One Horrible Inning - Blue Jays Lose 7-1

Tampa Bay Rays 7 Toronto Blue Jays 1

3-6 (.333). That is the Blue Jays' record this year when I am at the Rogers Centre. Last year, if anyone still remembers, I finished the year 12-12 (.500), so this year it's been just sad for me personally.

The hometown nine did not help with my record tonight, suffering a 7-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, with 6 of the 7 runs coming in a single horrible inning when nothing went right. Morrow was cruising, recording 6 strikeouts in a no-hitter through the first 4 innings. There were 3 walks too, but I didn't think too much of it.

With the Jays up 1-0, the top of the 5th unfolded this way:

1. Will Rhymes doubled to LF Eric Thames, whose throw missed the cutoff man (it didn't cost them anything).
2. Chris Gimenez flies out to RF Jose Bautista advancing Rhymes to 3rd. Bautista hits the cutoff man. OUT #1
3. Elliot Johnson singles on a bouncer to CF Colby Rasmus, scoring Rhymes, 1-1 tied.
4. Ben Zolbrist dribbles to 2B Kelly Johnson, but Elliot Johnson was right in the line of the ball and probably costed a double play attempt. Johnson was forced out at 2nd, Zobrist was safe at first on a fielder's choice. OUT #2
5. Brandon Morrow walks B.J. Upton on 4 pitches (4 fastballs).
6. Matt Joyce hits a liner that bounces off of Lind's glove. Kelly Johnson backs up and throws to Morrow, but Joyce dove into 1st and was called safe. Zobrist scores, 2-1 Rays. OUT #3
7. Brandon Morrow strikes out Carlos Pena swinging on a wild pitch, but the ball bounces away from C J.P. Arencibia, who did not act fast enough to pounce on the ball and make a throw to 1st. Pena reaches on a dropped 3rd strike. OUT #4
8. Luke Scott singles to LF, scoring Upton and Joyce, 4-1 Rays.
9. Sean Rodriguez doubles to RF, scoring Pena and Scott, 6-1 Rays.
10. Rhymes flies out to RF. OUT #5

The Blue Jays entered the 5th with a 63.2% win probability and it dropped to 8.3% by the time the Rays batted around. Everything sort went to heck after Lind's error and the dropped 3rd strike. In the top of the 9th, Zobrist put the proverbial cherry on top by slamming the a no-doubter off the railing of the 200 level outfield seats on Carlos Villanueva's first pitch in relief. Jose Bautista didn't even bother to turn around. Who the heof cared at that point?

I actually have a question that may have been answered in the broadcasts. Why did Elliot Johnson try to steal with 2 outs in the 6th when the Rays were up 6-1 and Luis Perez was behind 3-0 against B.J. Upton? I didn't understand that play at all at the ballpark.

Offensively, the Jays were offensive tonight with just 4 hits, 2 of them coming from Kelly Johnson. It may not be remembered in the box scores, but Adam Lind--the cleanup hitter--wins the Kevin Mench award for hitting a hard grounder right at Rays starter Jeff Neimann. Neimann has a fractured fibula and will be gone for at least 6 weeks. Ironically, Lind was only batting 4th in the lineup because John Farrell thinks that his great OPS in 30-some at bats against Neimann is more important than his overall suckage in that spot.

But hey, at least the Jays knocked out a starter early in the game! That never happens, right? Remember that Sunday loss in L.A., when the Jays hit a couple balls at Scott "Snakeface" Downs and LaTroy "He's still pitching" Hawkins? When the 2012 Jays go down, they take you down with them. Much better slogan than "Hustle + Heart 3.0".

Jay of the Day! Kelly Johnson (+.172 WPA).

Suckage Jays: Brandon Morrow (-.366), but hey his ERA went down. No one else got the numbers for it, but I'll hand out a honorary one to Adam Lind (-.041) for his two errors (especially the one in the 5th).

Tomorrow the Jays will send Henderson Alvarez to faceoff against David Price. I'll be down there again, looking forward to my march back to .500!

I got a chance to chat with Blue Jays tweeter @james_in_to, who agreed to was voluntold to supply an appropriately sad picture for the game recap. Thanks, James!