Blue Jays 3 Yankees 4 (11 innings)
We had 14 hits and a homer, how can we have only scored 3 runs? I guess when all the hits but the Randy Ruiz homer were singles, that might have something to do with it. Every starter in the lineup had at least one hit, but we could have used some doubles.
On the good side, Randy Ruiz had 2 hits including his second home run in two games with us. In the game thread we were talking about labels. Ruiz wasn't brought up earlier because he had the label of 'minor league slugger' and that label cost us 4 months of watching Kevin Millar. Now Ruiz might not turn out to be great but the label cost us a chance of finding that out earlier in the season. It is sort of like we were told time and time again that Marco Scutaro was a 'utility infielder' so he couldn't be an everyday short stop. You would think baseball people would be smart enough to look past labels but they don't. I think Torgen suggested that 'reputations are the new inefficiency' meaning that if you picked up players with a 'label' they would come cheap and you could build a good team.
Also on the good side Brandon League pitched 3 very good innings to keep us in the game. Raul Chavez was terrific with 2 hits and a walk, a lot of hustle and picking a runner off first base. I really haven't been a big fan but he has taken a few walks lately and has a terrific arm. And Scoot was 2 for 5 with a walk.
Ricky Romero was good, not great but pitched out of trouble a few times. He did give up a couple of homers, but went 6 innings, with 4 hits and 3 walks against and struck out 5. A Quality start and against the Yankees that isn't bad. Shawn Camp wasn't good, he got thru his first inning of work by luck and a generous strike zone but his second inning he hit ARod and gave up a couple of singles to get the loss. He did pitch 3 innings just a couple of days ago so he maybe was a bit tired.
Romero hit Jeter on the foot in the first inning and Jeter came out of the game a couple of innings later. ARod took one hard off the elbow pad and it looked like it hurt but he stayed in the game. I hope neither is seriously hurt but then if ARod is in a little pain I won't be too sad. A.J. Burnett pitched well but made 3 wild pitches.
Jays of the Day are League (.342 WPA), Chavez (.238 and the picked off batter at first) and Scoot (.111). Lyle Overbay deserves honorable mention for 2 hits and 2 walks. Suckage? Well just about everyone else: Hill (-.270, 2 K's, looked awful at the plate and booting an easy double play play, getting one out but costing us a run in the first), Inglett (-.241, 3 K's), Wells (-.227, 2 K's, with truly the worst at bat you are likely ever to see in the 11th) and Edwin Encarnacion (-.109). Whoops missed Shawn Camp (-.214).
The first inning ball that Hill booted wasn't called an error because 'you can't presume a double play'. On the list of baseball rules I dislike, that is close to the top. Normal effort (which is the usual definition for an error) would have gotten us the double play and Ricky Romero out of the inning without a run against. Encarnacion also had an interesting play that inning, with runners on 2nd and 3rd there was a ground ball to him and he threw home, but Jeter turned back to third and beat out the throw back from Chavez. E5 should have ran towards Jeter before he threw to home. he could have forced Jeter to go towards home and made the play. You have to always be thinking out there on the field.
We start 3 games in Tampa Bay tomorrow Friday and Doc starts in the first game. In other news Cito said he isn't sure he'll be manager after next season.
"I probably want to do something else, as far as going and enjoying my grandkids and my time. I'll be 66, man. I don't think I'm going to be around here until I'm 70 like some of thee guys."
Wasn't a fun game but we had a good time in the thread. Join us tomorrow Friday.