Jays Sweep Orioles

by Tom Dakers on Apr 11, 2010 4:54 PM EDT in Toronto Blue Jays Game Recaps

Blue Jays 5 Orioles 2

Baseball is a strange game. Shaun Marcum pitches two really good games, 13 innings, no record. Casey Janssen pitches 3 innings and has 3 wins.

Marcum wasn't as good as he was opening day, but he battled through 6 innings, gave up 8 hits, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. All those hits only added up to 2 runs against. He only had 1 three up, three down inning, but he kept the game close. Then the league leader in wins comes in, pitches his inning and we score 3 for him. Scott Downs and Kevin Gregg pitched a scoreless inning each for a hold and a save.

Offensively we did nothing for the first 7 innings, save a solo homer by Alex Gonzalez. We finally got to Kevin Millwood with two outs in the 8th: John McDonald gets on on an error and Jose Bautista hits a homer, then Gonzalez hits his second home run of the day and we are up by 2. Edwin Encarnacion added a crushed solo shot in the 9th to give us a three run lead.

Jose Bautista came within a few feet of hitting a lead off homer on the first pitch of the game, just pulling it foul. After that he looked bad at the plate until the homer. He, Gonzalez and Encarnacion each have this all or nothing swing, but they got it all four times and that makes up for the nothings. Johnny Mac got on 4 times today, 2 singles, a double and an error.

The bad? We got 0 fors from Lind, Wells, Overbay, Buck and Snider. Wells and Lind each took a walk at least. And Alex Gonzalez made an error on a throw he shouldn't have tried. But since he hit two home runs we'll forgive.

Jays of the Day are Jose Bautista (.373 WPA), Gonzalez (.177), McDonald (.108), Downs (.101) and Marcum (.099). No Suckage Jays. Overbay came closest at -.092. Lyle hasn't looked good at the plate so far. It is early but would like to see him get some hits.

I'm going to put in the fangraph, since it is a thing of beauty today:

That makes us 5-1! 5 straight wins. Including 3 of the late inning comeback type wins. And we are in first place. Life is good, enjoy it.

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Comments

to hell with playoffs?

Championship baby!!!!

by elpikiman on Apr 11, 2010 4:59 PM EDT reply actions

of the universe

by T.Dot_Bronco on Apr 11, 2010 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Overbay

When does “Small sample size” become “medium sample size”? Surely we can continue to have that hole at 5.

All aboard the Vernon Wells Bandwagon!

by craig in calgary on Apr 11, 2010 5:10 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

*Can't

All aboard the Vernon Wells Bandwagon!

by craig in calgary on Apr 11, 2010 5:11 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

five games isn't really long

but would love to see him get a few hits soon

by Tom Dakers on Apr 11, 2010 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions

He’s streaky. Hopefully he’ll catch his stride when others slow down, to keep this thing going.

by REMO on Apr 11, 2010 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions

If Overbay

doesn’t “step it up” on Monday I’d start Ruiz on Tuesday.

by Muscle-Dolphin on Apr 11, 2010 5:13 PM EDT reply actions

Cito? is that you?

by aagoodfella on Apr 11, 2010 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m confused…shouldn’t the runs Marcum gave up be unearned, because they both came after Gonzalez’s error? The Yahoo pitching stats line says that both of the runs were earned.

by Icedragon on Apr 11, 2010 5:21 PM EDT reply actions

It was ruled a single plus an error...

the error moving the runner to second. Correct call as far as I’m concerned so the runs would have scored with out the error.

by Tom Dakers on Apr 11, 2010 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions

I thought the one guy got on due to the error, and later came around and scored. The error was in attempting to get Markakis out wasn’t it ? And then Tejada got the double…so shouldn’t Markakis’s run at least be unearned?

by Icedragon on Apr 11, 2010 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions

it was attempting to get Jones...

the scorer decided that even if the throw was on line Jones would have been safe. I think so too.

by Tom Dakers on Apr 11, 2010 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Jones hit it to SS, Gonzalez tried to make a play when he should of just ate the ball. On the throw Jones gets to 2nd. As Tom said in the scorers opinion Jones would have been safe even if the throw was on. I happen to agree with Tom and the Scorer, so the error doesn’t allows the baserunner, it just let’s the baserunner to get to 2nd.

Regardless the very next batter Markakis walks to get runners to 1st and 2nd anyways.

Then came the hit. to bring home Jones.

Life as a Toronto Sports Fan?... *sigh*... It is what it is...

by JohnnyG on Apr 11, 2010 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Ahhh ok…I never actually saw it, but that explains it. I had seen the initial boxscore when it happened and it had at first said the runs were unearned and then they changed them to earned, I wasn’t sure what happened, but that clears it up.

by Icedragon on Apr 11, 2010 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

On that note, why rule it an error then?

by Icedragon on Apr 11, 2010 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

because the runner went to second on the overthrow

by Tom Dakers on Apr 11, 2010 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Because Jones still moved up on the play. Had Gonzalez not throw the ball and just ate it he would have only been on 1st. He got the extra base cause Gonzalez chucked it into the dugout.

Life as a Toronto Sports Fan?... *sigh*... It is what it is...

by JohnnyG on Apr 11, 2010 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Gotcha…I’ll shut up about it now :)

by Icedragon on Apr 11, 2010 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions

It changed a couple of times during the game...

so confusion is understandable

by Tom Dakers on Apr 11, 2010 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Casey Janssen= the Vulture 2.0

Anyone remember John “the Vulture” Frascatore.

Other interesting Blue Jay vultures (from a mlb.com message board):

Mike Timlin (1991)—63 games, IP 108.3 (the most in the bullpen), W 11-6, ERA 3.16

John Frascatore (1999)—33 games, IP 37.0, W 7-1, ERA 3.41

Jesse Carlson (2008)—65 games, IP 55.0, W 7-1, ERA 1.80

by bleh on Apr 11, 2010 5:25 PM EDT reply actions

Last year Frasor was called the Vulture he went 4-0 in the first month of the season

Life as a Toronto Sports Fan?... *sigh*... It is what it is...

by JohnnyG on Apr 11, 2010 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions

wow, Carlson was awesome in 08

by REMO on Apr 11, 2010 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

How bout

Paul Quantrill 2001 – W – L 11-2 IP 83 and an all star appearance.

by torontocoltsfan on Apr 11, 2010 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Going back a while...

Dennis Lamp 1985 11-0 3.32 102IP

Catch the Taste

by Brown's Jays on Apr 11, 2010 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Most wins by a reliever

The Wikipedia page for Toronto Blue Jays team records list Paul Quantrill’s 11-win 2001 season as most wins by a reliever. I’d think Dennis Lamp’s 11-win 1985 season though would share the record. Though he did have one game started that season, but it wasn’t one of his wins (a no decision on 4 July 1985 – I love Baseball Almanac). I edited that Wikipedia page accordingly.

by jabalong on Apr 11, 2010 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions

If we can finish 4th ahead of the Os

The season will be a great success to me, I don’t even care what the records are as long as we’re ahead of them.

Ball.

by Casusby on Apr 11, 2010 5:25 PM EDT reply actions

i personally dont care about W-L

this season
we can finish 4th or 5th and it wont change the way i view the season
its all about the draft(and signing the picks), developing young players, and trading for prospects
if that all happens then the season can be called a great success.

by FenixL on Apr 11, 2010 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Marcum had a lot of trouble locating early

but he found his groove a bit later on, which was impressive in its own way. And he gave up few hard hit balls, which was important as the hits were flying out of Camden today. The home runs were great to see, and Janssen, Downs, and Gregg all pitched very well too. Very fun to see a sweep.

"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 Apr 11, 2010 6:16 PM EDT reply actions

We were wondering where you were in the stadium.

Tom said you were the one with the BlueJay painted on your chest but I didn’t see it.

Life as a Toronto Sports Fan?... *sigh*... It is what it is...

by JohnnyG on Apr 11, 2010 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I was the one with the 3-year old on his lap

"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 Apr 11, 2010 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions

As much as I don't think much of Overbay to begin with....

I still think a platoon is the best thing at 1B but either way, I wouldn’t mind if Overbay was relegated to defensive substitute.

AWmusic - mp3 blog.
http://twitter.com/awmusicblog

by achengy on Apr 11, 2010 6:36 PM EDT reply actions

I am willing to bet that Ruiz plays 1B against Danks Wednesday

But he possibly may not play until then. Look for Ruiz to get some pinch hits late Monday against Thornton or Williams; otherwise, it will be a Wednesday start for Ruiz.

by Joey P on Apr 11, 2010 7:28 PM EDT reply actions

Cito? is that you?

by aagoodfella on Apr 11, 2010 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Is it too soon to start calling Alex Gonzales Scutaro jr.?

by Redonred on Apr 11, 2010 7:35 PM EDT reply actions

More like Scutaro Sr.

by Joey P on Apr 11, 2010 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions

As much as I am enjoying the 5-1 start...

I don’t think the Jays have been all that amazing. Last year they had a great start and I felt they were playing really good, but this year, I feel like they are catching breaks.

i don’t know, maybe it is their good pitching, which always seems to be underrated every year. I guess when you get good pitching, it doesn’t take much from the other aspects in the game to get the win.

I would like to see:
Encarnacion not make as many errors
Frasor get a save without it being an adventure
Frasor not complain that someone is warming up while he is on the mound
Snider get pitched to (maybe Strawberry will finally throw Snider some decent strikes)
Overbay swing for once (maybe that will get him some hits)
Ruiz get an at-bat
The other guy in the pen that we havn’t seen yet (maybe I don’t want to see that)
Hill back Monday
Brad Mills get the start tomorrow (Ain’t happening)

by Joey P on Apr 11, 2010 7:38 PM EDT reply actions

I think the difference is

last year, they were hitting like CRAZY early on. This year, they’re pitching like CRAZY (best in AL so far). So it depends how you look at things.

by REMO on Apr 11, 2010 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, 5-1 is great...

But the Jays will probably have some trouble once they play a team with a bullpen that has it’s stuff together. I’ve loved the wins, and the good news stories, but the Jays have really just been holding their own until their mediocre opposition finds a way to lose.

by Babb-Sprague on Apr 11, 2010 8:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

yup

but as has been said before, the success of this year won’t be defined by wins and losses. that said, winning is still much more fun than losing, so let’s enjoy it while we can

by boo15749 on Apr 11, 2010 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Since people thought we were going to lose 100 games...

there would be no such thing as mediocre opposition. They should all be better than us. Texas should have a very good offense this year, especially in Arlington.

by Tom Dakers on Apr 11, 2010 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Snider got pitched to yesterday.

He took three strikes looking in the 7th I think.

Loving the Leafs is like being in love with a drug-addled, gambling addicted prostitute with a heart of gold and a bunch of humanitarian awards from her youth. It’s hard. It hurts. But dammit! I just love them!

by Van Ryn's Neurologist on Apr 12, 2010 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Gonzalez

He’s really surprised me so far. I like his game. :)

by Frag on Apr 11, 2010 8:10 PM EDT reply actions

Gonzalez compensation?

Maybe it’s too early to start talking like this and I don’t want to jinx it, but Gonzalez is here on a one year contract and should he leave after the season the Jays would be entitled to compensation, just like with Scutaro(?) What could they possibly receive if, say, Gonzalez posts career or close to career-best numbers? One compensation round pick? 2?

by brewerm on Apr 12, 2010 1:33 AM EDT reply actions