Jays 8 Rangers 7 in 11 innings
Well that took a lot longer than it should have, but we still got the win. Yeah BJ Ryan had his 2nd blown save of the young season. Coming in in the 9th with a three run lead he hits the first batter, walks the second. Then gets what should have been a double play but only gets one out when Aaron Hill throws the relay away. After a ground out, BJ gives up the game tying run on a Michael Young homer. It really is too bad that David Purcey didn't get the W on his birthday.
Purcey did better than he had in the last couple of starts. But then 5.1 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks and 6 K is nothing to cheer about. Other than Ryan the rest of the pen did very well. Scott Downs gave up his first run of the second, but Camp, Carlson and Frasor (pitching 2 extra innings) all kept the Rangers off the scoreboard. Frasor has looked terrific so far this season, picking up his 3rd win and he still hasn't given up a run.
Offensively there were good things to say about just about everyone in the lineup tonight. We took 6 walks, 2 each for Scutaro and Wells. Rios and Baustisa each had 4 hits.Kevin Millar had 3 hits, including the game winner. Hill and Lind each had two hits. And I guess I buried the lead, Rod Barajas has figured out how to hit the ball hard and not have it caught. Just put it over the fence. He drove in 4 with 2 homers.
Jays of the Day were Barajas (.302 WPA), Frasor (.286), Millar (.201) and Bautista (.101). Honorable mention to Carlson, Rios and Lind. Suckage Jays were BJ (you think? -.320 WPA) and Scott Rolen (-.138) who was 0 for 5 with a walk, leaving a bunch of guys on base.
My little Cito rant is that he's using pinch runners a lot, tonight bringing Snider in to pinch run for Lind, a very marginal gain, and yet he won't pinch hit. Anyone see the logic in that? Oh well, I keep saying, and I do believe, that the important thing is that manager win and he's winning. But......some things are hard to understand.
Anyway it is great to see Rios break out with the bat some, going 4 for 6. Hopefully in the near future those singles will become extra base hits. And even better, we are 11-5, still in first, 1.5 games up on the Red Sox and the Yankees. Tomorrow Scott Richmond faces Kevin Millwood in the rubber game of the series.