Jays 2 Braves 10
Game changed in an inning. 2-2 game, in the top of the 7th. Scoot singles, Hill strikes out, Rios takes a pitch for the team (hit batter), Vernon has an excellent at bat, taking a walk on 10 pitches. Bases loaded, one out. Again a sac fly would be a wonderful thing. But no, Lind strikes out and Bautista flies out.
Bottom of the inning, Camp comes in get an out, then gives up 2 singles and a walk, bases loaded. Frasor comes in. Gives up a rocket line drive that Overbay gets a glove on but doesn't squeeze. Truly the moment of the game. Lyle catches it, he'd likely double someone off and the inning is over. Instead a run scores. It wasn't ruled an error, but likely should have been one, but Chipper Jones pinch hit and Braves' scorers aren't going to take a hit and RBI away from him. From there...the inning went to hell. 7 runs later and it ends. Overbay's defense is so good, it is hard to get on him too much but that was the game right there.
Another key moment in the game was the top of the 6th. down by a run, Vernon led off with a double (yeah I know, leadoff double isn't clutch, down by a run) (oh wait it is) Lind moved him to 3rd with a ground out. Bautista walked. Overbay singled to drive in Vernon. Chavez lined out hard. Then Cito put in Kevin Millar to pinch hit for Richmond. Richmond had thrown just 77 pitches and had been great after the first inning when he gave up 2 solo homers.
Can't really get on Cito for making the move, he doesn't make many and he was closer to Richmond than I was, the game wasn't on TV. Maybe he had some reason to think Richmond was tiring early. A team struggling to score runs, it might have been time to take a shot. But then Millar is now 0 for 7 as a pinch hitter (un-clutch up?). Anyway Millar ground out and that was that.
Anyway the good new, well there isn't much, but there is some. Wells was 2 for 4 with a double, a walk, 2 runs, 2 steals (second and third, big big steals at that moment). Hopefully today will pull him out of the slump (yeah I know, 2 more fanposts coming telling us not only doesn't it matter what he did, but he is lousy, has mental problems, and how dare he sign a big contract just cause it was offered). Also good, we got 10 hits and 3 walks. Scoot and Hill had 2 hits each. Carlson pitched an excellent inning when we needed it. And Richmond was good, after the first inning.
Bad? We were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Camp was dreadful (can we release him and call up Accardo already? Please?), Frasor was worse. And hitting the odd home run wouldn't hurt.
Jays of the Day....well Vernon (.254 WPA) and Overbay (.114) have the numbers for it, but I'm only giving it to Vernon as Overbay should have made that catch. Honorable mention Richmond, Carlson and Scoot. Suckage Jays Frasor (-.260), Lind (-.212, can we stop talking about him batting cleanup till he pulls out of this slump?), Camp (-.146), Hill (-.112) and Chavez (-.106). Honorable Suckage mention Millar....would it kill you to get one pinch hit this season??
Other good news....though we aren't in first anymore, half game behind the frigging Red Sox, we are in first the wild card spot. And we start a 3 game set in Baltimore tomorrow afternoon (look for Hugo in the stands, he'll be holding the I love Jamie Campbell sign), that should do our bats some good. Tallet versus Guthrie tomorrow. Time to start a winning streak.