baseballtourist

July has been a dog for my Blog and for the Jays.....

 

The month isn't over, but as the Jays are sitting on a July record of 7-13 as of July 26th, it should be.

No excuse for dropping the ball on my game by game reporting, except to say that I really haven't been inspired by the team's play. Saying that, there have been some interesting milestones reached around the leagues and the will-he-be-traded saga surrounding Doc is intriguing.

Here's the briefest of brief "recaps" of the games:

July 1 - Aliteration Man is good in red and the Jays win 5-0 over the Rays, on Canada Day (42-38)

July 3 - Tallet's mustache heads to the Bronx for the 1st time at the New Yankee Stadium, but can't hold the Bombers as they win 4-2 (42-39)

July 4 - Halladay had a silghtly off night as the game goes to extras and the Jays lose a squeaker 6-5 in 12 innings (42-40). A rare bit of good news for the lowly Nats - Adam Dunn slugs his 300th career home run and unlike the Happy Youngster (who is an interesting guy) the Army Colonel that catches it, asks for nothing; but recives a ton of stuff.

July 5 - Ugly loss. Big lead coughed up by Cecil and BJ Ryan. Jays lose 10-8 and drop to 42-41.

July 6 - Yanks sweep?

No, but are just barely held off by Romero and the Jays. A 7-6 win keeps the team above .500 at 43-41. Interesting story...two Indian athletes that tried out for, and won a contest for the hardest throwing men in India, then signed professional ball contracts with the Pirates after having never plyed anything close to baseball before (but cricket), debut in the Gulf Coast League tonight. I watched an interview program about these guys months ago and they are adjusting OK but say they don't like the American women..."too fat" !

July 7 - On to Tampa...things don't get any better. Rookie Marc Rzepczynski pitches very well in his MLB debut, but a 3-1 loss in extras drops the Blue Birds to 43-42

July 8 - Lots of offence, for both sides. Rays win a slugfest 10-9 and Jays even out for the year at 43-43.

 Jays flat out release B. J. Ryan...wow! Can't trade him (not even for a bag of bats)...can't demote him to the minors...so the had to release him and continue to pay the $15 million owed to him on his contract. Are MLB salaries out of control? Yes.

July 9 - Another tough, one run loss and this time it causes a sweep too. Doc pitches hard but the offence is quiet. Jays lose 3-2 and fall below .500 at 43-44.

July 10 - Bring on the O's! (I say that, but they aren't really that bad this year). Jays win one on the road - 2-0. Cecil piches well and Rolen extends his hitting streak to 25 games. 44-44.

Big Papi, slumping for the better part of the season knocks his 300th career tater over the wall at Fenway. Johnathan Sanchez tosses the first no-hitter of the season for his Giants, blanking the Padres 8-0, after coming back to start after being demoted to the bullpen. He missed a perfecto by one error.

July 11 - Another extra inning loss. This time the Jays fall to a walk-off homer in the 12th, 4-3. Record is 44-45

July 12 - Jays enter the much needed All Star break on a 4-2 loss to the O's. Record slumps to 44-46.

July 14 - Doc starts for the AL in the All Star Game amid swirling trade speculations - gives up 2 runs through 2 innings and leaves the game with his side down by one. Hill subbed-in as a last minute starter due to Pedroia's departure (Hill is having a better year) lasts 6 innings, gets 3 at-bats but no hits. Puts in some nice defensive work and the AL rallies to win 4-3 and extend their winning ways to 13 games.

July 16 - Jays don't play but the Phillies slugger Ryan Howard hits the 200th homer of his career...so what? He does so in the fewest games ever. Little girl in FLA that caught the ball asks to meet Ryan and have a ball signed in exchange for the game ball, now claims that she was snubbed and wants the milestone ball back! Is everyone getting "Happy" fever?

July 17 - Jays head to Beantown and pick up right where they left off - losing 4-1. Romero gets knocked around. Jays fall to 44-47. The Cubbies pick up BJ Ryan and send him to the minors, to see if he can come back and help them. So the guys gets to earn 15 million plus approx. $2 grand a month while touring around in the bushes.

July 18 - Marc Rzepczynski notched his first big league victory in the third start of his career and Jays hit a little to; winning 6-2 and inch up to 45-47

July 19 - In what could have been his last home game as a Jay, Doc outduels the BoSox and John Lester and Barajas provides enough offense for a complete game win - 3-1. Jays improve against an unlikely foe to 46-47

July 21 - After an off day, the Jays face Cliff Lee of all pitchers. The reigning Cy Younger didn't disappoint the Cleveland fans in attendance as he pitches masterfully. Cecil did too, but closer Scott Downs botches the game and the Jays lose 2-1. Drop again to 46-48

July 22 - Scutaro hit two, Hill, Rios and Wells hit one a piece and despite a sub-par game by the Alliteration Man the Jays win 10-6 and improve to 47-48.

July 23 - Second No-No of the month (and of the season) this time is a perfect game. Mark Buehrle sits down 27 Rays in a row. A great catch by Dewayne Wise saves the 18th perfect game of all time. Costly errors undo a decent night by the rookie with  the tough to pronouce name. Jays crawl back but untimatley lose 5-4. 47-49 overall

July 24 - Roy's last game as a Jay? At home at least perhaps? If he goes, he goes in style; and not just becuase he was wearing the awesome baby blues, but because he pitched 9 innings of 4 hit ball and left with a 2-2 tie. Downs blows it again and the Jays do wheat? Lose in extras 4-2. 47-50

July 25 - I wanted to watch this one. Glad I didn't. Oh sure, it started off well - 2 homers by Hill, and tons of offense. The Jays build a 9-1 lead through 6 innings. Cruising! It wasn't just Scott Downs that let the Rays back in the game, but he lost it, again. This time in embarrasing, 12th inning fashion 10-9. Sigh...the Jays are 47-51 and falling fast.

July 26 - Cecil and Rolen combine to pick the birds up and the team wins one, 5-1 over the Rays; improving to 48-51.

July 27 - Team is as close to me as they ever get in the season. Playing in Seattle for a early week , 3 game set against Ichiro and the Mariners. Let's see who wins this series as the M's are hurting of late too. 

Canada Day! Watch out Zack...I've got got 2 (and counting)

 

 CANADA DAY! July 1st - Kates and I had a great morning and the afternoon was fun too! Went to the old ball park (Nat Bailey Stadium) to watch the Vancouver Canadians (the local Single A, Short Season, fram club of the MLB- Oakland A's) play the farm club of the SF Giants, the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. (Photos by KTV)

I brought my big glove and while I Kates and I got lots of comments and smiles (especially when I made Kates wear the thing on her head), that wasn't enough this time out. Unlike my trip with Wally to San Fran to attend 2 Giants games, I was actually going to put some effort into grabbing a ball this time! It worked! I got 2! Despite the fact that I was wearing my throwback Canadians jersey, I got both balls from Volcanoes.

The first was thrown to me along the deep 3rd base line, during a mid-inning, long toss session. The player that will be remembered (and rooted for in his career) as the guy who gave me my first ball (after 41 years of attending games!) is Dan Cook. Dan is a 23 year old LF from Florida and he turned around, saw my Giant Glove and smiled and lobbed a well worn ball, right into the webbing (thought it might go right through).  The second ball (a mudded-up gamer) had to wait until the end of the last contest, (lost big time by the home team) and I used some of Zack's advice - moving down to the closest bullpen just as the last out was recorded. The ball was tossed up by a Volcanoes coachwho also spotted the glove and lobbed a strike into it.

Zack's and your 4,000+ balls...I am gunning for you! Lots of fun...even if the Canadians lost 7-0.

A warm night at the Ballpark! Ok Blue Jays!

June 24 - To say that I was pleased to be able to attend this game in person, would be an understatement!  Kates, Juney, 'The Rev', Matthew and I were able to sit together, thanks to Matt for his two tix and to a friend of Kate's colleague, who works for the team, for 4 more.  Loved being back at the stadium...and it was fun to share it with my family.

Matt told me that it might have been the first game that the roof was open for the game, this season? It was hot (a tad humid actually) and the sky was clear, a perfect night for baseball. We sat to the right of home plate, about 20 rows back (sat briefly with Matt in his seats just beyond 3rd base, for the 1st inning, until we moved over). Here's some pics Katie and I took (i will use them through a few more game recaps...'cause why not?:

It was cool that BC-boy, Scott Richmond was starting the game that night. Scott was given a little room to breathe in the first inning as the Jays scored 5 runs, off home runs by Aaron Hill (go KTV!), Lind (go baseball tourist!) and Vernon Wells. Scott threw 7 innings of 2-hit, 2-run ball and the Jays kept up the pressure, winning 8-2. The team was clicking on this night as they improved their record to 40-33.

June 25 - Brett Cecil's rough start in this game put the possible sweep in jeopardy. The offense tried to pick the hurler up, and tied it a 5 in the 5th, long after Cecil left the game, but my fantasy teamer, and hometown guy, Joey Votto did the damage all night, going 4 for 5 with a HR and 3 ribbies. Nice points for my team, but way did he have to do it all tonight against my Jays. Bluebirds lose 7-5 and fall to 40-34.

 

June 26 - Had to go back and check, to be sure  - sure enough, the Jays do play well when wearing the ole' baby blue togs. 4-2 on Flashback Fridays so far this season coming into this game, in fact. The Alliteration Man pushed it 5-2, with a throwback performance of his own against those defending Champs, the Phils . Romero took a no-no into the 7th (giving up a just two hits and no runs before handing the ball to the pen, after the frame). Hayhurst and Accardo mopped up with one inning's work each and just like that  - Jays win 9-1 and move to 41-34 overall.

June 27 - Baseball gods giveth and they taketh away too! After Jays pitchers combine to throw a 3-hitter the day before, the wheels fall off the truck on this night. having to rely on a steady diet of rookie arms, Cito trots Brad Mills out and the 'meat' gets tenderized - the the tune of 8 runs on 8 hits through 4 innings. The Phils main-marinater was former Jay, Jayson Werth, who went a perfect 4 for 4, with 2 dingers; including a absolute bomb into the 5th deck. This is a rare shot....only the 14th time in 20 years of the history of the stadium. Kates has this monster on her fantasy team - nice one Varns!

The offense couldn't muster any response, posting only 5 hits and ZERO runs and allowing Phils pitcher (Happ) to throw a CG shutout. Ugly....and to add to the pain, the Yanks, BoSox and now the Rays are all winning in bunches and the Jays are falling back to 4th in the East, with their 41-35record, fresh on the heels of this 10-0 drubbing. Happy moment (from the Wednesday game...oh well....Kates on the Jumbotron)

June 28th - Despite a couple of home runs of he mini-milestone variety by Hill (including the first, Hill's 19th big fly of the season, setting a Jays record for knocks in a season, dethroning Jays great, Roberto Alomar...and the second....extending his own record......it isn't even the All Star break yet...will he get 40?) Tallet, the mustachioed one couldn't hold on. The Phils take the rubber match and the series with a 5-4 win by a second baseman. Jays are 41-36.

June 29 - NO relief for the bluebirds as the defending AL Champs head in T.O. for the first time this season...in fact this is the first series played between the AL East combatants. Interleague may have its advantages after all, huh Cito? To bad for the Jays that they aren't playing the slumping Rays that started the season poorly, as the Rays pitcher bettered Doc, who was just back from injury, (and lasted 6 innings, giving up only 2 runs on 5 hits. He left with some mild Doc-rust after 88 pitches and the offense continued to get nothing going against the rookie Ray hurler - smattering 5 hits and a single run. Jays lose 3-1 and the dreaded .500 mark seems so close, at 41-37.

June 30 - The end of the month and it looks like ground hog day as the Jays lose again 4-1. Richmond goes 6 innings, but gives up 3 solo homers - not bad, except that the hitters couldn't get anything going. Ouch...record is now 41-38.