![53rd_and_6th[1]](http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/53rd_and_6th1.jpg)
The Toronto Blue Jays are you at the Halal cart, next in line to order chicken over rice, white and hot sauce please, waiting patiently and quietly, perhaps distracted by an interesting cloud formation or a bike-messenger’s near-miss with a yellow cab. Meanwhile, the rest of the American League East pushes around you, yells over you and slaps their money on the counter and doesn’t even bother to look at you, let alone apologize, as they plant an elbow in your rib cage and knock you back to last place.
And look at that, the Yankees travel to Toronto and find the Blue Jays are in last place. The Rays drafted their way to the front of the line when the Yanks and Red Sox were both still trying and the Orioles have at least taken advantage of the latest Yankee “blue period” and the Boston cellar/series/cellar Oreo to play October baseball. The Jays are going nowhere, fast, again.
A few times the prognosticators have anointed them, most especially when they were able to off-load Vernon Wells on the Angels. But unloading a terrible contract doesn’t necessarily lead to being a good team. Shedding salary (albeit unconscionable salary) just creates empty space. Bautista, Encarnacion and now Donaldson are fun as heck as they swing from the heels and try to hit everything in orbit, but it still seems a sideshow thus far this year.
That doesn’t mean they can’t bloody a team in a short series. Look no further than opening week when the Yanks were fortunate to win one of three and were outscored 15-8. Chase Whitley will find a different breed of hitter in this game than he did against Tampa. And R.A. Dickey has handled the Yankees well as a Blue Jay. But even still, the Yanks have muscled their way into first place, now’s not the time to look back and apologize.
Photo via Wikipedia
And away we go
I thought Canadians were too polite to boo
I seem to remember some problem with the new SkyDome turf recently..?
They're hitting the ball hard off him so far.
Jones can't catch a break.
That statue the Yankees have placed in right field just sort of lumbered in the general direction of the baseball.
Good work calling him off there, Brett.
[6] That was really pathetic, wasn't it?
[6] Looked like the 10-year old left fielder at my grandson's Little League game last Saturday...
That turf looks terrible!
[8] I'm not sure I've ever seen a human being move slower and still technically be in motion.
I mean I don't know if he should have caught that anyway, but Jesus.
Lots of well struck balls not finding turf.
[11] We don't know because he never tried.
Line drive after line drive. All caught.
I was robbed, robbed I tells ya!
Speaking of little league . . .
sigh
Uh...Chuck Knnoblauch called...
Phew
Nicely done, Mr. Whitley.
[18] Alfredo Griffin isn't walking through that door..
Hit a homer, Alex!
Another well struck ball (second by Beltran, too) caught.
Yeesh. You miss 50 minutes of a Yanks-Sox game, it's the middle of the second. I've missed almost half the game!
Whitley managing to work out of mini-jams tonight, good pitch selection.
It really does bother me that the Yankees are seemingly the only team that cant hit a jackass like Dickey
Whew.
Back in the old days (the 50's), Dickey would have been called a "junk pitcher." But not a jackass. He did win a Cy Young one year, after all.
Chase is rolling.
[28] Dickey being a jackass has little to do with his pitching and more to do with him being a jackass.
I heard Cy Young was kind of a jackass.
They're sitting on his 'fastball' when they can, which seems like the right approach.
[31] or Ty Cobb
Okay, tee one up, you evil demon centaur...
Or that.
Rats.
[33] Or Rogers Hornsby. It's easier to be a great hitter if you keep better pitchers out of the game because of their skin color
[37] I tried that, but everyone looked at me like I was nuts. Hey, it was worth a try.
Chase be dealin'.
Jesus.
Thank God Whitley was where he was supposed to be.
Why did they throw home?
2 high meatballs in a row. Nice airrmail, Didi.
Bobby Meacham overthrew home back in like 1985 when the Yanks were battling Toronto for first and ended up losing like three out of four in disgraceful fashion.
Gulp.
[38] it isn't nuts.
The talented Mr. Whitley!
One more to get out of it.
Damn, boy, that was a good job.
clap clap clap clap!
Amazing. Freaking amazing. Atta boy. Chase!
Unfortunately, I don't think he's going to hold the Jays to –1.
Blue Jays have been Yankeed! Runners in scoring position, no outs, and fail to score.
Nice work, Chase!
Well, from what I can. At the studio, not watching...
[50] WW.
Hey!
Look at that. BELTed.
Beltran with his third hard hit ball of the night.
That thing was smoked.
Beltran has really looked better over the last three or four games
DO NOT BUNT.
DO NOT.
Okay.
Uh.
Should bunted, maybe...
0-2, not good. Pull a grounder to right side?
He did it!
I'm not sure Beltran scores from third without help from some sort of tow truck
[57] Maybe he could take a few steps into LF and get a running start.
[58] "running"
Can Headley steal?
Hm, good point. Okay, [59] get a moving start.
I think everyone should be able to steal off a knuckler.
Awesome!
Uh.
Wait, he's out?? Yep.
Wait, what the hell just happened?
Shite!
Dang.
Well, one run. A run.
Missed it, hound needed to go out.
Great play by that 2B man. But 1 run! Will we see Btances today?
[67] Beltran a real double, then he moved around on IF outs.
[68] For sure, Betances. The question is whether Miller can go after that rather stressful ninth last night.
Oh, you [68] mean will Whitley notch a CG?? I guess it's possible.
Nice, Chase!
I think I would have stuck with Whitley. But, it's a tough call.
Ooooh, I really wish nobody was on for Bautista.
Hm. Uh oh, not looking good. Is Betances warmed up??
Um, not liking this decision.
Oh, look, a Yankee shift failed.
ARGH!
Dammit. DAMMIT!
Damn.
Bad luck there...
Kevin not-Millar Pillar..i sense danger
[73] I think the Yankees have a bunch of middle relief that could go kaboom at any time (Martin, Wilson, Rogers, Shreve) but you might as well ride them while they're hot. Find out if they suck in May instead of September.
I mean, I get why Joe went with Martin, almost any manager would -- but he really has to get over the Assigned Inning thing and put the best pitcher in when the situation is the toughest. Martin could have closed against weak-ass hitters. Or some hideous mix-and-match thing.
[80] Yeah, but not in the most difficult situation. The games count in May too.
Bullshit time called there Blue.
Fuck.
ARGH!
Oh, man, that really sucked.
God fucking dammit!
Aw Feck!
Jones doesn't do anything well, huh? He's been a failure as a hitter, runner and fielder today.
That was an amazing play by Headley.
Well that was a real kick in the nuts.
[81] Betances goes 1-2-3 in the eighth and Encarnacion leads off the ninth
The glow of the sweep is preventing this from being too painful to me. But, it would have been a nice one to win.
Well, who knows, maybe a miracle ninth...
[92] Its not the end of the world. Just win the next two games.
I just can't stand Dickey.
[91] Well, he could have beaned Bautista and then struck out Encarnacion, right?
Anyway, that was obviously the tough inning. I think Joe played it wrong, but as I said, almost any manager in the game would keep Betances for the last few outs.
Dellin is human after all. So was Mo. I suppose one of these kinds of games was coming.
If I was Chase I'd go over to Jones and say, "nice scoop."
Wow, Gregorio Petit in to pinch hit. There's something I had hoped never to see.
Oh well, tough one. Get 'em tomorrow.
Blergh. Night all.
In before 9:30 so there's that.
Can't win 'em all.