Music: {allcanada} Jays stand pat, fall to Indians

Saturday, July 31, 2010

{allcanada} Jays stand pat, fall to Indians

TORONTO -- No deal sums it up for the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday -- both on the field and in trade negotiations.

Pinch-hitter Travis Snider struck out with the bases loaded to end the game as the Blue Jays lost 2-1 to the Cleveland Indians. And about five minutes later, the non-waiver trade deadline came and went.

Cleveland's victory before a Rogers Centre crowd of 22,663 ended the Blue Jays four-game winning streak.

Not that the Blue Jays didn't have chances. Twice in the game they had the bases loaded with one out -- the third and the ninth -- but couldn't score.

"It was one of those games that we weren't meant to win," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "A lot of things happened that just could have gone the other way and given us a chance to win."

It was a game in which neither starter, Cleveland's Josh Tomlin and Toronto's Brett Cecil figured in the decision. Jensen Lewis (3-2) picked up the win for one inning of relief and Brian Tallet (1-4) went two-thirds of an inning to take the loss.

Chris Perez worked out of the ninth-inning jam by striking out Edwin Encarnacion and Snider to earn his 11th save.

The winning run came in the seventh and was the result of a bloop double to left by Shin-soo Choo.

The ball bounced into foul territory and hit the top of the barrier in front of the seats. It came off at an awkward angle for left fielder Fred Lewis who bobbled the ball when he tried to grab it with his bare hand.

Asdrubal Cabrera, who walked with one out, scored from first on the play.

Lewis was again a victim in the eighth, but this time as a hitter. His leadoff drive appeared to be going over the head of Shelley Duncan but the left fielder made a diving catch.

Cecil was removed from a 1-1 game after six innings in which he allowed five hits and five walks while striking out five.

Jake Westbrook was scheduled to start for Cleveland on Saturday but was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals earlier.

Sunday's scheduled starting pitcher, Josh Tomlin, made the start instead on three days` rest. It was his second major-league start. He beat the Yankees in his major-league debut on July 27.

Tomlin was 8-4, with a 2.68 earned-run average this season for Triple-A Columbus. In 5 1/3 innings Saturday, he allowed one run on four hits including Jose Molina's fourth homer of the season in the fifth.

Cecil walked Jason Donald with the bases loaded to force in a run in the fourth.

"He wasn't really on today," Gaston said. "I don't think he had good velocity today. I think he topped out a couple of times at 91. I`ve seen him out there hit 93- 94 sometimes. He kept us in the game. We had some chances we just didn't take advantage of them."

"I did not have my good stuff," Cecil said. "After the fourth inning I think (pitching coach Bruce Walton) came up to me and said start the game over, just go out there like you're starting the game."

Cecil made 114 pitches and appreciated the chance to close out the sixth after he gave up a one-out double and a two-out walk. He finished the inning and his outing with a strikeout of Chris Gimenez.

"I loved getting the chance to get out of my own situation," Cecil said. "Honestly, l thought after the double he (Gaston) was going to take me out."

The Blue Jays sixth started out well as Bautista led off with a walk and Wells singled. But Bautista was thrown out trying to return to second after rounding the base. Lewis replaced Tomlin and his first batter, Adam Lind, lined into a double play.

The Blue Jays still had a chance to win after Wells led off the ninth with a single against Perez. Lind was hit on the knee by a pitch and Dewayne Wise ran for him.

After Aaron Hill sacrificed the runners to second and third, Lyle Overbay was walked intentionally. Perez ended the game with two strikeouts.

Notes: Jesse Litsch (1-4, 5.48 ERA) is scheduled to pitch the series finale Sunday for Toronto against Jeanmar Gomez (1-0, 0.00). ... Snider who was called up from Double A for Friday's game did not start for the second game in a row Saturday. He went on the disabled list May 15 with an injured wrist. He was a pinch-runner in the eighth inning of Toronto's 8-1 victory on Friday. ...The Blue Jays have homered in 12 consecutive games.