Brett Cecil and Alex Rios Are Great, Jays Beat A's

Jays 5 A's 0

It is hard to believe that a team that has so many starting pitchers on the DL could have so many good performances from starters, like we've had lately. Friday Richmond gets an 8 inning complete game, Yesterday Tallet gets us 7 innings and tonight Brett Cecil goes 8 shutout innings, allowing only 5 hits, 2 walks and striking out 6. When the guys start coming off the DL I don't know who will come out of the rotation. Everyone is getting us deep into games. For awhile our bullpen was a bunch of tired pitchers, now we can't get enough work for them.

Offensively, once again, everyone in the lineup had at least 1 hit and Bautista, Scutaro, Hill,  and Rios had 2. Rios had a homer, a sac fly and 3 RBI on the day. I have thought he had come out of his slump two or three times this young season so I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that he has come out of it now, but it is nice to see him hitting the ball hard. By the way, did anyone else notice that after his homer, none of his teammates got up off the bench in the dugout to congratulate him? I wonder if they were playing a game with him?

One thing bugging me lately is Cito seems to be picking strange moments to bunt. He's done a great job getting the guys swinging the bats well, but I'd like him to notice we have a pretty high powered offense, why not trust the guys with the bats. Tonight in the 9th, with us up 3-0 and Millar and Barajas on first and second with singles and Jose Bautista. With the speed of Millar at second, laying down a bunt would have no margin for error. So, of course, Cito has him bunt and Millar is thrown out at third.

Now in the 9th up by 3, a one run strategy is kind of useless. The difference between being up by 3 and up by 4 with just one inning to go is not a lot. Add in that Bautista is hitting .328 and moving Millar to 3rd with a bunt would take a skill with that bunt that few possess. Now it didn't matter that much because Hill and Rios singled in runs after the bunt failed. And had we not scored we still would have won. But Cito is big on confidence, so why not show confidence in Bautista and tell him 'go drive in that runner at 2nd'.

Anyway Jays of the Day are Cecil (.468 WPA) and Rios (.108). No Suckage Jays today. Life is good, we are in first place by 1.5 games pending tonight's Rays/Red Sox game. We have tomorrow off then start a 3 game series against the Yankees. Would a sweep be too much to ask?