Game #3 NY Yankees (2-1) @ Toronto Blue Jays (1-2) - game recap

For the second year in a row, the Blue Jays are starting the season 0-2. Interestingly, the Blue Jays have the same offensive output (3 runs scored). Every Blue Jay player, save for backup catcher Luke Maille, and starting pitchers Estrada, Marcus Stroman and Jaimie Garcia, who have yet to make their first starts, has seen some playing time. Did Toronto prevail for the first time this season? Here's the game recap

Game Highlights:

• nice early DP turned by Yangervis Solarte and Gift Ngoepe
• The Blue Jays got their first lead of the series and season on a Justin Smoak single, which plated Josh Donaldson who doubled in the previous at-bat
• Yankees LF Billy McKinney left the game after the Smoak single after he crashed into the center field wall on the Donaldson double. Brett Gardener took over.
• Smoak doubled the Blue Jays lead in the 3rd, bringing home Steve Pearce on a double.
• Tyler Austin tied the game on a 2 run HR to left-center; Brandon Drury, who led off the inning with a walk, also scored 
• Another scary moment as Yankees reliever Adam Warren was drilled by an Almedys Diaz grounder. He left the game
• The next batter Luke Maille plated the Blue Jays third run, scoring Kevin Pillar from second.
• Austin tied the game with his second HR of the game at the top of the 7th with 2 outs
• Yangervis Solarte gave the Blue Jays their 4th lead of the game with a solo shot to center leading off the bottom of the 8th
• Marco Estrada pitching line: 7IP 4H 3R (all earned) 3BB 2K 91 pitches (57 for strikes)
• CC Sabathia pitching line: 5IP 5H 2R (1 earned) 2BB 4K 84 pitches (54 for strikes)
• Kevin Pillar added a run on a wild pitch
• Roberto Osuna notched his first save of the season with a 1-2-3 inning, including a strikeout to end the game
• Final score: Blue Jays 5 Yankees 3

My Take:

• Bobblehead day was a good omen for Justin Smoak. He was 3 for 4 at the plate, driving in the first two Blue Jay runs. In the field, he was like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up every ball that went his way. Smoak is looking to prove that the 2017 season where he .270 with 38 HR and 90 RBI, was not a fluke. He will be counted on to be a key contributor to the Jays offence 
• Luke Maille got his first start behind the plate. He and Marco Estrada did a great job in keeping the Yankees hitters off-balance with the fastball and change-up. Estrada going 7 innings saved the bullpen for tomorrow. Maille also drove in a run.
• So far this series, the Jays have done a pretty good job in limiting the Yankees 4 big hitters: Giancarlo Stanton and Didi Gregorius each had a double today and Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez were 0-4 at the plate. All four of these batters are excellent hitters and will get their extra base hits. Getting them out is about making your pitches which is what Estrada did
• The bottom of the Yankees lineup is where the Jays have struggled. Today Tyler Austin had a pair of HR to account for the Yankees offence.
• This is the way the Blue Jays need to manufacture runs. Gone are the days where they will knock the cover off the ball. Today Smoak drove in a pair of runs off base hits and Pillar created a run on a wild pitch after stealing third base. 
• Great first win of the season. Series wraps up tomorrow with Marcus Stroman facing off against Sonny Gray.

no. three 2018: Yankees (2-0) at Blue Jays (0-2)

Saturday 31 March 2018

4:07PM EDT / Rogers Centre / Toronto ON

C.C. Sabathia (LHP 0-0 0.00 0K 0.00) v. Marco Estrada (RHP 0-0 0.00 0K 0.00)

Game #2 NY Yankees (2-0) @ Toronto Blue Jays (0-2) - game recap

Well, the first game didn't exactly go according to plan. It was good to see so many new faces in the Blue Jays lineup. Almedys Diaz will be the Blue Jays starting SS for the next 2 months at least with Tulo on the 60 day DL. Curtis Granderson was one of the lone bright spots picking up one of the two hits the Blue Jays managed on opening day. Tyler Clippard, John Axford and Seung-hwan Oh each saw at least part of an inning of work. All gave up at least one hit and Axford and Clippard saw runs scored against them. Here is today's game recap

Game Highlights

• Yangervis Solarte made a huge defensive play in the 2nd, throwing out Didi Gregorius at the plate
• Brandon Drury doubled 3 batters later to plate Gary Sanchez
• Randall Grichuk answered right back in the bottom half of the inning hitting a solo shot with one out on the first pitch of the at bat
• Drury picked up his second RBI of the game, singling to left with 2 outs, scoring Gregorius
• this time Tyler Wade did the damage, doubling to center scoring Gregorius and Neil Walker ending Aaron Sanchez's night
• Aaron Sanchez pitching line: 5.2IP 8H 4R (all earned) 4BB 2K 89 pitches (48 strikes)
• Masahiro Tanaka pitching line: 6IP 1 run (earned) 0BB 8K 79 pitches (61 strikes)
• the Jays comeback fell short in the bottom of the ninth as Steve Pearce and Solarte hit back to back doubles 
• final score: 4-2 Yankees

My Take:

• baby steps, baby steps. The Blue Jays doubled their offensive output with 2 runs instead of one. It's interesting to note that four of the five hits were extra base hits (3 doubles and a home run)
• Aaron Sanchez had a successful outing in that he made it through his opening day start without having blister issues. Sanchez looked good with the movement of his pitches. A good start to build on
• Masahiro Tanaka continues to baffle Blue Jays batters. He limited the Jays to 3 hits and threw all but 18 of his 79 pitches for strikes. This tells me that he was hitting his spots and keeping the Jays batters off balance
• there has to be major concern for Josh Donaldson. He was 0-4 at the plate tonight and struck out three times. I think it's best for the Jays to shut him down until he gets healthy. Having him DH is taking a lineup spot from Kendrys Morales and clearly, judging from opening night, he shouldn't be in the field.
• today was a much better effort from the bullpen. They shut the Yankees down for the final 7 outs, striking out 4
• Blue Jays debuts:
• Yangervis Solarte made his first start of the season at third base. He had a good night, throwing out Didi Gregorius at the plate in the 2nd and driving in one of the only 2 Jays runs on the night with a double in the 9th. With Donaldson not likely to be in the field for the foreseeable future, look for Solarte to take his place at third base.
• Gift Ngoepe came in as a defensive replacement in the 9th. He field 2 grounders cleanly. Ngoepe could see some starts at SS or 3B while Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki get healthy
• Next up the Blue Jays face the big lefty CC Sabathia while the Blue Jays counter with last year's opening day starter Marco Estrada

no. two 2018: Yankees (1-0) at Blue Jays (0-1)

Friday 30 March 2018

7:07PM EDT / Rogers Centre / Toronto ON

Masahiro Tanaka (RHP 0-0 0.00 0K 0.00) v. Aaron Sanchez (RHP 0-0 0.00 0K 0.00)

Game #1 NY Yankees (1-0) @ Toronto Blue Jays (0-1) - game recap

The 2018 regular season officially started for the Blue Jays today. JA Happ got the nod as the starter today. The Blue Jays received bad news about Troy Tulowitzki. He will miss the first 2 months of the season with bone spurs and was placed on the 60 day DL. Here is a recap of today's game

Game highlights:

• Curtis Granderson commits the first error of the season on the first batter of the season
• Giancarlo Stanton crushes a 426 foot HR  to put the Yankees ahead 2-0
• Granderson got the Blue Jays 1st hit of the season, singling off starter Luis Severino
• JA Happ pitching line: 4.2IP, 7H, 3 runs (2 earned), 1BB,  5K 96 pitches (58 for strikes)
• Yankees starter Luis Severino pitching line: 5.2IP 1H 0 runs 3BB 7K 91 pitches (60 for strikes)
• Jays reliever John Axford gave up back to back doubles to Stanton and Gary Sanchez doubling the Yankees lead
• Brett Gardener added a solo HR off Danny Barnes in the 7th
• Kevin Pillar scores the 1st Blue Jays run at lead off the 8th inning on a HR to CF
• Stanton hit his second HR of the game off Tyler Clippard
• Final score: 6-1 Yankees win. 

My take:

• it was an emotional day with the retirement and honoring of Roy Halladay before the game. The Blue Jays did a great job with the ceremony.
• A big question heading into the season has been where the Blue Jays will get their runs. They were no hit through 3.1 innings before Granderson smacked a single. Things won't get any easier tomorrow with Jays killer Masahiro Tanaka on the bump. In the final game of the season in 2017, Tanaka struck out 15 Jays batters and had a no hitter going through 5 innings. The Blue Jays are healthy at the moment, save for Troy Tulowitzki so it is a concern that the best lineup can't produce. It's one game yes, but the Blue Jays can't have an April like last season.
• Concerns about the health of Josh Donaldson? He had a shoulder issue earlier in spring training. Today he made 2 tentative throws from 3rd base. 
• A new stat to keep an eye on this season: mound visits. Each team is allowed 6 mound visits (a mound visit counts as any visit by the catcher, a coach or a fielder). Subsequent mound visits require a pitching change. By the middle of the 5th inning, both teams had used 5 of the 6 allowable mound visits
• debuts by the new players:
• LF Curtis Granderson flubbed the first flyball of the game hit his way. He also got the first hit of the season for Toronto. He also struck out and walked. 
• SS Almedys Diaz was 0-3 at the plate. He did fine defensively turning a nice DP with Devon Travis
• RF Randall Grichuk was 0-3 at the plate with one strikeout. He did fine defensively
• John Axford gave up back to back doubles before striking out Aaron Hicks in 1/3 inning work
• Seung-hean Oh gave up a hit, committed a fielding error and struck out a batter in an inning of work
•  Tyler Clippard gave up a HR and struck out a batter in his inning of work
• Not a lot to hang your hat on in this one. Certainly, the Blue Jays will be disappointed with the result. The big question has to be the health of JD. Will he be in the lineup tomorrow and if so at what position? If Donaldson can't play in the field tomorrow, look for one of Yangervis Solarte or Gift Ngoepe to make their Blue Jays debut tomorrow. Luke Maille will also likely make his first start of the season sometime this series.
• The beauty of baseball is you play tomorrow. Time to forget this one and look ahead to tomorrow.

no. ONE 2018: Yankees (0-0) at Blue Jays (0-0)

Thursday 29 March 2018

3:37PM EDT / Rogers Centre / Toronto ON

Luis Severino (RHP 0-0 0.00 0K 0.00) v. J.A. Happ (LHP 0-0 0.00 0K 0.00)

The last day before baseball is officially back

And for some of you, we haven't seen you since the end of the season. Welcome back! Wolf stepped in and ran things and it was good. Thanks Wolf! Nego, Tina, and Dosh's Flow were major content contributors during the off-season. We also had pieces from PositiveDrinking, Tom Jackson and Lunchbox. Thanks so much, all of you, for your thoughts and your time.

So let's talk about how JITH is going to handle the season. Thanks to Tina, we're going to have recaps after every game (don't stress about it, Tina, if you have to miss some). We deeply appreciate your effort in doing this. She'll be finishing them after each game so they won't be going up until late. Combine that with the ongoing challenge of having fresh posts, my thought is that they'll serve as the day post until the game thread goes up.

Speaking of the game thread, I can't do them this year. I'm about to be homeless, I've got two major projects I'm working on for the summer, and I need to find incomes streams fast. Game threads may not seem like much but they do take time. It's been suggested that different writers break it up by doing weeks or series. It would be great if we could take today to figure that out.

I still want to have space for regular articles. My thought is with the additional off-days, we aim to have something go up in the afternoon so that the game recap has time to be read. I know however, that when the muse strikes, the authors don't like waiting that long to get posts up. So on those occasions, how do we handle it? Please debate below.

More than ever, this is your site. I'm just the custodian. I'm counting on you, the community, to keep this site. So please, if you can, contribute. Even if you think you can't write, you can always put up game threads. Don't be shy.

Most importantly - Let's Go, Blue Jays, Let's Go! *clap* *clap*


ETA: Who is all going to the opening day BAD podcast/viewing party? We need to be able to find each other. So far we have:
me: Cecil Jays T (which is mostly a little long-ish - a gift from PTBNL)
Joe: in a green John Deere ball cap, walking with a cane.
Oakville: a white Ritz Carlton Sarasota top with a royal blue logo
Possibles:
Karen: work clothes (scrubs?) and rain boots
nego: ? (we've met so hopefully he'll look for me)

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