Jays get good pitching but same old problem with runners in scoring position as they lose second game to the White Sox

Jays v White Sox. Game two of three.

Jays lose a close one last night that they could have and should have won. But when you only hit 1-10 with runners in scoring position you do not deserve to win. The biggest bugbear of this team throughout the season, the inability to get key hits. Forget the home runs, it is the singles that are far more important. Tell that to Encarnacion after his six impotent at bats with bases loaded in the last ten days. Tonight Henderson Alvarez pitching and he has been a great surprise for the Jays in the last month. However Jays have a tough pitcher against them in Buehrle. His last game of the contract and you know he wants to go out with bang tonight.

Line-ups: Jays: McCoy, Thames, Bautista, Lind, Molina, Johnson, Arencibia, Rasmus,Teahen and Alvarez pitching.
White Sox: Pierre, De Aza, Ramirez, Pierzynski, Flowers, Dunn, Viciedo, Morel, Beckham, and Buehrle pitching.

Top 1st: McCoy, full count, takes strike three. One down for Thames. Grounds to third, throw to first two down for Bautista, back in right field tonight. Pops it up but Ramirez drops it in foul ground, life for Jose. Singles next pitch into left. Lind, horrible night last night. 0-2 count, strikes out swinging at that high fast ball.
Bottom 1st: Pierre leading off, grounds to Lind, flip to Alvarez, just gets Pierre at first. De Aza, with one down, fly ball to Thames in left, two down. Ramirez, full count, strikes out swinging. Nice inning. 13 pitch count.

Top 2nd: Both Buehrle and Alvarez working fast. Molina, lines this one to left, stand up double, lead off guy in scoring position. Johnson, grounds to Beckham at second, throw to Dunn and Molina goes to third. Arencibia, pops up to Pierzynski, two down. Rasmus, strikes out. Leadoff doubles is wasted. Pitch count 35.
Bottom 2nd: Pierzynski, grounds to Teahen, throw to Lind, one down for Flowers, gets hold of this one, high fly ball to centre and over the fence at the 400ft mark, home run Flowers. His second against the Jays in two games. And White Sox have the early lead 1-0. Dunn, strikes out. Poor guy, listen to that crowd. Two down. Viciedo, grounds to Teahen at third long throw but Lind drops the ball. Morel, full count, strikes out swinging. Alvarez pitch count 34.

Top 3rd: Meantime Buehrle mowing down these Jays tonight, Teahen, oh he breaks his bat as he lifts it into left shallow left. Lucky guy. McCoy, bunting and a great bunt throw to first and Beckham covering drops the ball as McCoy slides under the tag anyway. Thames, oh no, come on Eric, grounds to Ramirez, steps on the bag at second throw to first double play. Teahen to third but two down. That was a horrible play after getting the first two on base with nobody out. You don’t get many chances with Buehrle. Bautista with Teahen at third. 2-0 count, pops it up into shallow left. 42 pitches.
Bottom 3rd: Beckham singles into left, one on for Pierre, pops it up and great sliding catch by Teahen to make the play. Very nice play. One down for De Aza, there goes Beckham, Molina gets him with great throw to second, two down. De Aza singles to centre, that out by Beckham is huge now. Ramirez grounds to throw Lind makes great catch with foot on the bag for third out. 45 pitch count.

Top 4th: Lind leading off grounds first pitch to second throw to the bag, quick first pitch out. Molina, grounds to Ramirez at short, throw to Dunn for second out. Rasmus, again first pitch swinging, this time a single into centre. One on two down, Arencibia, full count, that was too close JP, not taking this one, strikes out swinging. 56 pitch count.
Bottom 4th: Pierzynski, grounds to Lind, throw to Alvarez for the out. Flowers full count, grounds to Teahen at third, long throw to Lind but gets him. Two down for Dunn, 2-2 count, Dunn questioning the count, weird umpire now goes off the field, scoreboard is wrong? No, full count it is. Now Alvarez strikes him out, that was a long wait for him, more boos for Dunn.

Top 5th: Rasmus leading off. 2-2 count, strikes out looking. Teahen first pitch grounds off the glove of Buehrle up the middle to Beckham but throw beats him to the bag. Two down. Rain is here, lots of it. McCoy grounds to Beckham, throw to Dunn for third out. Jays are rushing this game and making quick outs. 65 pitch count for Buehrle.
Bottom 5th: Viciedo, pops it up to Lind for first out. Morel, fly ball to Rasmus in centre, two down. Beckham, pulls it to the wall in left, stand up double. Two down one in scoring position. Pierre, grounds to McCoy throw to Lind just gets Pierre, that guy can fly. 74 pitch count.

Top 6th: Thames leading off, strikes out. Bautista, singles into left centre, second hit tonight, problem is nobody is joining him. Lind, 2-1 count, grounds to Beckham, throw to Ramirez, over to Dunn, yet another double play and Edwin is not even in the line-up.
Bottom 6th: De Aza leading off. Lines it down the line past Lind into right, stand up double. Ramirez, pops it up to Johnson for the out. Pierzynski lines it to Bautista in right, throw beats De Aza but Molina not blocking the plate and De Aza scores 2-0 White Sox. Flowers with Pierzynski at first. 1-2 count, Flowers grounds to Teahen, throw to Johnson over to Lind, no chance for double play, but two down for Dunn. Flowers at first. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, third time tonight, poor guy listen to those boos. Pitch count 91.

Top 7th: Jays running out of time again tonight to get it going and I don’t think lightning will strike twice as with last night’s two run uprising in the 9th. Molina leading off, has the only extra base hit for the Jays tonight. Pops it up into shallow right and ball drops just inside the line Molina safe at first, Johnson, full count, bounces to Morel at third, throw to second but Beckham drops the ball, both runners safe. Error to Beckham. Arencibia soft pop up to Ramirez, one down. Runners hold. Rasmus, need a big one Colby. 90 pc grounds to Beckham throw to Ramirez gets Johnson but no chance to get Rasmus, two down two on for Teahen. 1-2 count, grounds to third, throw to Dunn for third out. Jays leave two more out there. Will Buehrle get the shutout? Pitch count 97.
Bottom 7th: Tough outing for Alvarez, has had no run support but pitched well enough for a win. Viciedo, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, one down, Morel, 1-2 count, grounds to McCoy, throw to Lind, two down, Beckham lines this hard to third but great play by Teahen and throw to Lind for third out. Nice quick inning for Alvarez. 102 pitch count.

Top 8th: That is it for Buehrle, may be his last game after twelve seasons. Now can the Jays hitters ruin it? Crain now pitching, McCoy leading off. 2-2 count, that’s the way Mikey, lines this onto the seats in left, home run McCoy, if he can do it the others can. 2-1 White Sox. Thames, full count, have to get on base Eric. Takes ball four inside. Bautista with one on, your time Jose. 1-2 count, crowd has gone quiet here, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, one down. Lind, that is it for Crain. Chris Sale lefty lefty matchup. Now Adam, time for you to come through here. 1-2 count, strikes out swinging. Awful at bat. Two down for Molina. 0-2 count, there goes Thames, throw down and out at second on the throw. Oh boy.
Bottom 8th: Casey Janssen now pitching. Pierre leading off. Grounds back to Janssen throw to Lind for the out. De Aza, 0-2 count, strikes out swinging on three pitches. Two down, here comes Farrell, no, ah well. Camp now pitching. Ramirez, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging.

Top 9th: Jays last chance. Molina, Sale still pitching. 2-2 count, takes strike three, one down for Johnson. 0-2, strikes out swinging on three pitches, didn’t have a clue. Memo to Alex, we need switch hitters in this line-up. Arencibia, that will do JP lines it into left, Wise pinch running now for JP this is the tying run. Woodward for Rasmus, grounds to Morel, throw to Dunn for the out. Jays come close but this result was never in doubt.

Once again runners in scoring position, 0-8 tonight, how bad is that? Jays outhit the White Sox 8-7 but unable to make them count once again.

Jays ending the season on a sour note, trying to avoid the sweep tomorrow and with Morrow pitching you will not be placing any bets. With 80 wins they are at least 10 wins behind the team above them with one to play and 17 behind the Yankees. This team still has lots of work to do to think of competing in the East.

The very good: Has to be Alvarez, Molina with two hits, really have to wonder why they do not use him to pinch hit when he is not starting. McCoy with his home run to make it close.
Not so good: Thames the goat again tonight, he just has no baseball sense, lots of raw talent but never appears to use his head in situational hitting. Compare him to Lawrie and the way he approaches the game.