Santos self-destructs again to ruin Jays fine game

April 9. 2012. Opening Day at Rogers Center. The last plug for Rogers tonight I promise.

Jays have Boston in town to open up the home stand. Red Sox slinking out of Detroit 0-3 but to be fair there will be many other teams in that situation against a very strong Tigers team this season. Jays on a high leaving Cleveland 2-1 although they could and should have swept the Indians with bases loaded in the 9th yesterday. They had their chances to make a huge statement and no one more than Bautista, he will not forget that at bat. Don’t be fooled by Red Sox pitcher Doubront, Jays have a habit of not doing well against unknown pitchers. Jays still have some issues with the bat of Rasmus, Escobar 2-19 slow to get going, Thames not playing tonight, the crowd should be the 10th man but the adrenalin for the Jays may cancel them out early.

Lineups: Red Sox: Ellsbury, Pedroia, Gonzalez, Youkilis, Ortiz, Ross, Sweeney, Saltalamacchia Aviles and Felix Doubront pitching.
Jays: Escobar, Johnson, Bautista, Encarnacion, Lind, Lawrie, Davis, Arencibia, Rasmus and Henderson Alvarez pitching.

Top 1st: Ellsbury leading off, grounds to Lind at first, takes it himself for the out. One down for Pedroia. Bounces to Lawrie playing in at third, throw to Lind for second out. Gonzalez, full count, strikes out swinging over the pitch. Nice start for Alvarez.
Bottom 1st: Escobar leading off. Yunel showing some patience here. Full count. Lines it to Ellsbury in shallow centre, nine pitch at bat to show the lineup what Doubront has. Good at bat Yunel. Johnson, 5-14, good start this weekend. Another full count, down ball four, one on for Bautista. Grounds to Pedroia at second flip to short, over to first double play ball.

Top 2nd: Youkilis leading off, grounds to Escobar, throw to Lind for first out. Ortiz, shift right on Ortiz with Lawrie playing shallow right field. Singles into left. So much for the shift. Ross, perfect, grounds to Escobar, throw to Johnson over to Lind, just gets Ross for the double play. Great play by Escobar. Pitch count 25.
Bottom 2nd: Encarnacion hitting above Lind tonight. Full count, lines to Sweeney in right field, one down. Lind, strikes out, Lawrie to a great reception, singles to left. Davis, with two down and one on. Lawrie distracting Doubront, 3-1 count, gets a life here as the pop up just out of reach into the dugout. Full count, Lawrie running, Davis pops it up to Ellsbury in centre. High pitch count at 37.
Top 3rd: Sweeney, grounds to Lawrie at third, knocks it down but strong throw beats runner, one down for Saltalamacchia, full count, oh wow, lines it to centre but great catch by Rasmus as he dives full length on running catch to get Saltalamacchia and rob him of at least a double. Aviles, strikes out swinging. Pitch count 40.

Bottom 3rd: Arencibia, strike three looking, one down for Rasmus, nice ovation for Colby after that catch. Lines it all the way to the wall in right centre, Colby turning on the jets and all the way to third to beat the throw easily, triple for Colby. Escobar, one down one on, 3-0 count, ball four outside, Johnson with two on. Off the end of his bat to Doubront, throw home Rasmus slides under the tag, safe and other runners also safe. 1-0 Jays. Bautista now with runners at first and second. Fly ball to Sweeney in right centre, last three at bats by Jose have been a bust with runners on, has left 6 runners on, ouch. Encarnacion, two down two on. That’s better, drives it into left, here comes Escobar to score 2-0 Jays. Lind, with Johnson in scoring position at second. 2-2 count, bounces to Pedroia at second, throw to first for third out. Lind leaves two out there but Jays have the early lead. Pitch count 59. Yankees beating Baltimore 4-1.

Top 4th: Top of the Red Sox order. Ellsbury, fly ball to left but Davis makes the catch, one down for Pedroia. Fly ball to centre for Rasmus to take it, two down. Gonzalez, full count, ball four. One on two down for ever dangerous Youkilis. Full count, wow what a play, grounds it to third, Lawrie makes a great stop and throw to first for the out. Great defensive play saved a double and maybe a run. Pitch count 61.
Bottom 4th: Lawrie leading off. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, one down for Davis, strikes out swinging. Arencibia, two down. Full count, outside ball four. One on two down for Rasmus. Pulls it hard to right but Gonzalez is there holding on Arencibia at first and makes the out. If JP had not been on base that would have been in the right field corner for a double. 79 pitch count.

Top 5th: Ortiz leading off. Shift right on for Ortiz and grounds to Lawrie behind first base, one down. Shift worked that time. Ross, full count, singles up the middle. Sweeney, one on one down. 0-2 count, this is trouble, lines it to left and bounces into the crowd for ground rule double. Two in scoring position for Saltalamacchia, perfect grounds to Lind, runs to first base and holds Sweeney at third. Two down. Aviles, with two on, 0-2 count, grounds to Lawrie throw to Lind at first to get Aviles and preserve the score. 78 pitch count.
Bottom 5th: Top of the Jays order. Escobar, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging. Johnson with one down, singles back up the middle. One on for Bautista, can he do something here? full count, Johnson running, horrible swing by Jose, pops it up to Youkilis at third for the out. Jose has left seven on base in his last four at bats. Encarnacion, 2-2 count, takes strike three. 101 pitch count. Yankees leading 6-1 against Baltimore.

Top 6th: Top of the order for Boston. Ellsbury leading off. Bounces one to Alvarez, throw to Lind for the out. Pedroia, this one is big trouble, high fly ball to left and into the crowd, home run Boston, 2-1 Jays. Gonzalez, grounds to Johnson at second, throw to Lind, two down. Youkilis, high fly ball to right centre, Bautista makes the catch to end the inning but Boston has one back. 95 pitch count, may be his last hitter.
Bottom 6th: Jays need to help out Alvarez here and get that run back. Lind leading off. Scott Atchison now pitching. Full count, strikes out swinging, one down for Lawrie. Strikes out swinging on three pitches, missed all three. Thames pinch hitting for Davis. Grounds to first steps on the bag for third out.

Top 7th: Ortiz to face Darren Oliver. 2-2 count. Drives it to Thames in left, fools the shift again. Ross with one on strikes out swinging. One down for Sweeney. Ortiz running and throw by Arencibia gets him. Great throw. Two down. 2-2 count, strikes out swinging, great off speed pitch by Oliver.
Bottom 7th: Arencibia leading off. Grounds back up the middle to Pedroia, makes the throw to first to get Arencibia. Rasmus, fly ball to centre for the out. Two down, Escobar. Bounces slowly to Youkilis playing back at third and beats throw to first easily. Johnson bounces to Pedroia at second, throw to first to get Johnson.

Top 8th: Cordero now pitching. Saltalamacchia, 2-2 count, strikes out. One down for Aviles. Grounds to Lind flip to Cordero covering the bag for second out. Top of the order Ellsbury, lines it to right, great diving catch by Lind to rob Ellsbury. Amazing catch by Lind.
Bottom 8th: Bautista leading off, not a good night for him leaving four on base in his first three at bats and bases loaded in Cleveland yesterday. Fly ball to right, 0-4 night. Encarnacion, bounces to Aviles at short, throw to first for second out. Lind, 0-2 count, strikes out ball in the dirt.

Top 9th: Santos to try to close this one out, blew his last save opportunity in Cleveland. Tough part of the order. Pedroia, home run last at bat off Alvarez. Lines first pitch off the left field wall and safe at second. Gonzalez, pitch gets away to backstop and Pedroia moves to third. Nobody out. Full count, this will do it, fly ball to Thames in left, Pedroia tags and scores 2-2 game and Santos has blown his second save in two opportunities. One down for Youkilis. Strikes out swinging, two down. Ortiz, 3-1 count, ball four outside. Ross, full count, ball four. Sweeney with two on. McDonald pinch running at second, lines it to right here comes the throw past Arencibia and McDonald scores. 3-2 game. Saltalamacchia with two runners in scoring position. 2-2 count, another wild pitch and here comes Ross with run four. Full count, ball four. Here comes Farrell. Santos booed off the field. Luis Perez now pitching. 4-2 Boston. Two runners on two down. Aviles grounds first pitch to Escobar steps on second to get Saltalamacchia and end this disastrous meltdown by Santos.
Bottom 9th: Hard to give Boston a two run lead and hope to come back. Aceves now pitching, Lawrie leading off. Jays need base runners. Bounces to short, throw to first, one down. Thames, strikes out swinging, two down. Arencibia 1-2 count, bounces to short, throw to first to end a disappointing home opener.

Great game for eight innings and ruined by Santos. Jays have a problem early in season with their closer.

The good: Double play started by Escobar in the 2nd. Rasmus great diving catch in third and his triple in third. Plus scores the first run. Lind defence at first to rob Ellsbury in the 8th. 48,743 attendance. Alvarez
The bad: Jose first two at bats leaving four runners on.
The (very) ugly: Santos blown save number two.