Jays win with Morrow and the Lawrie and Johnson show

Jays v Indians. Game two of three.

Jays back in action after an off day but welcome after the marathon 16 innings win to start the season. Lots of buzz around the team during Spring and continuing with the first win. Can Morrow provide a good start today? Bullpen did a magnificent job day one and showed what many observer think will be the Jays strength this season. Not much attention has been paid to the two long relief guys for the Jays, Perez and Villanueva. A far cry from the Tallet days and if they are not overworked in the first weeks of the season should be a great insurance for the starters. But most of us are hoping for more than the five innings from the start that Romero provided in game one. This was the major issue last season and resulted in the bullpen overused in early season.

Lineups: Jays: Escobar, Johnson, Bautista, Lind, Encarnacion, Lawrie, Thames, Arencibia, Rasmus and Morrow pitching.
Indians: Brantley, Cabrera, Choo, Santana, Hafner, Duncan, Kotchman, Kipnis, Hannahan and Jiminez pitching.

Top 1st: Escobar, grounds to short, throw to first one down. Johnson, going after first pitch, great swing but not far enough in centre, two down for Bautista. Full count, grounds to third, throw to first to end the inning.
Bottom 1st: Brantley leading off, goes after high pitch, strikes out swinging, one down. Cabrera, full count, ball four, one on, one down for Choo, have Cabrera picked off on throw by Arencibia to Johnson, out in rundown, that was not a smart move by Cabrera, two down, grounds back up the middle to Escobar, throw to Lind to end that inning.

Top 2nd: Lind leading off. Gets under it, high pop up to second, one down. Encarnacion, that would hurt as he fouls it off his foot. Gets hold of this one but dies in left, nice home run swing by Edwin but not enough. Lawrie, strikes out swinging.
Bottom 2nd: Santana leading off. Pulls first pitch to Johnson at second, throw to Lind, one down. Hafner, high fly ball to left for Thames, two down for Duncan. Full count, ball four, second walk by Morrow, his old bugbear. Kotchman with one on, another full count, Duncan running, a nubber back to Romero, throw to Lind for final out. All pitching so far with the edge to Jiminez.

Top 3rd: Bottom third of the order. Thames, fly ball to centre, one down. Arencibia, full count, strikes out swinging. Rasmus with two down. Colby has had some previous success with Jiminez. Not this time, goes after first pitch and pops it up to short. Three up and down, much too easy for Jiminez so far.
Bottom 3rd: Kipnis leading off. 3-0 Morrow losing the zone here. Grounds to Johnson at second, throw to Lind, one down. Hannahan, another full count. High fly ball to Rasmus in centre. Two down. Top of the order again Brantley. Bounces a chopper to Escobar, throw to Lind to end the inning.

Top 4th: Jays yet to get a base runner, Jiminez cruised easily through the order first time through. Escobar, grounds to second, throw to first one down. Johnson, good battle here fouling them off, not this time high pop up to left for the out, nice catch by Duncan sliding on the track. Bautista, 3-0 what’s new. Full count, Jose though it was ball four. Lines this one to left centre. Jiminez perfect through four.
Bottom 4th: Cabrera, gets hold of this one but dies in right. Bautista does not have to move. Choo, same big hit but Rasmus has it for second out. Santana, pulls it to right but Bautista makes the catch to end the best inning yet for Morrow. 57 pitch count though after four.

Top 5th: Can the Jays get going here????? Lind leading off. 3-1 count, slices it to left for the easy out. One down for Encarnacion. Home run swing for Edwin but off-speed pitch fooled him. High pop up to short. Two down. Lawrie, takes strike three inside. Jiminez rolling along with Jays unable to fathom him out even for a hit. 64 pitch count.
Bottom 5th: Hafner, full count, grounds to Lind, takes it himself for the out. Duncan, high pop up to Lawrie in foul ground, two down. Kotchman, oh no, off the end of the bat in front of plate but Arencibia throw gets away from Lind. Kipnis, with Kotchman at first. Full count, oh boy, this one is trouble, hammers this one, high and into the seats over a leaping Bautista in right. 2-0 Indians. Hannahan, takes strike three to end the inning but the damage is done and two might be more than enough for Jiminez the way he has dominated Jays hitters so far. Pitch count for Morrow at 83.

Top 6th: Thames leading off, grounds to second, throw to first, one down, bring back Travis....... Arencibia, first pitch grounds to third, throw to first, two down. Rasmus, 3-1 count, ball four. First base runner for the Jays. Escobar, now Jiminez has base runner to disrupt him as he throws over to first. Keep on him Colby. Fly ball to right for the out, but Jays have at least ruined the perfect game for Jiminez.
Bottom 6th: Brantley, grounds to Johnson, throw to Lind for the first out. Cabrera, fly ball to Rasmus in centre, two down. Choo, full count, hammers it back at Morrow knocks it down and throw to first just gets him as the throw is in the dirt for Lind. But inning accomplished and Morrow into the 7th which is some achievement for him.

Top 7th: Jays running out of time with Jiminez to get to him. Johnson leading off. 3-0 count, Jays hitters a little more patient here. Outside ball four, runner on for Bautista. Home run swing but fouls it off. Fly ball to right, confusion out there but centre field makes the catch. Lind with one down and Johnson at first. Full count, there goes Kelly but low ball four. Jays have two runners on for first time in the game, that is how dominant Jiminez has been, but Jays need to score. Bullpen for the Indians working, Encarnacion with two on. Pops it up to shallow right. Two down for Lawrie yet to get a hit the first two games. Pitch gets away runners move up but throw to second looks as if Lind was out. Jays have runner at second and third for first time in the game. Yes Brett, drives it into shallow right here comes Johnson, here comes Lind. Game all tied up 2-2. One on for Thames grounds to second throw to first for the out. Another vote for Travis... but Jays are on the board.
Bottom 7th: Santana, Jays bullpen working. Full count, high ball four. Shift on for Hafner with Lawrie behind first. Strikes out swinging. Duncan, nice play, grounds to Lawrie over to Johnson over to Lind double play ball. Morrow out of the inning. 106 pitches, those three walks hurt him.

Top 8th: Sidearmer Joe Smith now pitching. Tough for Jiminez, he pitched very well. Arencibia strikes out swinging. Rasmus, strikes out swinging. Escobar, grounds to second throw to first to end a quick three up and down.
Bottom 8th: Oliver now pitching. Kotchman, whoa the Lawrie show, grounds hard to Lawrie’s left Brett fields it in front of Escobar !!! whirls and throw to Lind, great play. Kipnis, grounds to Johnson, throw to Lind, two down. Hannahan, pops it up to Johnson at second.

Top 9th: Johnson leading off, Pestano now pitching. Full count, OH YES, Kelly hammers this one high into centre and just over the wall, home run and Jays go out ahead 3-2. Bautista, hits him, revenge plunk by Pestano, noted by Jays bullpen. Jose did not look surprised, must have been anticipating it. Lind, with one on. Santos warming up. Lines it to second for the out. Jose scrambles back to first. One down one on for Encarnacion. Way off with that swing Edwin. Takes third strike. Not a great at bat Edwin. Lawrie, does it again, slices it to right and Jose all the way to third to beat the throw, nice base running by Jose. That is it for Pestano. Two on two down for pinch hitter for Thames, Rajai Davis to face new pitcher Rafael Perez. Lines it hard to left but right at the fielder. Jays have the lead.
Bottom 9th: Brantley facing Santos. Bounces it off the plate to Santos, throw to Lind for the out. Cabrera, OH NO!!!! Hammers this one high to right, no chance for Jose, into the seats for home run and tie run 3-3 game. Santos has first blown save of the season. Choo, pops it up high to left for Davis to make nice running catch two down. Santana two down, 2-2 count, grounds to Johnson, throw to Lind and another extra innings game.

Top 10th: Arencibia leading off facing Perez. High pop up to left centre for the out. Rasmus, still looking for a hit today, pulls this hard and high to right but at the fielder. Two down for Escobar, pulls it to third, throw to first beats Escobar.
Bottom 10th: Janssen now pitching. Hafner pops it up to Davis in left, one down. Duncan, strikes out swinging, nice pitch Casey, two down. Kotchman, Casey to Casey. Takes strike three, great pitching Casey.
Top 11th: Chris Perez now pitching. 36 saves last season. Tough inning for Jays. Johnson lines first pitch to Kipnis at second for the out. Bautista, puts it in play to second but throw to Kotchman at first beats him out, two down for Lind. Takes third strike. It will not be long before Lind starts dropping down the order, he is no protection for Jose.

Bottom 11th: Kipnis facing Janssen, full count, come on Casey. Fly ball to Davis in left centre. Hannahan, fly ball to Davis in left, two down. Top of the order Brantley. Grounds to Johnson, throw to Lind to end this inning. Casey did his job.
Top 12th: Sipp now pitching. Encarnacion leading off. Off the wall in left, stand up double for Edwin. All or nothing with Edwin. Here comes Lawrie, can he do it again? Yes he can, singles to right, Encarnacion held up to see if it would be caught and could only get to third. Davis, with Lawrie at first and Edwin at third. This will do, drives it into right centre here comes Edwin but look at Lawrie go, speed kills, and scores from first base. 5-3 Jays. Davis at second. Arencibia, full count, strikes out. Rasmus, one down, there goes Rajai and safe at third. Yes Colby, his first hit of the season into right and here comes Davis, 6-3 Jays. Colby happy guy. That is it for Sipp. Ex Red-Sox Dan Wheeler to face Escobar, full count, lines to second but Rasmus moving on the pitch and safe, Escobar out at first on the throw. Two down for Johnson, lines it up the middle of the glove of Kipnis and here comes Colby with his speed scores easily, 7-3 Jays. Bautista with one on. Outside ball four, what a surprise, Jose walks again. Lind now, time for him to contribute. Johnson at second, Jose at first. Fly ball to Brantley in centre to end the inning.
Bottom 12th: Cordero now pitching. Cabrera, full count, lines it back up the middle. Choo, pops it up to Lawrie, one down. Santana, singles into right, Cabrera to third. Two on one down for Hafner, singles to left, here comes Cabrera, 7-4 Jays. Duncan, with two on. Full count, grounds it to Lawrie diving at third, throw to second to get the force on Hafner, great play, two down. Kotchman, runners at first and third. Grounds to Johnson throw to Lind for the out. Jays win 7-4. Janssen gets the win Cordero gets the save.

Can they sweep tomorrow?

The very good: Brett Lawrie with the bat and the glove, Kelly John son with the home run, Rasmus with his first hit. Morrow with the ball.
The not so good: Santos blowing the save in the 9th.