Royal blue turned out to be better than powder blue on the scoreboard this day but I'm glad the retro look has not gone away in 2010.
I had no idea when I came to the park that the Jays were going to resurrect the powder blue uniforms for this game. I thought they were gone after the team discontinued Flashback Fridays. I was shocked when I saw catcher Jose Molina sitting in the bullpen wearing something other than the usual black or white uniforms. I'm glad the powder blues have survived another season.
Jays starter Shaun Marcum drinks a bottle of H2O in the bullpen with pitching coach Bruce Walton looking on as he sports the team's retro jacket. Marcum gave up a three-run homer to Jose Guillen in the first but he crowned the Royals for the next six innings while giving up six hits and a walk and striking out six.
2009 American League Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke warms up in the bullpen. Greinke was looking for his first win of the season and looked to be in position to get it after going seven innings and allowing two runs on two hits, a walk and hit a man while striking out eight. However, one of those hits was a two-run homer by Alex Gonzalez that drew the Jays closer at 3-2.
Rick Ankiel tries to take a rip at a Shaun Marcum offering. The former Cardinals pitcher/outfielder did not have a great day at the dish as he went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.
Vernon Wells looks like he wants to slam down his bat in frustration. He had a hat trick of strikeouts in an 0-for-4 day at the plate.
Casey Janssen relieved Marcum and pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball to keep the Royals in check. He retired the first five men he faced and had one strikeout before giving up a single to Alberto Callaspo.
Jose Molina tries to catch the Royals by surprise by tagging up at first to score the tying run. Actually, he's jogging for the dugout for a pinch-runner after a poking a leadoff single to start the eighth.
Mike McCoy is at first to run for Jose Molina with first base coach Omar Malave looking on.
Former Jays lefty John Parrish relieves Josh Rupe in the eighth inning. Parrish was charged with a blown save when he gave up an infield single to Fred Lewis that scored Mike McCoy with the tying run.
Lefty Scott Downs finished off the ninth inning by picking off Alberto Callaspo at first and retired the next two hitters in the tenth inning. It looked like the game would be tied heading into the bottom of the tenth but left-handed hitting Alex Gordon belted a home run to dead centre to give the Royals a 4-3 victory.
