An early lead, a sustained rally, a little power, a gutty starting performance, and some last-minute bullpen heroics -- the Blue Jays looked a lot more like themselves last night, and it paid off with a win they needed like nobody's business. Gunning for their second consecutive win at home for the first time this year (eep), the Jays are sending Doc Halladay to continue to build momentum, going up against KC's Brian Anderson. This team isn't yet firing on all cylinders -- but they're already firing on more than half, and that should keep them rolling.
Solid start for Doc-7 pitch first inning. Two flyouts though.
Terrible play by the Royals on Frankie C. A tapper in front of the plate puts him on 3rd-Anderson threw it away and Gonzalez wasn't backing up the play, so Cat got all the way to 3rd. Cash him in Vernon!
They're doing a minor-league recap on the radio right now.
I am watching on Gameday... anyone watching the game want to tell me about Angel's single to Hinske? Was it a slow roller?
DG-You got it. A huge jam shot-sawed him off and Hinske really had no play on the little dribbler.
Doc only threw 14 pitches facing the 6 Royals in the Top of the 2nd. Sure looks like he's got his control. In the first, he threw a strike that had so much movement Cash couldn't even catch it.
Vernon Wells delivers with a man on third!
To his credit, he suffered through a TERRIBLE call on the first pitch of his AB. It must have been a foot outside but Mr. Anderson (presumably the umpire's name) deemed it a strike. It's a lot tougher starting out 0-1 than 1-0, especially when you're in a slump.
To his credit, he suffered through a TERRIBLE call on the first pitch of his AB. It must have been a foot outside but Mr. Anderson (presumably the umpire's name) deemed it a strike. It's a lot tougher starting out 0-1 than 1-0, especially when you're in a slump.
Thanks Zarco... I'm stuck in an evening class right now.
Did you guys hear about the Spider-Man advertisements on MLB bases? Does anyone here support that? I'm against 100%.
Did you guys hear about the Spider-Man advertisements on MLB bases? Does anyone here support that? I'm against 100%.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=545&e=2&u=/ap/bbo_spider_man_on_base
Sorry, here's a COMN if you hadn't read it?
(I hope it works... first try with linked name)
Sorry, here's a COMN if you hadn't read it?
(I hope it works... first try with linked name)
It seems to me that drawings on the bases are as distracting as Justin Miller's tattoos
Nice AB by Cash. Last night he hit a few hard-smoked one into the RCF gap that Beltran ran down, and had a diving Randa rob him of a hit-so he had nothing to show for hit. RBI double knocks in Hinske-2-0 Jays. Hey!! Hudson follows with a double to make it 3-0.
Great hustle by Gomez to get to 2nd on the throw home (even though Hudson didn't try to score). Fourth consecutive Jays hit. Keep it up!
Anderson is in trouble. Bury him!
They couldn't bury May last night and almost paid for it. Here's to giving Halladay a big cushion and having an uneventful evening.
They couldn't bury May last night and almost paid for it. Here's to giving Halladay a big cushion and having an uneventful evening.
May things be turning around? Johnson's SF scores Hudson as the Jays are 2-2 with runners on 3rd, less than 2 outs.
Oh, good. Vernon Wells is back from his vacation.
Bam! Pow! Sock! Etc.!
Nice to see Vernon finally crank one.
Nice to see Vernon finally crank one.
Vernon!
I'll take credit, I benched him this week.
I say with a big lead and going on 3 days rest to have a 90 pitch limit for Halladay today.
I'll take credit, I benched him this week.
I say with a big lead and going on 3 days rest to have a 90 pitch limit for Halladay today.
90 pitches might take him through nine, considering that at this point I don't think KC will take many pitches.
This Fish Candy GM is mighty pleased to see Wells hit a 3 run dinger. It probably saved manager Rex Hudler his job. :)
Vernon! That was such a great swing. Classic Vernon. He stayed right in there to mash the off speed pitch for a monster homer. 8-0.
Has anyone else noticed that the bald guy sitting in the front row behind home plate was busy playing with his food or looking at his feet and missed both homers this inning? Funny.
Halladay's run support is rather funny. This is his 7th start, and (not in this order), I believe his run support is 0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 11, 15 and tonight, which after the Phelps HR, will be over 10 again. Not much in between. Either the Jays give him all or none. Love to see the bats waking up! The homers are a welcome sight.
We'll be kicking butt in the Pythagorean standings tomorrow!
Where the naysayers at?
I dunno. In Toronto the baseball season starts when the Leafs are knocked out of the playoffs. I'm surprised there aren't more people watching the Jays home opener. :)
I dunno. In Toronto the baseball season starts when the Leafs are knocked out of the playoffs. I'm surprised there aren't more people watching the Jays home opener. :)
Yeahhhhhhhhhh , Go Blue Jays , Syracuse loses 6-5 with Lopez taking the loss.
Quiros has is what is described as an bruised left hand injury , he was hit by a pitch . The full Syracuse recap of the game is on the minor league thread.
Quiros has is what is described as an bruised left hand injury , he was hit by a pitch . The full Syracuse recap of the game is on the minor league thread.
Bush play by MacDougal. He's luck Vernon doesn't tear his skinny butt apart.
Halladay seems a bit hittable so far this year. Perhaps it's early, but 11 hits in 7 innings is high (especially against KC). HLH had already allowed more than a hit an inning before this start.
Mike and Jerry just had a little clash of generations again, as Mike invoked Pedro Cerrano (just as I did on Da Box last week) and Jerry didn't get the reference. :)
And Victor Cruz wasn't a heavy guy, but didn't he have a monster 'fro?
And Victor Cruz wasn't a heavy guy, but didn't he have a monster 'fro?
Yeah Halladay gave up a bunch of hits, but they were all singles except for Beltran's double and Stairs' homer. Throw in 3 or 4 infield singles on chops/broken bats, and he wasn't hit as hard as his line might suggest. He threw a ton of strikes pitching to his lead tonight. Still a very solid outing.
Halladay was pitching on short rest. I'm sure once he was spotted a ten run lead, the game strategy changed to 'throw strikes and let your defence do the work.' That a few strikes fell in for hits is inevitable. Halladay wouldn't have been so hittable had the game been close.
Wells hit 2 homers, Phelps hit 1, Halladay pitched a solid 7, Ligtenberg and Kershner got in needed work and performed well. What more could you ask for?
101 pitches is a tad on the high side for 3 days rest, but on a night like this, I'm not complainin'.
101 pitches is a tad on the high side for 3 days rest, but on a night like this, I'm not complainin'.
Halladay's strikeouts are the same as last year (6.9 K/9) so far. He is giving up twice as many walks (2.2 BB/9 vs. 1.1 BB/9) but it's still early. I don't think there's too much cause for concern right now.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/cruzvi01.shtml
I'm pretty old, and my memory is fading fast, but I remember Cruz as a quite pudgy righty. Baseball Reference agrees. COMN.
I'm pretty old, and my memory is fading fast, but I remember Cruz as a quite pudgy righty. Baseball Reference agrees. COMN.
Quiroz out 4-6 weeks with a broken hand per JP on the post game show
I think MacDougal probably just lost control on the one that hit Vernon. I haven't seen a replay (at the game) but he does tend to be wild and he's not really got the reputation as a headhunter. Plus, as a man who suffered threw something striking his head, he'd know how serious that can be.
So I show up halfway through the game to find the Jays leading...TEN TO NOTHING??
Right on!
There were some riotous guys in our section who started heckling Juan Gonzalez with
Jua-an... Jua-an... Jua-an... wanna strike out!
He struck out, they went wild, and then Ken Harvey came up, and they started
Ke-en... Ke-en... Ke-en... can you strike out!
Which cracked all of us up.
My wife, bless her, announced that because the Jays had a ten-run game it was time for my birthday present, and led me to the merch stand and bought me a new Jays hat, which I have dubbed the Ten Run Hat. It comes filled with good luck and Vernon Wells home runs!
Right on!
There were some riotous guys in our section who started heckling Juan Gonzalez with
Jua-an... Jua-an... Jua-an... wanna strike out!
He struck out, they went wild, and then Ken Harvey came up, and they started
Ke-en... Ke-en... Ke-en... can you strike out!
Which cracked all of us up.
My wife, bless her, announced that because the Jays had a ten-run game it was time for my birthday present, and led me to the merch stand and bought me a new Jays hat, which I have dubbed the Ten Run Hat. It comes filled with good luck and Vernon Wells home runs!
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=contrerastominors&prov=st&type=lgns
HIJACK.
Contreras sent down to A ball after yesterday's disasterous start, a game which the slumping A's still managed to lose.
HIJACK.
Contreras sent down to A ball after yesterday's disasterous start, a game which the slumping A's still managed to lose.
It seems like there are far fewer posts when the Jays win than when they lose.
Oh yeah. Victor Cruz was hefty allright but not a lefty. Easy quiz question. Who was he traded for?
Other than the bad news about Quiroz, did JP say anything else of substance on the post game show? I never remember to tune in on Wednesdays.
You'd have to see the hits - dinky little flares and shattered bat infield choppers and slow rollers. Before the 7th, only Stairs hit a ball well. Halladay was clearly tiring in the 7th - not surprising given he was going on three days rest.
I had the privelege of witnessing Doc work tonight from up close. He was in all the righthanded hitters' kitchens.
I had the privelege of witnessing Doc work tonight from up close. He was in all the righthanded hitters' kitchens.
Yo, Robert, kudos on witnessing the Doc pitch up close. Can they carry over this momentum when they face the white sox?
What about That guy, coming upstairs to Vernon in the eigth. I thought that was uncalled for, and all about REVENGE.
What about That guy, coming upstairs to Vernon in the eigth. I thought that was uncalled for, and all about REVENGE.
Cast your memory back...back... way back...
I don't think Victor Cruz was all that hefty when he was here (which was only for about two hot months in '78. After which he was promptly traded to Cleveland for Alfredo. Maybe he got hefty in Cleveland.
He had a pretty fair 'fro. Not Oscar Gamble, but not bad.
I don't think Victor Cruz was all that hefty when he was here (which was only for about two hot months in '78. After which he was promptly traded to Cleveland for Alfredo. Maybe he got hefty in Cleveland.
He had a pretty fair 'fro. Not Oscar Gamble, but not bad.
a game which the slumping A's still managed to lose.
My bet with my buddy where I have the A's finishing ahead of the Angels at the end of the regular season campaign... wow it looks pretty rough right now... I'm hoping for the annual a's ridiculously long winning stk again
My bet with my buddy where I have the A's finishing ahead of the Angels at the end of the regular season campaign... wow it looks pretty rough right now... I'm hoping for the annual a's ridiculously long winning stk again
What about That guy, coming upstairs to Vernon in the eigth. I thought that was uncalled for, and all about REVENGE.
Macdougal is about as wild as they come, and has been battling control problems since he came off the DL.
I don't think it was intentional.
Jacko, given that he hit Vernon, and didn't come that close to anyone else, I'd be surprised if it wasn't intentional. Don't forget, the "wild guy" is the guy with the excuse.
I mean, I'm suer he wasn't throwing at his head or anything, but I have no doubt he meant to throw at least a brushback.
I mean, I'm suer he wasn't throwing at his head or anything, but I have no doubt he meant to throw at least a brushback.
The crowd reacted quite negatively to that beaning. I've no doubt if it was someone like Manny Ramirez at the plate, a 15-minute brawl would have ensued. It just goes to show you how cool a cucumber Vernon Wells is.
BTW, those circumstances - Wells 2 homers, 8th inning of a game out of reach - is as close as you get absent a confession to "proof" of intent to bean. The Jays will remember that when they visit KC later this year.
BTW, those circumstances - Wells 2 homers, 8th inning of a game out of reach - is as close as you get absent a confession to "proof" of intent to bean. The Jays will remember that when they visit KC later this year.
Is it the hockey fan in my that really likes revenge beanings?
When Josh Towers nailed whoever it was at bat in that chaotic Tampa Bay game last year, I was on my feet and roaring.
When Josh Towers nailed whoever it was at bat in that chaotic Tampa Bay game last year, I was on my feet and roaring.
MacDougal is really, really wild. On the other hand, the circumstances were, as Robert says, highly suggestive of intent to bean. In addition to the circumstances Robert mentions, KC is off to a terrible start after a fine season last year; it sounds as though there is some frustration building generally with their club.
KC's reaction to the incident will be interesting. In light of MacDougal's walking in the tying run in Monday's game and the HBP yesterday, it would seem that he might need a rehab stint in the minors to regain some control.
KC's reaction to the incident will be interesting. In light of MacDougal's walking in the tying run in Monday's game and the HBP yesterday, it would seem that he might need a rehab stint in the minors to regain some control.
The TV broadcasters didn't think it was intentional; they just thought that MacDougal was wild. I thought it was highly suspicious, since Wells had hit two home runs.
If it was deliberate, it was chickens***, as the ball was heading straight for Wells's head. He turned just in time, so it caught him on the shoulder.
Mind you, if it had looked intentional from the Jays' dugout, they had a half-inning in which to retaliate, and a big lead. They didn't try to wing a Royal in response, so perhaps it was accidental.
If it was deliberate, it was chickens***, as the ball was heading straight for Wells's head. He turned just in time, so it caught him on the shoulder.
Mind you, if it had looked intentional from the Jays' dugout, they had a half-inning in which to retaliate, and a big lead. They didn't try to wing a Royal in response, so perhaps it was accidental.
Ah, Pena, my old enemy... The Klingons have an expression: "Revenge is a dish best served cold." It is very cold ...in Kauffman Stadium....