch. Quintanilla, pops this one high to right, oh boy Thames just makes the catch at the last moment, that sun and sky are playing a huge role today. Let us hope that it is all in support of the Jays. That one was too close for comfort.
Bottom 3rd: Escobar leading off. Grounds to Young at third, throw to first. Rasmus, grounds first pitch to Kinsler, throw to first, two down. Rasmus has hit both his last two at bats at least, and not struck out. Bautista, 13 games since his last home run. 2-0 count, pops up to Kinsler for the out, six pitch inning.
Top 4th: Young leading off, first pitch fly ball to Davis in left, one down for Napoli, grounds to Escobar, throw to Encarnacion, two down. Moreland, Mills hits him in the back, ouch. Torrealba, singles into centre, runner holds at second. Two on two down. Murphy, 3-1 count, outside ball four. Bases loaded. Davis, perfect, grounds to Johnny Mac flip to Escobar to get Murphy at second. Pitch count 59.
Bottom 4th: Time for Jays bats to appear this afternoon. Lind, strikes out swinging. One down for Encarnacion, lines it to Chavez in centre but long out. Two down. Thames, 0-2 count, grounds back to Holland, throw to first for final out.
Top 5th: Chavez fly ball to Davis in left, one down for Kinsler. Singles to Davis in left. One on one down. Quintanilla, full count, grounds to McDonald throw to Encarnacion, two down. Kinsler was running on the play and no chance for double play. Young. 2-2 count, gets him, great pitch to get Young swinging and missing. Very nice. Pitch count 79.
Bottom 5th: Only two hits by Jays today and one of this was a miscue. Where are the bats? Davis, strikes out swinging. Holland is too much for Jays hitters today. McDonald, has the only solid hit today. Quintanilla at short robs Johnny Mac here with a catch at shoe level, two down for Arencibia, he has had the best chance to make a difference but struck out looking, with runners at second and third, strikes out swinging here. Awful. Pitch count 60.
Top 6th: Mills has done everything asked of him today but without run support it is wasted. Napoli, full count, pops it up to Davis in left. One down for Moreland, 3-0 count, full count, strikes out swinging, he was 3-0- count, very nice pitching. Two down for Torrealba, 2-2 count, grounds to Escobar, throw to Encarnacion for third out. Another good inning by Mills. Pitch count is high though now at 96. But he has given them six innings.
Bottom 6th: Will the bats ever appear today? or has Holland totally shut them down. Top of the order. Escobar, grounds back up the middle but Kinsler throw to first. Escobar arguing that Young came off the bag, and he is ejected from the game, Rasmus, pops it up to Murphy in left, two down. Bautista, there we go Jose, singles to left. Lind, back to Holland, throw to first for third out. Jays running out of at bats. Pitch count a very stingy 71 pitches.
Top 7th: Changes now with Escobar out. Johnny Mac at short, Hill into the game at second. Murphy leading off. Grounds up the middle but Johnny Mac has it for throw to Encarnacion and the first out. Davis, 0-2 count, lines it to the wall in right, stand up double. One on one down. Chavez, lines it to Rasmus in deep centre, makes the catch and throw right on the money but Davis safe. Very close. Here comes Manager Farrell. Two down, he is leaving Mills in to finish it off. We hope. Kinsler with runner at third, intentional walk. Two on for Quintanilla, 1-2 count, gets him, strikes out swinging. 117 pitch count. Great outing by Mills. Crowd gives him an ovation as he comes off the field and well deserved today without any run support.
Bottom 7th: Encarnacion, first pitch pops it up to Kinsler. That is why his pitch count is ridiculously low. One down, Thames, pops it up to Napoli, two down, four pitches. Davis, grounds to short, throw to first six pitch inning, that is very bad whichever way you look at it.
Top 8th: Jesse Litsch now pitching. Young leading off. Full count, strikes out swinging, one down for Napoli, oh boy, this is trouble, lines it high over the head of Rasmus, into the netting in centre field, another home run to Napoli and 3-0 Texas. Moreland, strikes out swinging, two down. Torrealba, strikes out looking, but too little too late by Litsch.
Bottom 8th: McDonald pops it up to right, one down. Arencibia who has had a poor game with his bat today. Had the best chance to bring in two runs. First pitch grounds to short, throw off line and Arencibia safe at first. Hill his first at bat today. 0-2 count, grounds back to Holland, throw to second over to first double play ball. 81 pitches by Holland today. He might not even get to 90 in his complete game shutout and that is very, very poor hitting display by the Jays today.
Top 9th: Trever Miller now pitching. Murphy leading off. Singles to Rasmus in centre. One on for Davis. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, one down. Chavez, Murphy running and great throw by Arencibia, to Johnny Mac to get him. Two down. Full count. Singles into shallow centre, here comes Manager Farrell. Camp to face Kinsler. First pitch pops it up to Thames in right.
Bottom 9th: Last chance but don’t bet the house on it today friends. Rasmus leading off. 2-2 count, grounds to first, one down. But Colby not striking out this game. Bautista, 1-2 count, strikes out looking. Jays down to their last at bat. Lind. 0-2 count, grounds back up the middle off the glove of Holland. Throw to first to end this one. Not an impressive display by Jays hitters today.
Rasmus watch: No strikeouts today, all four outs were on hits. His glove, in the seventh inning great accurate throw from centre to Bautista at third almost gets the runner.
The very good: Mills has seven excellent innings. He was getting first pitch strike for most of the early innings. Deserves another game.
The not so good: Lack of hits by Jays hitters.
The very bad: The free swinging nonsense and short innings given to Holland.
Definitely a game for Jays to forget before they leave the dugout. Only four hits today two for Bautista. Johnny Mac and Arencibia one each.
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