Blue Jays lose in extras

Blue Jays 5 Rangers 5

So the recap changed in the 9th inning. I was so depressed before the top of the ninth.

Then, the bottom of the 10th happens, and I'm depressed all over again.

In the 9th, Jose Bautista starts the inning with a double. An out later, Justin Smoak hits one out and I think, another 1 run loss. Then Troy Tulowitzki hits one out and we have a tie game. And, as it turned out, it was a 1-run loss.

Before that I was depressed that we were going to lose to Colby Lewis. Colby, versus the Jays, should be a guaranteed win for the good guys. But we couldn't hit Lewis. Lewis went 7 innings, allowed 4 hits, 2 earned, no walks and 6 strikeouts. We got a run in the 3rd when Ryan Goins hit a solo homer (if Goins takes you deep, you shouldn't get a win). And we scored in the 5th, Troy Tulowitzki doubled and Ezequiel Carrera singled him home.

Ezequiel almost scored our 3rd run. On 3rd base, with no one out, Carerra went on contact on a Goins ground ball, hit straight at Elvis Andrus. He was almost safe. He may have been safe, but the replay was far to close to overturn the ruling on the field. With no outs, I'd like the runner on 3rd to be sure he can score, but it took a perfect throw and tag to get Ezequiel (and he might have been safe).

Marco Estrada (stop me if you have heard this one) pitched great, except for one terrible inning. In the 2nd inning. Marco walked Mitch Moreland, gave up a single to Andrus and walked Ryan Rua. Then he went to a full count on Bobby Wilson (who I, just a moment before, was marveling that he was still in the majors). Wilson fouled off  pitches until the 11th pitch of the at bat, which he took deep to left center for a grand slam.

The Rangers got another (unearned) run off Estrada, in the 6th. Rua hit a pop fly into center which Carrera (a late addition to the lineup, when Kevin Pillar was pulled because of a sore chest) decided not to catch, and then showed off the strength of his arm by rolling one in towards 3rd base, long after Rua made it to the bag. Ezequiel really is miscast as a center fielder. Then Russell Martin whiffed on a Estrada pitch, allowing Rua to score on the passed ball.

Marco went 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 4 walks and 5 strikeouts.

Our bullpen did a nice job, until 2 outs in the 10.

• Brett Cecil and Joe Biagini shared scoreless inning.
• Then Biagini pitched a nice 8th.
• Floyd Gavin pitched a nice 9th and got 2 outs in the 10 before someone named Drew Stubbs took him out of the park for the walk-off win.

We had 901 comments in the GameThread. Eric H led the way. Great job.