Hated the Strike Zone Tonight, Jays Lose to Rays in Extras

by Tom Dakers on Jul 7, 2009 11:24 PM EDT

Marc Rzepczynski pitched great. 6 innings, 2 hits, 7 strikeouts, 4 walks. One of the walks forced in a run. Gameday has one of the four balls, of that walk, right on the inside corner. Is too bad but is life. He Whose Name Can't Be Spelled, looks like a keeper. He's young and there will be ups and downs but boy he looked great.

Speaking of looked great, Shawn Camp went 3 shutout innings. I don't understand what happened to the reliever I hated last year. He has been terrific over the last little while, pitching multiple innings and doing it very well. Brandon League pitched a good tenth inning, helped by a terrible bunt attempt. In the 11th he got two quick outs. Then he got two strikes on Ben Zobrist and then walked him on four pitches. Again Game Day showed one of those pitches on the inside corner. If League gets that call, he's done a great job. He didn't. Then Pat Burrell hit a walk off homer. Even though Pat Tabler said League had 'only' given up 4 homers before that, that is too many for someone that has thrown as few pitches as League has and 5 is worse.

Yeah there was complaining in the thread about League pitching a second inning, but he looked good in the second inning, till the homer, and we do need to rest some arms in the pen.

Offensively we got 10 hits today, but could only push one run across. We had lots of chances. In the 2nd, Vernon Wells was on third with 2 out and David Dellucci struckout. Dellucci still doesn't have hit with the Jays, JP there is no reason to keep him around as long as you kept Wilkerson. In the 3rd with Aaron Hill on first, Adam Lind hit a ground rule double. Had the ball not bounced over the wall, Hill would have scored. Then with runners on second and third Rolen flied out to center.

In the 7th Vernon singled and Dellucci walked, but Barajas flied out. In the 8th we finally scored, singles by Marco Scutaro, Hill and Rolen got us a run. Then Vernon singled, but B.J Upton made a great throw to just get Hill at home. So we had the changes but a combination of bad luck and bad swings hurt.

Vernon had 3 hits, and came with in a half step of a 4th. Scoot and Hill had 2 hits each. But 0 fors for Overbay, Rios, Dellucci and Barajas hurt.

Jays of the Day are Camp (.298 WPA) and Rzepczynski (.182). Honorable mention to Hill. Suckage Jays are Overbay (-.244), Barajas (-.208), Lind (-.196) and Rios (-.195). Oh and League (-.214).

In other news Shawn Marcum might be back in August. Yeah that's another one I'll believe when I see it. Speaking of which, everyone and their brother wants to trade for Roy Halladay. Yeah I know, that's not news either, would have to be a fool not to want him on your team. Tomorrow Brian Tallet goes against Scott Kazmir (4-5, 6.79). How you go 4-5 with an ERA of almost 7 I don't know. Game thread was fun tonight, game ending not so much.

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I can’t believe TB actually pulled off a win despite only having 4 hits and the Jays 10…not sure where the offense was for the Jays. Anybody else think League has been too inconsistent? This isn’t the first time he’s lost the game for the Jays. I didn’t see the game so I don’t know if he pitched good or bad, but regardless, he took the loss by allowing 2 runs. And what’s with giving up a HR to a guy hitting .222 with only 3 dingers so far? Sure Burrell has had good power numbers in the past, but that’s just it…in the past. What matters is this year and he only had 3 before the one tonight. Chalk up another loss to the AL East. The Jays are going to be lucky to even be .500 by the all-star break if they keep up their crap. Oh yeah, I should note too….they get good pitching again, but their offense stinks. Lately they cannot seem to get both going at the same time. Things are starting to get brutal. And also, WTF is Dellucci doing in the lineup?! He is awful. Get his ass out of there for crying out loud. His spot in the order is like a big black hole. On the other side of the spectrum though, Wells seems to be hitting a bit better lately, hopefully that’s a good sign of better days ahead for him. Anyway, I’m done ranting now.

by Icedragon on Jul 7, 2009 11:35 PM EDT reply actions

That's ok a rant is a good thing now and then.

Wells….he’s been great on the road all year, so proof in the pudding is when he gets back to Toronto.

by Tom Dakers on Jul 7, 2009 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions

At least Dellucci won't be in the lineup the next two days

with Kazmir and Price on the mound for Tampa, but in his place we get Millar.

They're not just hitting home runs. They're doing the little things, like hitting doubles.

by Torgen on Jul 8, 2009 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Any time you only score one run...

The offense is the reason why you lost. If Toronto scores two runs, there’s no extra innings loss.

Still don’t know why Scutaro didn’t tag and run on that fly ball that Lind hit. If it falls in, you run home. If it’s caught, you run home. Either way, he should have been standing on the bag ready to go. It’s like he’s been taking base running lessons from Rios or something.

Also, it’s now been two weeks since the Jays won two in a row. Just thought I’d point that out.

by EastCoastJaysFan on Jul 8, 2009 12:03 AM EDT reply actions

He did tag and he bluffed running...

but it wasn’t a deep enough fly to score on. The throw in turned out not to be good, but he couldn’t have seen that from 3rd and by the time he could have it was too late. Upton has a good arm, he showed it throwing out Hill.

by Tom Dakers on Jul 8, 2009 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions

That's a key statement right there

If Toronto scores two runs, there’s no extra innings loss.

Lots of Yankee fans were railing against the umpires last night, so I guess it’s our turn now. There has to be a winning streak around the corner, so the Jays/M’s series at the end of the month really means something. The thought of falling behind any further in the wild card and pennant race is quite disconcerting. I don’t want the Jays to be 12 back on July 27!

I am a Free Canadian
Real Eyes Realize Real Lies

by Temujin on Jul 8, 2009 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions

ive been wishing one for since the 9 game losing streak... this team cannot put one together

There has to be a winning streak around the corner

by Aquamelli on Jul 8, 2009 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah, it's tough to string together many wins

with such a young starting staff, not to mention the team’s on-again, off-again 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

by hugo on Jul 8, 2009 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions

man up

and deal with the bad zone. He called some bad ones one navi and bj which gameday also showed as balls, which is not what blue called. He called a bad game, but what does it matter, the overpaid dh came through and the better team won

by El Rayhawk on Jul 8, 2009 1:14 AM EDT reply actions

Are you a Rays fan or something? Based on the stats of tonight’s game, I’d hardly say “the better team won”. The Rays had 4 hits. The Jays had 10. I’d hardly call that “the better team”. Given that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who was “better” or not, but saying the Rays were the better team today is just silly.

by Icedragon on Jul 8, 2009 2:09 AM EDT up reply actions

maybe you didn't know

saying “man up” exempts you from any need to actually use logic or coherent English.

"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 8, 2009 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Shawn Camp

is the man. I’ve said it the last couple years. Living down here in KC… Royals insiders were sort of bummed out when the let go of him a few years back. Frustrating at times – sure – but he can give you that stability at the bottom of your bullpen. A true throwback who can go in and give you a solid 3/4IP three times every couple of weeks.

by JaysFanInKS on Jul 8, 2009 9:26 AM EDT reply actions

I have to admit..

League is inconsistent, but I watched every pitch and he wasn’t bad at all, until the very last pitch. Maybe its just bad luck, so let’s stick to the one inning for League.

by Outz on Jul 8, 2009 10:37 AM EDT reply actions

moving to the Marcum story

I don’t understand how he could possibly be ready by the first week in August, as the article claims. It’s already the second week in July and he’s made one 3-inning appearance in which he reportedly threw 81 mph. At the most, he would have 4-5 starts before the first week in August, right? That seems like a pretty quick journey to make.

Personally, I’d leave him in Dunedin for 4 or so more 3-5 inning starts, let him get his feet under him in the nice weather, get his velocity back up, feel out his control, work in his pitches gradually and not have to worry about overthrowing. Then, in early August, if things were going well I’d bump him up and maybe try New Hampshire and Vegas, hoping to get a few very late August and September starts out of him to hopefully get him on track for a big season next year.

But rushing a pitcher back from injury because we’ve had a ridiculous amount of pitching injuries, well, that just pulls all my irony levers the wrong 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 Jul 8, 2009 2:47 PM EDT reply actions

yeah i don't get the idea of rushing him either

we’re losing this season in july pretty much – so why bring him in august?

by epoxypatch on Jul 8, 2009 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Why not use him in the bullpen if he's ready

This should be a good way to ease him back in. Which leads me to my next question, why aren’t all these young arms given a shot in the bullpen? After Downs and Frasor, there is not alot of relyable arms. By my quick calculations, between AA, AAA, DL and the current rotation, the Jays have 35,000 pitchers all vying for one of the 5 starting rolls. Why can’t these guys be groomed to be a valuable closer/set up man/long man. We probably win 5-10 games more this year with a more consistant bullpen. I dunno, just wondering.

Happiness is a long walk with a putter in your hand.

by craig in calgary on Jul 8, 2009 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions