Kevin Gregg Walks Three in the Ninth, but Jays Still Win

Blue Jays 3 Orioles 2

That was interesting. In case you missed it, Kevin Gregg came into the game in the 9th with a one run lead. He got a strikeout, gave up two walks, got a fly out, walked another. And then Cito took him out and brought in Shawn Camp. Gregg was not pleased. He and Cito had words. To be fair to Gregg, he was getting squeezed by the plate umpire. At least one ball on each of the guys he walked was clearly a strike. Camp comes in, throws a pitch easily 6 inches off the outside of the plate and he gets the strike call, the next pitch he threw further off the plate and Cesar Izturis ground out to Yunel Escobar to end the game. If Gregg could have gotten a call like the one Camp got, Cito wouldn't have had to come get him. 

I can understand Gregg being a little upset, he did only have to get one more out, but he wasn't getting the calls, so Cito was right to bring in Camp. On the way off the field after the win, Cito told Gregg to come see him. I'm glad Cito talked to him after the game. A quote from Gregg:

I don't want to come out of the game. Being the closer, if you get yourself in trouble, you're going to get yourself out of it. He saw things differently. I think I was just more surprised by the move than anything, but that's his right as a manager.

I think that's good, I wouldn't want a closer who didn't think he could get himself out of trouble. Gregg's been great of late, but Cito was right to make the move.

Beyond the drama in the 9th, it was a good game. We should have scored more but that's life. We had 11 hits, 2 each for the top 3 guys in our order, Fred Lewis, Yunel Escobar and Jose Bautista. Lewis started the game with a homer, on the first pitch of the game. Bautista drove in our other runs with a homer with Escobar on base in the 8th. Everyone else in the starting lineup had 1 hit except for Lyle Overbay.

Brandon Morrow had a great start, 7 innings, 5 hits, 2 walks and 8 k. In the 5th he gave up two runs. A soft line single, a seeing eye ground single and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. A one out single scored the runs, but Morrow got a fly out and a strikeout to get out of the inning. 

Our bullpen held the one run lead through the 8th and 9th. Marc Rzepczynski came in to start the 8th. I was surprised that Cito went to him in a pressure spot. He gave up a single and got a k. Frasor came in, gave up a single. Then Scott Downs came in and got the double play ball. 

We got some good D tonight too. Morrow picked a runner off first. Jose Molina threw out 2 base stealers. Bautista made a couple of nice catches in RF. And Escobar made some nice plays. He seems to be getting along with his teammates, so far, too. He shared a laugh with Aaron Hill after making the last out of the game. 

Jays of the Day are Bautista (.356 WPA), Downs (.327), Camp (.286, pretty good for two pitches) and Morrow (.124). Suckage Jays are Frasor (-.171), Overbay (-.144) and Encarnacion (-.102). 

In other Jay news. Well you all saw the news about Travis Snider being optioned to New Hampshire. Also Shaun Marcum has been activated and Nick Green was DFAed. Not much of a surprise, Green hasn't played much. It does give us 13 pitchers on the active roster. 

Speaking of pitching, the Jays announce that Rzepczynski will start in Morrow's spot in the rotation next time around. They are just skipping Morrow the one time to keep his innings down. Our starting pitching: Tomorrow, Marcum. Against K.C. Cecil, Litsch, Scrabble. Detroit gets Romero, Marcum, Cecil, Litsch. Then Morrow starts again.

This might explain the Snider move. We have an extra starter going for the next ten days and then a pitcher will be sent down (I hope) and Snider will be recalled.