Today in Jays history: Jays win in 18 innings

Eight Years Ago Today (actually yesterday, someone forgot to hit publish yesterday, but since it was finished, I figured I post it now)

The Blue Jays and Rangers played 18 innings, and best of all, the good guys win.

It seemed like it was the game that would never end.

We scored three runs in the third inning. Edwin Encarnacion singled, Adam Lind walked, and Colby Rasmus hit a line drive to right-center field. Edwin scored easy. Lind? It would have been a close-ish play, but Jurickson Profar, Rangers' second baseman’s relay throw went wide of home, and Colby scored.

We put up zeros for the next 14 innings.

Mark Buehrle had a great start. A month earlier, he allowed a seven-run inning against the Rays. His season turned around after that inning. In his five starts between that game and this game, Mark had a 3.38 ERA.

On this day, he went 7 innings, allowed 4 hits, 1 earned (a Jeff Baker home run in the seventh), 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts, throwing 92 pitches. He should have had a win.

I don’t remember much about Baker, but he had a pretty good season with the bat, hitting .279/.360/.545 with 11 home runs. He played for 11 seasons, playing in over 100 games just once, 104 games with the Rockies in 2008.

Buehrle should have picked up a win here, but after Steve Delabar pitched a scoreless eight, Casey Jansen gave up 2 runs in the ninth. It was Casey’s first blown save of the season. Casey finished the season with 34 saves and 2 blown, so we can give him a pass.

After that, our bullpen pitched nine scoreless innings. From the recap:

Dustin McGowan brought into a tie game in extras for his first appearance since his 5 games in 2011. Dustin walked the first batter, then got a double play ball, but Mark DeRosa booted it. A hit batter later and the bases were loaded. Dustin got a strikeout, then

Juan Perez came in and gave up a medium fly to right. Fortunately, Jose Bautista has a great arm and made a perfect throw to cut down the runner at the plate. A great play. Juan pitched 2.0 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 k.

Neil Wagner got 2 outs to end the 12th.

Brett Cecil had a clean 12th, getting 1 k.

Brad Lincoln pitched 4 very good innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 hit batters, 3 k. I figured Gibby was leaving him in till the game ended or his arm fell off. But, instead..

Aaron Loup gave up a hit, hit a batter but got out of the 18th without a run scoring.

Brad Lincoln was terrific. For his four excellent innings of work, he was sent to the minors the next day. It doesn’t seem fair.

On the Rangers’ side:

• Yu Darvish threw 7 innings, giving up the 2 earned and 1 unearned run. We had 6 hits against him.
• Neal Cotts went 1.1 allowing just a hit.
• Jason Frasor, former Blue Jays reliever, went 1 inning, allowing a hit.
• Robbie Ross: 1.2, with a hit and a walk.
• Ross Wolf threw 6.2 innings. He was getting himself in and out of trouble almost every inning. And then came the 18th:

After Maicer Izturis lined out, Emilio Bonifacio singled (he had 57 hits in his 97 games with the Jays, 47 singles). After Josh Thole popped out (Thole, famously, hit .175/.256/.242 that year, but he pinch-hit for Mark DeRosa in the 16th. Unless there was an injury, it was a dumb move, even though Josh was a lefty batter), Wolf threw wide of first on a pickoff attempt, Bonifacio went to third. Rajai Davis singled him home for the walk-off win.

From the recap:

Jays of the Day: Lincoln (.570 WPA), Perez (.499), Buehrle (.297), Cecil (.143), Loup (.143 and the win), Wagner (.142), Davis (.223) and Rasmus (.141).

Suckage: Janssen (-.280), Izturis (-.367), DeRosa (-.183, plus the error), Thole (-.132)

Three guys had the number but I’m not giving them Suckage Awards: McGowan (-.213) but that was because of DeRosa’s error. Bautista (-.155) but the throw from right to save the game saves him. Bonifacio (-.147) but he drew the wild pickoff throw and scored the winning run.