Hit parade continues with Johnson and Lawrie as Jays win 8-6

Jays v Orioles Series finale. Game three.

After last night’s explosion we will probably see a one run game today. However it was a great game for Jays fans. Even Buck Showalter had praise for Alvarez. And do not underestimate the role of Molina giving some guidance to Alvarez last night. Today Jays go for the series win before heading to New York.

Line-ups: Jays: Escobar, Thames, Bautista, Lind, Encarnacion, Johnson, Lawrie, Arencibia, McCoy and Luis Perez pitching.
Orioles: Andino, Hardy Markakis, Jones, Guerrero, Wieters, Reynolds, Reimold, Adams and Hunter pitching.

Top 1st: Escobar lines it to right, great catch by Markakis in right centre. Robs Yunel of a double there. Thames, fly ball to Reimold in left. Bautista. 1-2 count. Takes strike three. 12 pitches.
Bottom 1st: Andino, pops it up to Bautista in shallow right, one down for Hardy. 2-2 count, very high fly ball to the wall in left centre, McCoy tracks it down and makes the catch up against the wall, nice catch Mikey. Two down for Markakis. Grounds to Escobar at short, throw to Lind for third out. 12 pitch count.

Top 2nd: Lind, had some rough luck last night with two of his hits to the top of the wall, grounds to Andino, throw to Lind one down. Encarnacion had a great game last night but he was also the goat the night before leaving bases loaded two crucial at bats. Hot and cold our Edwin, you never know from day to day. Fly ball to right, two down. Johnson, full count, lifts this one into shallow right. Nice at bat Kelly. Lawrie, 1-2 count, singles to right, Johnson all the way to third. Two on two down for Arencibia. 32p 2-2 count. There goes Lawrie no throw on the steal. Two in scoring position. Full count, lines it to centre but right at Jones for the out. Pitch count way up now to 37.
Bottom 2nd: Jones leading off. Bunting but fouls off. High fly ball to right center but Bautista has it for the out. Guerrero, this is trouble as he lines it to the wall in right centre, stand up double. Wieters, same again the other side, as he lines it to the wall in left centre, here comes Guerrero. Wieters stand up double. 1-0 Baltimore. Reynolds, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging. Two down for Reimold, pops it up to Thames in left. Pitch count 26.

Top 3rd: McCoy, full count, high ball four. One on for Escobar. Perfect, he drives it down the line into left McCoy to third and Escobar at second, two in scoring position. Thames, bounces to Reynolds at first McCoy scores as Thames tagged out. 1-1 game. One down with Escobar at third. No mistake about this, lines the first pitch into left centre, 2-1 Jays. Jose a long single. Lind, whoa, another huge fly ball to the wall in right centre, Markakis with the out. But another home run close miss for Lind. Two down for Encarnacion. 3-1 count, lines to Jones in centre for third out. Pitch count 56.
Bottom 3rd: Adams fly ball to Bautista in right centre. One down for Andino. Lines it right at McCoy for second out. Hardy, oops no, something called by umpire and calls back Andino. Singles to centre. Hardy 1-2 count, strikes out swinging. Two down for Markakis. Grounds first pitch to Johnson throw to Lind for third out. Pitch count 36.

Top 4th: Kelly Johnson leading off. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, one down for Lawrie. Lines this one to right centre Jones will not get this one and it bounces into the seats, another double for Lawrie. Arencibia, lines this one to the wall in left and here comes Lawrie 3-1 Jays and Arencibia to second. McCoy, bounces to third, throw to first for the out. Arencibia has to hold. Escobar, lines it to shallow left here comes Arencibia throw gets away and safe. 4-1 Jays and Escobar to second. A good throw by Reimold would have had him but it was up the line and it get away from Wieters. Thames, two down with runner in scoring position. Bounces to Reynolds at first for the out. 73 pitch count. Ouch.
Bottom 4th: Jones, grounds to Lawrie, long throw to Lind, one down. Guerrero, full count, oh dear, this one is hammered to deepest part of the ground over the 410 ft wall. A Vladdy special. 4-2 Jays. Wieters, 2-2 count, there’s another one, home run Wieters exactly the same spot, left centre wall. 4-3 Jays. Back to back home runs. Reynolds, strikes out swinging, two down for Reimold, full count, strikes out looking but Perez has let Orioles back into this one. Pitch count 60.

Top 5th: Bautista leading off. Grounds to Andino at third, throw to Reynolds one down for Lind. Adam having rough luck with his mammoth hits this series, three of them could have gone foe home runs, they were that close. Grounds this time to Adams, throw to Reynolds two quick outs for Hunter. Encarnacion, first pitch pop up to Jones in shallow centre, never expect Edwin to take any pitches. 7 pitch inning for Hunter. 80 pitch count.
Bottom 5th: Adams leading off, momentum of this game is shifting back to the Orioles. Strikes out swinging, number five today for Perez. One down for top of the order Andino, strikes out looking, two down for Hardy. Lines it right at Escobar for the out. Nice inning for Perez, it was a must after the previous inning. Pitch count 72.

Top 6th: Kelly Johnson leading off. YES Kelly, lines it deep to right centre, over the wall into the seats, almost the same place as last night. Great swing, and a home run for Kelly number two as a Jay. 5-3 Jays. I love that smile Kelly he is a happy guy. Lawrie. Drives it to right centre but Jones makes the catch. One down for Arencibia, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging. Two down for McCoy. 3-1 count, grounds it to Andino, OH he messes this one up as it bounces off his glove, error to Andino and McCoy safe at first. Escobar, make him pay Yunel. 2-3 today. Lines this one to the wall in left and here comes McCoy to score 6-3 Jays and Escobar to second. Thames, grounds first pitch to Reynolds at first steps on the bag for the out. Jays get those two runs back. Hunter on 98 pitch count.
Bottom 6th: Markakis leading off, full count, outside ball four. One on for Jones, full count, no, outside ball four and look who is next. Guerrero with two on and nobody out. Problems here. Litsch working in bullpen. 1-2 count, Guerrero does it again lines it to the wall in right centre, here comes Markakis, here comes Jones and this one is 6-5 Jays with Guerrero at second. And nobody out. Not much longer for Perez today. Wieters, go ahead run. 3-1 count. Could be his last pitch here. High ball four and Wieters walks. And here comes the manager. Perez let this one get away here. Jesse Litsch now with two on and nobody out. Thanks Luis. Reynolds with two on. 1-2 count, pops it up to Thames in left, one down runners hold. Reimold, that is not good Jesse, and I am being polite, throws to second and ball gets away from Johnson into centre, both runners move up, now you have lost that double play chance, why did you do that. The odds of getting a guy at second are not that good. Full count, grounds to Lawrie throws home to get Guerrero. Two down but that was the double play ball.. Runners at second and first. For Adams, 2-0 count, grounds to Escobar, throw to Lind for the out. BUT Orioles get two and Litsch could have blown this one open. Jays escape this time.

Top 7th: Willie Eyre now pitching. Bautista leading off. 2-2 count, grounds to Hardy at short, throw to Reynolds one down. Lind, can you do it this time Adam. Grounds back to Eyre, throw to Reynolds for the out. Two down for Encarnacion, grounds weakly to Hardy at short, throw to Reynolds and Jays go very quietly and quickly here. Momentum swung back to the Orioles again.
Bottom 7th: Litsch still out there, Andino lines first pitch to the wall in left, stand up double. Hardy, oh lucky here as ball off the end of the bat and goes a foot in front of the plate, Arencibia looks Andino back to second and throws to first to get Hardy the out. One down. Markakis, full count, outside ball four. Two on one down. Jones, and that is the end of Litsch, once again not a good outing from Jesse. Camp now pitching. Keep those fingers crossed here. Oh boy hits him in the back first pitch !!!!!!!! Bases loaded for guess who. Guerrero who already has three hit day. This is the game right here. You need a ground ball and badly Shawn. 1-2 count, not good enough, slow grounder to Escobar, only one play to first to get Guerrero, run scores 6-6 game. Two down. Wieters fly ball to McCoy in centre for the out but Litsch and Camp do more than enough damage here.

Top 8th: Back to square one for the hitters, you have to be sympathetic with them, their bullpen continually letting them down. Kelly Johnson leading off. 2-3 today. Eyre still out there. 3-1 count, High and inside, ball four. Leadoff walk for Johnson. Lawrie, this guy can do some damage, OH BOY YES HE DOES. Explodes on this pitch, high and into the front left field seats, here comes Johnson here comes Lawrie, two run home run 8-6 Jays. WOW. Arencibia,1-2 strikes out swinging, one down for McCoy bunting and perfect finally, up third base line no chance for Andino. He has been trying that bunt forever. One on one down for Escobar. 1-2 count, Bounces to Hardy at short, long throw not in time to get Escobar at first. And that is the end of Willie Eyre today. Zach Phillips now pitching. Thames with two on and one down. Phillips throwing slow stuff at him. Full count, strikes out swinging. Bautista with two on and two down, watch this guy`s off-speed stuff Jose. No, not getting the chance. Another pitching change, Vandenhurk, 2-2 Jose strikes out swinging. But Jays are back in this game.
Bottom 8th: Rauch now pitching, first game after the DL. Reynolds, strikes out, one down for Reimold, full count, high fly ball to McCoy in centre, two down. Adams, 2-1 lines to Bautista in right, three up and down, nice inning for Rauch.

Top 9th: Jays would love to add a couple more here. Lind leading off, Vandenhurk still pitching. 3-0 count, ball for, leadoff walk. Encarnacion, 0-4 today, from one extreme to another after last night. 2-0 count, six straight balls here. Oh boy, Encarnacion grounds to third, over to Adams on to Reynolds double play ball. Why did he not take that ball? Johnson, lines it to opposite field in left a stand up double, no thanks to Encarnacion and his double play. Lawrie again with Kelly in scoring position, needs a triple here for the cycle. That is possible with this guy. 0-2 count, fly ball to Markakis in right for the out.
Bottom 9th: Francisco now pitching. Wise in for Thames in left. Top of the order. Andino, 2-0 count, come on Frankie, oh man high ball three. Villanueva already warming up. There`s a strike and another, full count, fly ball to centre but McCoy has it for the first out. Hardy, 0-2 count, grounds to Lawrie, throw to Lind, two down for Markakis. 1-2 count, bounces to Johnson at second, throw to Lind for the final out. Jays win 8-6.

Camp gets the win, Francisco save number 12.

Jays win the series and continue the hitting spree with 13 more today after the 20 last night. Let`s hope they are tuning up for New York weekend and Boston back in Toronto. The newbie’s Lawrie and Johnson do it again with six of the thirteen hits, two home runs and three RBIs. Johnson looking more and more comfortable in this line-up. Sorry Aaron.

The very good: Kelly Johnson home run. Lawrie`s two run home run as Orioles had just tied it up 6-6. Escobar four hit game, Johnson and Lawrie both with three hits.
Not so good: Perez was fine to start but had two very poor innings giving up two runs in the fifth and sixth to let the Orioles back in the game. Encarnacion a lousy game 0-5 but his grounding into a double play in bottom of the 8th on the first pitch after watching the pitcher make six straight balls, was the killer, not least when next hitter Johnson singles into left. That is the type of out that makes me not too concerned if Edwin is traded on the off-season. Litsch and Camp were rocky and did nothing much to help although Camp gets the win. He can thank Johnson and Lawrie.