Jays power display wins a wild one at Safeco with Hill,Rasmus and Lawrie leading the pack

Jays v Mariners game two of three.

After last night meltdown changes for the Jays. Miller assigned and probably finished. But Jon Rauch has had appendectomy, no wonder he was not on form last night. Yes he has been off most of the season but to pitch with that discomfort is not funny at all. And he deserves some respect and sympathy unlike most of the Toronto media today. I for one hope he recovers speedily and that it might help him with his pitching. Mariners on a three game win streak now with two from Boston and last night’s win.

Line-ups: Jays: Escobar, Thames, Bautista, Lind, Encarnacion, Rasmus, Lawrie, Hill, Arencibia and Mills pitching.
Mariners: Suzuki, Gutierrez, Ackley, Carp, Wells, Olivo, Robinson, Seager, Wilson and Vargas pitching.

Top 1st: Escobar leading off, grounds to third throw to first beats out Escobar. One down for Thames, singles to right, one on for Bautista. Just misses going out with first pitch high fly ball to left just inside the foul pole. 3-1 count, ball four, Vargas staying away from Jose bat to get to lefty Lind. Two on one down for Lind. Oh lucky Lind, grounds it back Vargas unable to make the play as his bat was flying at him as well, ball goes though to Ackley at second, both runners move up as Lind out at first, that was a double play ball. On the other hand that bat had shattered. Encarnacion 3-0 count, Vargas playing with fire here, ball four to load the bases for Rasmus. 2-2 count, that will do it Colby lines it to the wall in right centre, here comes Thames, here comes Bautista, here comes Encarnacion, 3-0 Jays. Lawrie with Rasmus at second. 2-2 count, Lawrie does it again singles back up the middle and here comes Rasmus, 4-0 Jays. Hill, keep the line moving Aaron. WHOAAAAAAA Aaron, lines this one high into seats in left centre, home run Aaron, finally...... 6-0 Jays and Arencibia to bat, rough outing for Vargas. 2-2 count, lifts it high into shallow left centre to Gutierrez to make nice running catch for final out. Jays send nine to the plate in the first inning and are off and running, we hope. 36 pitch inning, ouch.
Bottom 1st: Now Mills should be able to relax here and just throw strikes. Ichiro leading off. Pops it up to Lawrie at third, one down. Gutierrez, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, two down for Ackley 2-2 count, strikes out swinging. Nice start for Mills.

Top 2nd: Jays start again at top of the order. Escobar, full count, singles back up the middle. Thames, grounds to Ackley at second, throw to Wilson at the bag over to Carp at first, double play ball. Two down for Bautista. Full count, outside ball four, second walk to Jose tonight. Lind one on two down. Grounds to Ackley, feeds it to Wilson to get Bautista at second.
Bottom 2nd: Carp leading off. 2-2 count, high inside almost hits him, full count, ball four. Leadoff walk, Wells 1-2 count, oh boy Wells lines it into the seats, in left centre, 6-2 Jays. Olivo, NO !!! same thing, first pitch high into left centre home run and Seattle l back on this thing 6-3. Someone get out to Mills fast. Nobody yet. Robinson lines it right back at Mills for the catch. One down. Seager, 3-0 count, finally Arencibia goes out there, a little late JP. Ball four, did not do any good anyway. Where is Bruce Walton. Now he goes out. Wilson, 0-2 count, fly ball to left centre but Thames makes the catch two down for Ichiro. Grounds first pitch to Hill at second, throw to Lind for final out but that was one lousy inning for Mills and Mariners are back in this game. No lead is evidently enough with the state of the Jays pitching right now.

Top 3rd: Jays would love to get at least one back this inning. Encarnacion, lines it to the wall in left centre, stand up double for Edwin. Double number 30 on the season. Rasmus pops it up to short, one down. Lawrie, 1-2 count, grounds to second, throw just beats him at first, Encarnacion to third. Two down for Hill. Full count, strikes out swinging. Jays strand runner at third. Pitch count 75 for Vargas.
Bottom 3rd: Gutierrez, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging for second time tonight. One down for Ackley, singles to Thames in left. Carp, singles first pitch right back through Mills. Two on one down for Wells. Not the guy Mills wants to see here after his home run in the last inning. Pops this one up to Escobar, two down. Olivo, full count, high ball four to load the bases. Robinson, lines it to Thames in left, two runs score, 6-5 Jays. Seager, lines it to left, Thames dives for it but cannot make the catch, tie run scores 6-6 game. Can you believe this? Wilson with two in scoring position. Perez now warming up. Grounds to Escobar, great diving stop and throw to Lind to get the out and save Mills from further embarrassment. But we said last week we thought he would be on the Vegas bus, after this showing he may be walking to Vegas. Unbelievable and unforgivable to give up six runs when you have a six run lead.

Top 4th: Vargas cannot believe his luck. Arencibia, full count, strikes out swinging. One down for Escobar. Lines it hard to Gutierrez in centre, two down. Thames high fly ball to Robinson in left, Three up and down easy outs. Momentum firmly with Mariners now. Jays are the ones fighting here. Ten pitch inning for Vargas.
Bottom 4th: Fortunately, for all of us, that is it for Mills. Perez now pitching. Ichiro, grounds to Hill at second, throw to Lind, one down. Gutierrez, grounds to Lawrie, throw to Lind, two down. Ackley, 3-1 count, ball four, one on two down for Carp. 0-2 count, strikes out swinging on three pitches. Perez restores some sanity here. Now the bats have to get going again.

Top 5th: Bautista leading off, two walks tonight already. Full count, ball four, three consecutive walks, Vargas has his orders for Jose tonight, Lind, makes him pay, singles into right, two on nobody out for Encarnacion. That is it for Vargas, he actually pitched well after that six run first inning and held the Jays bats hitless. Wilhelmsen now pitching. Full count, Edwin fouls that one off so hard it knocks Olivo over. Takes ball four, whoa that was close pitch to take Edwin. Bases loaded for Rasmus and nobody out. Wild pitch and here comes Bautista to score and both runners move up, 7-6 Jays, they will take it any way they can. 2-2 count, this will do it, lines high to Gutierrez in right centre for the out but Lind tags and scores from third, 8-6 Jays. 4 RBIs night for Rasmus. Lawrie with runner at second, one down. 3-1 count. Outside ball four, two on one down for Hill. Another wild pitch and both runners move up into scoring position. This will do Aaron, fly ball to Robinson in left, here comes Encarnacion for the run, 9-6 Jays. Arencibia lines to left here comes Lawrie, 10-6 Jays, throw to second beats Arencibia but he drops the ball safe at second. That is it for Wilhelmsen, Laffey now pitching. Escobar with Arencibia at second. . grounds to short, throw to first just gets Escobar. Jays get four back. That is the easy part. Now to hold it and therein lies the problem so far this series for Jays pitchers.
Bottom 5th: Perez still out there. Wells leading off. Very nice, strikes out looking on three pitches. Olivo, strikes out swinging on four pitches. Robinson, high off the wall in left, catchable for Thames, but double for Robinson. Seager, singles into centre, here comes Robinson 10-7 Jays. Wilson, singles past a diving Hill to Bautista in right. Ichiro with two on. 2-0 bunting, Perez off the mound and throw to Lind just gets him. Jays escape the bullet this time but you know this game will not be decided until the very last out in the 9th.

Top 6th: This is a LONG game, two hours for the first five innings. Bard now catching for Olivo. He was really shaken up by that foul ball on his head from Encarnacion that knocked him clean off his feet. He will have one huge headache tomorrow. Thames, singles into right. Bautista WHOA Jose, hammers this one high off the scoreboard in left centre, no walk this time, two run home run, 12-7 JAYS. Lind, fly ball to Gutierrez in centre, one down for Encarnacion. 3-1 ball four. One on for Rasmus 4RBI night. Chance to add to that here. Not this time high pop up to third, Two down for Lawrie. Singles into right. Tied him up on the hands but he muscled that one. Two on two down for Hill. This will do Aaron singles down the left field line, here comes Encarnacion 13-7 Jays. 4 RBIs for Hill tonight. Arencibia with two on and two down. Pops up the first pitch to Gutierrez in shallow centre for third out, Jays have that six run lead back but we have been there before. Everyone in the Jays line-up with hits tonight.
Bottom 6th: Gutierrez, grounds to Escobar, throw to Lind one down for Ackley. 3-1 ball four. One on one down. Carp, shatters his bat as he grounds to third, Lawrie to Hill to get Ackley on to Lind not in time for Carp. Two down. Wells, grounds hard to Lawrie at third, long throw to Lind to get the out. Perez keeps them off the board and that is all we ask from him.

Top 7th: Lueke now pitching. Escobar, lines out to Gutierrez in centre, one down for Thames who has had good night with the bat but shaky with the glove in left. First pitch fly ball to Robinson in left. Two down for Bautista. Full count, singles into left. Single, home run and three walks tonight for Jose. Lind, grounds back up the middle to Wilson, throw to first for the final out.
Bottom 7th: Bard grounds to Hill, throw to Lind one down. Robinson, lines it very hard to left but Thames makes good running catch this time, two down. He seems to be ok on those line drives but not up against the wall. Seager 3-0 count. Ouch hits him right in the back that would hurt. Looked like the kidney area. Camp warming up in bullpen. Wilson 2-2 count, grounds to Hill, throw to Lind for third out.

Top 8th: Lueke still pitching Encarnacion lines to Ichiro in right, one down for Rasmus. Lines out hard to centre to Gutierrez. Two down for Lawrie. Singles back up the middle, his third hit of the night. Hill, grounds back up the middle throw just beats Lawrie for third out.
Bottom 8th: Camp now pitching. Three hour game so far. Ichiro leading off. Grounds to Hill, throw to Lind, one pitch one down. Gutierrez, strikes out looking, two down for Ackley, strikes out looking. Good three up and down for Camp.

Top 9th: Arencibia, lines out to Gutierrez in centre. Johnny Mc. in for Escobar, gets in the action as he singles to right. Irrepressible off that bench. Thames grounds to second throw to the bag to get McDonald, no chance for two. McCoy pinch hitting for Bautista, wild pitch and Thames goes to second. Full count, high fly ball to Gutierrez in centre to end the inning.
Bottom 9th: Carp singles to right. Wells, 2-2 count, strikes out looking. Bard, singles to right. Two on one down for Robinson, strikes out looking. Seager, fly ball to Thames in left and this long, very long slugfest is over with the Jays bats coming alive in a big way.
And more importantly great contributions again from the two newbie’s Rasmus and Lawrie plus maybe just maybe Hill breakthrough with his three hit night. That would be good news for the Jays and second base problems.

However Mills clearly not a major league pitcher, Jays have three in the rotation right now that they can depend on. Romero, Cecil and Morrow.

The very good: Rasmus 3 RBI double in the first inning and 4 RBI night. Hill home run first since All Star break and also 4 RBI night. Bautista on base five times with three walks, a home run and a single. Lawrie a three hit night but gold starts to the whole line-up tonight they all contributed. Perez, great long relief four innings.
The not so good: Thames with his fielding in left especially up against the wall. Another error tonight for him. A tradeoff for his hitting, but not a good comparator with Snider who has the better glove.
The awful: Mills another poor performance and could not hold a six run lead.