No lead is safe! This was one of those losses I can live with, after a bad start there were a lot of positives for the fighting Jays. Great performance from the bullpen, good comeback by the offence who had chances to take a lead - there were runners at the corners when Hinske came up with two outs in the seventh.
- Josh is as Josh does. He is, as we all know, going to have games like this. When he has his control he can be very effective, when he doesn't he can be very awful. That ‘here-it-is-see-how -well-you-can-you-can-hit-it’ approach really doesn’t work so well when he's throwing stuff up there that's that hittable . Pat Tabler noted early on in the commentary today that he was leaving the ball 'elevated' in the zone. Towers was, at least, his usual candid self after the game "Everybody in the big leagues is going to hit those pitches I threw up there." Last year he was out of games before the fifth about once every three starts, let's just chalk today up as one of those and expect something better next time out.
- The lovely Mr. Fordin has advanced the theory that Towers is often good against average offences and gets beaten up by the better hitting teams. Are we classing Texas as a good hitting team? Craig cast some doubt on this in the game thread.
- Terrific performance by the bullpen today. Walker, Chulk, Schoeneweis and Speier threw six shutout Innings and gave up four hits, striking out three and walking just one.
- Chris Young was really rather good the first couple of times through the order, he only gave up the triple to Hillenbrand, so much for the Ken Huckaby scouting report! He started most of the hitters off with strikes and seemed to be consistently ahead in the count. I loved watching that 12-6 curve. The wheels came off a bit in the sixth of course, but he looked a lot better than his ERA would lead you too believe.
- My pre-game prediction that Towers would pitch well, but Gonzalez would take him deep was right down to my usual standard. Young Adrian was the only Ranger who went hitless.
- I think Francisco Cordero might be considered to be back, seven pitches and six strikes were all he needed to get the top of the order in the ninth.
- I’m in the Jordan camp on the John McDonald issue – “The words "now pinch-hitting, John McDonald" should never be used around this team” Heh!
- Anyone have any idea why Soriano was playing Hinske so deep?
- There’s been mention around the box about the advantages of having another hitter around the place, particularly for a game like todays. Who would you demote form the bullpen if the roster was to be re-arranged? My vote would probably be for League.
- In the fourth with Blalock up the Jays had the shift on, which left Shea Hillenbrand covering the left side of the infield. Blalock grounded to what would normally have been short and Hillenbrand going to his right snatched at the throw pulling Hinske off the bag. Why not leave the shortstop to cover the left side and move the third baseman to behind second in these situations?
- Poor Greg Myers still doesn’t have a batting average, he did throw out a runner though.
- I like Jamie Campbell a lot, but, he seems really, really good after you've listened to Rod Black.
- Tim Wakefield passed Cy Young on the Red Sox all time strikeout list yesterday while beating the Devil Rays, those pesky Red Sox are just half a game back of the Jays in third place now.
- Out of respect for Mick Doherty I’m saying nothing about the Yankees record or their performance yesterday. Suffice to say Mount Steinbrenner is rumbling ominously.
- Brian Roberts is leading the AL in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. As hot starts go this one is a doozy. Hopefully he will be slowing down a little by the end of the week.
- Jays MVP of the game - Shea Hillenbrand 3 for 5, 3 runs and an RBI. Honorable mention to Pete Walker for his three shutout innings.
