Full House
It wasn’t exactly the 9,000 that I anticipated, but you could practically hear a pin drop at the Rogers Centre earlier this afternoon. There were times when I was talking to my friend and I was afraid I going to be “shushed” because it was so damn quiet.
Luckily there was a healthy afternoon crowd of 11,461 on hand to watch Brett Cecil’s final start of the season. As I had hoped, Cecil put in a good performance and hurled six strong innings to pick up his seventh win of the season.
When I quickly glanced at the starting lineup, I knew it was going to be a weird afternoon because Joe Inglett was in the leadoff spot and Travis Snider was bumped up to the number two slot. Aside from that, the lineup looked pretty typical following a night game. For the most part it was a game of small ball with just the two solo home runs, one courtesy of Jose Bautista which The Bautista Appreciation Society very much appreciated.
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So Jeremy Accardo made his highly anticipated first appearance since being sent down to Las Vegas for the second time, and naturally Cito Gaston had him on a short leash. Accardo started off by walking Nick Harris, but then the Blue Jays got the lead runner at second base. Gaston used three relievers to get three outs in the seventh inning, which seems a little taxing on the bullpen if you ask me. Jeremy is a big boy and he can certainly get himself out of an inning with one out and a runner on first base. Carlson ended up balking the runner to second base anyway.
Overall, it was a close game but a great game because it’s nice to see a low-scoring matchup every once in a while. Not only was it a great game on the field, but the hipster that sat a few rows in front of us provided some between-innings distractions with his badass moustache. Rollie Fingers would have been proud if he saw that cookie duster in person.
3 relievers for 3 outs in one inning? Has he been watching the Joe Maddon show or something?? ugh. Glad to see Cecil got the win though!
Yes, it was very odd. Here is the sequence of events in the top of the 7th:
– J. Accardo relieved B. Cecil
– B. Harris walked
– M. Tolbert ran for B. Harris
– N. Punto grounded into fielder's choice, M. Tolbert out at second
– J. Carlson relieved J. Accardo
– N. Punto to second on balk
– D. Span struck out swinging
– S. Camp relieved J. Carlson
– O. Cabrera grounded out to shortstop
Why not just leave Accardo or Carlson in to finish the inning? It was very strange. And yay for a Cecil win!
Huh, the mustachioed fella even gave you a Tom Selleck type look. Well, aside from the open shirt and chest hair popping out.
I forgot there was even an afternoon game today. I like to think that's the case for the low attendance, but you know what? Not after this season will I buy that excuse in full anymore.
The picture isn't really that detailed, but it was actually one of those staches that had curls at the end. Kudos to that guy for rocking it – at first I thought it was a fake, but who wears a fake moustache to the ballpark all game long unless you're a Sal Fasano fan?
I think most people forgot there was a game on today too, apparently it wasn't even televised. Too much stuff going on this week (tennis, NFL, rock/paper/scissors championships) according to the networks.
As is often the case, especially for day games, I was checking this one in the box score. Surprise, surprise, Cito found some way to get Carlson out there.
Funny thing about managing though – bad decisions stand out if the team loses but not so much if they win. I'm a bit fickle that way too … I don't hate the Accardo decision, but I'd probably let fly if Carlson had given up a 2-run jack.
This one still looks a bit like a slightly "flexible" Cito to me … maybe I'm wrong.
That kid belongs on latfh.com for sure!
holy cow, it really did mimic a Rays move. UGH.
That 'stache rules.
And what's wrong with Morneau and Mauer? Not been like themselves lately and there goes the season for the Twins…
QJays, I think the only reason Cito went to Carlson was the lefty/lefty matchup. Oddly enough, he would've been better off leaving Accardo in there because Accardo holds lefties to a .138 AVG.
Dave, I will have to submit that pic for sure!
DS, maybe Cito Gaston is picking up the Joe Maddon book of management.
Mattt, Morneau hasn't been the same ever since his ear infection and I don't know what's up with Mauer. Unless they both heat up the last few weeks of the season, their chances of winning the AL MVP are fading very quickly.