Game 56-Yankees at Blue Jays-The Game As I Saw It

Here's a beautiful pano from the Rogers Centre just before Jose Bautista homered for the Jays in the second to put them up 1-0.

The roof is closed tonight and it's muggy in here, and the game is a hot one and the crowd is pretty big tonight for the first game in the Yankees series.

Jays leading 1-0 now in the fourth on Bautista's homer.




photo copyright 2010 James Ireland


James Ireland
"The Baseball Critic"
Twitter: @James_Ireland & @Baseball_Critic
www.jamesireland.ca

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Bremner Blvd,Toronto,Canada

Game 36 - Blue Jays 3 at Red Sox 2

Travis Snider was the story of this afternoon's Blue Jay game, providing all of the offence on the board for the Jays in their 3-2 win over the Red Sox.




Travis Snider's Two-Run Homer

This kid gives the impression that he was good two years ago, better last year, and potentially a very very good power hitter now, and that the Jays should give him more plate appearances (Overbay gets too many, to name one guy who regularly bats far above Snider in the order) by moving him up in the order, stop messing with him (particularly by making him follow Cito's Hackapottamus Plan of swinging early and often), and remove the threat of platooning him or sending him back to AAA Las Vegas if he gets "out of line" and does things his way.

Most importantly, Snider has to be reminded that playing in Toronto IS the majors, and not getting complacent because he plays here. I for one feel that Vernon Wells never reached his potential in part because he played in Toronto during his key early years and in his prime 27 and 28 and 29 year-old seasons.

I would not want to see the same thing happen to another young possible perenial All-Star caliber slugger. Keep an eye on Snider and see how the Jays handle him this year. His future development might be at a tipping point in this season.


James Ireland
www.jamesireland.ca

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Fleet St,Toronto,Canada

Game 35 - Blue Jays 1 at Red Sox 6

Early walks by Blue Jays starter Dana Eveland came to haunt the Jays again as they did Brandon Morrow's effort last night. Tonight several early inning walks and a solo homer by Sox veteran catcher Jason Veritek helped the Sox to an early 3-0 lead which they never relinquished, going on to defeat the Blue Jays 6 to 1.



Veritek's home run trot.


Eveland walked Scutaro and Pedroia, the first two batters in the Boston half of the third inning, before striking out J. D. Drew to get the first out of the inning. But Eveland proceeded to hit Kevin Youklis to load up the bases.

Eveland was fortunate that Mike Lowell grounded into a double play; walks and hit batters have been a plague on Toronto pitching. Toronto pitching "leads" the A.L. in bases loaded walks, and all of MLB in runs scored via walks and hit batters.




Dana Eveland shamed; he contributed mightily to Toronto's walk habit tonight.


Eveland lasted only four innings and was lifted for Shawn Camp, who also had walk troubles of his own, giving up four base on balls in just two innings of work.

The Red Sox's Matsuzaka was somewhat uncharacteristically efficient pitching seven strong innings, walking no batters and striking out nine, while allowing only one run on 106 pitches. Jays pitchers combined for eight walks (one intentional) in eight innings.

The Red Sox with the win pull to within 0.5 games of the Jays for third place in the A.L. East. The series continues tomorrow in Boston.


- James Ireland
www.jamesireland.ca

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Fleet St,Toronto,Canada

Game 34 - Blue Jays 6 at Red Sox 7

The Red Sox were 16-16 going in to tonight's game and are fourth in the A.L. East, and defeated the Jays 7-6 in a game there is very little interesting to say about. The Jays drop to 19-15 with the loss, and are now only 1.5 games up on the Sox in third in the A.L. East.

Brandon Morrow stunk out Fenway and was removed (as a witch and burned in effigy ... by me anyway ... sorry got carried away there) in the second inning when he couldn't even manage to hit the water and drown after falling out of the sinking boat he was in, despite the full weight of all the six Red Sox batters he walked dragging him down. If he could have been tagged for two losses tonight he should have been. Morrow's record instead only drops to 2-3.




Morrow has walked 26 (MLB high) in 35 innings and established a new historical "high" for Jays pitchers when he walked 5 batters in one inning. How much more rope should this guy be given? He is wild, and not effectively so.

Lackey was lackluster, and the Jays and Sox 'pens both did little to get excited about, with the Jays having to dip far deeper (6.1 IP vs 3 IP for Boston) into their's tonight.

The Jays now lead the A.L. (and second in MLB) in the ignominious stat of bases loaded walks (with seven so far this season), and "lead" all of MLB with runs allowed via HBP or BB with nine!

The Jays continue the series tomorrow in Boston.

James Ireland
www.jamesireland.ca

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Fleet St,Toronto,Canada