The week began with a four game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 on Monday was a crazy game to say the least. Mark Buehrle was on the mound for the Jays and would strikeout five over 6.0 innings, but he had a bit of a rough inning in the bottom of the third. Buehrle would allow 7 runs including a grand slam off the bat of Evan Longoria. Those would be all the runs the Rays would score that game and after taking a 7 run lead, most thought it would be all they needed. They would be wrong. The Jays would score 8 unanswered runs throughout the rest of the game to win it 8-7. John Gibbons showed many haters and fans that he can manage a baseball game and although I still think he makes a lot of random decisions, he made the right ones in this game. Gibbons would put Mark DeRosa in to the game pinch-hitting for Kawasaki and Rosa came up with a a two run homerun. Gibbons had tried Henry Blanco instead of JP Arencibia to catch for Buehrle in an effort to spark the struggling starter but it did not work. Needing offence he brough JP back into the game, and it worked out in a big way! Arencibia would hit a two run homerun in the top of the ninth to give the Jays their first lead of the game and lead to the win. With the 8-7 win in the favor of Toronto, the Jays won their second straight game, for only the second time all season. This game proved that the game is not over until the last out is made.
The story of the second game was the unique, but devastating second inning. With the Jays were leading 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Sean Rodriguez of the Rays tried his best to score at home, but was tagged out at the plate. While replays showed he slid under the tag, the umpire felt that Arencibia had made the play. Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected arguing the call. Later in the inning, with 2 runners on, Desmond Jennings would hit a line drive that would hit Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ in the head. Two runs would score and Jennings would make it to third as the ball deflected all the way into the right field bullpen. J.A. Happ was down on the play and severely injured. The game was delayed by several minutes as the medical staff attended to Happ and took him off the field and to the nearest hospital, on a stretcher. Happ did move possibly trying to indicate that he was okay, and the Tampa Bay Rays fans gave him a standing ovation, with players on both teams joining in.
When the game resumed the Jays bullpen would make sure that the Rays would score no more runs in that game. It was now up to the Jays bats to make a difference and they would score five runs in the last three innings to win the game 6-4 over the Rays. Colby Rasmus would hit a 2 run homerun in the 7th inning and Maicer Izturis would hit a solo shot in the ninth to take the lead. Melky Cabrera would provide the insurance with an RBI double. This would be the Jays third win in a row and first for the first time this season things were starting to look good for this team.
The next day it was learned that Happ suffered a fracture to the skull, just behind his ear, some lacerations, and some contusions, but that he was recovering well and was released from hospital. He also twisted and injured his knee in the fall. It was a sigh of relief for Jays fans and all of baseball.
In the third game of the series, the Jays were looking to continue their winning streak with Ricky Romero on the mound going against Matt Moore who was 5-0 going into this game. The Jays got off to a good start with Edwin Encarnacion hitting a two run homerun in the top of the first inning, but the 2-0 lead would not last long. The Rays would score three runs in the bottom of the first off of Rickey Romer, as the Rays took the lead. Tampa would score 7 more runs before the Jays would score again. In the top of the seventh inning down 10-2 the Jays would score two runs to make it 10-4. Matt Moore would earn his 6th win of the season, while Ricky Romero would get his second loss of the season. Romero had an awful game, he threw 29 pitches in the first and only recorded a third of an inning with 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks and no strike outs. It was the shortest start of his career. When Gibbons put in Edgar Gonzalez over Romero there were still two runners in scoring position so the first inning could have been much worse. Romero was sent down to AAA Buffalo after the game. I do not know what the Jays should do with Rickyat this point, as his two starts have been really poor.
The fourth and final game of the series had two pitchers, who won the CY Young last year; RA Dickey with the Mets in the NL and David Price in the AL. The Rays got off to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, thanks to that pesky Evan Longoria who had an RBI double and would later score in the inning. Encarnacion would continue his role as the pesky Jay who would not go down quietly scoring in the top of the second and getting an RBI single. Edwin and the Jays would score 4 runs to take a 4-3 lead until the bottom of the seventh inning where RA Dickeys replacement Delabar would give up homerun and tie the game at four a piece, leaving Dickey with a no decision. Dickey would pitch 6 strong innings with 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned runs, 5 walks and 5 strikeouts, but Price was better. David Price went 8.0 innings with 7 hits, 4 runs. 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts for the no decision. The Jays would lose in the bottom of the 10th inning in the worst possible way. With two outs and Longoria on base after a double, Aaron Loup would walk three straight batters to walk in a run and end the game. The Jays split the series two games a piece and look much sharper than the team we saw in April. Hopefully it is not too late!
Notes:
Remember Fausto Carmona? Well he pitched in the second game for the Rays, of course under the name of Roberto Hernandez. Why do I bring this up? Because the Jays announcers kept calling him Carmona and it was hilarious!
As mentioned above Ricky got sent down to triple A, but Edgar Gonzalez was designated for assignment as well. The Jays would add Ramon Ortiz and Mickey Storey both right handed pitchers on the roster.
This is not a note, it is more of an opinion. Some might disagree with me, but I am glad that they sent Romero back to the minors. The Jays are in no position to risk every fifth start with Romero, hoping he pitches the way he used to and risking the bullpen to be overworked. He is young and we should give him time to find himself, but it is not worth risking the standings when the Jays are now trying their best to get back to 500 baseball.
Historical moment for the Jays and Rays; it is the third time in Major League Baseball history that the two Cy Young winners of the previous season face each other!
Melky Cabrera had a great series, but the most outstanding player on both teams was Evan Longoria. Longoria went 9-17 with 2 homeruns in the series and 10 RBI’s.
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