Well, at least it was a different kind of Blue Jays loss

Blue Jays 2 Astros 4

We were complaining about our starters not going deep into a game, so Mark Buehrle throws a complete game. No blaming the bullpen today.

Buehrle was pretty decent. 8 innings, 6 hits, 4 earned, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts. The 2 home runs hurt. Luis Valuena's homer was a cheapy. Colby Rasmus? His wasn't. . That two games in a row that Colby hurt us. I'm taking him off my Christmas card list.

If Mark continues to pitch like that, I'll be very happy with him. With our offense, that start should get us a win most days.

The offense really didn't show up today We got 2 'manufactured' runs, the kind, we keep being told, that a) the team can't do and b) win games. Personally I think 6 run innings win games, but, that's me.

We scored:

• One in the 3rd. Steve Tolleson doubled. Ezequiel Carrera bunted him to third. I hate early game bunts, but I loathe bunting a guy from second to third. Josh Donaldson was hit with a pitch. Then Jose Bautista hit a sac fly to the track. Jose has been having terrible time with RISP, seems like he is pressing. This one, he hit pretty good.
• One in the 4th. Chris Colabello doubled, went to 3rd on a Kevin Pillar ground ball to short (good read by Colabello, often guys will go back to first on the ball hit just in front of them, but he saw it was hit softly and moved up). Then Ryan Goins hit a sac fly.

We had another sac bunt in the first, Ezequiel singled to lead off the game and Donaldson bunted. I think he was trying for a bunt single but didn't get it past the pitcher, but, Josh...swing the bat. We really don't have many guys who are hitting the ball well, you are one of them.

Like seemingly every game of late, we had a chance in the 9th. Pillar had a one out single. Justin Smoak (pinch hitting for Ryan Goins, YAY) singled. But, Tolleson struck out and Carrera popped out.

We had 8 hits in all, Tolleson and Martin got 2 each. One each for Carerra, Colabello, Pillar, and Smoak.

No JoD today. Smoak comes closest at .076 WPA for his pinch hit single.

Suckage? Mark Buehrle had the number (-.179) but I'm not going to punish him after he throws a complete game. So Carrera gets it (-.142). Slightly unfair, he did lead off the game with a hit, but he had a shot to get us back into the game in the 9th.

We had a lighter turnout in out GameThread today, but 466 comments on a Sunday afternoon isn't all that bad. I think some of us (ok me) were in a grumpier than normal mood.