David Price: 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 114/81

Notes on a baseball game from the notepad beside my score card.

Toronto Blue Jays @ Tampa Bay Rays.
Sunday April 25 2010, 1:42 PM EDT
Game 3, the rubber match.

Boston Red Sox rendezvous with the Jays at Rogers Centre tomorrow night!

Toronto Blue Jays

1. M McCoy LF
2. A Hill 2B
3. A Lind DH
4. V Wells CF
5. J Bautista RF
6. A Gonzalez SS
7. R Ruiz 1B
8. J Molina C
9. J McDonald 3B

RP Brandon Morrow (1-1)

Tampa Bay Rays

1. R Brignac SS
2. C Crawford LF
3. B Zobrist RF
4. E Longoria 3B
5. C Pena 1B
6. B Upton CF
7. P Burrell DH
8. J Jaso C
9. S Rodriguez 2B

SP David Price (2-1)


Note 1

Vernon Wells strikes out to lead off the 2nd. On strike 2 swinging, he yells out, for all of us in the afternoon TV audience to hear, "F*CK!".
I've been noticing that rage in him, even now this year when he's batting really well. It can't be good for any part of his game -- or his body. It releases testosterone when you don't need it - which is poison to your muscles.
As soon as I find myself doing that I remind myself it's poison, stop it, take a deep breath and focus on the job I'm doing. After practicing that routine for a while I've become un-addicted to it -- and it doesn't rear it's ugly head much anymore.


Note 2

Molina gets sawed off by Price in the 3rd. Price had to get out of the way of a spinning splintered head of a broken bat -- and he had to be quick -- once he's out of the blocks he runs over the first to get the ball, jogging out his instant reaction off the 3rd base side of the mound - where the bat went by.
Boy it's a pleasure watching these Rays play. They're all great athletes and when they move it has a poetic quality about it.
These days everyone's talking about drafting by physical quality - rather than drafting a short stop, or picking a fielder - is this more of the bandwagoning you see so often in baseball organizations? If a team wins with slobs for example (like the Phillies in 1993), a bunch of other teams with no real brain trust start buying un-fit 'character' guys.
They say it's 'The Show'. I believe it.


Note 3

3 CS by Molina. Molina jumps out of the catchers box, one step throw, not a bullet either but it's beating them every time. It's like Tony Batista playing third after 2001.
Rays running game may take a break from now on this afternoon. We shall see.


Note 4

Buck Martinez and Rance Mulliniks are talking about drafting athletes... Buck brings up the scouting staff the Rays have tht they needed to do what the Rays have done. Two dimensional players, three dimensional players, it's comes down to building a team, like the Phillies also did in the early 90's.


Note 5

4 CS by Molina. Carl Crawford now twice today. Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow has walked four so far -- catcher Jose Molina has thrown all four out. Quite a battery ;).
One more walk, 5 total so far -- they didn't run -- and Morrow: R Brignac grounded out, C Crawford caught stealing, E Longoria struck out.
Zip - Zip end of 4.


Note 5

Morrow walks the lead off man in the 5th. Upton follows with the Rays first hit of the game.
Jays playing in with runners on 2nd and 3rd no body out in this pitchers duel.
Catcher John Jaso hit a scorcher to Aron Hill's left -- it's under him before he can land on a dive, 2 runs score 0-2.
Rogers production crew didn't get the play. The camera behind the batter didn't react soon enough -- and they show a re-play of that angle, which we saw the first time didn't catch the play. A tower cam showing the whole infield would have -- but I guess they had it on the third base half of the infield to catch the scoring play.


Note 6

1,2,3 in the 6th for the Jays; 11 straight for Price.


Note 7

Morrow get the first two batters before Longoria gets a single to press the Rays momentum in the 6th. Morrow gets Pena swinging. Morrow's hanging in there, but I feel the bull pen coming -- which hasn't been such a great lately -- not like we've become used to here in Toronto with one of the best bull pens in baseball for the last 6 years.


Note 8

Jays get a hit! Jays get a hit! (3rd hit of the day). Bautista breaks Price's streak of 12 outs in a row with a lead off base hit. Price is so used to having the bases empty that he balks the runner to second - but Bautista progresses no further.


Note 9

Pitcher Shawn Camp - my hero for this month - is in to take over in the 7th.

Morrow: 6 IP, 3 H, 2R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 8 K, 108/62 (pitches/strikes). Nice line!

P Burrell hit by pitch with one out -- Burrell doesn't have a running game... J Jaso singled to right moving Burrell into scoring position so J Bartlett pinch runs. Did not run on first pitch... then Jay's work a double play 5, 4, 3 to get out of the inning.


Note 10

Rays do a sweet 5, 4, 3 of their own on McDonald after a lead off hit by catcher Molina. McCoy pops out.


Note 11

Jason Frasor pitching
Crawford's on again with an infield single with one out -- the Jays are throwing over...
Molina took a hard foul off his glove-hand bicep in the Brignac at bat, will that effect his mechanics in throwing? Is Frasor's time to the plate slower that Morrow?
Crawford walks to second on a Zobrist walk.
Longoria hit up the middle plates Crawford. 0-3.
Pena doubles to the right field corner plates one more, 0-4.
Runners 3rd and 2nd. Infield in.
Upton strikes out. 2 out.
J Bartlett in on the pinch run now hits for Burrell. Double to the gap in right centre plates 2. 0-6.
Merkin Valdez in to pitch, walks his first batter.
FC 6-4.


Note 12

Yuk the only good pitching out of that pen lately has been Shawn Camp.


Note 13

Price going for the complete game.
2. A Hill - 1-3
3. A Lind - K
4. V Wells - 4-3

David Price; 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 114/81



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