Game 150 Recap-
Travis Snider’s 8th inning sacrifice fly capped an amazing rally from 6-0 to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7 Wednesday night at Rogers Centre. RF Alex Rios had a homer and 3 rbi while 3b Scott Rolen was 3 for 4 with 2 doubles, a triple, two runs and an rbi to lead the Jays attack. Aubrey Huff homered for the Os, while 2b Brian Roberts had 3 hits and 2 runs. Ex-Oriole BJ Ryan earned his 30th save.
The loss was the 18 in 23 for Baltimore and guaranteed a last place finish for the first time since 1988, “Nobody wants to be in last place,” third baseman Melvin Mora said. “Nobody wants to be a loser. It’s one thing we need to turn around next year.”Amazingly, Baltimore built a 6-0 lead over the first 4 1/2 innings, as 3b Melvin Mora(3 rbi) and Markakis had rbis, while Huff added a 2 run shot. However, The 2nd half has been a nightmare for Orioles fans and players as youth(not good to have lots of rookie pitchers in the American League!!!!) and injuries (to anyone who throws a ball in particular) have killed this team. The team had 14 hits and still lost. “It’s just a tough break,” manager Dave Trembley said. “You get that many hits and score that many runs and have that big of a lead and you don’t win the ballgame, that’s the tough part.”
RH Brian Bass(3-4,5.15) was great for 4 innings and then came apart in the 5th after being handed a 6-0 spread by the Os batters. RH Lance Cormier was in the game to give up a 2 run double to Rios, after Bass gave up rbi hits to Rolen, Snider and INF Marco Scutaro. The rookie offered no excuses post game.”As a starter you have to go out there and minimize damage or put up a zero after a huge inning like we had,” Bass said. “I didn’t do it and put the momentum right back in their dugout.” This was strange performance as the kid pitcher just flat lined and lost it all at once, like a knuckleballer.”Bass was throwing the ball real well,” Trembley said. “He was locating pitches down, getting ahead. After we scored the five, he went out and got stuck. He pitched up and he got hit.”
Toronto tied the game in the 6th and Rios homered to put the Jays ahead 7-6 in the 7th. However,PH Luke Scott singled home DH Oscar Salazar to tie the game at 7 in the 8th. That set the stage for young Snider’s heroics. Ryan capped the win with a 1-2-3 9th, hi-lighted by his K of C Ramon Hernandez to end the game.
Star of the Game-
Jays- Their season is over- although not mathematically- but to comeback from 6-0 in late September says a lot about the character of that club.
Orioles Notes-
RH Daniel Cabrera was sent back to Baltimore to have his elbow examined after he experienced elbow pain during his side session. He will not make his start this weekend vs the Yankees… Markakis, Mora and Huff all had 2 hits apiece… Juan Castro started at SS and was 1 for 3
Next Game-
Series finale vs the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto
7:07
Baltimore LH Garrett Olson(9-8,6.84) vs Blue Jays RH Jesse Litsch(11-8,3.75)
