Post by #1 Jays Fan on Mar 7, 2008 13:00:16 GMT -5
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Toronto Blue Jays centre-fielder Vernon Wells has big expectations when the bases are full and pint-sized shortstop David Eckstein comes to the plate.
"You load the bases for Eck, he's going to hit a homer," said Wells. "The little fellow can hit a ball a long ways. The little fellow comes through."
Eckstein did just that Thursday, ripping a grand slam in the second inning of an eventual 8-7 Grapefruit League loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates before a crowd of 3,854 at McKechnie Field.
His blast capped a six-run second that put the Blue Jays up 6-3, a lead they couldn't hold in falling to 2-6 this spring.
"That's probably the best I've got," said Eckstein, who has four slams among his 30 career homers. "I was just happy to make solid contact, this whole spring training I don't think I've done that.
"Hopefully they (teammates) don't start expecting that because those don't come very often. It's been fantastic playing with these guys here, they're a good bunch of guys, I think we're coming along pretty well."
The Blue Jays were rolling along in this one until the fifth, when the Pirates ate into the lead with a two spot that included Xavier Nady's solo shot off Casey Janssen.
The right-hander, who will either be the team's fifth starter or eighth-inning set-up man, seemed to fatigue that inning, his third of the afternoon, marking his longest outing in recent memory.
"I'd like to say I stayed strong throughout," said Janssen. "Hitters will let you know sometimes, too. When I was executing pitches, I was able to get them out.
"I think the hardest thing is the up-downs, the stopping and starting. I felt OK, I wonder what the radar gun says, hopefully I didn't get tired."
Janssen allowed two runs in his three innings, striking out four. He followed starter Dustin McGowan, who only threw two of his scheduled three innings because of a high pitch count. He coughed up a three-run first.
"Dustin maybe looked too strong today," said Jays manager John Gibbons. "He didn't throw enough strikes."
That was a theme for both teams in a two-hour 53-minute game that dragged on like a bad wedding speech. Top prospect Andrew McCutchen ended things with a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth off Jean Machi that won it for the Pirates (2-6).
."It slowed down there for a while," said Gibbons. "We did some good things with the bat today, pitching-wise we weren't throwing enough strikes."
Notes: The Blue Jays play the Twins on Friday, sending A.J. Burnett to the mound versus Glen Perkins. ... The Blue Jays allowed their first two stolen bases of the spring after throwing out the first four runners to try it against them.
"You load the bases for Eck, he's going to hit a homer," said Wells. "The little fellow can hit a ball a long ways. The little fellow comes through."
Eckstein did just that Thursday, ripping a grand slam in the second inning of an eventual 8-7 Grapefruit League loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates before a crowd of 3,854 at McKechnie Field.
His blast capped a six-run second that put the Blue Jays up 6-3, a lead they couldn't hold in falling to 2-6 this spring.
"That's probably the best I've got," said Eckstein, who has four slams among his 30 career homers. "I was just happy to make solid contact, this whole spring training I don't think I've done that.
"Hopefully they (teammates) don't start expecting that because those don't come very often. It's been fantastic playing with these guys here, they're a good bunch of guys, I think we're coming along pretty well."
The Blue Jays were rolling along in this one until the fifth, when the Pirates ate into the lead with a two spot that included Xavier Nady's solo shot off Casey Janssen.
The right-hander, who will either be the team's fifth starter or eighth-inning set-up man, seemed to fatigue that inning, his third of the afternoon, marking his longest outing in recent memory.
"I'd like to say I stayed strong throughout," said Janssen. "Hitters will let you know sometimes, too. When I was executing pitches, I was able to get them out.
"I think the hardest thing is the up-downs, the stopping and starting. I felt OK, I wonder what the radar gun says, hopefully I didn't get tired."
Janssen allowed two runs in his three innings, striking out four. He followed starter Dustin McGowan, who only threw two of his scheduled three innings because of a high pitch count. He coughed up a three-run first.
"Dustin maybe looked too strong today," said Jays manager John Gibbons. "He didn't throw enough strikes."
That was a theme for both teams in a two-hour 53-minute game that dragged on like a bad wedding speech. Top prospect Andrew McCutchen ended things with a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth off Jean Machi that won it for the Pirates (2-6).
."It slowed down there for a while," said Gibbons. "We did some good things with the bat today, pitching-wise we weren't throwing enough strikes."
Notes: The Blue Jays play the Twins on Friday, sending A.J. Burnett to the mound versus Glen Perkins. ... The Blue Jays allowed their first two stolen bases of the spring after throwing out the first four runners to try it against them.
