The time is now: A Jays Dynasty

[cybernetic]

Jays Comeback Falls Short in Rubber Match in Oakland

Zaun tags Crosby at the plate after Wells threw a bullet from center in the 2nd. Hillenbrand dives to rob Scutaro of a hit to end the 4th.

04/13/05 -- In what was a seasaw battle all the way the Jays fell 3-2. Neither starter was in the game long enough to factor into the decision. The A's scored first in the 2nd on an RBI single from Bobby Crosby and were gunned down at the plate by Vernon Wells on a great throw to nab Crosby who tried to score from 2nd on a single. The Jays answered in the third on an RBI single of their own from Frank Menechino to tie the game at 1. However, the A's jumped ahead again in the 6th on an RBI single from Erubiel Durazo. It would stay that way until the 8th where Eric Hinske belted his 3rd home run off reliever Jairo Garcia. Pete Walker in his 3rd inning of relief allowed a solo shot from Eric Chavez in the bottom of the inning which ended up being the difference.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.A.Rios		RF   4 0 0   0  0 1 .222


2.G.Gross	   LF   3 0 0   0  0 3 .250


  a-R.Johnson   PH   1 0 0   0  0 1 .286


3.V.Wells	   CF   4 0 1   0  0 2 .306


4.S.Hillenbrand 3B   3 0 0   0  0 0 .294


5.A.Hill		DH   3 0 0   0  0 0 .188


6.E.Hinske	  1B   3 1 1   1  0 1 .167


7.G.Zaun		C	3 1 1   0  0 1 .148


8.F.Menechino   2B   3 0 1   1  0 0 .250


9.R.Adams	   SS   3 0 1   0  0 0 .238




a-struck out for Gross in the 9th.




2B: G.Zaun(1)


HR: E.Hinske(3)


RBI: E.Hinske(5), F.Menechino(2)




Pitching Lines:


OAK:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


J.Blanton		   7.0  4  1  1  0  7  0  1.93


J.Garcia(W,1-0)	 1.0  1  1  1  0  1  1  9.00


J.Duchscherer(SV,1) 1.0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0.00


TOR:


G.Chacin			5.0 11  2  2  0  4  0  4.09


P.Walker(L,0-1)	 2.1  1  1  1  0  1  1  6.75


J.Speier			0.2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.00




Boxscore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


TOR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 -- 2  5 0


OAK 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 X -- 3 12 0




AL East Standings:




TOR 5-4 ---


BAL 4-4 0.5


BOS 4-4 0.5


NYY 4-4 0.5


TB  2-6 2.5

[cybernetic]

Towers, Hinske Lead Jays in Texas Opener

Hinske Belts a 430 Ft. Bomb to CF in the 2nd.

04/14/05 -- The Jays shutout the Texas Rangers in the series opener 4-0. Josh Towers led the way by throwing 6.1 shutout innings while Eric Hinske supplied the run support driving in three of the four Blue Jay runs including a complete bomb to center-field in the 2nd inning to put the Jays on the board. Hinske's days as a Jay may be numbered but you wouldn't know it with his performance tonight. Outfielder Reed Johnson left the game in the 6th inning with what is listed as a minor PCL sprain he was placed on the 15-day DL and is not expected to miss more than the required 15 games. He left the game after sliding uncomfortably back to first on a pickoff play and was replaced my Alex Rios.

Injury note: The Jays placed OF Reed Johnson on the 15-Day DL and recalled INF Jason Alfaro from AAA. It is unclear what Alfaro's role on the team will be but it's more than likely he'll just sit on the bench in case of emergency. 3B Corey Koskie is set to return from the DL for the 2nd game against Boston next week (the 19th).

Jays' Box Score


				Pos AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.R.Johnson	 RF   3 0 1   0  0 1 .300


  A.Rios		RF   2 1 1   1  0 0 .237


2.A.Hill		3B   5 0 1   0  0 2 .189


3.V.Wells	   CF   4 0 0   0  0 2 .275


4.S.Hillenbrand DH   3 1 1   0  1 0 .297


5.E.Hinske	  1B   4 1 2   3  0 0 .214


6.G.Zaun		C	4 0 0   0  0 1 .139


7.F.Catalanotto LF   4 0 0   0  0 2 .160


8.O.Hudson	  2B   4 1 2   0  0 0 .167


9.R.Adams	   SS   4 0 2   0  0 2 .280




(6th)A.Rios replaced R.Johnson, batting 1st




HR: E.Hinske(4)


RBI: E.Hinske 3(8), A.Rios(2)




E: S.Schoeneweis(1,missed catch)




Pitching Lines:


TEX:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


K.Loe(L,1-1)		6.1  6  4  3  1  8  1  2.25


W.Littleton		 2.2  4  0  0  0  0  0  3.38


TOR:


J.Towers(W,2-0)	 6.1  5  0  0  0  2  0  0.00


J.Frasor			0.2  1  0  0  0  1  0  2.46


B.League			1.0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0.00


S.Schoeneweis	   1.0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0.00




Boxscore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


TOR 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 -- 4 10 1


TEX 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0  6 1




AL East Standings:




TOR 6-4 ---


BAL 5-4 0.5


NYY 5-4 0.5


BOS 4-5 1.5


TB  2-7 3.5

[cybernetic]

Chris Young = Cy Young?

Halladay snares a liner; Mark Teixeira stretches to record the final out of the game.

04/15/05 -- Chris Young definitely is not Cy Young, but in today's game the Jays sure made him look like him. Young pitched a complete game shut out and rarely had to work to get outs. He allowed just 3 hits on the night and struck out 12. He only threw 78 pitches in the entire game. Roy Halladay seemed to mirror Chris Young until the 8th where he got into a jam and was pulled with the bases loaded. Jason Frasor relieved him and allowed the winning run to score on a Mark Teixiera single. Halladay was a tough luck loser for the 2nd time on the season and now has a 1-2 record despite just a 2.05 ERA. The Jays will send Ted Lilly (1-1) to the hill in game 3 of the 4 game set tomorrow night.

"It's just one of those days where the offense looks completely lost -- there may be a shake up for tomorrow's game. I'm not sure right now, but I'll have a meeting with the other coaches before the game and discuss ways to resolve this problem.", said manager John Gibbons.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.A.Rios		RF	4 0 1   0  0 1 .238


2.O.Hudson	  2B	4 0 0   0  0 1 .147


3.V.Wells	   CF	3 0 0   0  0 1 .256


4.S.Hillenbrand 3B	3 0 0   0  0 3 .275


5.E.Hinske	  1B	3 0 0   0  0 3 .194


6.A.Hill		DH	3 0 1   0  0 0 .200


7.F.Catalanotto LF	3 0 0   0  0 1 .143


  G.Zaun		C	 0 0 0   0  0 0 .129


8.G.Quiroz	  C	 3 0 1   0  0 0 .222


  1-G.Gross	 PR-LF 0 0 0   0  0 0 .250


9.J.Alfaro	  SS	2 0 0   0  0 0 .000


  a-R.Adams	 PH	1 0 0   0  0 0 .269




1-G.Gross ran for G. Quiroz in the 8th (caught stealing).


a-R.Adams pinch hit for J.Alfaro in the 9th




(9th)G.Gross remained in the game in LF.


(9th)G.Zaun replaced G.Quiroz as C.




SB: A.Hill(1)


CS: G.Gross(2)




Pitching Lines:


TEX:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


C.Young(W,2-1)	  9.0  3  0  0  1 12  0  3.05


TOR:


R.Halladay(L,1-2)   7.0  7  1  1  1  4  0  2.05


J.Frasor			1.0  1  0  0  0  1  0  1.93




Boxscore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


TOR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0  3 0


TEX 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 X -- 1  8 0




AL East Standings:




NYY 6-4 ---


TOR 6-5 0.5


BAL 5-5 1.0


BOS 5-5 1.0


TB  2-8 4.0

[cybernetic]

Jays Fall in 11 Innings to Rangers

Wells belts a 7th inning 2-R HR(5) to put the Jays up 5-4.

04/16/05 -- The Jays figured out Texas starter Ricardo Rodriguez out early in the game and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Texas would take the lead with a 3-run rally in the third, including a 2-run homer from Alfonso Soriano. The Jays clawed their way back and tied the game in the sixth, but Texas re-took it in the bottom of the sixth. Vernon Wells would retake the lead for the Jays with a 2-run shot off Rodriguez in 7th to give the Jays a short-lived 5-4 lead that was lost in the 8th on a Phil Nevin solo shot off Justin Speier. The game would stay tied at 5 into the 11th where Texas got a lead-off double from Gary Matthews Jr. and he scored on a basehit up the middle by Rod Barajas with 2 out in the inning. Brandon League got the loss for the Jays (0-1). Francisco Cordero got the win for Texas (1-0). The Jays have now lost 2 straight to Texas and will hope to earn a split in the series and also move back above .500 tomorrow. Dave Bush (2-0) takes the hill for the Jays in the series finale.

Side note: Texas third baseman Hank Blalock left the game after fouling a ball off his shin in the 8th and is listed as day-to-day. The Rangers have not announced the results of their MRI on his shin as yet but it is unlikely he'll be in the lineup for the series finale.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.R.Adams	   SS	5 1 1   0  0 1 .258


2.G.Gross	   LF-RF 4 1 1   0  0 2 .250


3.V.Wells	   CF	5 1 1   2  0 0 .250


4.S.Hillenbrand 3B	5 0 2   0  0 1 .289


5.E.Hinske	  1B	4 0 1   1  0 1 .200


6.A.Rios		RF	3 0 0   0  0 2 .222


  F.Catalanotto PH-LF 2 0 0   0  0 2 .133


7.F.Menechino   DH	5 2 2   0  0 2 .294


8.G.Zaun		C	 5 0 2   1  0 0 .167


9.O.Hudson	  2B	3 0 0   1  0 1 .135




(9th)F.Catalanotto pinch hit for A.Rios.


(9th)F.Catalanotto remained in the game in LF, batting 6th.


(9th)G.Gross moved from LF to RF.




2B: F.Menechino(2), G.Zaun(2)


HR: V.Wells(5)


RBI: V.Wells 2(8), E.Hinske(9), G.Zaun(3), O.Hudson(2)


SF: O.Hudson(1)




CS: E.Hinske(1)




Pitching Lines:


TEX:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


R.Rodriguez		 7.0 10  5  5  0  5  1  6.62


W.Littleton		 1.0  0  0  0  0  1  0  3.18


F.Cordero(W,1-0)	3.0  0  0  0  0  5  0  0.00


TOR:


T.Lilly			 5.2  7  4  4  0  5  2  4.74


V.Chulk			 1.0  1  0  0  1  0  0  0.00


J.Speier			0.1  1  1  1  0  1  1  2.46


S.Schoeneweis	   0.2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.00


M.Batista		   1.1  0  0  0  0  2  0  2.08


B.League(L,0-1)	 1.2  3  1  1  0  1  0  1.59




Boxscore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11	R  H E


TOR 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0  0  0 -- 5 10 0


TEX 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 1 0  0  1 -- 6 12 1




AL East Standings:




BAL 6-5 ---


BOS 6-5 ---


NYY 6-5 ---


TOR 6-6 0.5


TB  2-9 4.0

[Don]

how can chris young give up 3 earned runs and no runs, also with the score 1:0? :hic:

[cybernetic]

haha I need to fix that.. it's 3 hits, no runs, no earned runs

[cybernetic]

Bush Shuts Out the Rangers to Earn Series Split

Mench leaps as Hillenbrand's ball just clears the wall for a HR(3); Bush K's Young to end the game.

04/17/05 -- Jays starter Dave Bush completely shutdown the Texas Rangers tonight as he threw a complete game 2-hit shutout. Both of the two hits he allowed were singles and were widely spread out over the game. In turn, the Jays scored three runs (2 in 3rd) and Shea Hillenbrand belted a homer just over the left-field wall in the 9th off closer Francisco Cordero to give the Jays a 3-0 victory. Russ Adams had an RBI-double and Gabe Gross had an RBI-single in the game to go with Hillenbrand's solo home run for the 3 Jays runs. The win earned the Jays a split in the 4-game series and moved the Jays back over the .500 mark (7-6). The Jays head to Boston for a short 2-game set tomorrow, ending the 8 game/8 day roadtrip before welcoming the Yankees at home on Wednesday. Jays starters in the series will be Gustavo Chacin (0-1) and Josh Towers (2-0).

"I felt great tonight. I was really locating my fastball and fooling the hitters with my off-speed stuff. I never felt like I was getting into any real trouble in the game and felt confident all night.", said Dave Bush.

"He's a great pitcher, no doubt we're counting on him to be a starter for us for many years to come. Hopefully, we can see more performances like that from him in the future, he certainly has the ability to do it on more of a consistent basis.", said manager John Gibbons.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.R.Adams	   SS	4 1 1   1  0 2 .257


2.G.Gross	   RF	4 0 1   1  0 0 .250


3.V.Wells	   DH	4 0 0   0  0 3 .231


4.S.Hillenbrand 3B	4 1 1   1  0 1 .286


5.E.Hinske	  1B	3 0 0   0  0 2 .179


6.A.Rios		CF	3 0 0   0  0 0 .208


7.F.Catalanotto LF	3 1 1   0  0 2 .152


8.G.Quiroz	  C	 3 0 0   0  0 0 .167


9.O.Hudson	  2B	3 0 1   0  0 0 .150




2B: R.Adams(1)


3B: O.Hudson(1)


HR: S.Hillenbrand(3)


RBI: R.Adams(1), G.Gross(2), S.Hillenbrand(4)




Pitching Lines:


TEX:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


J.Benoit(L,1-2)	 8.1  4  2  2  0  9  0  4.34


F.Cordero		   0.2  1  1  1  0  1  1  1.93


TOR:


D.Bush(W,3-0)	   9.0  2  0  0  1  7  0  0.79




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


TOR 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 -- 3  5 0


TEX 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0  2 0




AL East Standings:




BAL 7-5  ---


BOS 7-5  ---


TOR 7-6  0.5


NYY 6-6  1.0


TB  2-10 5.0

[cybernetic]

Team Leaders after 2 weeks


Hitting(min. 30 AB):


HR:  5 (Vernon Wells)


RBI: 9 (Eric Hinske)


AVG: .286 (Shea Hillenbrand)


SB: 1 (Aaron Hill)


OBP: .314 (Shea Hillenbrand)


Pitching (min 2 starts/3 relief appearances):


W: 3 (Dave Bush)


SV: 3 (Miguel Batista)


ERA: 0.00 (3-way tie)


SO: 17 (Dave Bush)


IP: 22 2/3 (Dave Bush)

[cybernetic]

Towers Not So Solid in Loss

Kevin Millar's ball leaves Fenway Park entirely over the Green Monster.

04/18/05 -- The Jays put up a valiant effort tonight against the Boston Red Sox but ultimately came up short. They had oppurtunities to score but didn't cash them in. Once they had bases loaded with 2 outs and couldn't score and in the 9th they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out and both times did not score. Boston did take advantage of their chances as in the fourth, Manny Ramirez reached on an error and would come around to score for the first run of the game. Again, in the fourth they'd score on a 2-out with runners on 2nd and 3rd situation with a basehit. They'd get their fourth run in the 7th on a solo shot from Kevin Millar. Shea Hillenbrand belted a 2-run shot off Matt Clement in the 8th to make it 4-2 and the Jays made it close in the 9th with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. However, Gregg Zaun popped out in foul territory and then Orlando Hudson grounded out to end the game.

Other notes: Vernon Wells got the night off from the starting lineup but did get a pinch hit single in the 9th. 3B Corey Koskie was removed from the DL following the game and will be a much needed power boost for the 2nd game of the short 2-game series tomorrow. Josh Towers' start was pushed up a day to give Gustavo Chacin an extra day of rest, he will go in the 2nd game.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.R.Adams	   SS	4 1 1   0  0 0 .256


2.G.Gross	   RF	4 0 1   0  0 2 .250


3.S.Hillenbrand DH	4 1 1   2  0 0 .283


4.E.Hinske	  1B	4 0 0   0  0 3 .163


5.F.Catalanotto LF	4 0 2   0  0 1 .189


6.A.Rios		CF	2 0 0   0  1 1 .200


  1-V.Wells	 PH	1 0 1   0  0 0 .245


7.A.Hill		3B	4 0 2   0  0 0 .227


8.G.Zaun		C	 4 0 0   0  0 1 .150


9.O.Hudson	  2B	4 0 2   0  0 0 .182




1-singled for A.Rios in the 9th.




2B: G.Gross(1), F.Catalanotto(2)


HR: S.Hillenbrand(4)


RBI: S.Hillenbrand 2(6)




E: E.Hinske (missed catch), A.Hill (throwing)




CS: A.Hill(3)




Pitching Lines:


BOS:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


M.Clement(W,2-1)	7.2  8  2  2  1  7  1  2.02


M.Timlin			0.1  0  0  0  0  1  0  0.00


K.Foulke(S,5)	   1.0  2  0  0  0  0  0  1.80


TOR:


J.Towers(L,2-1)	 6.2  6  4  3  3  1  1  1.50


B.League			1.1  1  0  0  0  0  0  1.29




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


TOR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 -- 2 10 2


BOS 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 X -- 4  7 0




AL East Standings:




BOS 8-5  ---


BAL 7-6  1.0


NYY 7-6  1.0


TOR 7-7  1.5


TB  2-11 6.0

[cybernetic]

Red Sox Complete the Sweep, Spoil Koskie's Return

Nixon watches as Hinske's ball heads into the bullpen; Gross trots back in after Nixon belted a grand slam into the crowd in RF.

04/19/05 -- The Jays fell in another close game to the Boston Red Sox, this time 4-3. Eric Hinske opened the scoring in the 2nd inning with a solo home run (5) to put the Jays on the board. However, starter Gustavo Chacin struggled and didn't look comfortable all game and surrendered a grand slam to Trot Nixon(5) after allowing a couple basehits and then walking Millar to load the bases in the 2nd. The Jays made it 4-2 with an RBI double from Frank Catalanotto in the 3rd and made it interesting as Corey Koskie belted his 2nd home run off closer Keith Foulke to make it 4-3 but that was as close it would get as that would be the final. Koskie would go 1-for-4 on the night with that home run being his lone hit. The game actually ended with Aaron Hill being picked off at 1st base after he came in to pinch run for Gregg Zaun who singled.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.R.Adams	   SS	4 1 1   0  0 2 .256


2.F.Catalanotto LF	4 0 2   1  0 1 .220


3.V.Wells	   CF	4 0 0   0  0 2 .228


4.S.Hillenbrand 1B	4 0 0   0  0 2 .263


5.C.Koskie	  3B	4 1 1   1  0 0 .333


6.E.Hinske	  DH	4 1 1   1  0 0 .170


7.G.Gross	   RF	4 0 1   0  0 0 .250


8.G.Zaun		C	 4 0 2   0  0 1 .182


  a-A.Hill	  PR	0 0 0   0  0 0 .227


9.O.Hudson	  2B	3 0 2   0  0 0 .213




a-pinch ran for G.Zaun in the 9th and was picked off.




2B: F.Catalanotto(3)


HR: E.Hinske(5), C.Koskie(2)


RBI: F.Catalanotto(3), C.Koskie(3), E.Hinske(10)




PO: A.Hill




Pitching Lines:


BOS:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


W.Miller(W,2-0)	 7.0  8  2  2  0  5  1  2.18


M.Timlin			1.0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0.00


K.Foulke(S,6)	   1.0  2  1  1  0  0  1  3.00


TOR:


G.Chacin(L,0-2)	 4.0  6  4  4  1  3  1  5.40


P.Walker			2.0  2  0  0  2  4  0  4.50


V.Chulk			 1.0  3  0  0  0  0  0  0.00


S.Schoeneweis	   0.1  1  0  0  0  0  0  0.00


J.Frasor			0.2  0  0  0  0  1  0  1.69




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


TOR 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 -- 3 10 0


BOS 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 X -- 4 12 0




AL East Standings:




BOS 9-5  ---


BAL 8-6  1.0


NYY 8-6  1.0


TOR 7-8  2.5


TB  2-12 7.0

[cybernetic]

Jays Narrowly Edge Bronx Bombers

Jeter rounds the bases after hitting a 4th inning solo HR; Matsui comes down after robbing Koskie of a HR in the 4th.

04/20/05 -- The Jays hung on for a narrow 2-1 victory of the New York Yankees. Corey Koskie and Gregg Zaun each contributed with RBI-singles in the win. Derek Jeter hit a solo home run in the 4th for the Yankees only run of the game. Both starters, Roy Halladay and Chien-Ming Wang pitched great games but Halladay came out on top.

Injury reports: Jays SS Russ Adams left the game in the fourth after making a diving catch on a Alex Rodriguez liner, he was placed on the 15-day DL with what is described as a sprained right hip flexor. He is not expected to miss a significant amount of time, Aaron Hill will handle the bulk of the shortstop time in his absence. Outfielder Chad Mottola was recalled from AAA Syracuse to fill his roster spot and will be a reserve outfielder until Reed Johnson returns in 9 days. Yankees 1B Tino Martinez also left the game in the 1st with a sprained wrist and is expected to miss 3 games. He was replaced by Rey Sanchez.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.R.Adams	   SS	2 0 1   0  0 0 .267


  A.Hill		SS	2 0 1   0  0 0 .239


2.F.Catalanotto LF	4 1 2   0  0 2 .244


3.V.Wells	   CF	4 0 1   0  0 2 .230


4.S.Hillenbrand 1B	4 0 1   0  0 1 .262


5.C.Koskie	  3B	3 1 2   1  0 0 .444


6.E.Hinske	  DH	3 0 1   0  0 1 .180


7.G.Gross	   RF	3 0 0   0  0 0 .222


8.G.Zaun		C	 2 0 0   1  0 0 .174


9.O.Hudson	  2B	3 0 0   0  0 1 .200




A.Hill replaced R.Adams due to injury in the 4th.




2B: V.Wells(3)


RBI: C.Koskie(4), G.Zaun(4)


SF: G.Zaun(1)




SB: F.Catalanotto(1)


CS: A.Hill(5)




Pitching Lines:


NYY:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


C.Wang(L,1-2)	   8.0  9  2  2  0  7  0  3.22


TOR:


R.Halladay(W,2-2)   7.0  5  1  1  1  6  1  2.00


J.Speier			1.0  0  0  0  0  2  0  1.93


M.Batista(S,4)	  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1.69




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


NYY 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 -- 1  5 0


TOR 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 X -- 2  9 0




AL East Standings:




BOS 10-5  ---


BAL  8-7   2.0


NYY  8-7   2.0


TOR  8-8   2.5


TB   2-13  8.0

[cybernetic]

Just a note, I've got a full time job now and start really early mornings so I won't be able to play too many games during the week at least for the rest of the month so I'll play the majority of the games from here on in on the weekends and I may get the odd game or two in during the week if I get home early and have time before the Jays game

[cybernetic]

I've got a day off work tomorrow so I'll probably get a game in (or two)

[Don]

the team standings are so realistic!

[cybernetic]

except for Baltimore falling off the face of the earth of late

[cybernetic]

Johnson, Yankees Power Past Jays

Giambi Belts a three-run HR in the 2nd; Matsui strikes the foul pole for a solo HR run to lead off the 4th.

04/21/05 -- The Jays got off to a good start as they scored a run in the first to take a 1-0 lead on 3 singles but starter Ted Lilly struggled as he allowed two base runners before a 3-run homer run from Jason Giambi as the Bronx Bombers took a 3-1 lead in the 2nd. They would add another on a solo shot from Hideki Matsui to lead off the 4th. Lilly then allowed 2 straight singles and was lifted for Pete Walker after 3+ innings of work. Walker allowed both inherited runners to score on a groundout and then a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1. The Yanks would add two more as the game went on to win 8-1. Randy Johnson seemed to settle down after the 1st inning and shut the door from then on as he went the distance.

Notes: Chad Mottola made his Jays debut in LF this season after being recalled from AAA Syracuse when Russ Adams went on the 15-day DL after yesterday's game. The move gave the Jays another right-handed hitting outfielder until Reed Johnson returns from the DL. He went 1-for-3 with a basehit in the game and committed an error on a missed catch. He also threw out a runner at the plate to end the 4th. Mottola had previous MLB experience in a few games with Baltimore last season, parts of '96 with Cincinnati, parts of 2001 with Florida and even appeared in 3 games for the Jays in 2000 but is not a long term part of the Jays plans as he is already 34 years of age.

Corey Koskie is red hot since returning from a short stint on the 15-day DL. He is hitting a scorching .455 (5-for-11) in 3 games with a home run and 4 RBI. In 4 total games this season he is hitting .462 (6-for-13) with 2 homers and 5 RBI.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.A.Hill		SS	4 0 0   0  0 1 .220


2.A.Rios		RF	4 1 1   0  0 1 .204


3.V.Wells	   CF	4 0 1   0  0 0 .231


4.S.Hillenbrand 1B	4 0 1   0  0 0 .262


5.C.Koskie	  3B	4 0 2   1  0 1 .462


  1-G.Gross	 PR	0 0 0   0  0 0 .222


6.E.Hinske	  DH	3 0 1   0  0 0 .189


  a-G.Zaun	  PH	1 0 0   0  0 0 .170


7.F.Menechino   2B	4 0 1   0  0 2 .286


8.C.Mottola	 RF	3 0 1   0  0 1 .333


  b-O.Hudson	PH	1 0 1   0  0 0 .170


9.G.Quiroz	  C	 4 0 0   0  0 1 .200




1-Ran for Koskie in the 9th.


a-Lined out for Hinske in the 9th.


b-Singled for Mottola in the 9th.




RBI: C.Koskie(5)




E: A.Hill(2), C.Mottola(1)




SB: G.Gross(1)




Pitching Lines:


NYY:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


R.Johnson(W,3-1)	9.0  9  1  1  0  7  0  3.29


TOR:


T.Lilly (L,1-2)	 3.0  6  6  5  0  2  2  6.14


P.Walker			3.0  5  1  1  0  2  0  4.00


V.Chulk			 2.0  1  0  0  0  3  0  0.00


B.League			1.0  1  1  1  0  0  0  2.25




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


NYY 0 3 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 -- 8 13 0


TOR 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 1  9 2




AL East Standings:




BOS 11-5  ---


NYY  9-7   2.0


BAL  8-8   3.0


TOR  8-9   3.5


TB   3-13  8.0

Outlook: The Jays will welcome the Baltimore Orioles for a 3-game set at the Rogers Centre. The Jays will then get just their second off-day of the season, ending a streak of 17 straight games. The Jays will send Dave Bush (3-0), Josh Towers (2-1) and Gustavo Chacin (1-2) to face Baltimore in the series.

[cybernetic]

Cabrera shuts down the Jays

(sorry no pictures this time)

04/22/05 -- There's one word that describes the Jays offense tonight: uninspired. For the most part Daniel Cabrera completely shut down the Jays offense to the tune of just 5 hits and 7 strikeouts in a complete game shutout. Dave Bush pitched very well going 8.1 innings and allowed 2 earned runs via sacrifice flies in the loss although he pitched well enough to get a win in most games. The team was even worse with runners in scoring position as they had 0 combined hits in that situation. Frank Catalanotto was the lone Jay to get two hits with a single and a double in three at-bats. The Jays ended up falling 2-0 and also fell to two games below the .500 mark at 8-10.

"I don't know what's wrong with the offense but I've got to do something quick, the entire team as a whole seems uninspired of late. I'm going to reshuffle the lineup for tomorrow's game but I don't know how much that'll help. I'll also talk to Mr. Le (the G.M.) and see if there are any moves that he can make as far as perhaps calling up a guy from the minors or making a trade.", said manager John Gibbons.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.A.Hill		SS	4 0 0   0  0 0 .204


2.F.Catalanotto LF	3 0 2   0  0 1 .271


  1-A.Rios	  PR-RF 1 0 0   0  0 0 .200


3.V.Wells	   CF	4 0 1   0  0 1 .232


4.S.Hillenbrand DH	4 0 0   0  0 1 .246


5.C.Koskie	  3B	4 0 0   0  0 2 .353


6.E.Hinske	  1B	3 0 1   0  0 1 .196


7.G.Gross	   RF-LF 3 0 1   0  0 0 .233


8.G.Zaun		C	 3 0 0   0  0 0 .160


9.O.Hudson	  2B	3 0 0   0  0 1 .204




1-Ran for Catalanotto in the 7th.


8th-A.Rios remains in the game in RF.


8th-G.Gross: defensive switch from RF to LF.




2B: F.Catalanotto(4), E.Hinske(1), G.Gross(2)




Pitching Lines:


BAL:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


D.Cabrera(W,1-2)	9.0  5  0  0  0  7  0  5.55


TOR:


D.Bush (L,3-1)	  8.1  7  2  2  1  7  0  1.16


S.Schoeneweis	   0.2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0.00




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


BAL 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 -- 2  7 0


TOR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0  5 0




AL East Standings:




BOS 11-6  ----


BAL  9-8   2.0


NYY  9-8   2.0


TOR  8-10  3.5


TB   4-13  7.0

[cybernetic]

Wells Delivers Walk-Off to End 16 Inning Marathon

Above: Zaun scores the first Jays run on a Hudson single after doubling to lead-off the 6th.

Right: Rios greets Wells at the plate after his walk off HR in the 16th as the O's look on from the bench.

04/23/05 -- The game started off slowly but picked up in the late innings (of regulation) as the Jays jumped on starter Erik Bedard for 3 runs in the 6th to go ahead 3-0. They would add another in the 7th to make it 4-0. Josh Towers left after 7 innings and a lead-off single in the 8th. He pitched 7 shut out innings, unfortunately the bullpen allowed the runner to score but got out of it with still a 4-1 lead. Miguel Batista came in to close the game out in the 9th but was ineffective as he allowed the eventual tying run on four hits to blow his 2nd save of the season. The bullpen held the O's in check long enough for Vernon Wells to come up with a lead-off solo home run (6) off B.J. Ryan to give the Jays a much needed 5-4 victory. Gustavo Chacin (1-2) will go for the Jays tomorrow against Sidney Ponson (3-0) in the rubber match.

"All game I struggled to make solid contact but I got a pitch I really liked on the first pitch (of the 16th) about belt-high middle-in and I jumped on it and luckily I got all of it and came through for the team. It was a much needed win tonight, we didn't want to fall further out of the race especially not so early in the season.", said Wells.

Injury note: Orioles pitcher Steve Kline left the game in the 12th with a strained ribcage and is expected to miss about 11 games according to the Orioles doctor.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.A.Rios		RF	7 1 2   0  0 1 .210


2.A.Hill		SS	7 0 2   0  0 0 .213


3.V.Wells	   CF	7 1 2   1  0 1 .237


4.S.Hillenbrand 1B	6 0 1   0  0 2 .240


5.C.Koskie	  3B	6 0 1   0  0 2 .304


6.F.Menechino   DH	3 0 1   0  0 1 .292


  a-G.Gross	 PR	0 1 0   0  0 0 .233


  C.Mottola	 DH	3 0 0   0  0 0 .167


7.F.Catalanotto LF	6 0 1   0  0 0 .259


8.G.Zaun		C	 6 1 1   0  0 0 .161


9.O.Hudson	  2B	5 1 2   2  0 0 .220




2B: G.Zaun(3)


HR: V.Wells(6)


RBI: V.Wells(9), O.Hudson 2(4)


SF: O.Hudson(2)




E: A.Hill(3)


WP: J.Towers


CS: V.Wells(1), A.Hill(6)




Pitching Lines:


BAL:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


E.Bedard			7.1  7  4  4  0  4  0  3.42


S.Kline			 3.2  2  0  0  0  5  0  1.13


B.Ryan(L,0-1)	   4.0  4  1  1  0  2  1  1.35


TOR:


J.Towers			7.0  4  1  1  0  5  0  1.44


S.Schoeneweis	   0.2  0  0  0  0  1  0  0.00


J.Speier			0.1  2  0  0  0  1  0  1.80


M.Batista		   1.0  4  3  3  0  1  0  5.68


B.League			3.0  2  0  0  0  1  0  1.64


J.Frasor			2.0  1  0  0  0  2  0  1.23


V.Chulk(W,1-0)	  2.0  2  0  0  0  0  0  0.00   




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16	R  H E


BAL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 -- 4 15 2


TOR 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1 -- 5 13 1




AL East Standings:




BOS 12-6  ----


NYY 10-8   2.0


BAL  9-9   3.0


TOR  9-10  3.5


TB   4-14  8.0

[cybernetic]

Chacin, Wells Silence O's

Above: Wells rounds the bases after hitting a 2-run shot in the 1st. Right: Koskie belts a solo HR in the 4th.

Above: Hinske belts a solo shot in the 6th. Right: Wells belts his 2nd HR of the game, a solo in 8th.

04/24/05 -- Gustavo Chacin pitched a strong game and the Jays belted 4 home runs (2 by Vernon Wells) en route to a 5-0 shut out of the Baltimore Orioles. The game started off a little bit funny as Chacin beaned the lead-off hitter Melvin Mora right in the head and a bench-clearing incident ensued but no one was injured. Mora was ejected from the game and was replaced by David Newhan for the rest of the game. Vernon Wells pounced on an 0-1 fastball from Sidney Ponson in the bottom of the inning with Frank Catalanotto at first after a single for a 2-run home run (7) to give the Jays a 2-0 lead. Chacin effectively shut down the O's from there-on, mostly on groundballs and lineouts. The Jays added their third run on a Corey Koskie solo drive with one out in the 4th and on another solo drive from Eric Hinske in the 6th. Vernon Wells then belted his 2nd home run of the game ( in the 8th on the first pitch from reliever John Maine to straight away center. Maine had just come in to relieve Sidney Ponson who started the game for the O's. That was all Chacin needed as he pitched 7.1 scoreless innings allowing just four hits, no walks and striking out four. Justin Speier pitched an effective 1.2 innings allowing no hits in the win. With the win the Jays squared their record at 10-10 and took the series 2-1 over the O's. Following an off-day tomorrow, the Jays will head welcome the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who they swept to open the series to the Rogers Centre for a 3-game set.

"I don't know what happened, on the first pitch I tried to throw a cutter up and in to Mora and it got away from me. The next thing I know I see him on the ground holding his head. He started to walk towards first then charged the mound, thankfully my team members held him back from injuring me. I guess he thought I tried to intentionally hit him but I didn't.", said Chacin.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.A.Rios		RF	4 0 0   0  0 2 .197


2.F.Catalanotto LF	4 1 2   0  0 0 .276


3.V.Wells	   CF	4 2 2   3  0 0 .250


4.S.Hillenbrand 1B	4 0 0   0  0 1 .228


5.C.Koskie	  3B	4 1 1   1  0 1 .296


6.E.Hinske	  DH	4 1 1   1  0 0 .200


7.A.Hill		SS	3 0 1   0  0 0 .219


8.G.Zaun		C	 3 0 1   0  0 0 .169


9.O.Hudson	  2B	3 0 1   0  0 1 .226




2B: A.Hill(3)


HR: V.Wells 2(8), C.Koskie(3), E.Hinske(6)


RBI: V.Wells 3(12), C.Koskie(6), E.Hinske(11)




Pitching Lines:


BAL:				 IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


S.Ponson(L,3-1)	 7.0  8  4  4  0  4  3  2.05


J.Maine			 1.0  1  1  1  0  1  1  7.36


TOR:


G.Chacin(W,2-2)	 7.1  4  0  0  0  4  0  3.07


J.Speier			1.2  0  0  0  1  0  0  1.35   




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


BAL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 0  4 0


TOR 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 x -- 5  9 0




AL East Standings:




BOS 12-7  ----


NYY 11-8   1.0


TOR 10-10  2.5


BAL  9-10  3.0


TB   5-14  7.0

[MikeB]

We need those Jays averages to get up. I guess you didn't fire Barnett yet! :lol:

[cybernetic]

LOL it's all part of me adjusting to all-star difficulty.. they'll go up

[cybernetic]

Catalanotto the Hero in Walk-Off over Rays

Above: Hollins scales the wall but comes up short as Catalanotto's drive clears the wall in RF.

Right: Dany Baez upset with himself after giving up the HR to Catalanotto.

04/26/05 -- In a game that seemed to be a classic pitcher's duel between Roy Halladay and Hideo Nomo, Frank Catalanotto delivered a walk-off solo HR in the 9th on the first pitch he saw from Dany Baez to give the Jays a narrow 2-1 win for their third straight. Nomo seemed to fool the Jays hitters for much of the game with his funky delivery and off-speed pitches but he gave up an RBI-single to Wells in the first before Carl Crawford tied the game in the 3rd on a solo home run. Baez is 0-2 in 2 appearances for the Devil Rays this season.

Outlook: Ted Lilly (1-2) will take the hill in the middle contest of this three game series against the Devil Rays. Lilly has been roughed up in his last 2 starts after getting the win in his first start of the season.

Injury update: Outfielder Reed Johnson will return to the active roster when his time on the 15-day DL expires after the third match of this series against Tampa Bay and will likely be in the lineup for the series opener in New York. Chad Mottola is expected to head back down to AAA to make room for him when the time comes. Shortstop Russ Adams is still 8 days away from returning and likely won't return until the White Sox series next weekend.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.G.Gross	   RF	4 0 0   0  0 2 .206


2.F.Catalanotto LF	4 2 2   1  0 1 .290


3.V.Wells	   CF	3 0 1   1  0 1 .253


4.S.Hillenbrand 1B	3 0 0   0  0 2 .220


5.C.Koskie	  3B	3 0 0   0  0 1 .267


6.E.Hinske	  DH	3 0 0   0  0 1 .190


7.A.Hill		SS	3 0 0   0  0 1 .209


8.G.Zaun		C	 3 0 0   0  0 0 .161


9.O.Hudson	  2B	3 0 1   0  0 1 .231




2B: F.Catalanotto(5)


HR: F.Catalanotto(1)


RBI: V.Wells(13), F.Catalanotto(4)




SB: V.Wells(1), O.Hudson(1)




Pitching Lines:


TB:				  IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


H.Nomo			  8.1  3  1  1  0 10  0  3.00


D.Baez(L,0-2)	   0.0  1  1  1  0  0  1 11.57


TOR:


R.Halladay(W,2-2)   9.0  6  1  1  0  4  1  1.74   




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


TB  0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 1  6 0


TOR 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 -- 2  4 0




AL East Standings:




BOS 12-9  ----


NYY 11-9   0.5


TOR 11-10  1.0


BAL 11-10  1.0


TB   5-15  6.5

[MikeB]

LOL it's all part of me adjusting to all-star difficulty.. they'll go up

I'm going through the same process myself. It's quite the drag. What sliders are you using?

[cybernetic]

I don't remember but the only thing I adjusted was cpu fielding speed, steal delay and added a 1% higher chance of error and injury

I just completed a game.. another walk off over Tampa Bay.. report coming shortly

[cybernetic]

Jays Walk-Off Again Over Rays, Menechino the Hero this Time

Above: Menechino belts a 2-run walk-off blast in the 9th. Right: Devil Rays bench players discuss the loss.

04/27/05 -- Tonight's win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays followed a similar storyline as last night's game except the Devil Rays jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the 8th after Ted Lilly walked a couple guys and got into a trouble. They scored the run on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Lilly buckled down and struck out the next 2 batters to get out of the inning with just one run allowed. In all, Lilly struck out 10 batters in the game. The Jays quickly came back in the bottom of the 8th. Corey Koskie singled to lead off the inning and was pinch ran for by Eric Hinske who stole 2nd on an Orlando Hudson strike out. Gregg Zaun then pinch hit for Guillermo Quiroz and drove him in on a single to left-center field. Lance Carter relieved Hendrickson to get the final out of the inning but struggled in the 9th. He allowed a 1-out walk to Shea Hillenbrand and then gave up a 2-run shot to Frank Menechino as the Jays walked off with a 3-1 victory. The win is their 4th straight and the Jays will go for the sweep tomorrow with Dave Bush (3-1) on the hill.

"I just try to contribute whenever I get in the lineup which is usually against lefties. I got a pitch a really liked in my at-bat in the 9th against Lance Carter and got all of it and luckily it carried enough to get out.", said Menechino.

Jays' Box Score


				Pos  AB R H RBI BB K AVG


1.A.Rios		RF	4 0 1   0  0 0 .200


2.A.Hill		SS	4 0 0   0  0 1 .197


3.V.Wells	   CF	4 0 1   0  0 0 .253


4.S.Hillenbrand 1B-3B 3 1 0   0  1 0 .220


5.F.Menechino   DH	4 1 2   2  0 1 .321


6.F.Catalanotto LF	3 0 0   0  0 0 .277


  G.Gross	   LF	0 0 0   0  0 0 .206


7.C.Koskie	  3B	3 0 1   0  0 0 .273


  E.Hinske	  PR-1B 0 1 0   0  0 0 .190


8.O.Hudson	  2B	3 0 0   0  0 0 .221


9.G.Quiroz	  C	 2 0 0   0  0 0 .111


  G.Zaun		PH-C  1 0 1   1  0 0 .175




Bot8-Hinske pinch ran, stole a base and scored for Koskie.


Bot8-Zaun singled for Quiroz.


Top9-Gross replaced Catalanotto in LF.


Top9-Zaun remained in the game as C.


Top9-Hinske remained in the game at 1B.


Top9-Hillenbrand moved from 1B to 3B.




2B: A.Rios(3)


HR: F.Menechino(2)


RBI: G.Zaun(5), F.Menechino 2(4)




E: A.Hill(4)




SB: E.Hinske(1)


CS: V.Wells(2)




Pitching Lines:


TB:				  IP  H  R ER BB  K HR ERA


M.Hendrickson	   7.2  4  1  1  0  4  0  3.55


L.Carter(L,0-1)	 1.0  2  2  2  1  0  1  3.46


TOR:


T.Lilly(W,2-2)	  9.0  6  1  1  2 10  0  4.65   




Linescore:


	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	R  H E


TB  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 -- 1  6 1


TOR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 -- 3  6 1




AL East Standings:




BOS 13-9  ----


TOR 12-10  1.0


NYY 11-10  1.5


BAL 11-11  2.0


TB   5-16  7.5