Toronto Blue Jays @ Kansas City Royals GameThread, Apr 27, 2008 2:10 PM EDT

Slowly Twisting in the Wind: Game 26 - Toronto at K.C.

by hugo on Apr 27, 2008 10:28 AM EDT in Game Threads Comment 68 comments

Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals, Apr 27, 2008 2:10 PM EDT

Well everyone, yesterday was a fairly demoralizing loss, even after all the others. And by "fairly" I mean, of course, "soul-crushingly." The Jays put runners on in virtually every inning, outhit the Royals, outwalked the Royals, took advantage of 2 errors by the Royals, and got an excellent performance from their starting pitcher and still managed to lose. Of course, the culprit was again hitting with men on base. In fact, were it not for one of the errors, the Jays would not have scored any runs at all, since their run came on a Tony Pena Jr. error on a tailor-made inning-ending double play ball. On the plus side, Marcum looked fairly sharp, Overbay continued his walk parade, Rolen doubled again, and Stairs is still hot. Are the Jays just getting really unlucky, or is there something else at work here? Last season was a little different as the team was also horrendous at getting on base, but we're getting on base at a decent clip this season, aren't we? (team OBP .346, though a .366 cumulative slugging percentage is nothing to write home about) One interesting fact is that despite everything, we've still scored more runs than we've allowed, and our Pythagorean record is 13-12, which isn't even bad. Will things turn around soon?

Maybe the streak will stop at 6? I won't be around to find out, as I'm lunching with a few friends who are on their way out of town. Gil Meche will face off against Jesse Litsch. Meche has been terrible this season, so clearly a no-hitter is in the works. But I'll take a good start from Litsch and no profanity from Gibbons (though I can't really blame him, but it shouldn't be directed at his young pitcher) as that would be a step up from last time. Let's go Jays!

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Wilner thinks it wouldn't have been a double play

for what that’s worth.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 1:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hmm... x gets the day off

a day before an off day…

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rios with the leadoff triple into the gap

that DeJesus almost made a spectacular play on.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

And scores on a wild pitch

So no need to hit with RISP

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Overbay flies to right

Shallow-ish… not sure if Rios would have scored on it.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

And Rolen with ths solo homer

also negating the need to hit with RISP.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

And Stairs and Wells ground out

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

2005 off-season revisited

Remember when the Jays wanted to sign Meche, but got Burnett instead? Who do we think got the better result from those signings, Jays or Royals?

by SuckaMD on Apr 27, 2008 2:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Meche was last year

We got Ohka, Thompson, and Zambrano that offseason.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah, so it was. Well, I guess the sorry lot you just listed answers the question by itself.

by SuckaMD on Apr 27, 2008 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Of course those guys didn't cost $10M total

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Litsch faces the minimum

giving up a single, but eliminating him on a strike-em-out throw-em-out double play on a full count.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wait, that's a shutdown inning!

We haven’t had one of those in ages!

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hill with an infield single off Meche's glove

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Lind lines into a double play

3 unassisted. Tough break for a hard-hit ball.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Litsch works a clean inning

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Johnny Mac gets into the Hitting Gil Meche action

but is thrown out by Gordon

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rios with a single to the left field gap

Doing a good job as the leadoff hitter.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 2:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ouch

Tapper to the mound, Litsch doesn’t field cleanly, then throws it away. 0 outs and extra bases instead of a double play.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

And DeJesus with the 2 RBI double

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

single, advances on the Wells error

that’s 3 errors in the last 2 at-bats.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No further damage

but the middle of a 6 game losing streak is not when you want to allow basically 6 extra bases on errors in an inning.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Lind works the 2 out walk

Add that to the Hill single and it’s our first RISP chance of the day. And it’s Barajas hitting.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:13 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

And Barajas strikes out looking

0 for 1.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Litsch with a 1-2-3 inning

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rios with his third hit of the game

Of course having Barajas and PMOD at the bottom of the order means that it’s with 1 out.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Overbay not showing off his high OBP vs. righties today

from the 2 slot

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rolen singles to left

Rios scores from first (3-2 pitch so he was running) when Guillen throws to second.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

But Stairs strikes out to strand Rolen at first

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Another inning ending double play

for a shutdown inning by Litsch, who has been much more efficient (not to mention round and pink) than Meche.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wells taps back to the mound on the first pitch

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Vernon grounds out on the first pitch against a starter working on >100 pitches

by SuckaMD on Apr 27, 2008 3:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

6 pitch inning for Meche

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Litsch gets his own 1-2-3 inning

and is only at 81 pitches.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Barajas with a leadoff single

Meche still out there for some reason

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ya, very surprising. It’s not as though the Jays have been teeing off against the Royals bullpen this series.

by SuckaMD on Apr 27, 2008 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Except for Nuñez

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Johnny Mac pops up after a few fouls on hit and run attempts

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 3:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rios takes a cutter down the middle on a 1-0, then flies to right.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Overbay flares one to left

Meche finally out. Rolen will get our second AB with RISP this game.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rolen pops up

0 for 2

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Litsch strands a man at second

on a liner to Johnny Mac. Apart from his errors, Litsch has been great.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Stairs draws the leadoff walk

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wells with the hit and run

successfully, moving Stairs to third. Now we’ll get a bunch of chances to fail with RISP.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wells caught stealing

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Hill grounds to third

0 for 3

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That's what happens when you try to pull outside pitches.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And Lind grounds to first

0 for 4.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Am I reading this right? Is BJ in in the 8th?

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Is he going to pitch 2 innings because tomorrow's an off day?

Because that would be insane. And failing that, who will close?

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Well he works a 1-2-3 inning

so he should have plenty in the tank for the 9th, but I’m still kinda shaking my head here.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Wells stealing

I am watching on gameday and does not understand for the life of me why Wells would steal in that situation. It is all great that he can get out of the double play, but a double play still score runs in that situation.

by slitheringslider on Apr 27, 2008 4:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Maybe it was a hit and run

but the pitch was down and outside, so there was no way Hill could reach it. It took a good throw from Olivo to catch him.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Johnny Mac with the 1 out double

More RISP chances.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rios with the bloop double (nobody covers second)

but Johnny Mac has to hold up in case it’s caught. So 1 for 5, no RBI

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They bring in Gobble to face Overbay.

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Overbay grounds to short, the ball is thrown away at the plate, and 2 runs score

So I guess that’s 1 for 6, with 2 runs scoring on not the hit?

"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"

by Torgen on Apr 27, 2008 4:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If, as Jamie and Darren just put it, the Jays are looking for (and, by implication, need) breaks like the ones seen in this inning to put up runs and win ball games, this season will be longer than I had originally feared.

by SuckaMD on Apr 27, 2008 4:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs