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Won't You Stand Up For Hearts of Oak? Game 54, Jays at Oakland

Toronto @ Oakland





Ted Leo is pretty much teh awesoem. What can I say, he brings out the fanboy in me.

Anyway, the Jays are riding high after a 4-game sweep of the Royals, a 5-game winning streak overall. The pitching was fantastic, but, even better, the hitting twice managed 7 runs against a Kansas City team that really doesn't pitch all that badly. The Jays now stand only 4 games out of first, currently occupied by the Rays, and 3 1/2 games from the wildcard, currently occupied by Boston. The As are the only other team between the Jays and the wildcard leader, so they should be an interesting opponent.

Tonight, A.J. Burnett goes up against Greg Smith, the lefty who already shut the Jays down once this season. David Eckstein makes his return to the lineup, playing short and hitting 9th, Aaron Hill is back after a one-day breather to rest a sore groin, and true to Gibby's word, Marco Scutaro gets to stay in the lineup against the lefty, in leftfield. Kevin Mench gets the start in the middle of the lineup and my guess is that he's running out of chances to impress the Jays as a lefty-killer. Let's go Jays!!!

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thanks, A's broadcast

showing Scott Rolen’s career Runs Scored total really helps me gauge his performance

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:15 PM EDT   0 recs

How many runs has he scored?

Sportsnet neglected to give me that critical piece of information

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:17 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

967 according to their broadcast

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:21 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Eckstein fumbles his first chance back from the DL

I didn’t miss the adventures at SS

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:19 PM EDT   0 recs

He did get the out, however

Sorry, I should have mentioned that

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:20 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Lyle should've come up with that

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:22 PM EDT   0 recs

Definitely

Though there was little excuse for the throw to be anywhere near the dirt. That was as routine a play as they come.

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:22 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

There's the Frank we know and love

Can’t catch up to two straight AJ fastballs after getting ahead 3-1

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:27 PM EDT   0 recs

Burnett

gets the Hurt after falling behind 3-1 to bail out Lyle, but mostly to bail out J.P.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:29 PM EDT   0 recs

an unimpressing inning for the Jays' hitters

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:33 PM EDT   0 recs

haha, unimpressing

I’m tired

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:33 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Since I'm new here, a question of BBB etiquette

What is the policy on producing a play-by-play of each game in the game thread? Most, if not all the game threads in which I have participated have had one person mainly responsible for keeping a running tab of pretty much each at bat. Is there a rule about doing this and deciding who is responsible for it, or is it more just if someone feels like it?

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:37 PM EDT   0 recs

hmmmm

it’s not something I can remember us ever discussing before, but it definitely makes sense to have just one person doing the running play-by-play. That said, if no one does a play-by-play and people just chime in when they feel like it, that works too. Ironically, it’s a bit like baseball announcers and their “play-by-play” and colour guy breakdown

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:40 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Weird play

Brown steals second, then comes all the way round to score when the ball bounces off his leg into left field and noone picks it up in time.

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:39 PM EDT   0 recs

AJ

is a bit snakebitten already today, that was crazy

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:41 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Ya, quite a freak play

Aside from that, he’s pitched pretty well. Though between a few baserunners and 5 strikeouts through 2 innings, he’s already at 41 pitches

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:49 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Oops

46, Gameday just updated

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:50 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

AJ

gets out of the inning allowing only the one, by striking out the side

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:48 PM EDT   0 recs

baserunner!

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:51 PM EDT   0 recs

0 for 1

A no tagup from Scooter on the flyout to right

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 10:57 PM EDT   0 recs

what's the eta

on Eckstein returning to the leadoff spot?

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 10:58 PM EDT   0 recs

Knowing Gibby

His one hit tonight will be enough to convince the manager that he has turned it around

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:00 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

yeah

I’m also going to guess tomorrow, but it’s not like anyone else has taken the job and run with it

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:02 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Scooter has been hitting great of late

I would be happy seeing if he can keep it up in the leadoff spot, and I’d like to see Lyle at #2. If Scooter can’t do it, then we can rethink things in 10 games or so, but like you said, noone (especially not Scrappy) is exactly running away with the job so it couldn’t hurt.

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:05 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I'd be up for trying Scooter as well

but It’ll be interesting to see if he gets to stay in the lineup against righties. If the Jays would rather have a righthanded utility infielder in the outfield than Wilkerson, a lefty hitting corner outfielder, against righties, what’s the case for keeping Wilkerson on the team?

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:10 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Hopefully

There is no case and he will be released. I’m not sure what the chances of that happening are, though, given Gibbons apparently man-crush on Wilk.

More likely, methinks, is that Scooter goes back to the bench (maybe playing vs LHP like we see today) and we see more of WJSDA

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:16 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

in all honesty

I think we all know in the long run that extended playing time for Scutaro or Inglett in a corner outfield spot is not the answer, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a better choice than Wilkerson. I mean, 1/4 of his fly balls are infield pop ups. That’s stunningly bad, particularly coupled with the fact that he strikes out almost 30% of the time.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:25 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm not going to pretend

that Scutaro is a legitimate major league corner outfielder (though, the way he’s been playing lately, he’s been an excellent SS). The problem is, not many, if any, players on the Jays’ roster are. And Wilkerson is the worst of the lot.

Rios is the closest thing we have, though his .700 OPS so far this season calls that into question. Stairs can hit vs RHP, but is more suited to DH anyway.

Given what we have, Scooter is probably the best better for now (though not necessarily long term).

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:28 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

0 for 2

another fly to right, another non-tag up from Scooter

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:00 PM EDT   0 recs

0 for 3

Runner on first and second, 3 straight flies to right (first one medium depth, other two fairly deep) and no runs

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:01 PM EDT   0 recs

well

no one can accuse us of not going the other way

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:03 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

AJ gets out of the 3rd

Two Ks, double (by Hurt), single, and fly out

7 Ks through 3, but pitch count is pretty high

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:10 PM EDT   0 recs

at least the pen

is pretty well rested after the Royals series.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:12 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Thomas

smoked that one pretty well. A.J. stranded two again, though.

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:11 PM EDT   0 recs

Mench

with a hit!

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:16 PM EDT   0 recs

3 pitches, 2 outs for AJ

followed by a 4 pitch walk and a double. 2-0 A’s

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:24 PM EDT   0 recs

Burnett falls apart

walks Suzuki for no apparent reason on 4 pitches, than gives up two straight RBI hits

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:25 PM EDT   0 recs

Burnett gets Cust

to finally end the inning, but 3-0 now

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:29 PM EDT   0 recs

well done fellas

way to make him work for it

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:34 PM EDT   0 recs

nice play Lyle

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:39 PM EDT   0 recs

and again

on the bouncer from Eckstein

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:41 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

That's better

K, 2 ground outs.

by SuckaMD on May 27, 2008 11:41 PM EDT   0 recs

Big Rod time

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:47 PM EDT   0 recs

glad we sat Zaun

after his big day yesterday

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:50 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

that inning was fairly depressing

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 27, 2008 11:53 PM EDT   0 recs

ah well

"Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our closed rooms... The game of ball is glorious." - Walt Whitman

by hugo on May 28, 2008 12:59 AM EDT   0 recs

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