...............

=== Gameflow:  Chapter 1, Pregame===

The M's caught a 38-minute airplane ride from Motown, USA and parachuted down into Canada to face the nation's best baseball pitcher.  

Ricky Romero has been a roto fave of BABVA since before he was very good, and now is not "before he was very good."  Romero started the year ranked #16 on James' "World's #1 Starting Pitcher" list, and already this year he has climbed to #11, equidistant between Sabathia, C.J. Wilson, Shields and Lester.  Romero ranks ahead of Lincecum, Haren, Greinke, and Beckett.

I'm not sure that Romero is that good, the #6 pitcher in the American League, but he is a legit All-Star, an Opening Day starter if not a Cy Young contender.  Since the M's lineup is hardly considered superior to the Jays', and since their starter was far superior to ours, Vegas had enormous odds against the M's, better than -200 for the Jays.  Pretty much, this was the biggest mismatch you're going to get in regular-season MLB.

.

=== Gameflow:  Innings 1-3, Rope-a-Dope ===

The M's held the game to a 1-1 tie through the early innings, but their cut man was huffing and puffing with a bucket full of bloody gauze at his feet.  Ricky Romero had a no-hitter through 5, whereas after 3, Blake Beavan had given up a double, a triple, and at least five crushed foul balls far down each baseline.

Blowers was all over the ump, who laconically ignored at least five inside strikes.  Blowers correctly noted the difference between 1-2 and 2-1 counts.  Kevin Cremin, hot on his tail, provided the data:  MLB hitters go .165 on 1-2 and .360 on 2-1, he sez.  Check 'im on that, but the point is clear.

.

=== Gameflow:  Innings 4-6, Jays Break Through ===

In the fourth, the Jays' foul balls landed between the white lines.  That's all.  

Blake Beavan is a battler, but his K rate is 4 per game.  If the ump ain't giving the whole strike zone, and he ain't in Safeco, he's going to be lucky to keep the game close.  

He did.  The M's were down 3-1, and it felt like James Bond hanging on to the bumper of a car being dragged over gravel.  He might climb back up because it's a movie, but in real life, bumper-dragged people usually just wind up getting transfusions.  Dr. D waited for the 7-2 loss.

.

=== Gameflow:  Inning 7, Rocky Goes to th' Body Like Nobody Y' Ever Seen ===

Jesus Montero got a fastball right on the inside black, used his Jeter swing to get the label to the ball, and fisted a ball over shortstop .... er, over the left-center wall.  That 70 HIT tool we talked about?  Next day, the 70 PWR tool.  There it was.  A home run on a ball that (1) did not hit the sweet spot of the bat, AND (2) Montero did not get his arms extended on.

Casper Wells then hit a looooonnng double into the RCF gap, and Miguel Olivo did a very presentable Ken Griffey Jr impression, his feet hardly touching the ground as he rounded 2B and 3B.  The man is an athlete.

Bottom of the 7th, my favorite moment of the game:  not Ichiro's glorious I DON'T THINK SO! throw.  

 ..............

No, my favorite moment was the dugout after Ichiro came back in.  They weren't laughing; they were frowning and nodding.  As if they were expecting to impose their will on the game, or something.

.

NEXT