Notes from a scorecard: Phillies - Jays, game 2 - Farrell tries to rally dejected bunch with Umpire abuse - Halladay wins with average stuff

Below are my notes from today's Live Internet Scorecard Blog of the Phillies Jays game at Toronto featuring Roy Halladay in his first start at Rogers Centre since the trade.

See the complete game scorecard at the Blogger BaseballScorecard:

Scorecard: July 2, 2011 Philadelphia Phillies at Toronto Blue Jays - Game 2 of 3

From Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Philadelphia Phillies (52-31)
Manager: Charlie Manuel

@

Toronto Blue Jays (40-43)
Manager: John Farrell

Game 2 of 3

First pitch: 1:07 PM EST


Starting Pitchers:
Philadelphia Phillies - Roy Halladay
Toronto Blue Jays - Carlos Villanueva


Umpires:
Home - Alfonso Marquez
First Base - Ed Hickox
Second Base - Ed Rapuano
Third Base - Brian Onora


Weather:
Sunny - haze
Temp: 24°C | 75°F
Wind:Southerly at 10 kph | 6 mph
(home plate out to right centre field)

9th

Rauch ejected in the ninth, he seems to respond to a comment by HP Umpire Alfonso Marquez, arguing the last ball on Howard (Halladay got the same call earlier, which you could see Roy wasn't happy with either - but same call same place).

Rauch is already ejected

Manager John Farrell is trying to save him a suspension

 6' 10", 290 lb. Rauch gets away!!

The 'monster' emerges...

'help!'

Then Farrell tackles his relief ace and JP Arencibia tries to help

Marquez is overly aggressive in an argument with Farrell after the Rauch ejection - while Shawn Camp is coming in - and bumps Farrell, but that was after he'd already ejected Farrell. Farrell is obviously arguing ball and strikes as he's drawing a line in the dirt beside the plate while he yells at the besieged Ump.. I think Jerry Howarth is right on as he points out Farrells theatrics are about trying to find some team élan as this team seems to be in a funk.

John Ferrall shows Alfonso Marquez where the strike zone is...

..and HP Umpire Alfonso Marquez tosses him

Now I'll tell you what I really think...

It seems of late that everything that can go wrong, is going wrong - the usually solid defensive play of John McDonald for example - who yesterday let two nuclear-hot shots go between his legs - on balls hit right at him. Not to pick on the usually perfect infielder; yesterday's horrible path to the ball by Juan Rivera in LF in the 8th looked like grade school defence - and lost the game - and on a pop play on the left field line behind third yesterday had Baustista 'not hearing' Patterson yelling on a ball that dropped for a base hit and allowed runners to advance that later scored. I've been that player who 'didn't hear the call of another fielder' and to me it looked like vanity on Bautistas part - but then he's just back at third so you have to forgive him that one. Anyways, so the team restarts the season in the second half - goes back to the spring training defensive positions and the whole thing seems to be breaking down.


The Blue Jays are 4 games under .500 after this NL swing - and home cooking hasn't helped - they're now 4-1 after the long road trip on which they produced a 5-5 record. One more game against this juggernaut Phillie franchise and then it's off to face the Run Scoring Beast and the Green Monster - heaven help John Farrell and his of late keystone-cop defence.


Attendance: 43,078!




Line ups and pitching totals from ESPN - Box Score.

Farrell/Rauch image from MLB video, "Rauch, Farrell get tossed" 07/02/11 02:36



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