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Adam Lind Hits Three Homers, Jays Beat Red Sox

Toronto Blue Jays' Kevin Millar follows through on a solo home run against Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz in the third inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. Travis Snider (45) waits on deck. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

More photos » Elise Amendola - AP

4 months ago: Toronto Blue Jays' Kevin Millar follows through on a solo home run against Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz in the third inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. Travis Snider (45) waits on deck. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Blue Jays 8 Red Sox 7

That was just a terrific game to watch, it had everything you could want. 

We gotta talk about Kevin Millar, I have a rant coming about how a team could have to use Millar at third base in September, but we will save it for tomorrow. Millar had a terrific game. He was 3 for 4 at the plate, with a homer and a double. His last time up he needed a triple for the cycle, but knowing that it would cause a tear in the fabric of reality if he did it, to save the universe,he popped out. 

Defensively, he made all the plays, including turning a double play at second base when the Jays had the shift on for David Ortiz, jumping over (if you can call it that) the runner coming into second. He also started a double play from third. Kevin we've (ok, I've) taken a lot of shots at you this year, and I don't apologize for any of them, but today I raise a glass to you. 

I don't suppose you all have noticed this but Adam Lind is a heck of a player. His first two homers tonight were massive shots to center, the third he got smart and pulled it down the line hitting the Pesky Pole. His 3 tonight gives him 35 on the season and 114 RBI. When he came up in the 9th, with a chance at a fourth, Jonathan Papelbon hit him in the elbow with the first pitch of the at bat. I don't think he was trying to hit Lind but he was clearly trying to push him off the plate. Cito made the point with the plate umpire that he hit a guy that had 3 homers on the night. Papelbon appeared to apologize to Lind at the end of the inning. I hope Lind can play tomorrow.

Jose Bautista started off the game right, taking the first pitch over the Green Monster and Aaron Hill hit his 36th homer of the year. We hit 6 home runs today after 3 yesterday in a short game. The Red Sox must be worried about their pitching going into the playoffs. 

Ricky Romero pitched pretty well tonight, going 5 innings, allowing 7 hits but just 1 walk and 2 earned. He did throw too many pitches, but then the Red Sox are a good team and he only gave up 2 runs. Brandon League and Jesse Carlson each pitched a good inning. And then Shawn Camp came in the game. He was awful and Cito left him in too long, finally pulling him after J.D. Drew hit a 3 run homer to make it a 1 run game. Fortunately Jason Frasor got a tough 4 out save. Frasor is going to be a personal favorite for the rest of his career for me, half because he saved me from throwing my laptop across the room. Frasor held up well to the pressure of all those loud Red Sox fans and he struck out Kevin Youkilis with the tying run on second. 

Jays of the Day are Frasor (.243), Lind (.194) and Millar (.098, who'd have thought he'd get another JoD this season?) Honorable mention to Hill, Romero and Bautista (leadoff first pitch homer and a nice sliding catch). Suckage Jay is Shawn Camp (-.182).

That was a really fun game and we got to put off the Red Sox playoff celebration for a little bit. Yes I'm pissed off at Cito for leaving Camp in too long and I'm more pissed off at JP for having a team that has no replacements on the bench in September. What would have happened if Johnny Mac or Hill had twisted an ankle tonight? Or Wells or Bautista? But let's enjoy the game tonight and rant tomorrow. 

Tomorrow the Jays go for the sweep against Tim Wakefield (11-4, 4.33). Roy Halladay (16-10, 2.90) starts for us. Edwin Encarnacion is out with a groin injury. The Red Sox called up a player just today, you would think the Jays, with no replacement players, would, you know, call someone up too. You would think.

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Sweep the Sox!

RIP Bodhi - Not tragic to die doing what you love. You want the ultimate thrill, you gotta be willing to pay the ultimate price.

by craig in calgary on Sep 30, 2009 12:09 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Adam Lind, Aaron Hill, Travis Snider, That’s quite a formidable 2-3-4 foundation. If this team wasn’t being run by a conglomerate that shows no interest in their baseball asset this team could be more competitive. I hope they steer this ship in the right direction this winter.

Nice dramatic win tonight, the first Jays game I’ve watched large portions of since July.

by torontocoltsfan on Sep 30, 2009 12:18 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Just a quick question

How do you determine Jay of the Day and what does the decimal mean?

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Sep 30, 2009 1:01 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

The number is WPA

Win Probability Added. It is basically how much the player has contributed to a win or loss. It comes from Fangraphs. They compare the chance of a win before and after play and add or subtract that from the players involved. We generally give JoD to guys that add .1 or more to a win. We do it that way so that personal preferences don’t sway things. Same for Suckage, if a player is worse that -.1 he gets the Suckage award.

by Tom Dakers on Sep 30, 2009 1:09 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Thanks for the explanation

I’ve been wondering that for a long while now. That Fangraphs site is unbelievably awesome by the way. I’m glad you use it to your advantage.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Sep 30, 2009 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

It is a great site....

occasionally we bring the graph over for the recap.

by Tom Dakers on Sep 30, 2009 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Lind is the man

3 home runs and he makes it look effortless. I have my money on him to beat Hill for the Blue Jays home run race. This is his first full season and what a season. Let’s give some credit to Cito, because bringing up Lind to the Majors was his first move and all that talking in dugout seemed to work.

Now if they can only figure out how to bring back Wells power, then the future will interesting.

by wadcanshuur on Sep 30, 2009 1:04 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Issues

Alright, I’d like to state for the record that I am completely against hitting opposing batters in retaliation. The Bob Gibson days were over when a 90+ heater could end someone’s career.

That being said, at this point, I endorse the idea of hiring Domi solely for the job of running out and taking the head off the opposing pitcher. Seriously, the Jays are getting rung hard on the inside corner of the plate without even the slightest hesitation by opposing pitchers. Papelbon’s inside pitch was a chin bristler by Stieb standards, and Lind wasn’t hugely out over the plate. There’s supposed to be an understanding between ballplayers, and the Red Sox and Yankees seem to have opted out.

Maybe is it fourth place AL East paranoia, but both teams have been deemed untouchable, and even colourful language against them earns a suspension. Carlson’s suspension was identical to Posada despite even the New York media loudly calling out the whining, chinless punk of a catcher. Now Lind, who just happened to have three homers but that isn’t a factor at all, takes a high one on the elbow from Papelbon, and no one points out the headhunting he learned so well from Becket?

MLB has declared, friends, that our lot in life is to be the chum for Boston and New York, and if we lose a couple of players in the process, ESPN will be sure to host a panel explaining why it was their fault for daring to step on a corporate diamond and risk their profits in the first place.

If there is any justice, the first pitch tomorrow ends up in Ms Ellbury’s ear when he steps to the plate.

by dexfarkin on Sep 30, 2009 2:35 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Doc won't do that

…and although I am also against hitting opposing batters in retaliation, for Papelbon to suggest that wasn’t intentional is ridiculous. He’s a bigger diva/meathead than Beckett.

by Jevant on Sep 30, 2009 8:20 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I don’t think it was intentional in terms of actually meaning to hit Lind, but running the ball inside like that on a first pitch? There’s no need and no excuse. Papalbon, like Beckett, is one of those guys who likes to ‘own’ the plate, and toss heat inside even at the perception of anyone diving out over the dish. So it’s not so much about intention as it is about methodology.

by dexfarkin on Sep 30, 2009 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Pitching HBP by team

Red Sox: 65 (subtract 9 by Wakefield, which I’m willing to ignore = 57)
Yankees: 70 (12, 10 and 8 by Chamberlain, Burnett and Sabathia)
Rays: 42
Blue Jays: 56
Orioles: 50

Batting HBP by team

Red Sox: 67 (Youkilis with 16)
Yankees: 51 (Teixeira with 11)
Rays: 48
Blue Jays: 42
Orioles: 37
 . . . Youkilis and Teixeira both stand on top of the plate

So those are just the simple numbers. I do agree that the Yankees and Red Sox seem to get to play by their own rules.

"Look at me! I'm Tomokazu Ohka of the Montreal Expos!"

by jessef on Sep 30, 2009 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

great pitching matchup tonight

Roy – nuf said
Wakefield – can be a challenge for the Jays

by aagoodfella on Sep 30, 2009 9:55 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

oops maybe not

thescore reporting that BoSox are 4-1 when featuring this pitching matchup

maybe we should be thankful the Rangers lost last night

by aagoodfella on Sep 30, 2009 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

more props to lind

earlier in the year, i bagged on baseball players in general for not being fit enough. I also noted that Lind (and Accardo) in a video shot in the team weight room seemed to be of only ok build. Well, I might have to take back my comments on Lind. On the Sunday game, when Jays gave “shirts off their back” in a post-game promotion, Lind showed that he has definitely been doing his bench presses. I think time in the weight room is really paying off with the power hitting. Good work. Now, if he can get Wells, Encarnacion, Ruiz and Snider in the weight room with him … this team will be pounding the taters all over the field.

by aagoodfella on Sep 30, 2009 10:01 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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