Jays fight back but fall short in the 9th to lose 6-4

Jays v Orioles. Game one of three. The news of course is return of Jose to the lineup after 34 games on the DL. Last night in rehab for New Hampshire, two home runs including grand slam. No slow return for Jose. Nobody expects him to do it tonight, it will take him a while to get back to the speed of the pitching, but just the threat of his bat is enough for the Jays and to avoid Edwin getting the walks. It should also give the whole team a boost. Jays start the six man rotation and with Morrow returning tomorrow for first time since June 11th this team is starting to look like a major league team. Still a few more to return including Lawrie, Arencibia and Lind but Torrealba at least is whole lot better than Gomes and that gives Mathis some relief. Lineups: Jays: Davis, Rasmus, Bautista, Encarnacion, Johnson, Sierra, McCoy, Mathis, Hechavarria and Villanueva pitching. McCoy at 3B and Hech at short. Sierra DH. Orioles: Markakis, Hardy, McLouth, Jones, Wieters, Davis, Reynolds, Flaherty, Machado and Zach Britton pitching. Top 1st: Davis leading off. 2-2 count, bounces to Hardy at short, high throw to first but Davis out. One down for Rasmus, 1-2 count, strikes out, two down for Bautista.2-2 count, strikes out swinging. Pitch count 15. Bottom 1st: Markakis leading off. 2-2 count, pops it up to Jose in right, one down for Hardy. Lines it high to centre and over head of Rasmus playing shallow centre, and bounces over the wall. Ground rule double. McLouth, 2-2 count, takes strike three, great pitch, two down for Jones. Full count, outside ball four. Carlos struggling here. Wieters with two on. 2-2 count fly ball to shallow left but Davis makes great running catch. However huge 29 pitch count for Villanueva that is definitely not good. His hitters need to help him out here. Top 2nd: Encarnacion leading off. 3-1 count, hammers this one to the wall in left centre, stand up double to lead the inning off. Johnson, 2-0 count, this will do lines it the other way into left here comes Edwin, 1-0 Jays. Good hit by Kelly. Sierra, 0-2 count, strikes out swinging, one down for McCoy. 1-1 count, there goes Kelly and McCoy grounds to Machado at 3B, throw to first to get McCoy but no chance for double play, Kelly safe at second. Mathis, runner in scoring position. Full count, high ball four, two on two down for Hechavarria. Pops it up to Markakis in right to end the inning. Don’t look now but that was Kelly Johnson who scored the RBI. Good to see. Pitch count 39 for Britton. Yankees, Boston and Tampa all winning, how come Boston gets Kansas ? Bottom 2nd: Davis, first pitch launches a rocket to right centre and this game is tied up 1-1. That woke up the crowd. Reynolds, full count, pops it up to Hechavarria. Flaherty, first pitch high fly ball to Bautista in right, two down. Machado, 1-2 count, strikes out swinging to end the inning. 41 pitch count. 12 pitch inning even with the home run. Top 3rd: Top of the order for second time. Davis, 2-1 count, bounces to Flaherty at second, good throw just gets Davis at first. One down for Rasmus, 0-2 count, takes strike three, ouch. Two down for Jose. 2-1 count, high fly ball to left for the out, just under it and he knows it. But good swing Jose. Pitch count 49. Kansas now tied with Boston, go Royals. Bottom 3rd: Top of the order, Markakis. Grounds first pitch to Johnson, throw to Edwin, one down. Hardy, full count, grounds to McCoy at third, long throw for the second out. McLouth, 2-1 count, bounces up the middle to Hech on first base side of the bag !! throw to Edwin for the out. Pitch count 54 for Carlos. Much better. Top 4th: Can Jays hitters get some run support for Carlos now. Edwin leading off. Hits him first pitch. One on for Johnson, 1-1 count, grounds up the middle, great diving save by Hardy and flip to second for the out but no chance for two. Sierra one on one down. Bounces to second Flaherty throw to first to get Sierra but Johnson at second in scoring position for McCoy. Bring him in Mike. Way high over the catcher to the wall and Johnson to 3B. 3-1 count, bounces up the middle but Flaherty makes the throw to first. Jays leave another out there. Pitch count 60. Tampa now losing. Boston tied up 2-2, and Yankees winning. Bottom 4th: Jones leading off. 2-2 count, takes strike three, nice pitch. One down for Wieters, bounces first pitch to Edwin for the second out. Davis two down, 2-2 count, this one is high and deep to right and second home run for Davis. wow. 2-1 Orioles. Reynolds, full count, lines out to short, great catch by Hechavarria. Pitch count 72. Not good. Top 5th: Bottom of the order Mathis leading off. Jays need a big inning. Bounces to Flaherty at second, throw to first, one down for Hechavarria. Full count, strikes out swinging. Two down for Davis. Pops it up to Flaherty, three up and down very quietly. Jays have to do much better than this. Pitch count 71. Bottom 5th: Flaherty grounds to Edwin throw to Villanueva for the out. Machado, 2-2 count, takes strike three inside curve great pitch, two down for Markakis. Fly ball to Rasmus for the third out. Pitch count 83. Top 6th: Jays hitters seem to think that now Jose is back they can shirk. Not so friends. Get hitting. Rasmus leading off, two strikeouts tonight for Colby. All at sea right now. Bounces to Flaherty at second, throw to first, one down. Bautista, 1-2 count, bounces to short, throw to first, two down for Edwin. Lines it into left for a single despite the shift left he gets it through. One on two down for Johnson. Grounds to second, throw to first for the out. Pitch count 83. Bottom 6th: Hardy leading off, full count, pops it up to first Edwin makes the catch leaning into front row of the crowd. One down for McLouth, 2-1 count, singles to Jose in right, one on one down for Jones. 2-0 count, lines it to the wall in left for a double, McLouth to 3B. Two in scoring position for Wieters. Bruce Walton out there, Delabar warming up. 2-1 count, fly ball to Rasmus, throw is up the line, run scores 3-1 Orioles, two down one on for Davis and that is it for Villanueva, disappointing outing by Villanueva, that first inning set the tone tonight. Now Jays have to scramble to get back into this one. Davis facing Delabar, NO I don’t believe it, goes the other way into left over the wall, home run number three, and Orioles 5-1. Reynolds, full count, strikes out swinging but Jays facing another loss. They have not scored six runs for a very long time and so far have not looked like scoring two let alone six. Top 7th: Bottom of the order for Britton to boost his ERA and finish his outing tonight. On 83 pitches. Sierra full count, grounds to short, throw to first, one down. McCoy, another full count, outside ball four, one on for Mathis, 1-2 count, way outside, strikes out swinging. Two down for Hechavarria. Lines it to the wall in left, long single, McCoy stops at 3B. Top of the order, Davis. 1-0 count, here comes Showalter, not risking Britton blowing this one. That is it for Britton, just could not get it done against the bottom of the order, but those guys on base are his responsibility if they score. Darren O’Day sidearmer now pitching to rescue Britton here,, 2-1 count, VERY nice Rajai, lines it down the line into left, here comes McCoy to score, 5-2 game. Hech stops at third Davis at second. Two in scoring position now for Rasmus. Ooops that is it for O’Day, hmm. Ok. Brian Matusz now pitching. Lefty lefty match up. Just a base hit Colby. 0-2 count, takes strike three, whoa froze him, not even a swing. Colby, that was one awful at bat. Jays get one back but bullpen has to hold the Orioles now.... Bottom 7th: Delabar still out there. Flaherty leading off. 1-2 count, bounces into right centre. One on for Machado, Andino pinch running for Flaherty. Wild pitch of course to the wall and Andino moves to second, how many times have we seen this from Jays pitchers this season, far too many. 1-2 count, grounds to Hech, throw to Edwin for the out. One out for top of the order Markakis. Fly ball to Rasmus for the out as run tags and scores 6-2. Just terrible. That wild pitch costs big-time. Hardy, two down lines to Rasmus in right centre, Orioles not finished yet. McLouth, here comes Walton. This is by far the worst outing so far from Delabar. Not sure why he is still out there. Full count, ball four hardly reached the plate, two on for Jones. 0-2 count, strikes out swinging, but too little too late for Delabar tonight. Three runs have put this one away. Delabar 31 pitches, ouch. Top 8th: Bautista leading off. Pedro Strop to close this out for Orioles. Look at this ERA of 1.46. 0-1 Jose does not like the call.1-2 count, takes strike three. Edwin, one down. 2-2 count, pops it up but Reynolds drops it whoa, not good. He had it in the glove. Edwin has a life. Full count, grounds to third, throw to first for the out. Two down for Johnson, 3-1 count, high ball four, Strop a little wild here. Sierra, 1-2 count, strikes out looking, Jays hitters are now swinging at that pitch and he is calling high strike. Bottom 8th: Lincoln now pitching. Wieters leading off. 0-2 count, strikes out swinging on three pitches. Davis, do you pitch to him or walk him? Strike one, strike two, ball one, strike three,. Lincoln set him up well. Two down, Reynolds, 3-1 count, low ball four. One on two down for Andino. 3-0, Lincoln lost the zone here. 3-1, outside ball four. Two on for Machado, here comes Walton. Fly ball to Rasmus in left centre. Top 9th: Bottom of the order for the Jays. Will they mail it in or fight? McCoy leading off. Matt Lindstrom now pitching, 2-1 count, bunting and a great bunt to second no chance for a throw. Safe at first. One on for Mathis, 2-1 count, here comes pitching coach, getting worried here ?? inside 3-1 count, almost hit him, takes strike two, full count, YES YES JEFFFFFFF, hammers this one to right centre and keeps on carrying out of here into the seats, here comes McCoy, here comes Mathis, two run home run, wow. 6-4 game and that is it for Lindstrom. Hechavarria still nobody out. Top of the order will get a chance. Here comes Jim Johnson he of the 38/41 saves, this is THE man. Hech, 1-2 count, takes strike three. Poor Hech has not seen this type of pitching in Vegas but he is learning. Davis now one down. 3-1 count, grounds to second, throw to first to get Rajai. Rasmus two down, 0-2 count. strikes out swinging for the fourth time tonight. Oh dear Colby. Jays give it their best and make it close to shock the Orioles but not enough tonight. The good: Definitely Jeff Mathis two run home run to get them within two in the 9th. Edwin, the RBI to take the early lead and on base three times tonight. Great catch by Davis in left. McCoy hustle to get things going in the 9th. Not so good: Villanueva just had horrible 29 pitch start in first inning. Hard to recover from that and shortened his outing by an inning. The terrible: Delabar definitely his worst game in Jays uniform. Rasmus, what more can we say, since that groin injury Colby has been struggling and tonight four strikeouts. He will come through it, maybe needs a break lower down the lineup. Or Farrell may even sit him for a game to clear his head.