Tough loss for the Jays tonight. Not in the usual way, though, as a late throwing error helped keep the Indians alive long enough to score two in the ninth. But really, this game should have been settled long before.
In each of the first four innings Cleveland managed to get a runner as far as third, and while Brett Cecil did well to work out of those situations he shouldn't have found himself in them. On TSN Rod Black referred to the rookie's performance as a masterpiece, but as we hear so often the man with Olympic voice seems to have misspoke.
Sure, the nine strikeouts (in seven innings) were great, and taken on their own the seven hits by Cleveland don't look so bad. But the four walks seemed to come with bad timing, and limited Cecil's outing to the realm of merely decent. Despite the big home run by Scott Rolen, to put the Jays ahead in the seventh, Cliff Lee looked the better pitcher all night. And of course he should, given he's the reigning Cy Young winner and Cecil is still a rookie. I'm just being realistic.
Ultimately this was a game Toronto really needed to win. Every game is crucial right now, of course, but especially the first in a home series against a weak team. We'll get anothr shot at them tomorrow, this time with my favourite rookie lefty, Ricky Romero, on the hill.
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