Blue Jays bang out 15 hits and 9 runs, maybe the offense is back

Rangers 6 Blue Jays 9

Early in the season, Mark Buehrle was pitching great and we were scoring for him. Then we went through a period when he was pitching good and we couldn't score. Finally, we score for him, again, and he has a poor day on the mound. We get him a 3-0 lead in the second, and he gives back 2 runs in the top of the third. We get a couple more runs, give him a 3 run lead again, and he gives it all back in the 6th. Fortunately we kept scoring.

Buehrle went 6 innings, allowed 8 hits, 5 earned, 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. And also had a rather strange balk, coming at a bad time, catching his cleats in the mound. I thought Gibby should have pulled him quicker. Mark helped himself out by picking two Rangers off first base.

Todd Redmond pitched a good 7th, then gave up a lead off double in the 8th. Gibby brought in Brett Cecil to pitch with the tying run at second, the Rangers moved him up to third but Cecil stranded him there. Casey Janssen pitched the 9th, in a non-save spot , after not pitching yesterday because of 'flu like symptoms'. He wasn't exactly sharp, but then he hasn't pitched for a while. The Rangers got the tying run to the plate against him, but Aaron Loup picked him up, getting pinch hitter J.P. Arencibia to pop out to end the game.

It was a terrific day for the offense, I'm hoping this is a sign of good things to come. We had 15 hits, including home runs from Melky Cabrera and Dioner Navarro. Melky had 3 hits, and 3 RBI. Jose Reyes, Munenori Kawasaki, Navarro, Dan Johnson and Anthony Gose each had 2 . The only Jay not to hit was Steve Tolleson.

We scored:

• 3 runs in the second. Navarro lead off with a homer. Then we got a double from Johnson, Steve Tolleson was hit by pitch, Gose singled to load the bases and Reyes singled home two. We could have, should have scored more, but Reyes got too far off second when Kawasaki lined one to second base, and was doubled up. Bad base running.
• 1 in the third. Jose Bautista walked, Navarro hit a ground rule double and Colby singled home Jose. Again we should have scored more, runners on the corners 1-out, but Johnson popped out and Tolleson ground.
• 1 in the fifth. Cabrera singled, Bautista doubled (to the opposite field, a nice bit of hitting), Colby walked and Johnson hit a sac fly.
• 1 in the 7th. Cabrera homered.
• 3 in the eighth. Johnson, Gose. Reyes, Kawasaki  and Melky all singled. We really needed those runs.

Bring on the Red Sox.

Jays of the Day are Cecil (.269 WPA), Melky (.197), Navarro (.131) and Reyes (.099).

Suckage goes to Buehrle (-.183). That balk was very unlucky.

Source: FanGraphs

We had a very nice GameThread, 965 comments. Spor led us to victory again.