Jays hitters vanish for second consecutive game as they lose 5-1

Jays v A’s Game three of four.

Big changes today, Hill is sitting as we forecast, he is just totally lost out there and for his own sake let alone the fans he should not be in the line-up. Last minute scratch here for Bautista. Evidently a stiff neck. McCoy in right field and leading off.

Line-ups: Jays: McCoy, Thames, Escobar, Lind, Encarnacion, Rasmus, Lawrie, Molina, McDonald and Alvarez pitching. A much lighter hitting line-up tonight with McCoy, Molina and McDonald in the line-up which will not strike terror into the heart of Gonzalez tonight
A’s: Weeks, Pennington, Crisp, Matsui, Sweeney, Allen, DeJesus, Powell, Sogard and Gio Gonzalez pitching.

Top 1st: McCoy strikes out swinging. One down for Thames singles back up the middle. Escobar hitting third lines out to right two down. Lind, hits him on the wrist, that hurts and is a lot of pain, stays in game. Two on two down for Encarnacion. 0-2 count, lines it to right and here comes Thames takes out the catch safe, 1-0 Jays. Rasmus with runners in scoring position. full count, outside ball four. Lawrie with bases loaded. Can Jays do better than last night when they had bases loaded in the first inning. 2-0 count, pops it up to Allen at first. Déjà vu last night. Pitch count 25.
Bottom 1st: Weeks, fly ball to Rasmus in centre, one down for Pennington, full count, doubles over the head of McCoy in right, McCoy playing far too shallow to have a chance at that. Crisp with runner at second. 2-1 count, singles to Thames in left, two on for Matsui and you know Crisp will be stealing. Singles to Thames in left, here comes Pennington 1-1 game. Two on and one down for Allen. 1-2 count, Molina drops the ball and then kicks it away, both runners move up, awful. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, Alvarez gets a break. Two down but two still in scoring position. Sweeney 1-2 count, grounds back up the middle Alvarez makes nice diving stop of the ball and throw to Encrnacion at first. However 26 pitch inning will not get him far in this game. It could be battle of the bullpens tonight.

Top 2nd: Alvarez needs some help here tonight from his hitters. Not getting it to date. Molina leading off. 2-2 count, grounds to third, throw to first, one down for Johnny Mc. in for Hill. Lines first pitch to right field, two down for McCoy. Grounds to Pennington at short, throw to Allen at first, very quick and easy 8 pitch inning for Gonzalez.
Bottom 2nd: DeJesus, full count, strikes out swinging but it took him eight pitches. One down for Landon Powell, strikes out swinging on three pitches. Two down for Eric Sogard, fly ball to Rasmus in centre. Pitch count 40.

Top 3rd: Thames, singles first pitch to right, 2-2 tonight. Escobar, strikes out swinging, one down for Teahen obviously Lind wrist injury is not good. This is getting worse, with the line-up out there now looks like AAA team. There goes Thames and safe without a throw. That is his first stolen base of his career !! wow hard to believe that. Strikes out looking now, not an auspicious at bat by Teahen. Encarnacion, can he bring in Thames? Someone tonight has to step up and big-time, No Lind, No Bautista and No Arencibia. 1-2 count, strikes out swinging. Pitch count 46. Jays already 1-5 tonight with runners in scoring position in the first three innings.
Bottom 3rd: Weeks, grounds to McDonald at second, throw to Encarnacion one down for Pennington, lines it to centre but right at Rasmus for second out. Crisp, singles into to right, Matsui, two down one on, 1-2 count, that’s better grounds to right great diving play by Johnny Mc and throw to Encarnacion for third out. Johnny Mc was just right of Encarnacion on that play. Pitch count 56.

Top 4th: Jays need some leadership here tonight. Rasmus, slow roller to Allen at first to take it to the bag, one down for Lawrie. Pops it up to shallow right. Two down for Molina. Lines first pitch to left centre for the out. Not impressive display by those three at bats. Pitch count 54 Jays hitters have scored one run in the last 13 innings.
Bottom 4th: Allen, singles into to right. One on for Sweeney, 2-2 count, grounds to Johnny Mc who fumbles it, tonight is a comedy of errors for this Jays team. Error to Johnny Mc. Two on runner at third and nobody out for DeJesus, Not looking good here for Alvarez. 3-1 count. fly ball to Thames in left but unable to catch it in foul ground and would have scored run anyway. Full count, That’s ok grounds to McDonald at second on to Escobar over to Encarnacion double play but Allen scores 2-1 Oakland with two down. Powell grounds first pitch to Johnny Mc throw to Encarnacion for third out. Pitch count 73. Could have been much worse for Alvarez.

Top 5th: McDonald leading off. Grounds to second, throw to Allen, one down for McCoy. Fly ball to centre for the second out. Awful. Thames 2-2 tonight. 2-0 count, fly ball to right. Jays go even quicker and easier. 67 pitch count. Gonzalez cruising here.
Bottom 5th: Sogard grounds to Encarnacion takes it himself for the out. Weeks, singles to left, one on one down for Pennington. Weeks will be running to add to Alvarez problems here. Weeks is going but Pennington fouling them off here. 2-2 count, fly ball to Rasmus in centre two down. Crisp at bat, Weeks stealing and safe on the throw. Pops it up to McCoy in right for third out. Alvarez escapes damage 88 pitch count.

Top 6th: Jays still yet to show any real offence tonight. Escobar, hitless tonight. high pop up to centre. One down for Teahen, grounds to third, throw to Allen two down. Encarnacion, same play, grounds to third throw to first and Jays continue to struggle. Pitch count 73.
Bottom 6th: Matsui, 2-2 count, singles into centre, one on for Allen first pitch fly ball to Thames for the out. One down for Sweeney. Fly ball to Thames in left, two down. DeJesus, wild pitch and Matsui to second. 3-1 count, outside ball four. That might be his last hitter. No is staying in for Powell two on and two down. 3-1 count, whoa, grounds back up the middle, Escobar backhand flip to McDonald to get DeJesus at second, what a play, the only one that Escobar had with his back to the bag at second. Highlight reel play. 107 pitch count and his last inning.

Top 7th: Perhaps that play will kick-start the offence here. Rasmus, 1-2 count, strikes out, Lawrie,1-2 count, strikes out looking, two down for Molina, 0-2 count, strikes out swinging on a head high pitch. 85 pitches. Boston and Yankees have already lost. Small consolation here though as Jays look like losing here for second night to a team they should be sweeping.
Bottom 7th: Litsch now pitching. Sogard lines to McCoy in right, one down. Weeks, pops it up to Thames in left. Two down for Pennington. 0-2 count, this one is trouble, hammers it to right, McCoy running back to the wall and makes a great over shoulder catch to end the inning. Very nice play Mikey.

Top 8th: McDonald, singles back up the middle, a rare hit for the Jays tonight, but can they bring him in that is the question. McCoy showing bunt, perfect up the line and tagged out as McDonald moves to second. One on one down for Thames, 2-3 tonight. has 50% of the Jays hits tonight, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, two down for Escobar, 0-3 tonight. 2-2 count, hanging tough here but we need a hit Yunel, strikes out swinging.
Bottom 8th: Crisp leading off. 2-2 count, strikes out looking, one down for Matsui, pops it up to Johnny Mc. behind first base, two down for Allen, lines it to left over the head of Thames but bounces off the wall, double for Allen, two down for Sweeney, full count, singles to Thames in left here comes Allen 3-1 Oakland. That’s it for Jesse, Rommie Lewis now pitching. Willingham pinch hitting for DeJesus, 2-2 count, fouling them off here, gets hold of this one, pitch number ten, say goodbye ball, high into seats in left, two run home run 5-1 Oakland. Three runs all with two out. Powell. Pops it up to McDonald but Lewis has ruined any chances of a comeback by the Jays, not a great return to the first team.

Top 9th: It will be interesting to see how the Jays respond here. One run in the last 17 innings is probably not a way to success here. Oakland crowd are already leaving. Bailey now pitching. Teahen leading off pops up first pitch to Sogard, Teahen is fast becoming a liability off the bench. Encarnacion, pops it up to short. Rasmus, with two down, full count, pops it up to Allen at first and Jays have lost another. And more to the point the bats have gone very silent. Alex still has holes to fill on this team on the bench.

The good: Alvarez although he did not get the win pitches well enough to keep the team in this one and leaves with one run deficit. Escobar-McDonald defensive play in the 6th. McCoy over shoulder catch off Pennington.

The bad: Gonzalez had not beaten the East teams before tonight, and had lost his last five starts. Nothing re the hitting for the second night in a row and once again Jays fail miserably against a team they should be sweeping. One run now in the last two games. Pitching: Rommie Lewis put this one out of reach giving up the two run home run. And also for the second night in a row Jays unable to score with bases loaded in the first inning. Both nights they have had opportunities to break the game open early in the first inning and been unable to get one hit.

Losing Lind did not help as clearly Teahen is not a good replacement. With Bautista also out Jays cannot afford to lose Lind as well.