Post by #1 Jays Fan on Mar 2, 2008 19:41:41 GMT -5
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Toronto Blue Jays hit their first three home runs of the spring Sunday afternoon and their first victory in Grapefruit League play followed as a result.
Matt Stairs of Fredericton, Buck Coats and Joe Inglett each went deep in an 8-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds before a crowd of 4,972 at Knology Park. The Blue Jays (1-3) had scored just four runs in their first three games of the spring.
"The last few games it's looked like we're behind a bit in our hitting," said Stairs. "We were a little flat in the first couple of innings but we got some big hits, a couple of big two-out knocks which is a good way to win some ballgames."
Down 2-0 in the fourth, the Blue Jays got on the board on a two-out RBI single from Stairs and took the lead in the fifth, when Coats ripped a two-run shot against his former team. The Reds dealt him to Toronto for pitcher Justin James in December.
After the Reds tied things in the top of the sixth, the Jays retook the lead when Stairs ripped a two-out solo shot to right. Lyle Overbay followed with a double and pinch-runner Ryan Patterson came around on Inglett's single to make it 5-3.
Top Blue Jays prospect Travis Snider made it 6-3 with an RBI single in the seventh before Joey Votto of Toronto doubled and scored on Jolbert Cabrera's RBI single in the eighth.
The Reds nearly made more hay that inning when Inglett, playing second, made a mental mistake on a potential double-play ball by Ryan Hanigan. He took a relay at the bag from third baseman Sergio Santos and then walked away thinking the inning was over. But Davis Romero got Andy Phillips looking to end the inning.
Inglett made up for his gaffe in the bottom of the frame, ripping a two-run homer to cap the scoring.
"It was an absolute brain-fart," said Inglett. "I could have sworn there were two outs. Things happen, the pitcher was able to bail me out. Hitting a home run, that was icing on the cake."
Notes: The Blue Jays host Cleveland on Monday. Shaun Marcum makes his first start of the spring against Fausto Carmona of the Indians. ... The Jays returned non-roster invitee C J.P. Arencibia, one of their two first-round picks last season, to minor-league camp. ... Votto went 1-for-2.
Matt Stairs of Fredericton, Buck Coats and Joe Inglett each went deep in an 8-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds before a crowd of 4,972 at Knology Park. The Blue Jays (1-3) had scored just four runs in their first three games of the spring.
"The last few games it's looked like we're behind a bit in our hitting," said Stairs. "We were a little flat in the first couple of innings but we got some big hits, a couple of big two-out knocks which is a good way to win some ballgames."
Down 2-0 in the fourth, the Blue Jays got on the board on a two-out RBI single from Stairs and took the lead in the fifth, when Coats ripped a two-run shot against his former team. The Reds dealt him to Toronto for pitcher Justin James in December.
After the Reds tied things in the top of the sixth, the Jays retook the lead when Stairs ripped a two-out solo shot to right. Lyle Overbay followed with a double and pinch-runner Ryan Patterson came around on Inglett's single to make it 5-3.
Top Blue Jays prospect Travis Snider made it 6-3 with an RBI single in the seventh before Joey Votto of Toronto doubled and scored on Jolbert Cabrera's RBI single in the eighth.
The Reds nearly made more hay that inning when Inglett, playing second, made a mental mistake on a potential double-play ball by Ryan Hanigan. He took a relay at the bag from third baseman Sergio Santos and then walked away thinking the inning was over. But Davis Romero got Andy Phillips looking to end the inning.
Inglett made up for his gaffe in the bottom of the frame, ripping a two-run homer to cap the scoring.
"It was an absolute brain-fart," said Inglett. "I could have sworn there were two outs. Things happen, the pitcher was able to bail me out. Hitting a home run, that was icing on the cake."
Notes: The Blue Jays host Cleveland on Monday. Shaun Marcum makes his first start of the spring against Fausto Carmona of the Indians. ... The Jays returned non-roster invitee C J.P. Arencibia, one of their two first-round picks last season, to minor-league camp. ... Votto went 1-for-2.
