I Don't Want the World; I Just Want Your Half - Game 37, Jays at Cleveland
by hugo on May 9, 2008 6:58 PM EDT
in Toronto Blue Jays Game Threads
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PrintToronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians, May 9, 2008 7:05 PM EDT
Sigh. More They Might Be Giants. Was it asking too much for a better finish to last night than we got? Oh well, Litsch pitched well and Overbay continues to hit the ball well.
The Blue Jays, apparently believing they need more offense, have added a veteran platoon. They traded cash considerations for Doc-femur-shatterer Kevin Mench, the righty half, and signed former Expo standout Brad Wilkerson as the lefty half. Both players are in the starting lineup tonight. Joe Inglett has been sent down to make room. In addition, the Jays have reportedly cut ties with Gustavo Chacin and Sergio Santos .
Mench is a good platoon option against lefties, but doesn't play good defense and doesn't seem to offer more than, say, Reed Johnson, who also has hit lefties well over his career and offers more on defense and on the bases. Wilkerson has really fallen off since his days in Montreal and it looks to me like injuries have really messed up a once-promising career. I've always liked Wilkerson, but it's hard to imagine him hitting better than, say, Adam Lind would over the rest of the season. I will post more tomorrow morning on the two players, since it's almost gametime and I just got in from work.
Doc Halladay pitches today against C.C. Sabathia and let's hope the Jays can score some runs with their new faces.
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looks like SB Nation's content carrier
doesn’t have the new jays on their lineup. The lineup is:
Rios, Hill, Rolen, Wells, Mench, Overbay, Barajas, Wilkerson, Scutaro
"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
My predictions for this road trip
50% 3-7, 50% 7-3.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Rios strikes out looking
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Hill gets drilled
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
what's everyone's take
on the newest Jays?
"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
Low risk high reward
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
definitely low risk, I agree
I’m not sure the reward is so high though. Lind must be really bummed. Kid gets 19 at-bats, doesn’t do well, and now he could be down in AAA all year.
"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
It was already likely he'd be in AAA all year
It’s certainly consistent with a ‘win now’ mentality.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
And considering our righty-heavy lineup has sucked against lefties
and we’re about to face three, anything to increase our hitting against lefties has the potential to be high reward.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
I agree with that
I like Mench as a platoon option
"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
do you think Stewart will be cut soon?
he seems a bit superfluous 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
If we need the roster spot
I’d give Wilkerson a chance to prove himself before dropping Stew. Of course we could always go back to Lind if we drop Stew and then Wilk doesn’t pan out.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
true, there's no rush or anything
It just seems to me that Stew’s days might be numbered. Even if Wilkerson doesn’t pan out, I’d want to give Lind another shot.
"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
Fair enough
Lind going back to AAA might not just be because he sucked. It may also be to help him with his confidence.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Rolen flies out to center
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Halladay with a 1-2-3
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Mench draws the leadoff walk
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Overbay apparently goes around
Idunno, that didn’t seem like much of a swing.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
I agree
he got hosed a little on that call. It was a decent at-bat anyway
"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
now Barajas' at-bat on the other hand....
"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
Barajas out swinging
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Mench steals second
so Wilk gets a shot at RISP time with a 1-2 count.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
0 for 1
Wilkerson out looking
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Doc actually walked someone
"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
Strands him though
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Doc looking pretty sharp
though his control isn’t as pinpoint as usual
"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
Scutaro hits it straight to Sizemore
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
must we swing at everything close?
"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
answer: yes
"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
Well if that's all he's going to throw
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Rios flies out on the second pitch
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
6 pitch inning for Sabathia
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Well at least we made it unlikely that Sabathia would set
the all time single game strikeout record.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
way to look on the bright 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
Not impossible
just unlikely
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Cabrera single-handedly costing Doc the complete game.
At least he has the decency to strike out.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Doc again
bringing his K game this season. I wonder if it’s conscious on his part after so few K’s last season, or if he just has a great feel for the curve early this year?
"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
What's the correlation between Barajas catching and Doc getting Ks?
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
interesting question
"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
Also relevant
Last year he was caught a bunch by Philips, Fasano, and Thigpen. Might that have depressed his K numbers?
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
True
I’m sure it didn’t help. But Doc also said last season he was consciously trying to pitch to contact more. Probably part of that was the faith he had in his defense.
"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
Nice catch Hill
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Rolen
gets the first hit of the night. not the strongest hit, but he had a decent at-bat so he deserves some credit
"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
Wells follows up
with the first strong hit of the night
"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
RISP time!
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Mench really is a blue jay
"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
He was 4 for 8 with 2 doubles vs. Sabathia coming into this game
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
ah
but that was before he played for this 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
Either our clubhouse culture is highly virulent
okay, there’s no other side of that either-or.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
they really test your faith
in the whole “there’s no such thing as clutch-hitting” thing, don’t they?
"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
There is such a thing as clutch hitting
there’s no such thing as clutch hitters.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
well, there are clutch hitters actually
it’s just that every MLB hitter is one
"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
Are you sure?
I mean, you’ve been watching these games too.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
0 for 2.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
0 for 3
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
that was
the quickest-ending rally ever
"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
Doc's no-no is gone
but the shutout remains
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Barajas
crushed 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
RISP time again
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Wilkerson
lays down the bunt 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
I was hoping for a bunt homer.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
nice shortened swing from Scutaro
he hits fastballs well, doesn’t he? that was a high one…
"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
Hill doubles, Scutaro holds up
but manages not to get pickled.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
RISP time again for the best Jay ever
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
1 for 5
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
I worry that we are being punished for our hubris.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
what was our hubris?
"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
Daring to dream we might win a game in Cleveland
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
ah
this place has been where dreams have gone to die, it’s true. I blame the racist logo. Still, with Doc pitching, you can’t help but be hopeful
"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
Doc shakes his fist at the gods
and a baseball comes out of his fist and is called for a strike.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Mench has 3 outs in three PAs against Sabathia
Good thing we added a lefty masher.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
That's a cruel pitch to throw at a guy who's trying to bunt
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Wells makes a great catch
and is in pain
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
doesn't look like his wrist is broken
but clearly he’s in a ton of pain. terrible…
"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
Not a displaced fracture anyways
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
And he's coming off the field
I’m not giving up on that hubris claim
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Good thing we added two outfielders.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
I wonder if Lind will be recalled
course, they can’t recall him for 10 days, right?
"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
Maybe it changes if there's an injury?
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
not sure
we could definitely use him back if Wells has to miss significant time. Stewart-Rios-Wilkerson isn’t exactly a great AL outfield
"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
Doc gets out of it
at an uncharacteristic 100 pitches through six. unfortunate, following yesterday’s extra innings game
"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
but no one is warming
so Doc looks like he’ll be out for another inning
"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
Wilkerson gets
his first hit in a Jays uni
"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
all right!
Scooter walks to push Wilkerson into scoring position for the top of the order. Way to go, guys!
"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
Scoot draws the walk
RISP time for Rios
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Do the Jays lead baseball in Kentuckians now, I wonder?
with Downs and Wilkerson?
"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
You realize Stew is now batting cleanup?
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
all the more reason to score before we get that far
"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
Rios with a not-great at-bat
"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
I think it might be time to move him out of the leadoff slot
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
I agree
it seemed like a good idea as he had been seeing more pitches and walking a lot more earlier this season, but since the move he has been pretty bad
"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
Of course if Wells misses time
is Rios the likely candidate to take that slot in the lineup?
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
hard to say
he hasn’t hit for much power this season, really, but he’s probably still the best choice
"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
1 for 6
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
1 for 7
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
this is aggravating
"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
Seriously, Doc? Walking a guy who's trying to bunt?
Not so good.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
And it's game over
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Another Doc loss well-earned by the Jays offense
"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
And by walking the bunter
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
it was a mistake to send him out for the 7th
and a big mistake not to have someone ready to come in when he put the 1st two on
"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
Ah, good, IBB to load them again
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
I wish I didn't remember Accardo pitching here in 2006.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
not good times
"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
Accardo cut his hair?
Is this new?
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
allright, I'm done for the night
I can’t watch this anymore
"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
You picked a good pitch not to see
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
In addition to jamming his wrist, Wells is suffering from hamstring tightness
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Jays make it to 1 for 9 during RISP time
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
Is it time to break out Hopeless Bleak Despair?
Just trying to think what depressing TMBG songs we haven’t used yet.
"He almost has to start. Do you believe in miracles?"
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