No Sweep But Jay Win Second Series in a Row.

Jays 4 Indians 8

They say that every team will win 50 and lose 50, but it is the other 62 that matter. Basically don't get too high after a win or too low after a loss. I hope today was one of the 50 losses, not one of the other 62.

There was lots of good and bad in the game. The best part is that last year when we fell behind we didn't feel we had a chance, now we always think we are in the game. Makes watching much more fun. David Purcey had an up and down game. He struck out 10 but walked 6 in 4.2 innings, just 4 hits but 1 was a home run. gave up 5 runs, 4 earned, but 2 scored after he left the game. The first score after two bad throws by Rod Barajas, the first should have thrown out Grady Sizemore stealling second on a strike out, the second throw went into center when Sizemore moved up on what was ruled a wild pitch by Purcey but Barajas got the ball in lots of time to throw out Sizemore going to 3rd but he threw it into left instead. Could have saved Purcey a bunch of pitches.

Then when he left the game with 2 out and runners on 1st and second, Shawn Camp gave up a double to score both runners. So Purcey's day could have looked better. Camp and Brandon League had rough days coming in from the pen. League gave up 3 hits, a walk, a homer and 3 runs in the 9th. It seems, to me, that his pitches are moving too much, he can't keep them in the strike zone. I think he started slow last year, I'm not worried about him yet. Jesse Carlson pitched a very good 1.2 innings. He is a favorite of mine but I keep expecting the league to catch on to him. They haven't yet though.

Offensively, Vernon Wells hit a big home run, which was nice to see. Alex Rios hit a 'triple', the quotation marks are because Shin-Soo Choo should have caught it, but he lost it in the sun, he almost got hit in the head with it. And seeing as it was hit hard, that wouldn't have been good. Aaron Hill doubled, but struck out after Travis Snider bunted to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. He got ripped off on the strikeout, strike two was clearly high, the catcher brought it down 8 inches after he caught it but was called a strike, then Hill chased a pitch for strike 3. I guess I don't need to mention that I thought getting Snider to bunt with 2 on and none out was just stupid, but I will anyway.

Ofers go to Scoot (though he took a walk), Adam Lind (can't get on him, he has been amazing), Lyle Overbay was 0 for 2 ( but 2 walks) and Snider was 0 for 2 with the sac bunt. Barajas was 1 for 3, the one was a bloop hit. It doesn't seem fair, he lined out very hard in the 3rd but the pop up falls. He is at a .111 batting average so far but really has been hitting the ball hard.

With Tampa Bay beating Baltimore and Yankees losing to the Royals, we are a half game up on the Orioles for first.

Jays of the Day: Vernon Wells (.132 WPA) and Cy Carlson (.128). Suckage Jays? Well there are a few of them: Camp (-.143), League (-.120), Purcey (-.109), Scutaro (-.151, though he started the prettiest double play you'll have see in the 8th) and Lind (-.138, but again it is unfair since he's been amazing so far).

Tomorrow we start a 4 game series in Minnesota. Jesse Litsch starts tomorrow against Kevin Slowey for the Twins.