Blue Jays 6 Rangers 1: Baseball is fun again

Rangers 1 Blue Jays 6

I'm enjoying the season so much more lately. I think admitting, to myself, that there is no real hope, has made it all much more fun.

Our bullpen has been so good. Even with all the work they have been getting, even with guys going up and down at random intervals, they continue to be great.

Early in the season, I didn't like Esmil Rogers, but that slider was incredible today. If it wasn't for a very iffy balk call, he would have had 4 scoreless innings. Over Twitter I asked Dirk Hayhurst if he had seen a balk called on two stops in a windup and he said:

@bluebirdbanter I mean, IT IS, a balk, but you never see it called. Usually, if it's a "he always does that" issue, there is a warning first

— Dirk Hayhurst (@TheGarfoose) June 7, 2013

I agree, I'm pretty sure I've never seen that particular balk called before. The balk rule is very vague. I remember reading about an umpire who said he only called one balk in his life and that was when the pitcher dropped the ball at the top of his windup, and he still waited til it bounced twice.

Anyway, with the balk, Rogers went 4.0, allowing 3 hits, just 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. He was great.

Also great were:

• Aaron Loup: 1.2, 0 hits, 0 walks and 4 strikeouts.
• Neil Wagner: 1.1, 1 hit, 1 k. I'm really enjoying him. With all the pitchers that have come and gone this season, it surprises me it took so took so long to get to him.
• Brett Cecil: 1 clean inning.
• Steve Delabar: 1.0, 2 k.

Our offense was pretty efficient too. 6 hits, 6 runs. Great walk. The first time through the order, we couldn't touch Ranger starter Nick Tepesch. 9 up 9 down. Then Melky Cabrera took his Biogenesis irritations out on a Tepesch fastball, crushing it for just his 3rd home run of the season.

In the 6th we scored 4. Munenori Kawasaki started things off being hit by pitch (vote Kawasaki), Cabrera singled, Jose Bautista walked. Edwin Encarnacion doubled home 2. Sac flies from Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia brought home 2 more.

In the 7th, Munenori singled and scored from first on Melky Cabrera's 'single', Melky was put out between first and second. I think he figured the throw would go through to the plate, and was surprised when it went to second. I know I was.

Jays of the Day: Cabrera (.195 WPA), Loup (.127), Rogers (.098) and Encarnacion (.099). No Suckage Jays, the low mark was Maicer Izturis (-.053) but he made a couple of very nice plays at third base.

It seemed like a very quick game. I guess that's because it was, 2:08, even with us using 5 pitchers.

I enjoyed the GameThread tonight, maybe because it was a pleasant change from following the Draft for the past two days. shortofbrillant led the way again, we'll have to work harder to end his runs of wins. 31 of us posted 543 comments.