Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Saturday, July 19, 2008
Pre-Game Notes
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Matt Garza (7-5, 3.96) vs. Roy Halladay (11-6, 2.71)
- Halladay has thrown 33 complete games since the 2003 season, which of course leads all pitchers (Livian Hernandez is second with 21).
- Garza has a 5-1 record at the Trop, posting an ERA of 2.38
- In the last eight games, The Rays have gone 5-for-58 (.086) with runners in scoring position
- Rays center fielder BJ Upton is hitting seventh in the batting order. Manager Joe Maddon said it is hopefully going to take the pressure off of BJ, who he called a “middle-of-the-order” hitter
Top of the 1st
A large crowd is expected for the post-game concert featuring MC Hammer. Raymond, the Rays mascot, is dressed in parachute pants in honor of tonight’s performer.
Matt Garza threw 17 pitches while retiring the Blue Jays in order. The crowd has already begun with their customary cowbells.
Bottom of the 1st
Akinori Iwamura walked, but Carl Crawford hit into a double-play. Carlos Pena got called out on strikes on a changeup to end the inning. Halladay threw 14 pitches. 0-0
Top of the 2nd
Garza and “Professional Hitter” Matt Stairs had a 10-pitch battle, with Garza winning with a curveball for a strikeout.
Another 1-2-3 inning for Garza. He has thrown 31 pitches through two innings. 0-0
Bottom of the 2nd
Halladay gets Eric Hinske looking for his second strikeout. Rookie Evan Longoria got a huge ovation. After two full innings, no hits for either team. Halladay has thrown 24 pitches through two innings. 0-0
Top of the 3rd
Scott Rolen gets the first hit of the game, a soft single, after an eight-pitch at-bat. Brad Wilkerson strikes out swinging, which is the third “K” for Garza. After two groundouts, the inning is over with a runner stranded at second. Garza has thrown 49 pitches in three innings. The Jays are making him work, but haven’t been able to capitalize. 0-0
Bottom of the 3rd
Former Blue Jay and
Top of the 4th
The Jays go down in order, including Garza’s fourth strikeout. Still no score. Garza has thrown 62 pitches through four. Garza has faced a couple of long at-bats, but he recovered well on all of them. 0-0
Bottom of the 4th
Hinske just missed a home run down the right field line. He then grounded to second. Halladay is cruising again. He has thrown 51 pitches. 0-0
Top of the 5th
Garza gets
Bottom of the 5th
Halladay continues to cruise along, retiring the side in order. He has thrown 63 pitches. We have played five innings after only 1 hour and 20 minutes. This is certainly not the most exciting of games to this point. 0-0
Top of the 6th
Garza strikes Wilkerson for the second time tonight. Another 1-2-3 inning for the Rays. Garza has thrown 88 pitches and allowed one hit. Hopefully MC Hammer has more energy than the Blue Jays bats. 0-0
Bottom of the 6th
Zobrist singles to lead off the inning. Iwamura lays down a perfect bunt and beats the throw. It’s not first and second with no outs. Carl Crawford hits a roller that Halladay picks up after it spins over the baseline down first. Halladay assumed the ball was foul, but homeplate umpire Mike DiMuro called it fair. Jays manager Cito Gaston argued to no avail, so the bases are now loaded for Carlos Pena. Pena hits a ball over the head of shortstop Marco Scutaro for the first run of the game. Bases still loaded with nobody out. The crowd is alive, and it is a huge crowd (I guess MC Hammer can still sell tickets). Hinske strikes out looking on a nasty cutter. Longoria has fouled a couple of pitches off his foot. Longoria absolutely crushes his first career grand slam to left and his 17th homer of the season. It’s been a pretty good week for Longoria. The Rays have scored five off Halladay in the sixth. After an
Top of the 7th
Scutaro leads off the seventh with only the Jays’ second hit of the night. Alex Rios promptly grounds into a 6-4-3 double play. Garza has thrown 99 pitches through seven innings. 5-0 Rays.
Bottom of the 7th
Jesse Carlson replaces Halladay, who allowed five earned runs in six innings. Iwamura walks to lead off the inning. He has reached base all four times at bat (two walks, single, fielder’s choice). Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg was ejected by homeplate umpire for arguing balls and strikes during a visit to the mound. Gabe Gross singles to left in his first at-bat (replacing Hinske in right field). It’s first and second with two outs for Longoria. Longoria strikes out looking. 5-0 Rays.
Top of the 8th
Garza is starting the inning, but the Rays have action in the bullpen. Barajas reaches second on an error by Longoria to lead off the inning. The ball took a strange hop, but it was ruled an error by the official scorer. After recording two outs, Rays manager Joe Maddon removes Garza in favor of JP Howell. Garza leaves to a standing ovation. Garza allows no runs on two hits in 7 2/3 innings, while fanning six. The inning ends with pinch hitter Kevin Mench striking out. 5-0 Rays.
Bottom of the 8th
Floyd hits the first pitch of the inning to dead center field for his seventh homer of the season. Navarro is hit by a pitch, and plate umpire DiMuro ejected pitcher Brandon League. With a six-run lead, do the Rays retaliate in the top of the ninth? The crowd is doing the wave, and it is a full house at the Trop, which makes any wave look cooler than it should. Iwamura strikes out to end the inning. 6-0 Rays.
Top of the 9th
Veteran lefty Trevor Miller is in the game for the Rays. Left fielder Adam Lind reaches on an error by Iwamura to start the inning. Second baseman Joe Inglett doubles down the third base line, putting runners at second and third with no outs. Al Reyes relives Miller for the Rays. Scutaro rips a single to left field, scoring both runners. Rios pops up for the first out of the inning. Stairs doubles to right, putting runners at second and third with only one out. Maddon replaces Reyes with Dan Wheeler. The crowd is getting antsy. They want a victory and Hammertime! A groundout by Barajas scores the runner from third. Two out now and the Jays still trail by three. The crowd rises to their feet. Overbay ropes a double to right field. Now the tying run is at the plate in the form of Rolen. Hammertime is in a delay! Popup to catcher Navarro ends the game. 6-4 Rays.
WP: Garza (8-5)
LP: Halladay (11-7)
S: Wheeler (4)
