Jays top Phillies in Dunedin
 
03/05/2010
 
5 px spacer
 

Jose Bautista merely looked like a clean-up hitter for the Blue Jays on Friday in Dunedin, Fla. Toronto manager Cito Gaston has no plans to move him off the top of the order.

"I think I'll leave him right where he's at," Gaston said after Bautista, the front-running candidate to be the Blue Jays' leadoff batter, knocked a home run off Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels and added a pair of doubles in a 14-9 victory over the Phillies.

"He's been swinging the bat ever since he got the chance to play at the end of last season," Gaston said, getting no argument from Bautista.

"One of the most important things is what happened last year, having consistent at-bats," he said. "That allows you to make adjustments. My better years are the ones where I've been playing consistently. It's a little tough when you're coming off the bench."

Bautista is not the prototypical leadoff batter. Speed is not a major part of his arsenal.

"It's picking your times to go," he said. "I know I'm not going to try to bunt for hits all the time. I don't have that kind of speed. But there'll be times when I think if Cito allows me, I'll be able to take some bags.

"I'm not going to go out there and try to steal 50 bags, but there'll be situations and pitches and counts with certain hitters at the plate that I'll be able to take it if the situation commands it."

Bautista's homer was the only run allowed by Hamels, who allowed two hits in two innings.

Brandon Morrow, who bounced between Seattle's starting rotation and bullpen before being traded to Toronto in December, staked his first claim to being a full-time starter with two hitless innings. He allowed a two-out walk in the first and retired everyone else in order.

"I was rushing a little in the first inning but that's hard not to do when it's your first outing facing the two-time NL champs with five all-stars in a row starting it off," Morrow said.

"Maybe I was trying to throw too many strikes in the beginning. In the second inning I came out and was a lot more aggressive," striking out Jayson Werth and Domonic Brown.

The Phillies tied it in the top of the third on Ross Gload's triple and Brian Schneider's grounder, but Toronto got the run back in the bottom of the inning against J.C. Ramirez on Bautista's double and Adam Lind's grounder.

Then the Blue Jays erupted for eight runs in the fourth inning, two on Bautista's second double off Ramirez and three more on Lyle Overbay's double off Ryan Vogelsong.

Toronto built its lead to 14-2 after five innings. Five relievers followed Morrow to the mound, and only right-hander Casey Janssen was unscathed.

Tyson Gillies homered off David Purcey.


 
Archived - AP
- Edwards opens Bills camp as starting QB
- Senators sign Regin to 2-year deal
- Jays flip Wallace to Astros for Gose
- Wright shot to death, body found in woods: police
- Titans' Young won't be suspended
- Ladd signs deal with Thrashers
- Blue Jays set price for lefty reliever Downs
- Ducks ink 1st-rounder Fowler to 3-year deal
- Phillies place Victorino on DL
- Raptors acquire Aussie centre David Andersen
- Patriots sign 1st-rounder McCourty
- Defenceman Stralman stays with Blue Jackets
- Purcey finds success as Blue Jays reliever
- Giants rookie Jones leaving hospital
- Raptors finalize deal for Kleiza
- Haren heads to Angels for Saunders, others
- Canucks lock up Raymond for 2 more years
- Jays' bullpen a hot topic as team returns home
- Paul not requesting trade: Hornets GM
- NHLPA files grievance in Kovalchuk case
- Tigers place Ordonez, Guillen on 15-day DL
- Ravens rookie Kindle injures head
- Lightning sign free agent Durno
- Orioles' Wiggington suspended 3 games
- Stars avoid arbitration with Brunnstrom
- Bonds trial likely to start in 2011
- Home of Bobcats' Jackson stormed by armed robbers
- Steelers give coach Tomlin extension
- Canucks' Salo tears Achilles tendon
- Thunder extend GM Presti's contract
- Senators re-sign scrappy forward Cody Bass
- Ex-player sues Browns over staph infection
- Canucks re-sign winger Hansen
- Cuban to consider Rangers bid
- Hornets' Paul reportedly wants out
- Dodgers' Torre, Kershaw suspended
- Hornets hire Demps as GM
- Greinke's hot streak continues against Jays
- Turkoglu welcomes fresh start
- Senators get Foligno under contract
- Tigers minus injured Inge for weeks
- Forward Barnes joining Raptors
- Yankees place ailing Pettitte on DL
- Title shot, long-term deal pushed Kovalchuk to Devils
- Nowitzki, Stoudemire to skip basketball worlds
- Habs sign Desjardins, Russell
- Wade addresses World Trade Center comments
- Titans, Johnson reach contract compromise
- Morneau's concussion keeps him out another week
- New Portland GM Cho looks to engineer winner
5px spacer
   
©2005-2009 Lifeofsports.com All Rights Reserved