Oh fuck yes, it’s late night baseball, and the Jays are looking to repay a favour to the Texas Rangers, who didn’t quite field their best lineups in dropping two of three to the Jays this week at Rogers Centre, by continuing to put the hurt on the California Angels– you know, Lynn, Baylor, Jackson, Carew and co.
And with that, it means late night Jays talk. Get your dialling fingers ready, Tom in Toronto!
Oh yeah… and the diverging career trajectories of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, plus some guy I’ve heard of called Vernon Wells.
Scuttlebutt
During the pre-game on the Fan 590 Wilner mentioned something about some twat tweeting about a Snider-for-Vogelsong trade between the Jays and Giants that supposedly has been made, which he assures us is unequivocally false. Honestly, not one single fucking thing in the universe screams “I’m a gigantic fucking loser” like making up an account and not only tweeting fake shit, but tweeting fake shit about a fucking minor baseball transaction that might sneak into the second ten minutes of ESPN Sportscenter. You don’t get into heaven for being half-assed, dickholes.
Also, Parkes has it right (y’know, apart from “MT”):
Dear. Shit. God. RT @ShiDavidi: Farrell on sticking w/ EE at 5: You look at the numbers and his performance in the five-hole is substantial.
— Dustin Parkes (@dustinparkes) May 4, 2012
TV: Sportsnet
And now the lineups, by way of the live box score at theScore.com. And for those of you who’ll be out and about, be sure to follow all the action on your phone with Score Mobile…
Toronto Blue Jays
1. Kelly Johnson (L) 2B
2. Yunel Escobar (R) SS
3. Jose Bautista (R) RF
4. Adam Lind (L) 1B
5. Edwin Encarnacion (R) DH
6. Eric Thames (L) LF
7. Brett Lawrie (R) 3B
8. Colby Rasmus (L) CF
9. J.P. Arencibia (R) C
Brandon Morrow RHP
Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheimgeles of L.A.
1. M. Trout (R) CF
2. Vernon Wells (R) LF
3. Albert Pujols (R) 1B
4. Kendrys Morales (R) DH
5. Torii Hunter (R) RF
6. Howie Kendrick (R) 2B
7. Mark Trumbo (R) 3B
8. Erick Aybar (R) SS
9. Bobby Wilson (R) C
Dan Haren RHP
Image via SI Vault.
Great throw Trombone, thanks for that
This is good, though, having the effective offensive threats separated by mediocre wastes of an at-bat.
A man needs time to take care of business, refresh his beverage, whatever.
Someone needs to make a gif of Morrow cowering on Trumbo’s throw.
Hahaha, I didn’t even see that.
That was hilarious. He looked like he was cowering in front of a bully.
Can Trumbo be credited with a-RBIs —> “against-Runs-Batted-In?”
Trombone working on his 3rd RBI
Is it me or does Mike Soscia have some weird sexual fantasy on catchers hitting sub 0.200 for him in the lineup?
Yankees lost
To KC!!!
So: Jays > Royals > Yankees.
Elementary, my dear Watson.
My favourite logic.
Haren at 93 pitches, but he has thrown 119 and 115 his last two outings so could go a couple more
Morrow’s line so far:
6IP, 0.00 ERA, 7.50 K/9, 1.31 FIP, 2.22 xFIP.
66 pitches.
You can’t ask for any more sexiness.
That gave me an erection.
I prescribe 3 more beers, that oughta’ do it.
5-0, i am safe to go to bed right??? right….
If lil’ J .CArreno is pitching the ninth..then you can horse tranquilize yourself now without any worries
Check under the bed.
Just remember that there a bunch of arsonists sitting around waiting for the bullpen phone to start ringing.
So Pujols can catch…
I can live with that GIDP with Rasmus hitting like that.
Think this might be one of those “quality starts” Tabby was talking about?
Tabs – Pujols is NOT an underrated first basemen. He IS a gold glove winner and his defense is widely recognized as “great” to “exceptional”
No perfect game or no no-hitters, but the scary thing is that Morrow is making an AB imitation of it. Is there anything on the history books that a pitcher completed a game with that and still only had to face 27 batters only?
This is from 2007, but it has only happened 34 times since 1957.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/216
Wonder how awkward the silence was at 1B with Pujols after Rasmus’ bunt base hit?
I like how often Buck uses the word ‘terrible’ to describe the Angels’ current playing, but 2 minutes later he says ‘the Angels have too many good players.’
Just enough good players = good team
Too many good players = terrible team
That was SEXY Lawrie!
Is that a strike to 1B from Lawrie if Lind had to catch it at his feet?
Expanding the zone…
When lind is batting, yes.
That was Bretzky payback Albert, you picked that hotshot from his buddy Colby and dared to double up The Young Man (we all know you are El Hombre). Puholes 0 for 3 all groundouts to Number13
No Bullpen dick holding tonight.
When did Morrow become the master of efficiency?
Universe is fucking out of sorts tonight…Kc beating Yanks…Morrow going into the 8th with only 74 pitches, Pirates beats Cardinals, Washington in 1st place?
I need a sign that the world is not ending…oh yah, Lind is full of shit…so there is a sign that things are normal.
Nice. Well done!
Whoa torn ACL for Rivera!
Actually feel terrible for him.
You’d have to think that’s basically it for his career.
Oh yeah, I don’t see him coming back.
No doubt he’s done for the year.
That year could stretch into forever.
Well, he is a machine. I think it’s just a 12-18 month glitch.
Well, not everyone is willing to work that hard at rehab at his age a la Jaime Moyer. He’s year to year at this point.
Awful, awful news. Lots of respect for Mariano.
WE jinxed the durability word too much on him. Julio Franco record is still waiting to be broken.
This is the year boys. This is the year to go for it. Tampa, Baltimore leading the division, New York, Boston ailing. Longoria, Youkilis, Rivera injured within a day of each other. The Orioles will fade, plus there are 3 playoffs spots available for AL East teams if they’re good enough. I say this is the year to make a big upgrade if you need it. So far Adam Lind looks like chicken turd at the plate, maybe that’s the spot.
Don’t give up on Lind yet, he has one more chance to strike out.
And boom goes the dynamite.
I like staying up late for the west coast games, but Morrow is going to send me to bed not too far past midnight. Fuck.
I feel your pain, but we on the west coast are rather pleased at watching a Jays’ baseball game at a civilized hour. It’s a treat to be able to eat dinner before downing drink.
Cmon Jose, RBI opportunity, get that extra run at least
Damn does Bautista ever look like shit
And holy shit, does Jose look like a trainwreck at the plate or what.
WTF 2 feet in front of the plate – not goooodd
HOLY FUCK – THAT WAS FUCKING UGLY
His second straight 3 pitch strikeout.
Oh Bautista……..mabey he should take a Yoga class, relax, breath in
That Bautista at bat was hard to watch.
Geez what an awful swing by Jose
You think maybe if we can pluck another 3B from somewhere the angels would consider trading Trumbo?
I think tomorrow Joey might need a day to clear his fucking head on the pine. This shit is hard to watch.
Joey Bats a day off?? Risky, but it might help. Lind a day off? How about a month off?
I’ll give Lind the season off.
Agreed. Pay him and let’s move on.
he got the shanks
I think Jose should sit tomorrow, just for a rest, to get away, to….fuck he just needs to get his shit together.
Rajai in RF tomorrow night – just for 1 day, to relieve some of the pressure from JB
Jose just needs to get the dinky stinky in a fat chick. Slump buster all the way.
And here I was going to suggest Disneyland. What was I thinking?
Fuck Adam Lind sucks so bad he makes us forget about how much Jose is struggling.
At least Jose has hit 4 HR and he’s still taking a beastly amount of walks.
I was mainly referring to how after Jose has an ugly strike out, shitbag Lind comes up and equals his feat.
This supermassive black hole known as the 3-4 spots is just comical tonight.
I stopped watching the game, and just put on mlb.com. When I saw we had runners at 1st and 3rd, with no one out and Jose up, I’m sad to say I just walked away.
In other news, everyone else is having a decent night.
Last time around theorder we ended up with two runs.
so if you were allowed to add Lind’s and Bautista’s averages, it would be good for 4th in the AL, maybe 5th behind Ryan Sweeney’s .361
Jose has been one of the best hitters in baseball the last two years, so you live with his slump. But Lind, has been plain terrible, it’s not fair for him to keep him hitting cleanup.
Any higher than 6th is just flamboyant at this point. 3 straight shittiness of shits. Plus he has said numerous times he puts more pressure on himself being the cleanup hitter and the numbers bare that out.
It’s amazing that this team is almost 15-11 (16-10 with a proper Lawrie throw to 1B) with the 3-4 spots in the lineup an unmitigated disaster 9 out of 10 nights.
John Farrell, you are so stupid.
I don’t know what it is, but this comment made my night.
+1
John Farrell was on Wheel of Fish?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx_UJxuQGXo
To be fair, that was a box of fresh air she won.
She took the box! Stupid! So stupid!
We are winning… what more do you want?
If it were only that simple. Farrell is far from stupid, and we are lucky to have him, but the blinkers he’s wearing wrt Lind are unconscionable.
Have they finally taken that ad of the air where the guy is so knowledgable about baseball because he listens to sportsnet and knew all Bautistas stats so took him in his fantasy pool?
Hope this will help destroy the jinxes from RSO
Yeah, I’m not taking McCown’s advice on fantasy anything.
fuck I hate that ad – the guy looks like an absolute moron and I hate the way his “pals” pronounce Bowwwwtiiiiista. Fuck it’s bad.
K-Jo and Yunie did their jobs superbly getting on base as a pair —TWICE tonight, and BAuts and Lind blank out putting ‘Carnacion in a pressure 2-out situation with no option to sac-fly. Very depressing, and thank god JPA of all people gave us the boost for tonight.
If Mathis smashes 3 HRs in this series and throws out 3 runners, that will make my weekend.
so Derrick Lee is still out there as a free agent, right??
I’ll take Cooper and his skinny ass, at least he tries to put the ball in play
His nickname will be Bland Ichiro!
I could try to get used to that.
Friggin Morrow!! Sweeetness!!!!!!!!!!!!
Morrow on 85 pitches after 8, no walks, 6 Ks. Nice.
1.47 FIP and 2.50 xFIP. Great night.
jesus was a carpenter.
just say’n
Tabby almost choked on Lawrie’s balls after that play
Get this… Lawrie singled on a slider from Carpenter… is Lawrie adapting to off-speeds?
Lets beat these California Angels of the Greater Area Metropolis of Los Angeles in the County of Anaheim.
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK… there goes Morrow’s imitation Perfect game…now he must face more than 27 batters
Trumbo can still be doubled off on a line drive or something.
tru tru tru, but you can do that only to the Royals
at least that will shut up wilner a bit during the post game. i kinda wanna call in to bitch about the bullpen just piss him off.
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this.. but don’t you find it interesting that Adam Lind can’t hit for shit, and he is hitting clean up.
do you mean that guy who creates a lifeless out every time the broadcast team talks about jose bautista during the at bat so that nobody notices?
yeah, i have no idea who you are talking about.
Now Morrow has to pick off Trumbo or Trombo gets caught stealing to 3rd, to keep the imitation perfect game intact….
That would be the icing on the cake here. Morrow has been ridiculous. I like this version.
Looks like I’ve been missing a hell of a game.
alrighty then, 2 down, I am banging on my chair at home – let’s get the shutout!!!!
Morrow struck his way out of an imitation Perfect Game, unless Trumbo does something really stupid
This is a good matchup to decide things re: shutout – Trout with the two previous hits,
Damn u Morrow, I blame u for making me tired at work tomorrow. but i can forgive.
Niiiiiiiiiiice.
Wow – dominant, way to go Morrow!
That was a fucking nice game
BAAAAAM….!!!! Time of game 2hr and 13 minutes… we now still have time to f@#%k our wives, or girlfriends, or watch porn before going to bed.
You sir are a man with priorities.
Woo! Enough time to do all three!
Perfect night.
Whatta game Morrow, that was insanely efficient.
Imagine, using ‘Morrow’ and ‘efficient’ together in a sentence without employing ‘not.’
Morrow went through ONLY 28 batters in a game. When was the last Bluejay to ever only face 28 batters or less?
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TBA/TBA200605130.shtml
In a 9 inning game, Roy Halladay, in 2006. He gave up a solo home run and two other hits, as well as a walk, but wiped the Greg Norton hits off via Toby Hall GIDPs and had Joey Gathright caught stealing third, eventually.
Both McGowan and Morrow walked too many and didn’t get GIDPs during their one-hitters.
Is Barry Davis 5’2 or what? He looks like a fuckin munchkin
Yes , maybe 5’3, I’ve met him at Vaughan Mils
0.00 ERA, 1.20 FIP, 2.26 xFIP, 0.00 BB/9, 8.00 K/9
Before tonight:
3.03 ERA, 5.21 FIP, 4.19 xFIP, 5.79 K/9, 2.20 BB/9
After tonight:
2.38 ERA, 4.34 FIP, 3.77 xFIP, 6.26 K/9, 1.73 BB/9
well thats what sample size does to stats.. one good game and bam your hella good.
Yup. Tonight was probably a product of things leveling off more than anything, which was bound to happen.
75 strikes, 27 balls. *low whistle*
GG. Can’t say I am too happy about Adam Lind not hitting…but what ever…like Johnson keeps telling us after games…pitching has been the story of this team so far this year. I don’t know if adding a pitcher helps this team this year. Adding a consistent bat to hit clean up would though…Lind just aint getting it done…maybe he will go on a .500 hitting stretch or something stupid, but until he does.. they seriously need to put someone else in the clean up spot.
The ball that Mariano was shagging when his knee buckled, and perhaps ended his year and perhaps his career, was off the bat of . . . . . Jayson Nix, called up today to play LF. Bizarre. And, perhaps Jayson Nix’ best Blue Jay moment last year was the winning HR he hit in the opening game of the series vs the Angels in LA. Biggest impact on the AL East may have been today though.
http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=310408103
WTF is your closer doing shagging flies?
At the post game press Mo said that he loves to shag.
asked and answered by Joel Sherman:
Rivera has shagged entire pro career. In Single-A in ’91, his mgr Brian Butterfield watched, said, “This guy’s our best outfielder” #Yankees
For those killing #Yankees/Rivera for shagging flies in BP. Hasn’t been on DL for 9 yrs and does same routine daily for 20 yrs and (cont)
why would he stop or be stopped now. If you haven’t noticed, routine has worked out quite nicely for him #Yankees
https://twitter.com/#!/Joelsherman1
Good post. How many guys ever get hurt shagging flies or playing pepper? They’re ballplayers ffs. They’ve got to get some exercise. They’re as likely to get hurt on the elliptical trainer in the gym as they are in the outfield during BP.
I don’t want no elliptical nancy on my ballclub.
Best game I have personally seen Morrow pitch. Keep hoping that he’s finally turned the corner for good now. Pretty damn impressive the way he was down with those fastballs at the knees all night. Insane amount of strikes out his hundred odd pitches.
As for Bautista and Lind, wow! Worst I have ever seen Bautista and he’s looked pretty bad of late, looked like he was spaced out and completely clueless. Lind was just plain crap and seems equally clueless right now. What’s wrong with putting Thames or Rasmus in the clean-up spot if Farrell wants a lefty there so badly? Hell if Escobar was hitting like last year I’d feel comfortable putting him there but he’s looking great at the top right now. Doesn’t hurt to drop Lind down to 6th or 8th and take the pressure off and see how reacts. Nothing to lose at this point.
Wonder if the Jays could swing a Cordero for Morales move. Plenty of good arms in the minors to cover his pen spot. Plenty of arms available in another 6 weeks via trade.
His 17 strikeout 137 pitch one hitter was sweet, but I much prefer this version of Morrow vs. the Angels. Morrow was a fucking machine on the mound, very efficient with ground balls and when he wanted to K a batter, he could.
His 4-seamer had alot of life. Never saw him command the fastball any better.
So, the active save leader in all MLB . . . . Coco Cordero!!!!!!
What?
Oh I get it.
lind 1 rbi in 13 games but hey that’s our cleanup hitter
You got it all wrong..having Lind hit is like when you use your shittier reliever as a “closer” knowing that the higher leverage situations are in the 7th or 8th often times.
putting lind in fourth keeps him way from rbi positions that the lawries, EE’s and KJ’s are generating.
another Joel Sherman observation: 2012 The Year the Closers Blew Up
“Terrible yr for closers: Mo, Madson, Wilson, Soria out for season; Bailey, Farnsworth, Storen out indefinitely; Bell tanking ”
My take on this:
Houston Astros can now get something for Brett Myers
Just one more reason not to spend huge dollars on a closer.
I’ll bet Lind continuing to hit in the cleanup spot is at least partially a front-office decision. I’d say AA wants him to get relatively hot (which only takes a week this early in the year) and then he’ll trade him.
Every time AA signs another guy to a contract extension and says “I invest in the person…I only get mad when the person stops putting in the work” he’s talking about Adam Lind. Of all the extensions he’s handed out, I’m not sure who else he could be talking about.
No, you’re paranoid.
Ed Sprague on Twitter: pretty funny tonight commenting (or refusing to comment on) Morrow’s game
@EdSprague
Ed Sprague had a giant ass.
Is his cribbage playing opinion anything better than this?
EN EN – CARNASHOWN!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU3-SXKdFKo
Well the Angels had lots of momentum from the Weaver game, but now Morrow takes that momentum back.
Momentum is very important!