Jays break the losing streak with extra innings win

Jays v Athletics. Game three of four. That was one excellent game last night despite the loss. Jays scratched and clawed their way for 15 innings. Helped by the dramatic two out full count ninth three run homer by Mathis to tie the game. But also the great bullpen contributions of nine innings without a run. Farrell must have been delighted with that performance and for the future of this team when everyone is fit again. So many changes today. On the downside the recent injuries last night, Lawrie day to day with strained rib cage injury, Rasmus down with groin injury. Hechavarria, is with the club for first time and will start at third for first time in his career. Cecil on the bus to Vegas. May be just a numbers game as Jays need position players not pitchers right now and for a week until hopefully some of the injured return. Today Romero, will this be the day when he rises above the mental angst and throws a no hitter? Jays fans would gladly take seven shutout innings from Ricky today. A quality start is a must with this beaten up lineup that now looks like a AAA team. Imagine a lineup without Lawrie, Rasmus, Bautista, Lind, Arencibia, Snider ??? That is what we have today friends. Lineups: Jays: Escobar, Johnson, Encarnacion, Cooper, Davis, Gomes, Sierra, Gose, Hechavarria and Romero pitching. The bottom five are all Vegas alumni this season. On paper this is asking for a huge double figure score by the A’s, but that’s on paper and we do not play the games on paper. Athletics: Weeks, Taylor, Reddick, Carter, Gomes, Inge, Norris, Kottaras, Rosales and A. J. Griffin pitching. Top 1st: Much as I am not a fan of Escobar, I like the idea of his leading off today, he will want make statement to Farrell. I wish him luck, along with Kelly and Edwin he is the experienced lead guy today in this lineup. Full count, pops it up to right, Taylor very slow to get over and lets it drop. Same again and same result. Yunel goes the other way here and singles to centre Good start Yunel. Eight pitch at bat as well. I like that. Johnson, fly ball to Reddick in centre, one down. Encarnacion, A’s pitched around him all night last night. Playing at first today, let’s see if it makes any difference, 3-1 count, gets under this and skies it to left for the second out, but a couple of good hits in that at bat. Cooper, 2-1 count, pops up to Weeks at second. Pitch count 19. Bottom 1st: Weeks leading off. Full count, fly ball to right centre Gose tracks it down no problem, one down for Taylor, bounces up the middle Escobar makes the play and throw to Edwin, two down. Reddick, fly ball to Sierra in right for the out. Nice inning by Ricky. Nine pitch inning. Exactly what the doctor ordered. Top 2nd: Davis leading off, grounds to Carter at first, takes it himself for the out. Gomes, this is a guy who needs to break out, we have seen his power but not recently.2-2 count, fly ball to Reddick in centre, two down. Sierra, 1-1 count, oh oh, problem with Griffin, trainer and Melvin out there and he is out of here. We have seen this before many times but Jays players not other teams. Jordan Norberto now pitching. 2-2 count, bounces up the middle, throw not in time, safe. One on two down. Gose, lines it to left centre wall and here comes Sierra, throw beats him out at the plate, man this Jays base running is the pits. Butterfield was criticised last night sending Vizquel, ditto now. That should have been second and third runners, this team does not have the luxury of taking chances. Plus Butterfield has to remember these are rookies. And maybe Sierra has to remember how many outs as he did not run on contact and hesitated when the ball was hit thinking it would be caught. Bottom 2nd: Carter, full count, high ball four. Gomes, lines to Escobar, throw to Edwin but Carter back to first in time. Inge, one down one on. Bounces in front of the plate, Romero throw to second to Johnson for the out. Two down Inge at first. Norris, wild pitch gets away, we have to have at least one. Inge to second. 1-1 count, Lines it to right off the wall, here comes Inge 1-0 Oakland. Norris at second. Kottaras, 1-2 count, grounds to Edwin, makes a great diving stop and throw to Ricky for the out. Edwin saves a run there. First base is an improvement today with him out there and I think it will also help his bat. 28 pitch count. Top 3rd: Hechavarria first major league at bat. Full count, strikes out swinging, one down. Escobar, 2-2 count, grounds to short, throw to first, two down, Johnson, 2-2 count, strikes out swinging. Bottom 3rd: Rosales lines single to right, one on for Weeks, strikes out swinging, one down. Taylor, 2-0 count, perfecto, grounds to Escobar, throw to Johnson, over to Edwin double play ball. Nice. Eight pitch inning. Pitch count 36. Top 4th: Encarnacion, 1-2 count, singles up the middle. One on for Cooper. 2--1 count, Edwin running and Cooper grounds to Inge at third throw to first, no chance for two. Davis lines to left and Edwin to third. Holds at third. Davis at first. Gomes, now they have to worry about Davis at first. There he goes and throw high and Davis with steal number 29. Two in scoring position, full count, fly ball to shallow right but Edwin holds Two down for Sierra, full count, grounds to Inge throw to first to get Sierra and Jays leave two more out there. Awful. Bottom 4th: You have to feel sorry for Romero, trying to win but with a hitting lineup like this poor guy. Reddick, 2-2 count, fly ball to Davis in left for the out. One down for Carter, 1-2 count, takes strike three, nice pitch Ricky, two down. 2-2 count, pops it up to Sierra in right for third out. Pitch count 53. Must be depressing to see these small crowds when the team is leading the wild card race. What do they get when they are losing ? Top 5th: Jays have had their chances five hits. Gose, full count, pops it up to Rosales at short, one down for Hechavarria. 0-2 count, strikes out swinging. Two down for Escobar, 2-2 count, grounds to third, throw to First for the out. Bottom 5th: Inge 2-0 count, bounces to Escobar, throw to Edwin, one down. Norris, grounds to Hechavarria, nice throw to Edwin, two down. First play he has had to make. Kottaras, grounds to Johnson, off his glove into centre, one on two down. No error given but should have been. Rosales, full count, low ball four, two on for Weeks. 2-0 count, here comes Walton. 3-0 count, ball four to load the bases. Thanks Kelly. Taylor, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging, way to go Ricky, despite Johnson’s efforts. Pitch count 75. Top 6th: Johnson time to redeem yourself Kelly, full count, strikes out swinging. Here comes Manager Melvin call to the bullpen. Neshek now pitching pitched last night. Encarnacion, full count. Grounds to Weeks, throw to first two down. Cooper. First pitch swinging fly ball to right for the out. Bottom 6th: Reddick leading off. Pops it up and Edwin loses it in the sky and drops behind him. Try again pops it up to Escobar, no mistake this time. One down for Taylor pops it up Edwin has it this time. Three hits in a row. Gomes, bounces to Hechavarria, throw to Edwin for third out. Nice pitching Ricky. Seven pitch inning. Pitch count 82. Top 7th: Davis leading off. 2-2 count, fouling them off here, fly ball to Taylor in shallow right, one down for Gomes. 3-0 count, outside ball four. One on one down for Sierra, 0-2 count, strikes out swinging on three pitches, lots to learn yet. Two down for Gose. 2-1 count, lines it hard to second, throw to the bag gets Gomes. Bottom 7th: Inge, 2-2 count, goes around, strike three. One down. Norris, full count, inside ball four. One on one down for Kottaras. Delabar warming up for Jays. Wild pitch, Norris to second. Kottaras strikes out swinging. Two down for Rosales. Fly ball to centre and Sierra takes it away from Gose, oh boy that could have been nasty. He would have a shock trying to do that to Colby. Ricky gets through seven. 99 pitches. Good outing Ricky. Top 8th: Balfour now pitching, Hechavarria, full count. Pops it up to Rosales for the out. Top of the order Escobar. 2-2 count, pops it up to Taylor in shallow right, two down for Johnson, another miserable game in the field as well as at bat. Grounds to first for the out. Bottom 8th: Delabar pitching. Weeks leading off. 1-2 count, strikes out looking, Weeks arguing this call lucky not to get thrown out here. Taylor, full count, takes strike three, great pitch. Two down for Reddick, 0-2 count, yes, strikes out swinging. Nice pitching by Delabar. Top 9th: Cook now pitching, Encarnacion leading off. Last opportunity. Oh man first pitch pop up to first. One down for Cooper, 1-1 count, YES David, drives this high and deep over the wall in left centre and the 388 ft sign, home run and this game is all tied up 1-1 game. Davis, 1-2 count, pops it up to Carter, two down. Mathis, last night’s hero, pinch hitting for Gomes. 0-2 count, lines it to left center but not enough. Three out. Bottom 9th: Carter, 3-1 count, outside ball four. Gomes 2-2 count, fly ball to Gose in centre, one down, that is it for Delabar. Casey Janssen to face Inge. Grounds to Escobar, steps on the bag, throw to Edwin, double play. Extra innings once again. Top 10th: Blevins now pitching, Sierra, lines it to Gomes in left, no catch and Sierra almost caught out again on the bases, make up your mind. Moises. One on for Gose, bunting. Gets it down and throw to first to get Gose but Sierra at second. One down, Hechavarria. 3-0 count, ball four. Escobar, two on and one down. 1-2 count, strikes out swinging, lucky break for the Jays no double play. Johnson, 0-2 count, strikes out swinging, so much for the two veterans. Bottom 10th: Jesse Chavez now pitching. Norris, full count, drives it to centre, nice diving catch by Gose for the out, great play. No need to rush back Colby. One down for Kottaras, full count, ball four. One on one down for pinch hitter Sogard. Fly ball to right centre, Sierra and Gose again, Gose makes the catch two down. Weeks, 1-1 count, lines it into shallow left, two on and two down for pinch hitter Crisp. Full count, ball four to load the bases. Reddick oh boy, with bases loaded. 0-2 count, takes strike three, whoa. Top 11th: Encarnacion, singles into left. One on for Cooper, crowd a lot quieter than last inning. Showing bunt, oh boy. 0-2 count, what is the point. Lines this one hard to third, but Inge makes the out and throw to first but Edwin dives back in, one down for Davis. There goes Edwin and safe no throw as Kottaras drops the ball. 3-1 count, low ball four. Mathis with two on and one down. Full count, there go the runners, Mathis strikes out, throw to third and ball goes into the outfield, Edwin scores. 2-1 Jays on the error. Sierra, runner at third, high off the wall in left here comes Davis 3-1 Jays. Gose with Sierra at second. 1-2 count, grounds to Weeks, and Sierra coming home is out at the plate. But Jays get two. Why is Sierra coming home ? Once again issue with this base running. Bottom 11th: Oliver now pitching, Moss, full count. Drives it high to centre for Gose to make the out, one down. Gomes, 0-2 count, strikes out swinging. Two down can the Jays do it????? Inge, 0-1 count, lines it to Davis in left and YES my friends Jays have won this one 3-1. The six game losing streak is at end. Ironically Jays win this one with the patched up lineup with six minor leaguers. But they deserved this one no doubt at all. Tomorrow the decider and maybe Rasmus will be back in the lineup but another day plus the off day rest may be a better alternative for both Colby and Brett. The good: Once again the bullpen but also Romero today although he does not get the win, he deserved it, great pitching all through. The lineup which is probably the weakest one that Jays have put out all season and they come through to break the losing streak. And against a very good team playing for the wild card. The not so good: Base running will be the Jays undoing, surely this should be an issue at the minor league level, where do these young players learn the skill? At the same time bunting skills should be added to the basic skills.