Toronto avenged their opening game loss to the Rays on Friday by beating Tampa 8-5 on Saturday night.
On a night when not even the announcers expected an audience ("We have some hard-core baseball fans watching us tonight with a rather important hockey game going on in Toronto right now", Sportsnet announcer Jamie Campbell said), Toronto jumped out to a 6-1 lead by the 2nd inning, thanks in large part to Frank Thomas' first homerun as a Jay, a grand slam to boot.
Tampa clawed their way back to 7-5 by the 4th, but Toronto held on, and added one more in the 9th to seal the win.
Tomo Ohka was average in 4 1/3 innings pitched, giving up 5 runs on 6 hits. Shaun Marcum was lights out, striking out 5 in 2 1/3 innings, not allowing a hit in that time.
The rubber match goes on Sunday, with Roy Halladay getting his second start of the year.
WP: Shaun Marcum (1-0)
LP: Casey Fossum (0-1)
SV: B.J. Ryan (2)
Toronto (2-2) Tampa Bay (2-2)
Saturday, April 7, 2007
04/06 Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 5
It was all for naught.
After being down 3-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays (the devil is silent) through 5, the Jays tied it up with three of their own in the top of the 7th, then got a 2-run homerun from Troy Glaus in the 8th to take the lead 5-3.
Then B.J. Ryan came in to seal the deal, and the deal was blown wide open.
Ryan allowed a 2 run homerun to Delmon Young to tie the game at 5, then B.J. Upton hit a chop single that shortstop Royce Clayton couldn't handle to give Tampa the win.
Gustavo Chacin was decent in his first start of '07, allowing 6 hits over 6 innings, but gave up 3 solo homers to the Rays young offence.
Besides Glaus' homerun, the other offensive star for Toronto was second baseman Aaron Hill, the only Jay with more than one hit in the game.
Tomo Ohka get the start on Saturday in Tampa.
WP: Jae Kuk Ryu (1-0)
LP: B.J. Ryan (0-1)
Toronto (1-2) Tampa Bay (2-1)
After being down 3-0 to the Tampa Bay Rays (the devil is silent) through 5, the Jays tied it up with three of their own in the top of the 7th, then got a 2-run homerun from Troy Glaus in the 8th to take the lead 5-3.
Then B.J. Ryan came in to seal the deal, and the deal was blown wide open.
Ryan allowed a 2 run homerun to Delmon Young to tie the game at 5, then B.J. Upton hit a chop single that shortstop Royce Clayton couldn't handle to give Tampa the win.
Gustavo Chacin was decent in his first start of '07, allowing 6 hits over 6 innings, but gave up 3 solo homers to the Rays young offence.
Besides Glaus' homerun, the other offensive star for Toronto was second baseman Aaron Hill, the only Jay with more than one hit in the game.
Tomo Ohka get the start on Saturday in Tampa.
WP: Jae Kuk Ryu (1-0)
LP: B.J. Ryan (0-1)
Toronto (1-2) Tampa Bay (2-1)
Thursday, April 5, 2007
04/05 Toronto at Detroit, Postponed
Today's game in Detroit was postponed due to inclement weather, i.e. super cold temperatures. The game was rescheduled for September 10.
Chacin gets his first start in Tampa now, as the Jays play the Rays on Friday.
Toronto (1-1)
Chacin gets his first start in Tampa now, as the Jays play the Rays on Friday.
Toronto (1-1)
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
04/04 Detroit 10, Toronto 9
The Jays made it interesting on game #2 of the 2007 campaign, but in the end, they were not able to overcome a poor performance by A.J. Burnett.
Burnett was pulled in the 3rd inning, after allowing 4 runs. Shaun Marcum then came in and gave up a grand slam to Curtis Granderson in the 3rd, with 2 of those runs being charged to the Jays' starter.
After giving up another run in the 4th, Toronto was down 9-0 and it seemed that the game was completely out of reach.
But the best part about baseball is simply this: no matter what the score, the winning team has to get 27 outs, and there's no running out the clock.
The Jays cut the lead to 9-2 in the 6th, but gave up one more run in the bottom half of the seventh. That's when Toronto's much hyped offence took over.
Toronto put 7 up on the board in the 8th, cutting the lead to one. But it was that last run that proved elusive, as Detroit held on to even the opening week series.
Each Toronto batter from leadoff through to the seven hole had two hits in the ball game, with Royce Clayton being the only starter not to get a hit off of Tiger pitching on Wednesday.
Jason Smith stole the show for the offence, knocking in 3 on his pinch hit triple in the 8th. Both Vernon Wells and Alex Rios had 2 RBI's for Toronto.
A.J. Burnett had an awful game, giving up 6 earned runs from 5 hits in 2 plus innings. He was pegged with the loss.
The Jays try to win the rubber match on Thursday, with Gustavo Chacin getting his first start of 2007. The game goes at 1:05 from Detroit.
WP: Nate Robertson (1-0)
LP: A.J. Burnett (0-1)
SV: Todd Jones (1)
Toronto (1-1) Detroit (1-1)
Burnett was pulled in the 3rd inning, after allowing 4 runs. Shaun Marcum then came in and gave up a grand slam to Curtis Granderson in the 3rd, with 2 of those runs being charged to the Jays' starter.
After giving up another run in the 4th, Toronto was down 9-0 and it seemed that the game was completely out of reach.
But the best part about baseball is simply this: no matter what the score, the winning team has to get 27 outs, and there's no running out the clock.
The Jays cut the lead to 9-2 in the 6th, but gave up one more run in the bottom half of the seventh. That's when Toronto's much hyped offence took over.
Toronto put 7 up on the board in the 8th, cutting the lead to one. But it was that last run that proved elusive, as Detroit held on to even the opening week series.
Each Toronto batter from leadoff through to the seven hole had two hits in the ball game, with Royce Clayton being the only starter not to get a hit off of Tiger pitching on Wednesday.
Jason Smith stole the show for the offence, knocking in 3 on his pinch hit triple in the 8th. Both Vernon Wells and Alex Rios had 2 RBI's for Toronto.
A.J. Burnett had an awful game, giving up 6 earned runs from 5 hits in 2 plus innings. He was pegged with the loss.
The Jays try to win the rubber match on Thursday, with Gustavo Chacin getting his first start of 2007. The game goes at 1:05 from Detroit.
WP: Nate Robertson (1-0)
LP: A.J. Burnett (0-1)
SV: Todd Jones (1)
Toronto (1-1) Detroit (1-1)
Monday, April 2, 2007
04/02 Toronto 5, Detroit 3 (10)
Here I present the first in a 162 part report, the Blue Jays in 2007.
Opening day from Detroit saw the Tigers struggle early, as Toronto scored 3 in the first inning. From there, Detroit clawed their way back, breaking Roy Halladay's shutout in the 3rd, then adding two more in the 5th to tie it at 3.
From there, it went to extras, as Troy Glaus hit a single with the bases loaded to give the Jays the lead and the win, 5-3.
First baseman Lyle Overbay was the only Jay to have more than one hit in the game, but it was Alex Rios, rumoured to be trade bait for a pitching upgrade, who knocked in 2 for Toronto.
The Jays, who were among the league's worst at stolen bases in '06, got two today by Vernon Wells and Reed Johnson.
For Detroit, Placido Polanco had the best game offensively, going 3 for 5 with an RBI. Gary Sheffield brought in 2 on sacrifice flies in his Tiger debut, although he went hitless against the Jays.
Roy Halladay pitched 6 solid innings, giving up 6 hits and 3 runs, 2 of them earned. He struck out four. He did not receive a decision in the game.
Next up for the Jays is game two of the series, going Wednesday in Detroit. It'll be A.J. Burnett on the mound for Toronto.
WP: Jason Frasor (1-0)
LP: Fernando Rodney (0-1)
SV: B.J. Ryan (1)
Toronto (1-0) Detroit (0-1)
Opening day from Detroit saw the Tigers struggle early, as Toronto scored 3 in the first inning. From there, Detroit clawed their way back, breaking Roy Halladay's shutout in the 3rd, then adding two more in the 5th to tie it at 3.
From there, it went to extras, as Troy Glaus hit a single with the bases loaded to give the Jays the lead and the win, 5-3.
First baseman Lyle Overbay was the only Jay to have more than one hit in the game, but it was Alex Rios, rumoured to be trade bait for a pitching upgrade, who knocked in 2 for Toronto.
The Jays, who were among the league's worst at stolen bases in '06, got two today by Vernon Wells and Reed Johnson.
For Detroit, Placido Polanco had the best game offensively, going 3 for 5 with an RBI. Gary Sheffield brought in 2 on sacrifice flies in his Tiger debut, although he went hitless against the Jays.
Roy Halladay pitched 6 solid innings, giving up 6 hits and 3 runs, 2 of them earned. He struck out four. He did not receive a decision in the game.
Next up for the Jays is game two of the series, going Wednesday in Detroit. It'll be A.J. Burnett on the mound for Toronto.
WP: Jason Frasor (1-0)
LP: Fernando Rodney (0-1)
SV: B.J. Ryan (1)
Toronto (1-0) Detroit (0-1)
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Is This The Raptors Year? Don't Bet On It
Toronto is abuzz over their NBA franchise, as the Raptors seem poised to win their division, thus likely earning them a home court advantage in their first round series.
But there is talk that this year could see the Raptors advance further than ever before, which would mean at least a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. Of course, the Raps best playoff performance came to an end when Toronto lost to the Sixers in a fantastic seven game East semi.
With a weak conference, and an improving team, could this be the year? Likely not.
Toronto currently stands in 3rd, thanks to tonight's win over Miami. But with their playoff experience, the odds are good that the Raps will finish in 4th in the East, likely drawing Chicago in the first round.
The Bulls are a formidale opponent, but are beatable. Assuming Toronto does so, they would then draw the top seed in the East, likely Detroit. Here, the Raptors do not stand a chance. Detroit is on par with the elite in the West, and as a result, is miles ahead of the rest of the pathetic Eastern conference.
So while the Raptors should be commended for a fantastic turnaround season, and be hopeful that this is a sign of things to come, don't bet on them getting to the conference finals.
But there is talk that this year could see the Raptors advance further than ever before, which would mean at least a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. Of course, the Raps best playoff performance came to an end when Toronto lost to the Sixers in a fantastic seven game East semi.
With a weak conference, and an improving team, could this be the year? Likely not.
Toronto currently stands in 3rd, thanks to tonight's win over Miami. But with their playoff experience, the odds are good that the Raps will finish in 4th in the East, likely drawing Chicago in the first round.
The Bulls are a formidale opponent, but are beatable. Assuming Toronto does so, they would then draw the top seed in the East, likely Detroit. Here, the Raptors do not stand a chance. Detroit is on par with the elite in the West, and as a result, is miles ahead of the rest of the pathetic Eastern conference.
So while the Raptors should be commended for a fantastic turnaround season, and be hopeful that this is a sign of things to come, don't bet on them getting to the conference finals.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Random Ramblings
First, when the NHL playoffs are finally set (and now it looks like that won't happen until the last game on the last day of the season), I will formally make my predictions for the playoffs, round by round. But suffice to say, I will be picking the San Jose Sharks to win the Cup. Money can't buy the level of loyalty I bring to the table...
Second, once the season ends, I will present the real final standings, without the 1 point added for a loss in overtime or in a shootout. It'll be interesting to see how drastically the seedings will change.
Third, wasn't the best part of March Madness supposed to be the upsets by the small schools the vast majority of people haven't heard of? So why does this year feature #1 Florida against #2 UCLA, and #1 Ohio State against #2 Georgetown? Something has to change with the selection process, because too many schools with big names in big conferences get in, leaving the lesser ones to gasp for air in the NIT. The only positive: how cool would it be to see Florida against Ohio State in the basketball final too? I'm sure someone will check, but I doubt the same two schools have played for both the football and basketball Division I championships in the same year. I still say Boise State should have gotten a shot at the title...
Fourth, I don't care about spring training. There, I said it. I love baseball (yes, I know what you're thinking, how? and why?) but the season is already 60 games too long. Spring training should be cut in half, and with all this extra time made, let's add more teams to the playoffs already! Every season, in about mid-May, a third of the teams in the league realize they have no shot at October glory. Let's give fans in cities like Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Milwaukee some hope. And heck, some to Chicago too. Cubs fans anyways.
Fifth, call me an optimist, but I think the Blue Jays will make the playoffs this year. Either Boston or New York will falter in August, and there will be an opening for Toronto to at least make the wild card spot. I hope.
Sixth, you want Americans to watch hockey again? Stop putting it on Sunday afternoons at 12:30, and get a real national network to broadcast the weekday games. If you make it an event, they will watch.
That's my ramblings for tonight. NHL picks coming soon...
Second, once the season ends, I will present the real final standings, without the 1 point added for a loss in overtime or in a shootout. It'll be interesting to see how drastically the seedings will change.
Third, wasn't the best part of March Madness supposed to be the upsets by the small schools the vast majority of people haven't heard of? So why does this year feature #1 Florida against #2 UCLA, and #1 Ohio State against #2 Georgetown? Something has to change with the selection process, because too many schools with big names in big conferences get in, leaving the lesser ones to gasp for air in the NIT. The only positive: how cool would it be to see Florida against Ohio State in the basketball final too? I'm sure someone will check, but I doubt the same two schools have played for both the football and basketball Division I championships in the same year. I still say Boise State should have gotten a shot at the title...
Fourth, I don't care about spring training. There, I said it. I love baseball (yes, I know what you're thinking, how? and why?) but the season is already 60 games too long. Spring training should be cut in half, and with all this extra time made, let's add more teams to the playoffs already! Every season, in about mid-May, a third of the teams in the league realize they have no shot at October glory. Let's give fans in cities like Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Milwaukee some hope. And heck, some to Chicago too. Cubs fans anyways.
Fifth, call me an optimist, but I think the Blue Jays will make the playoffs this year. Either Boston or New York will falter in August, and there will be an opening for Toronto to at least make the wild card spot. I hope.
Sixth, you want Americans to watch hockey again? Stop putting it on Sunday afternoons at 12:30, and get a real national network to broadcast the weekday games. If you make it an event, they will watch.
That's my ramblings for tonight. NHL picks coming soon...
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