Batter's Box Interactive Magazine

The Red Sox went deep five times against Brett Cecil and that was the difference as they pounded the Jays 8-3 Wednesday night at Fenway.

Surprisingly, Cecil only tied the club record for most dingers allowed in a game. It happened to Pat Hentgen not once, but twice in 1997 and '98. The rookie lefty started off well with five ground ball outs, two of them on an inning-ending double play in the second. However, Cecil gave up a Jason Varitek homer to start off the third and gave up a second run on a double play ball off the bat of Dustin Pedroia, aka Mr. "Integrity". He only gave up a walk in the fourth while punching out two but in the fifth inning, he was punked for six runs on homers by Varitek, David Ortiz (you just knew he was saving his first of the year for the Jays!), Jason Bay and Mike Lowell. It could've been seven runs in the inning but Jacoby Ellsbury was thrown out at the plate on a 9-4-2 putout initiated by Alex Rios. Shawn Camp came in to the game after Lowell's poke and was greeted by a Rocco Baldeill triple but got the final out when he rung up Varitek. Camp worked through the sixth, Brian Wolfe escaped a bases loaded pickle in the seventh and B.J. Ryan gave up a double but struck out a pair in a scoreless eighth.

The Jays broke Brad Penny's shutout bid in the seventh when Lyle Overbay tripled and came home on a single off the Green Monster by Rod Barajas. Barajas went to third on Travis Snider's single and scored on a rally-killing double play off the bat of Marco Scutaro. The Jays added their final run in the eighth on Overbay's double off flamethrower Daniel Bard to score a Vernon Wells base knock. Overbay and Adam Lind would be left at second and third as Bard and lefty Hideki Okajima got Barajas and pinch-hitter Kevin Millar to pop out. Rios and Wells each singled in the ninth but they were stranded by Takashi Saito. Despite the lopsided score, the Sox only outhit the Jays by one at 15-14. Every Jays starter got on base at least once and only Scutaro failed to get a hit. Usually, that would be a good thing but baseball's a funny game! They were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on.

Let's hope Robert Ray can pull a Doug Linton special and try to salvage one against the Sox tonight as he faces lefty Jon Lester in another 7:10 p.m. EDT start in Boston. The Jays hope to get their first win in the TSN2 era after an 0-2 start.

In other TDIB notes........

* Yankees smoke the O's again 11-4 to win their eighth in a row. They're undeated since the "Doc-you know who" showdown.

* Jake Peavy is deciding if he wants to play ball in the South Side of Chicago.

* The Astros overcome a lineup screw-up to beat the Brewers 6-4.

* Condolences to former Jay Scott Schoeneweis, his family and friends as his wife was found dead in their Arizona home Wednesday.

Posted by #2JBrumfield on Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 11:42 AM EDT.

BoSox Whack Cecil | 26 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

92-93 - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 12:07 PM EDT (#200331) #

If all it took to get Peavy was Poreda and Richard (and not Beckham), JP missed a glorious opportunity to solidify the rotation for years to come.

Moe - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 12:21 PM EDT (#200333) #

Except that Peavy would have never agreed to come to Toronto.

Gerry - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 12:30 PM EDT (#200334) #

If all it took to get Peavy was Poreda and Richard

Plus close to $60 million. Peavy is signed through 2012 and as a condition of the deal might ask for the 2013 option to be picked up. These days when you agree to take on a contract of that size you don't have to give up a lot of prospects. Peavy is getting Burnett size money.

VBF - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 12:30 PM EDT (#200335) #

Is that a fact?

I'd at least think that playing for a first place team in the league's most competitive division might at least garner some consideration.

Grimlock - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 01:28 PM EDT (#200336) #

Watching Cecil get lit up in that inning reminded me Grimlock of that game in 1997 against the Red Sox when Woody Williams gave up three HRs in the 7th inning. It all happened so quickly. Me Grimlock think Cito even had the same look on his face.

Chuck - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 01:30 PM EDT (#200337) #

Peavy knows that his fate doesn't boil down to two choices: playing for the White Sox or being stuck on a rebullding Padre team for the next few years. The Padres want to unload his salary, so there will be other deals worked out. If he wants to stay in the NL and has other unspoken criteria (warm weather, east coast, west coast, proximity to NASCAR venues or NRA meeting halls, whatever), there will be other options for him.

Mylegacy - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 02:34 PM EDT (#200338) #

I for one - believe that last night we witnessed the injection of steel into the backbone of a natural talent. I was VERY impressed with Cecil. However, no question that his "dive" into an empty pool shook him up. After that I give him a mulligan. As to Cito leaving him in to get sissy slapped - I've no objection. This kid is our BEST pitching prospect - and he KNOWS that. Last night he got smacked - I BET he can't wait for the rematch. Cecil is a keeper. Last night Cito helped make him a "man."

As to Penny - he was BS lucky - 12 fly outs to CF in one game - an AL record tying number. This guy was just barely hanging on. I'll bet every hitter in the team can't wait for the rematch. They'll rip his heart out. If they don't - I'll suit up and do it or them.

After all the heroics - if the Sox don't "sweep" tonight they're 2.5 back. Come 10.30 PM tonight they'll be tied with the Spankies for third.

perlhack - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 03:16 PM EDT (#200340) #

When I saw Cecil land after diving for that short pop, I immediately thought of Todd Stottlemyre's slide into third base during the '93 World Series. Certainly, they were equally, erm, "graceful".

Chuck - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 03:31 PM EDT (#200341) #

They'll rip his heart out. If they don't - I'll suit up and do it or them.

Rog, you been sprinkling Viagra on your corn flakes?

Mylegacy - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 04:03 PM EDT (#200342) #

Chuck - ifin I wasn't a gentleman and a scholar I'd demand satisfaction for that unkind, unwarranted low blow - me an' Viagra!! Never use the stuff - don't believe me? Just ask my 22 year old wife and my twin 19 year old mistresses.

PS Er...on second thought I'd appreciate it if you didn't actually ask my wife - what she doesn't know won't hurt her - right? As to my mistressess - if you can find them - go ahead ask them anything you want.

Magpie - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 04:42 PM EDT (#200344) #

Uh... have we wandered away from the subject?

I assume this was brought on by our hitters' impotent flailings at the limp offerings of the Boston pitchers?

Mike Green - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 04:52 PM EDT (#200345) #

Returning somewhat to tonight's game, I was disappointed to see that Robert Ray is now going by "Bobby". Before that, he was a charter member of the two first name club. It is cool that Robert Ray Buhl was also a pitcher. Thomas John "Dude" Esterbrook was naturally not a pitcher. Incidentally, I had no idea that a guy born in Staten Island in 1851like Esterbrook might be nicknamed Dude.

Nick - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 07:20 PM EDT (#200346) #

I have no idea how one would confirm this, but I suspect that Brett Cecil had to have accomplished some kind of major league first last night. He got 14 outs, none via a flyball, yet managed to allow 5 home runs. I would be willing to wager that of all the pitchers in history who gave up 5 or more home runs in a game, none recorded as many as 14 outs without getting at least 1 flyball out. And in the same game, a guy on the other team (Ellsbury) tied the major league record for most putouts by an outfielder in a 9 inning game with 12.

sduguid - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 07:36 PM EDT (#200347) #

It's getting a bit tiring watching Rios miss plays that he should be finishing. He just doesn't seem to have the good focus he should have at all times in the field.

Magpie - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 08:37 PM EDT (#200349) #

Well, Peavy isn't going anywhere.

Peavy's agent, Barry Axelrod, said, "my suspicion is he still has a strong preference to stay in the National League... There was a question posed to us as to whether Jake's position on going to the American League was still cast in stone or whether he'd consent to going to an AL team, specifically, the White Sox,"

Why would a pitcher want to leave San Diego, anyway?

Peavy's contract calls for $11 million this season,$15 million in 2010, $16 million in 2011 and $17 million in 2012. The team option for 2013 is either $22 million or a $ 4 million buyout

jmoney - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 10:15 PM EDT (#200350) #

Disappointing series by the Jays. The bats were largely ineffective and symptomatic of last years woes.

I don't know how bad/well Rios and Wells are actually playing the outfield, but they look pretty awful.

snider - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 10:39 PM EDT (#200351) #

It's getting a bit tiring watching Rios miss plays that he should be finishing. He just doesn't seem to have the good focus he should have at all times in the field.

This is probably due to the heat of the moment but here goes: Get Rios out of town.

I'm tired of his clueless nature at the plate, in the field and on base. The 15-20 HR's and 280 avg don't outweigh the negatives that he brings. We need players with baseball smarts and Rios is not it.

ComebyDeanChance - Thursday, May 21 2009 @ 10:56 PM EDT (#200352) #

IP 15
RA 15
H 21
BB 5

That's the pitching line for the 'embarrassment of riches' vs. Boston in the last 3 days.

I don't think we need feel 'embarrassed' yet by our 'riches'.

Meanwhile, Romero has faired poorly in AAA ball.

I think the heady days of playing the worst offences in baseball, led to the same kinds of conclusions that some have made about Casey Janssen's starts in the past, when all of his good starts 'counted' while his starts vs. hitting teams were written off as the result of either 'hiding an injury' or else pitching wihen the team's knew that he was hurt.

The more obvious conclusion, after watching the Jays go 0-3 vs. the Red Sox after sweeping their hitting-challenged White cousins, is that quality of opposition matters.

sduguid - Friday, May 22 2009 @ 12:02 AM EDT (#200354) #

I don't think the sky is falling yet. It wasn't a good series by any means but you can't win em all. There are some issues but I believe the Jays will contend.

It seemed like Cecil and Ray were a bit intimidated. They started falling behind guys a lot and then had to come in with something good. I haven't seen much of that from them in other starts and I'm not overly concerned yet.

As for Rios, the guy has all the talent in the world but he has never put it all together and I'm starting to seriously think he isn't going to do so. Hopefully he proves me wrong.

PeteMoss - Friday, May 22 2009 @ 12:20 AM EDT (#200355) #

I don't think we can say the Jays can't compete with the Yanks and Red Sox after a 6 game game sample anymore than I think we can say the Jays are at their level after beating a weaker batch of teams .

TamRa - Friday, May 22 2009 @ 12:20 AM EDT (#200356) #

The more obvious conclusion, after watching the Jays go 0-3 vs. the Red Sox after sweeping their hitting-challenged White cousins, is that quality of opposition matters.

That would be a much more compelling argument if the Red Sox hadn't won 95 games last year while playing WELL under .500 vs. the good AL East teams.

Or if the Jays hadn't played better ball against NY and Boston than against most everyone else for most of the last several years.

Frankly, the most obvious conclusion is that even the best teams hit bumps in the road and no team is hitting on all cylinders all the time.

We just went into one of the toughest home parks to win in in the majors and got swept.

Big.
Fat.
Hairy.
Deal.

Last year Boston came to Toronto and got swept in three while looking awful. Who won more games last year?

In 2007 the Jays swept Boston too...again, who won the most games that year?

That doesn't mean that I'm a pollyanna about the young pitching - it would be absolutely stunning if a rookie pitcher didn't have occasional games like those we saw in Boston the last two night...and that's even more so when you play the team that may be the best in baseball (current records aside) in Fenway Park.

But getting rocked by a team like Boston in their home park no more means that the guy is a bum than shutting down the White Sox means he's Rookie of the Year.

I'm mystified that otherwise intellegent baseball fans draw such faulty conclusions on such ridiculously small samples of evidence.

TamRa - Friday, May 22 2009 @ 12:27 AM EDT (#200357) #

Snider to AAA - no replacement identified yet but Bastian called Inglett's name as a possibility despite his having been on the DL. I don't know if that's because Bastian was unaware of or forgot the injury or because Inglett is healthy enough to be activated.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090521&content_id=4868484&vkey=news_tor&fext=.jsp&c_id=tor

Magpie - Friday, May 22 2009 @ 12:29 AM EDT (#200358) #

Inglett is in the lineup tonight, playing 2b. Adams is still on the DL.

So get ready to say hello to Mighty Little Voodoo Joe!

TamRa - Friday, May 22 2009 @ 01:02 AM EDT (#200359) #

Here's a thought - which I had while writing up the Snider story for the blog...

http://mvn.com/thesouthpaw/

Inglett would be fine and I'd have no beef - but what about giving Arencibia a look?

It's not like he'll be sitting - he can get a lot of reps at DH in the 19 of the next 22 games in which we use one, and he can help see to it Barajas gets a lot of rest by providing the opportunity for RB to DH a couple of times a week if need be (which will hopefully come in handy later in the year) and it will give JPA a chance to test his hot streak against major league pitching and hopefully whet his appetite for for a permenant recall at some point.

Best case scenerio, it would be Chavez who goes back on June 22 but either way, i think there's a good case to be made (plus you can do worse than having three catchers during NL rules games).

Put it like this - if they choose to go with a bat over versitility, I'll take JPAover Harper and Ruiz and Lane EASILY and over Dopirak too, though by a lesser margin.

(Heck, I'd take Emaus over Harper/Ruiz/.Lane)

Magpie - Friday, May 22 2009 @ 01:19 AM EDT (#200360) #

As Will says elsewhere (in that fine blog, The Southpaw, which I assume everyone here reads faithfully - and if you don't, start now.)

If you want off the bandwagon, fine. But once you get off - stay off.

I'll be right here.

Thomas - Friday, May 22 2009 @ 04:42 AM EDT (#200363) #

My condolences to Schoeneweis. That's a terrible thing to go through and has to be incredibly difficult for his wife's four children. I can't even imagine what they're feeling.

It's been a very miserable year so far in the baseball world in terms of life and death.

BoSox Whack Cecil | 26 comments | Create New Account

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