Romero wins behind good hitting and defensive plays

Jays v Royals. Game three of four of the series. Jays going for a series win today with Romero pitching. BUT as Boston found out yesterday nothing is a given not even a nine run lead. However Jays take a lot of positives into today’s game not least the amazing performance of Rasmus last night. Three hit 4 RBIs but the two home runs were what some Jays fans have been waiting for. The first rocket to left was one of the best we have seen from any Jay including Jose since the Delgado and Green days. The speed of those hands and turning on a pitch is what made that ball get out of there so fast. To be followed with another the next at bat showed that Rasmus is seeing that ball very well right now and no Jays fan is complaining. Hutchison also obviously a good news story and maybe a keeper. Downside was Santos shoulder and being closed down for a while, let’s hope not for long but Jays management must be very relieved that they have Cordero as a backup. Today Farrell going to his bench for help. Lineups: Jays: Escobar, Vizquel, Bautista, Encarnacion, Rasmus, Lawrie, Francisco, Davis, Arencibia and Romero pitching. Good to see Vizquel starting a game and there should not be much lost in defence compared to Johnson, Edwin at first for Lind, let’s hope this is a new Edwin from last season in the field. Francisco as DH, has the power that Edwin has but has not shown it yet. Davis for Thames, more speed but maybe not much advantage anywhere else. Jays will get a good look at their bench depth if nothing else. Rasmus also moving up the lineup. Royals: Bourgeois, Gordon, Butler, Hosmer, Betancourt, Francoeur, Moustakas, Quintero, Escobar and Danny Duffy pitching. Top 1st: Escobar leading off. Fly ball to right for the out. One down for Vizquel, most of these players were probably not born when Omar started to play in the majors. 3-1 count, low ball four. Did his job getting on for Bautista. Poor Jose, not much going right for him at the moment at least. 3-1 count, it would help if the pitchers threw him something in the zone. Low ball four, the 100th walk this season or so it seems like. Two on for Ecarnacion. 2-2 count, grounds to short, throw to second gets Jose but not Encarnacion at first as Vizquel gets to third on the play. Two down two on for Rasmus. 2-2 count, high full count, Edwin takes second without a throw. Down and away and Colby goes after it. Strike three called. 26 pitches for Duffy to start. Bottom 1st: Jason Bourgeois leading off, 3-0, Ricky lost his strike zone. That was ball four but Bourgeois went after it. Bounces to Lawrie, throw to Encarnacion at first, one down for Gordon, singles into shallow centre, one on one down for Butler, that’s the way, grounds to Escobar, to Vizquel over to Encarnacion double play to end the inning. 10 pitches. Top 2nd: Lawrie, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging, one down for Ben Francisco, nice, grounds hard to third, Moustakas throw gets away from Hosmer at first and Francisco all the way to second. Error to Moustakas. Davis, bring him in Rajai. Pokes it to first but out on the play at first. Francisco moves up to third base. Arencibia, also a hot bat recently. Lines this one high and hard to left but a long out. Jays threaten but that is all. 40 pitches. Bottom 2nd: Hosmer, singles to left, one on for Betancourt. 1-2 count, grounds to Lawrie throw to first no chance for double play as Hosmer was running on the play. One down for Francouer, gets hold of this high to left but dies and Davis has it for the out, relay back to second not in time as Hosmer scrambles back in time. Moustakas, two down runner at second, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging to end the inning. 24 pitch count. Ricky will take that for two innings. Top 3rd: Escobar, 1-2 count, grounds to second, throw to first, one down for Vizquel. Full count, 8 pitches already to Omar. Strikes out swinging but it took 9 pitches for Duffy. Two down for Bautista, 3-1 count, outside ball four, yet another walk for Jose, two today already. Encarnacion, drives first pitch to centre for the out. 58 pitch count, Bottom 3rd: Quintero, strikes out swinging, one down for Escobar, high fly ball to Rasmus in centre, two down. Bourgeois, 3-0 ball four, come on Ricky. Gordon, pitch out, not going. There goes Bourgeois but Arencibia has problem with the ball and no throw. Safe at second. 1-2 count, that better, strikes out swinging. 40 pitch count. Top 4th: Rasmus leading off. Strikes out swinging, one down for Lawrie fly ball to Bourgeois in shallow centre for the second out. Francisco, full count, singles back up the middle. Davis, two down, one on, no, no, they have Francisco picked off. And out on the throw. 77 pitches. Bottom 4th: Butler, 2-2 count, bounces to Lawrie at third, throw to first for the out. Hosmer with one down. 2-2 count, whoa hammers it back at Romero, great grab by Ricky and throw to first for the out. Hosmer can’t believe that play. Betancourt, 2-2 count, pops it up to Rasmus in shallow centre. 56 pitch count. Top 5th: Davis leading off. Maybe he can get something going if he can get on base this time. 2-2 count, perfect this is trouble lines it to the wall in left, going for three, changes his mind rounding second and stumbles, back to second. Smart move with nobody out. Arencibia, with Rajai at second, for now at least. 3-0 count, Duffy one eye on Rajai. Full count, just a base hit JP. Low ball four. Two on and nobody out. Escobar, Mound conference, if they break go to third with the throw? There goes Rajai, safe on the throw. Singles to right, here comes Rajai, 1-0 Jays. Vizquel. Two on nobody out. 2-2, lines to left for the out. One down for Bautista, 100 pitch count. 1-1 count, Yes Jose, singles off the glove Arencibia slides and scores 2-0 Jays and Jose happy man. Encarnacion with runners in scoring position, intentional walk. Rasmus with bases loaded. 1-2 count, strikes out swinging, two down. Lawrie bases still loaded. That’s the way my boy, singles into right here comes Escobar and Jose, 4-0 Jays. And the end of the road today for Duffy 114 pitches. He struggled from first inning but Jays had not taken advantage until this inning. Coleman, Lind pinch hitting for Francisco. Encarnacion at third and Lawrie at first, Grounds back to Coleman throw to first for the out but Jays have broken this one open for Romero. Bottom 5th: Francouer, 2-2 count, golfs this one to left, strange stroke but effective. One on for Moustakas, 0-2 count, pops it up to shallow centre, two on, nobody out. Romero in trouble for the first time today. Quintero. 3-0 count, don’t load them out. Ball four bases loaded with nobody out. Real trouble now with tie run !!! at the plate. Let’s see what Romero has here. Escobar, OH boy, grounds to Vizquel throw to Escobar throw to first wide and two runs score, 4-2 jays. Error to Escobar on that throw he had the time. One down. Bourgeois, there goes the runner Escobar and throw high, safe at second, Jays falling apart here, tie run at second. Grounds to Vizquel throw to first for the out, Escobar to third, two down. Gordon grounds to Vizquel, throw to Encarnacion for third out. Top 6th: Davis leading off, Jays need to get this runs back. 2-2 count, pops it up to first for the out. Arencibia, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging. Two down for Escobar, chance to redeem himself for that terrible throw last inning. Full count, grounds to short, throw to first as Escobar ambles down the line to end the inning. Bottom 6th: This game is not over by any means. Romero no time to take it easy. Butler, grounds to Lawrie fumbles it twice but throw still beats Butler, nice play Brett. One down for Hosmer, fly ball to left, Davis slips but still makes a circus catch on his knees for second out. Betancourt. Strikes out swinging. Three up and down, exactly what Romero needed. 83 pitches. Top 7th: Vizquel, pops it up into shallow right for the out. Bautista, ok Jose, you had a good at bat last time with that RBI single, do it again. Just misses with that monster shot left, full count, low ball four his third walk of the day. But much better than the two double plays he had last night. Mijares warming up in bullpen. Encarnacion, 2-2 count, high pop up to right. Two down for Rasmus, that is it for Coleman, he saved Royals and closed Jays down for almost three innings. Three strikeouts today for Colby, not this time, grounds to third, throw to first just gets him for the out. Bottom 7th: Francouer leading off. Grounds to Lawrie, throw to Encarnacion at first, one down. Moustakas, 1-2 count, doubles to left, Quintero grounds to Lawrie, looks Francouer back to second and throw to Encarnacion to get second out. Escobar,1-2 count, Frasor warming up. grounds to namesake Escobar throw to Encarnacion for the out. 11 pitch inning for Ricky. 94 pitch count. Top 8th: Lawrie leading off, 3-1 count, low ball four, one on for Lind, 0-2 count, fly ball to left for the out, Lawrie holds at first. One down for Davis. That’s it for Mijares, Jeremy Jefress now pitching. Thames pinch hitting for Davis. Pops it up to left, two down for Arencibia, singles to right, Lawrie all the way to third. Escobar with two on, there goes Arencibia throw to second and here comes Lawrie, safe on the relay to the plate, delayed steal, and scores 5-2 Jays. Singles to right, Arencibia to third. Vizquel, grounds to first for the out, but Jays have an insurance run. Bottom 8th: Romero out to start this one at least. Bourgeois leading off. Grounds to Lawrie off his body and Bourgeois safe. Error to Lawrie. Gordon, lines it to Rasmus to make the catch, Bourgeois retreats to first, one down for Butler, they have him picked off, Vizquel tags him out two down. 2-2 count strikes out, throw to first. 104 pitches for Romero. Top 9th: Bautista at bat, lines it back at Jeffress and bounces off his pitching arm to third, throw to first, that would hurt. Coaches gather but he says he is ok. One down for Encarnacion, 3-1 count, drives it over the head of Bourgeois to the wall in centre, stand up double for Edwin. Rasmus, 3-1 count, low ball four, not giving Colby much there, his reputation from last night’s game. Two on for Lawrie, pitcher number five Aaron Crow. 2-1 count, grounds to second throw to first just gets Lawrie, both runners move up. Lind with two in scoring position, first pitch grounds to short throw to first to get Lind. Not a great at bat by Adam with two in scoring position. Bottom 9th: Cordero now pitching, Hosmer, 2-2 count, whoa nice play, grounds to Lawrie great off balance throw on the money to Encarnacion, Acton Jay says “a thing of beauty”, I agree. Betancourt, full count, low ball four. We don’t need any drama here. Finish them off. Francouer, this is big trouble, lines it to the gap in right centre or a double, Betancourt at third, tie run at the plate. Oh boy. Moustakas. Grounds it off Cordero, bounces to short, here comes the run, 5-3, go ahead run at the plate. Quintero, that’s better, grounds to Vizquez flip to Escobar over to Encarnacion double play to end this one. Cordero gets the save but high drama at the end makes it much closer than needed to be. Romero gets well deserved win. Morrow starts game four tomorrow as Jays go for the sweep. The very good: Romero kept his pitch count down throughout, just one inning where it came unglued and let Royals back in the game. The good: Lawrie and Arencibia on the double steal for Lawrie to score. Some good defensive plays . Four stolen bases by Jays runners. Two double plays when they needed them most. Bautista on base four times and with RBI. Not so good: runners in scoring position today 4-14. Royals get the tie run to the plate twice and go ahead run in the 9th. This one was closer than the score suggests.