Jays embarrassed defensively and with their lack of bats as Villanueva has his worst outing,

Jays v Rays. Game two of three.

A game that the Jays really want to win but you know that the Rays will be out to make sure they don’t win it. At stake tonight third place in the East division. Yes, the Jays could go half a game above the Rays with a win tonight. That is pretty amazing considering this is a rebuilding year and nothing at stake. The Lawrie watch continues with latest rumours that he will emerge in Baltimore. The sooner the better surely to get the line-up playing together.

Line-ups: Jays: Escobar, Rasmus, Bautista, Lind, Encarnacion, Thames, Hill, Snider, Arencibia and Villanueva pitching.
Rays: Jennings, Damon, Longoria, Zobrist, Kotchman, Upton, Joyce, Rodriguez, Chirinos and Shields pitching.

Top 1st: Escobar bounces to Longoria at third, throw to first, one down for Rasmus. Whoa, lines this one high and hard to centre just dies at the wall. That was close Colby. Two down for Bautista. Full count, lines it to left but Jennings has it at the wall. Three up and down for Shields but two hard hits by Colby and Jose.
Bottom 1st: Villanueva has a tough start tonight. Jennings leading off, grounds to Hill at second, throw just gets Jennings at first, that was too close Aaron. Damon with one down, pops it up to Lind at first. Longoria 1-2 count, lines it hard but right at Hill for the third out.

Top 2nd: Lind, is he ever overdue? 0-19 hitless streak. Fly ball to Upton, loses it in the lights but then makes the catch. One down for Encarnacion. First pitch grounds to Rodriguez throw to first two down. Thames, full count, inside ball four, nice at bat Eric. One on two down for Hill, another one who is way overdue. Another full count, Thames doing wind sprint at first as Hill fouls them off her. Inside ball four, an eleven pitch at bat, very nice Aaron. Makes up for Edwin’s first pitch out. Snider, with two on. Jays have a chance here to break out. 2-2 count, strikes out looking, have to swing there Travis. Pitch count 38 for Shields. With Lawrie due anytime now it will mean reduced playing time for both Thames and Snider and right now Travis is not staking his claim.
Bottom 2nd: Zobrist, full count, gets hold of this one and high fly ball way back into right field seats, home run Zobrist. Rays go out ahead 1-0. Kotchman, 2-2 count, lines it hard to right but great running catch by Thames diving full length for it, one down for Upton, singles first pitch into left, Rays hitters zoning in on Villanueva here. Joyce lines it hard off the glove of Hill diving to his right, and Upton all the way to third. Rodriguez, showing bunt, 3-1 count, oh boy, bunting and Villanueva throws it past Arencibia, he had the time to get Upton. Rushed it too much. Terrible play by Villanueva. Error on the play. 2-0 Rays and runners at first and third still only one out. Chirinos, Jays much too sloppy tonight both Snider and Villanueva, Chirinos bunting again and Lind has to wait for Hill to throw to first, runner safe and run scores 3-0 Rays. Runners at first and second, this is farcical. Bunting and rolls fair up to Bautista at third bases loaded. Someone settle this infield down here. Three yes THREE successful bunts. Damon with bases loaded and only one down, good luck. Fly ball to Rasmus in centre, 4-0 Rays, two down. Longoria number nine hitter of the inning. Two on. 2-2 count, Jays have not played many worse innings than this one all season long. What a game to do it in. High fly ball to Rasmus in centre for final out, but this inning was sandlot ball. Pitch count 45. Yes 45 after two innings.

Top 3rd: Well Jays have a chance to show they are for real and get this lead down, tough to do against Shields. Arencibia leading off. 2-1 count, that is one way to respond JP. high fly ball to left, this one is carrying and over the head of Jennings into the crowd, home run Arencibia, 4-1 rays. Escobar, bounces to short, throw to first for the out, one down for Rasmus, must be wondering what he has come to with this bumbling team. Lines it hard to right but right at Joyce to make the catch, two down for Bautista, full count, Jose does not like that call. Huge pop up to Rodriguez at short for third out. Jays get one back but now has Villanueva settled?
Bottom 3rd: Zobrist, 1-2 count, strikes out, one down. Kotchman, oh boy Villanueva leaves this one up and Kotchman makes no mistake, hammers it high into right field seats, 5-1 Rays. Upton, grounds to Bautista, throw to first, for second out. Joyce, 2-2 count, lines it into right field corner and safe at second. Rodriguez, 2-0 count, hits him on the shoulder, well may be some frustration here by Villanueva. Chirinos, this gets worse, hammers first pitch high into the left field seats, three run home run, and Rays are making Jays look like minor leaguers 8-1 Rays. Litsch warming up, Jennings. 2-2 count, lines it over the head of Rasmus to the wall, stand up triple, can it get worse? No, thankfully for the fans, that is it for Villanueva. Early shower. Litsch now pitching two down. Damon, will he be bunting? No, 0-2 count, strikes out. But this game appears to be over after only three innings.
Top 4th: Lind leading off. Jays have one hit so far. Pops it up to Upton, one down. Encarnacion, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging. Shields mowing them down here. Thames, 0-2 count, strikes out swinging.

Bottom 4th: Well looking at the good side, Jesse Litsch has a chance to show the boss he deserves to be in the rotation. He will probably be asked to soak up the innings tonight for the bullpen regardless. Longoria, full count, down and away ball four, leadoff guy on base. Zobrist, lines it to Rasmus in centre, one down. Kotchman, that’s the way Jesse, Kotchman lines it hard back at Jesse, great play, turns and throw to second on to first double play ball. Nice play by Jesse.

Top 5th: Hill, full count, lines to Upton in centre, one down for Snider. Travis playing for his place in the team. Grounds to second, throw to first, two down. Arencibia, first pitch, grounds to third, throw to first and Litsch has not sat down yet. No heart or fight evident from this Jays team tonight. Shields having a very easy one hit outing.
Bottom 5th: Upton leading off. 1-2 count, strikes out swinging, one down for Joyce, full count, grounds to Lind, throw to Litsch to make the play himself, two down. Rodriguez, 2-2 count. Lines it to Rasmus in centre for third out. Litsch doing his job but is the only one so far tonight.

Top 6th: Jays have one hit tonight. Well as Farrell said the team is selected on performance so they have no one to blame when Lawrie gets here and they are sitting on the bench. Escobar, grounds first pitch to third, throw to first one down, Rasmus, strikes out swinging, two down for Bautista, full count and inside ball four, not giving Jose anything to hit. Bautista on base for Lind 2-2 count, strikes out swinging.
Bottom 6th: Chirinos, doing his part to convince his manager to keep him in the line-up. 3-0 count. Outside ball four. Jennings with one on. 2-2 count, strikes out looking, great pitch Jesse. Ledezma now working in bullpen. Damon, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, two down for Longoria. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging. Excellent Jesse, strikes out the side and the top three of the order. Manager cannot ask for anything better except maybe get this line-up somehow hitting tonight.

Top 7th: Last nine at bats for the Jays, do they have anything here? A hit would be a major improvement. Encarnacion,1-2 count, pops it up to Zobrist at second, one down. Thames, 2-2 count,. Strikes out swinging. 102 pitches for Shields. Two down for Hill, singles into left, only the second hit, nothing to write home about tonight. Snider, first pitch, does it again a dribbler up the line, throw to first and third out. That was one awful at bat by Snider. Did not give Hill any chance to get in scoring position.
Bottom 7th: Jays throw in the towel. Defensive changes, Teahen in for Lind at first and Johnny Mc for Bautista. Ledezma now pitching. Zobrist, 2-2 count, grounds to Escobar at short, throw not in time. One on for Kotchman, singles back up the middle. two on nobody out. Upton, wild pitch to the backstop and both runners in scoring position. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, first out of the inning. Joyce, full count, singles to Rasmus in centre, run scores 9-1 Rays. One down runners at the corners. Elliot Johnson pinch hitting for Rodriguez. 0-2 strikes out swinging, two down. Chirinos, Joyce takes second, no throw, nasty, with an eight run lead ??? That is called rubbing Jays noses in it tonight. I wonder how the Jays hitters will react to that. 3-1 count, ball four anyway so bases loaded again. Two down for Jennings, 0-2 count. strikes out leaves the bases loaded. A small moral victory here for Ledezma.

Top 8th: Arencibia leading off, let’s see if he goes after the first pitch. Shields still out there? Not the first one but number two pitch. Pops it up to Jennings in right for the out. Escobar, Shields knocks him down with pitch inside, let’s see if that wakes up Escobar, 2-2 count, grounds back up the middle, another hit for the Jays. Rasmus, with one on and one down. Now Shields leaves. Joe Maddon worried that Rasmus might get to him. Jake McGee now pitching. Lefty lefty matchup, that backfires as Rasmus singles to right and Escobar to third on the play. But no Jose now, sat down a little too early tonight. Johnny Mc with two on 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, two down for Teahen, no Lind either. Not sure why Adam needs a rest. Bounces to first, McGee shovels it to first for the final out. Jays leave two out there.
Bottom 8th: Camp pitching. Ruggiano pinch hitting for Damon grounds to Escobar, throw to Teahen one down. Longoria, high fly ball to left for Snider, two down. Zobrist grounds to Hill, throw to Teahen for third out. Rays want to go out on the town tonight. Very quick three up and down inning.

Top 9th: Let’s see how the Jays hitters play here. Encarnacion leading off. That will do it Edwin, loops it over the head of first and gets a double out of it. That was funny, an excuse me hit that is extra bases. Thames with runner in scoring position. 1-2 count, strikes out swinging. One down for Hill. Not good Joe, changing pitchers here. Why ? with one out and an eight run lead in the ninth inning? This is over the top managing. Brandon Gomes now pitching. 2-0 count, whoa, pops it up in foul ground in left and Jennings falls over the pitching mound, and drops the ball. Wow. Circus time. You would think playing at home he knew where that mound was. 2-2 count, grounds to second throw to first, two down with Escobar at third. Snider, his last chance fly ball to Upton in centre for third out and merciful end to this agony tonight.

Jays play one of their worst games. They had a chance to make a statement to beat the Rays and go into third place, instead they played poor defensively and were missing in action with their bats.
Now back to where they were yesterday and even if they win tomorrow they will leave Tampa in fourth spot, I did not get the impression that this team was playing to that scenario tonight.

The good: Jesse Litsch 3.1 scoreless innings to shut down the Rays bats. I am also naming Rasmus tonight, had some excellent swings and was connecting hard. First at bat to the wall in right, and finished with a single. Arencibia home run but then he blotted his copy book with poor at bats.
Villanueva, where do we put him tonight. Very uncharacteristic outing but this game was important and he did not perform. It was like batting practice with those home run hits. Question is his arm dead? Has he reached his limit for this season?

Tacky play of the game: Joyce taking second base in the bottom of the seventh with this game in hand at 9-1 for the Rays. Unwritten rule maybe but still tacky to watch.
In my book, unless he turns it around and fast, it will be Snider who will be sitting when Lawrie gets here. Davis and Thames will share left with Snider the occasional at bat.