ST: Game 3(3-3), Tampa Bay @ Toronto, May 22, 4:37 PM (pg 8)

[EH15]

Clutch AF

[TorontoRaptures]

Bautista's OPS jumps to .967 after this game.

[jaymeister15]

Great way to finally win a series against TB...it was time for that ridiculous streak of not winning a series against them to end.

[Santoki]

bautista's 0-2 base knock nearly identical to longoria's in the 9th. both players just too damn good.

damn does it feel great to have your best player carry you to a W

It's nice that he's just trying to put the ball in play when down in the count. In April all he wanted to do was murder every single pitch. He's been seeing the ball really well, picking his spots, and capitalizing on mistakes like the Bautista of old. Man, I wish this team could just put it all together for a few weeks now.

[spykelee]

I can't believe we just won a series against Tampa Bay! First time since August 2010, wow!

[SmoothTofu]

Caroline Cameron is a babe.

[Mehar]

I can't believe we just won a series against Tampa Bay! First time since August 2010, wow!

Damn did not realize it was that long. Thanks to Jose Bautista they won this game, but this team needs more offensive production from 2nd Base and 3rd base. You heard me say this before, but i would trade Izturis for a bag of peanuts or release Derosa, and call up Negrych from Buffalo and give him a shot at Second Base. I would send Lawrie to AAA as well, but since Bautista is reluctant to play Third Base and since there are no better options, this team is stuck with Lawrie right now because he is at least a good

defender. Guy looks terrible at the plate and batting .180 right now. Hopefully he figures it out at the plate soon since this team needs him to contribute offensively. Second Base has been a Black Hole all year and i have seen enough of Izturis and Bonifacio, and things need to be changed. Call up Negrych since he can not be worse than these guys and has been hitting the ball well all year in Buffalo.

[hyper316]

oh i wish we kept Kelly Johnson instead of signing Izturis.

[Mehar]

oh i wish we kept Kelly Johnson instead of signing Izturis.

Johnson signed for 1 year at 2.4 M with Tampa, and Izturis is getting paid 10 M for the next three years. However, Johnson had a subpar year last year and so i understand the Jays not signing him back. However, no team was offering Izturis more than a one year contract from what i read, and the Jays came and offered him a three year contract (SMH).

[DHK]

oh i wish we kept Kelly Johnson instead of signing Izturis.

Johnson signed for 1 year at 2.4 M with Tampa, and Izturis is getting paid 10 M for the next three years. However, Johnson had a subpar year last year and so i understand the Jays not signing him back. However, no team was offering Izturis more than a one year contract from what i read, and the Jays came and offered him a three year contract (SMH).

I am holding onto the possibility that through some miracle, we'll land Cano as a free agent next season as a 2B, sign a few arms, call it a day and make one last push for the World Series

[Raptor_Guy]

oh i wish we kept Kelly Johnson instead of signing Izturis.

Kelly Johnson was mind numbingly awful last year, he struck out once every 3 AB's it seemed, at best would draw a walk, and sucked on defence.

Not that it's much worse than what we've been getting at 2B this year, but just sayin'

[Indiana Jones]

oh i wish we kept Kelly Johnson instead of signing Izturis.

Johnson signed for 1 year at 2.4 M with Tampa, and Izturis is getting paid 10 M for the next three years. However, Johnson had a subpar year last year and so i understand the Jays not signing him back. However, no team was offering Izturis more than a one year contract from what i read, and the Jays came and offered him a three year contract (SMH).

I am holding onto the possibility that through some miracle, we'll land Cano as a free agent next season as a 2B, sign a few arms, call it a day and make one last push for the World Series

wouldn't that be awesome?

i'm not holding my breath though.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

oh i wish we kept Kelly Johnson instead of signing Izturis.

It's funny because the majority of jays fans (including a solid majority of this board) thought KJ was the worst second baseman of all time last season... Probably going to be similar to seeing Colby be an average centre fielder somewhere else next season,

[Randle McMurphy]

bautista's 0-2 base knock nearly identical to longoria's in the 9th. both players just too damn good.

damn does it feel great to have your best player carry you to a W

It's nice that he's just trying to put the ball in play when down in the count. In April all he wanted to do was murder every single pitch. He's been seeing the ball really well, picking his spots, and capitalizing on mistakes like the Bautista of old. Man, I wish this team could just put it all together for a few weeks now.

His timing is there. It wasn't in April (although he still managed to put up a .830 OPS and was the best hitter on the team anyway). The guy's simply a streaky hitter and has been since he became elite back in 2010. Maybe he'll even go a week without the media/fans insinuating he's in decline or questioning his attutude on the field now.

[Randle McMurphy]

Lawrie needs to be sent down. He's a black hole on offense.

It is ridiculous and laughable reasoning like this that got struggling young talents on the Raptors and Leafs benched/sent down earlier this season to the detriment of their development and the team's ultimate success (Valanciunas and Gardner). And obviously Lawrie's elite defense (and the lack of an adequete 3B behind him, which became more than obvious just last month when nobody on the roster could make a throw to 1B or turn a DP) is reason enough to keep him in the majors if you care at all about winning games.

[Randle McMurphy]

The Toronto Bautistas win on a walk-off Bautista by Bautista to right; this came one Bautista after a game-tying Bautista over the left-field Bautista.

Brought me back to the 2011 season, this game did. Jose Bautista, the One Man Gang.