6:430 PM Eastern
Although given the way the series started, a split turned out to be the worst possible result.
While the Blue Jays had their hitting shoes on in the first two games of this set with the Yankees, scoring 23 runs, they put them to such good use that it appears as though they wore out (either that or the sign-stealing machine broke). The Jays were held to just three runs over the final two games of the series, getting stifled by CC Sabathia on Saturday, then Phil Hughes (and a perfect three innings from the bullpen) on Sunday.
Carlos Villanueva threw five terrific innings in the finale, but he also threw the fourth, a frame in which the Yankees pounded fastball after fastball to all parts of Rogers Centre. They scored four runs on five hits, all but the last of which came on a fastball that was up in the zone. That last one was a two-run double by Curtis Granderson down the right-field line, on a 3-2 breaking ball. That was the backbreaker, turning a 3-1 Yankee lead into 5-1. Not that it mattered, as things turned out, because the Jays only got one hit the rest of the way.
After Edwin Encarnacion walked with one out in the fourth, Travis Snider ripped a ground-rule double to right-centre to move him to third. That was the Jays’ last hit. Aaron Hill followed with a sacrifice fly to cash Encarnacion, and that was that.
The only Jays baserunner after the fourth inning was Yunel Escobar, who walked leading off the sixth. The last 12 Jays (and 17 of the last 18) were retired in order by Hughes, Cory Wade, David Robertson and Boone Logan.
Snider had half the Jays’ offensive output in the game, with a second-inning RBI single to go with his double, which no doubt warmed the cockles of the hearts of so many Chicken Little Jays fans who were ready to see him start an 0-for-25 after taking the collar against Sabathia on Saturday.
The highlight of the afternoon was Jason Frasor pitching the ninth, allowing a run on a walk, stolen base and a hit, striking out two. The little guy with the big arm ascended into history with that outing: It was the 453rd time he’d taken the mound as a Blue Jay, breaking him out of a tie with Duane Ward for top spot on the Jays’ all-time list.
Here’s today’s edition of The JaysTalk, for your listening pleasure:
The Blue Jays will take Monday off before welcoming the Seattle Mariners for the first of three beginning on Tuesday night. It’s their first series in six in which they haven’t faced a team that’s not either in a playoff spot or a within a game of first place. Brett Cecil will take the ball, having done a lovely job in his three starts since coming back from Las Vegas. Michael Pineda, the leading candidate for A.L. Rookie of the Year, will oppose. Casey Janssen will likely be back with the Jays for the game, as will Jose Bautista, though I’m more confident about the former. Janssen’s return probably means that Luis Perez gets optioned back to Vegas, though you never know what might transpire over the off-day.
Alan Ashby will be back on Tuesday, as well. He was missed in our booth these last four games, though his absence did give me another opportunity to do some innings of play-by-play, for which I’m very grateful. The Blue Jays outscored the Yankees 5-2 over my eight innings of work in this series, which is one heck of an improvement from the last time I got behind the mic in that capacity – that would have been during the ugly Red Sox sweep in which the Jays were outscored 19-2 while I had the call.
My season totals? Not that anyone is counting, but in my 11 play-by-play games, the Blue Jays went 3-8 and in the 22 innings I got to call, they were outscored 22-7. I got one Jays home run (and several Red Sox’), which was off the bat of Edwin Encarnacion. At least we finished up on a high note.
We’ll be on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM Eastern – join us, won’t you?
Please give me a follow on The Twitter, you can find me @wilnerness590. You might also want to follow @jaysthisweek to make sure you’re informed as to when the newest podcast of The Blue Jays This Week gets posted. Ben Ennis and I are likely to do the next edition sometime Monday.
Rational, reasonable comments are always welcome!
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Dear Mike:
I think you do an excellent job on the play-by-play.’
MW: Why thank you! Tell everyone you know! ;-)
- Judy GlenQuick question on the call at 1st with Escobar and Posada. I didn’t see/hear the game, so maybe it was explained in greater detail.
It’s a force – why did the ump wait until Posada tagged Escobar to make the out call — after Posada had finally found first and stomped on it? It’s not like Escobar could have then touched the base and been safe, and he clearly had not made a turn either.
Was this just a case of an ump who was unsure what he was doing in the moment, or is waiting for the tag somehow the right call?
MW: The ump never saw Posada stomp on first, and neither did I, to be honest.
- KellyMike, you sound like a kid in a candy store, the way you carry on about doing play x play. You would seem much more professional by not commenting at all.
MW: I’m sorry not to have lived up to your standards but seriously, you need to lighten up.
- k.alanI was not at the game today or able to watch/listen.
When Frasor appeared, was there any in-stadium announcement or video-board message recognizing his achievement?
I will be disappointed in the club if there wasn’t.
MW: Of course there was.
- Adrian, co-alumnusMike,
Went to the scorcher of a game today and we had a good time despite the loss to the Yankees. I got Zaun to sign the ball during one of the commercial breaks and he booed me when I dropped the ball that he tossed back to me. Too funny. I love coming to the game early once in a while to catch some BP… my 13 year old daughter… not so much.
That Yescobar play at 1st seemed strange as well. Escobar missed the bag, and the player tagged the base, so wouldn’t the base tag just be the out and not the tag of the runner. This is rule 6.05(j)…
A batter is out when “After a third strike or after he hits a fair ball, he or first base is tagged before he
touches first base;” So i am stumped.
And as for Peter in St. Catharines, enjoy the game. The sections are far too big to avoid people getting up in the middle of plays.
I enjoyed your play-by-play. You are very excited when you get behind the mike, Mike! Your enthusiasm for the play-by-play job certainly shines.
I’m looking forward to listening to you on the airways or on the internet whereever I happen to me for the next 40 years.
MW: Thanks, Tim! As I’ve said a few times, I don’t believe the umpire saw Posada touch first. He was looking at Escobar as Escobar signalled himself safe, so he wasn’t looking at the bag (I never saw Posada touch first, either).
- Tim in Niagara FallsMike,
Is there any thought to perhaps giving Casey a shot at closing? I know he’s not your typical closer but he’s really gotten the job done whenever he’s been in. He doesn’t walk many hitters and in the last couple of years as a reliever, he’s been throwing 91-94mph and all 4 of his pitches still (cutter, curve, slider, changeup). I think we’ve seen a change baseball over the last few years where more and more closers are throwing 3 and sometimes 4 pitches as opposed to the 2 pitches. I think the main thing is that he doesn’t give up too many hard hits. I think his competitive/confident demeanor will also help in that role.
MW: I think he’ll get some opportunities to close.
- JThey Mike,
A word on the outfield-.. Thames leaves much to be desired, Davis looks like he’d rather be anywhere else, and Snider, surprisingly (at least to me), shows most promise while patrolling left… so
with Bautista at 3rd, do you think that the Jays have the worst outfield in the AL?..
Who do you think has the best (defensive) outfield in the AL?….LA?, Tampa bay? Indians?
MW: I’ll take the Angels with Wells, Bourjos and Hunter. Thames is perfectly adequate and I don’t see what you do with Davis at all.
- eastcoast ball fan“A split’s not so bad.” Such acceptance of mediocrity would never fly in New York or Boston. Immediately after Colon blew up in game 1 talk had the Yankees pursuing Ubaldo Jimenez. The Toronto media needs to get tougher on Rogers. It’s got the money to compete with the Yanks and Red Sox, but won’t spend it. The Jays are not a small-market team, they just act like one. And I don’t want to hear how this is yet another rebuilding year–the bigger picture is that this team has not made the post season in 17 years!
MW: There’s really no point in replying to you on this one, your mind is made up.
- Paul McDougallAs I wrote after game 2, a loss to Sabathia would set up a potential split of the series – would have been a decent result prior to the series but an absolutely horrible result given how the first two games played out.
I do agree that mediocrity is accepted too easily in Toronto, but the way this team is presently constituted and at this stage of development, particularly with this young slate of pitchers, a .500 record is to be expected.
Not accpeted.
MW: Yes! Don’t accept that this team is probably about as good as its best-case scenario was going to be coming into this season!!!!
- GaryHey Mike,
What do think of the idea of the Jays going after a guy like Andrew Bailey of the A’s to take over as their closer?
Thanks.
MW: The cost would likely be prohibitive, and he’s a young guy who has had some serious arm problems already.
- ThomasHey mike
When Brett Lawrie finally makes his big league debut at third what will happen to Eric Thames, assuming that he is going to be the odd man out. I hope this isn’t the case but I don’t see any room for him in the outfield as an everyday player. I feel his hitting has been excellent so far and would be a shame to take him out of the line-up for a guy who might not hit as well as he is at the major league level. Please elaborate
MW: I can’t, I don’t have a crystal ball. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
- DouglasIt certainly is good to see how much Cecil has improved since his stint in the minors-only 5 runs and 7 hits in the first 2 innings! I sure hope we all live long enough to see this “re-building” come to fuition.
- WASAGA WILLY