Second Half Starts the Way the First Half Ended. Jays Lose to Red Sox.

by Tom Dakers on Jul 17, 2009 11:25 PM EDT in Toronto Blue Jays Game Recaps

The second half starts the way the first half ended. When you only get 5 hits in a game and 3 of those are from Lyle Overbay, you know you aren't going to get a lot of runs. There really was only one inning that we hit the ball hard too. In the 4th Adam Lind hit the ball as hard as you'll see it hit. But then he made as poor a base running decision as you will see in a while right after. Rolen hit a ground ball to the pitcher Clay Buchholz and Adam for some reason decided to run to 3rd. Just a dumb move. We've seen more than our share of bad base running this year.

Then, in one another one of those moments that seem to keep happening to us, Overbay hit a ground rule double. If the ball hadn't bounced over the wall, Rolen would have scored from 1st on the play. As it turned out neither play cost us because Alex Rios hit a sac fly and scored Rolen and Jose Bautista lined out very hard right at Dustin Pedroia. So, likely, the plays didn't hurt us. Of course, you don't know how different the inning would have been if Lind didn't make the mistake.

Ricky Romero wasn't great. It look like his arm slot was changing by the pitch at times, Maybe the extra rest over the break wasn't good for him. He struck out 8 but walked 5, gave up 5 hits and 4 runs in 4.1 innings. He did make some good pitches but not consistently. Shawn Camp pitched 2.2 perfect innings. I'm not sure what he is doing different this season but he has been really good. Jeremy Accardo and Brandon League each pitched a good inning.

There was a strange moment, when David Dellucci came out of the game in the 8th and John McDonald played the outfield for the first time in his career. Nothing came Mac's way in his 2 inning in left. Dellucci took a pitch off his foot (which he swung at, that pretty much tells you all you need to know about how Dellucci has been doing for us) in the bottom of the 7th. I guess he'll get x-rays and we'll know more tomorrow. Injured or not, maybe we could try someone else in his spot.

Jay of the Day is Lyle Overbay (.121 WPA). Honorable mention to Camp. Suckage Jays are Ricky Romero (-.231), Aaron Hill (-.130) and Rod Barajas (-.107).

Tomorrow at 1:00 Eastern Marc Rzepczynski (0-1, 3.00), who has been great to watch, goes against the Red Sox and Brad Penny (6-3, 4.71). It will be interesting to see who plays in the outfield tomorrow if Vernon Wells still has a stomach flu and Dellucci may have a broken toe. I'm not sure the Jays could get someone to Toronto from Vegas for the game tomorrow if they called them right now. McDonald does have a better than than Dellucci, how sad is that?

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comments:

(1) again, a base running practice session(s) is(are) in order for the Jays – Lind and Rios are the key candidates

(2) Overbay’s hitting tends to be counter-cyclical … he seems to hit better when the rest of the team does not

(3) Romero should have taken his brake … his youthful exubrance is admirable, but baseball seasons are a marathon … folks need their mental and physical breaks if they are to be fresh when called upon

by aagoodfella on Jul 17, 2009 11:30 PM EDT reply actions

good points

I think the walks hurt Romero more then being mentally ready. The score did not reflect his start. 4.1 IP walked 5 which is awful. Struck out 8! which is nice. Not bad start, I think he came out early. But thats why I’m not a manager. For once Cito saves someones arm!!. He said after the game that he couldn’t locate his fastball all night. He Just had a off day…He’s gonna be fine.

by syc on Jul 18, 2009 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions

It was a Purcey start, Lots of walks and K’s.

That all being said being a younger pitcher odds are he got amped up to play Boston and got overexcited.

'But I don't want to go among mad people' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that' said the Cat 'we're all mad here'.

by JohnnyG on Jul 18, 2009 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Boston also doesn't generally help you

if you’re having trouble finding the zone. While the Ks are nice, walking that many is a recipe for disaster every time out. It could have been worse for Romero. That said, Ricky has done a great job limiting walks so everyone’s entitled to a bad day now and then.

"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 Jul 18, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions

It doesn’t matter how good or bad Romero did anyway, when the offence only scores 1 run, he would have had to be perfect.

by Icedragon on Jul 18, 2009 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

that's a somewhat strange way to look at it

From my perspective, Romero is a rookie pitcher with a half-season of experience under his belt. So he is being continuously evaluated and reevaluated every time he takes the mound. So of course it matters how he pitched, even if the Jays would have (as I agree they would likely have) lost the game regardless of how good he pitched.

"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 Jul 18, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions

I meant in terms of the Jays winning or losing, it wouldn’t have mattered if he pitched good or bad, with the offence scoring one run he would have lost anyway unless he was perfect.

by Icedragon on Jul 18, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions

course is one of those things you never know...

If the game is closer, the Sox pitchers pitch different or do you bat better if the game is close? But yeah, he needed a shut out, as it turned out.

by Tom Dakers on Jul 18, 2009 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions

break not brake

by aagoodfella on Jul 17, 2009 11:30 PM EDT reply actions

Glad I took in the Green Day concert tonight instead of watching another failure at run production. There was more energy in a two hour Green Day concert than I’ve seen since April from the Jays. Thank god for the PVR so I can waste 45 minutes instead of three hours. The highlight was Brandy Halladay.

by BigTimeBlueJayFan on Jul 18, 2009 2:05 AM EDT reply actions

I just have to say…who stole the offence for the Jays? I mean seriously, did the team forget how to hit? This is getting redundant, and just a bit beyond ridiculous.

by Icedragon on Jul 18, 2009 3:19 AM EDT reply actions

Actually...

Other then the walks Romero gave out, he is still in my good book.

Yes, Lind base running was kinda stupid, but even if he stays on second, Rolen would have been ground out anyways, and assuming Lyle would hit that double, Lind scores, and Rios’s flied out wouldn’t make any different along with Jose’s out on Pedroia. It wouldn’t change the outcome either way… at least that’s how I see it.

Camp was awesome, couldn’t be happier to see him pitch instead of Carlson.

League only pitched 9th AND he was great,

IF Dellucci is down, I wonder if they will bring Snider back…

by Outz on Jul 18, 2009 3:55 AM EDT reply actions