Jays Down Tribe On Wells Blast
Posted September 4, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Toronto Blue Jays are headed for another autumn without post-season baseball, but they’re not about to go quietly.
A two-run bomb by Vernon Wells in the sixth inning of Monday’s matinee was enough to propel Toronto to a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Indians, their third straight after an awful five-game slide.
A Labour Day crowd of 27,864 at the Rogers Centre took in the action, and many likely wondered whether the day’s hero would still be a Blue Jay come the same time next year.
Wells, who now has 31 homers and 93 RBI, can become a free agent after the 2007 season and while the Blue Jays would like to sign him to a long-term deal they’ll need an increase in payroll to do so.
Meanwhile big budget players already under contract like closer B.J. Ryan were busy earning their dollars, as the hard-throwing lefty pitched the final two innings Monday for his 30 th save.
Brandon League (1-2) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win after taking over for starter Shaun Marcum, who went five striking out a career-high six batters while allowing six hits and a walk.
Tribe starter C.C. Sabathia (10-9) also pitched well, but surrendered the big blast to Wells erasing two runs they put up the previous inning on a Hector Luna solo shot and a sacrifice fly from Victor Martinez.
Also at the dish for the Jays, rarely used Jason Phillips contributed an RBI groundout while Reed Johnson hit his 12 th home run of the year, a solo shot to left-centre in the third.
The middle game of the set goes Tuesday and features highly touted rookie Jeremy Sowers (6-3) against Jays ace and Cy Young candidate Roy Halladay (16-5).
