Weird play helps Jays win

Five hit batters, two ejections, winds gusting at 48 km/h, and one of the most bizarre endings to a ballgame you’re likely to see.
It sure wasn’t easy, or pretty, but the Toronto Blue Jays’ four-game losing streak is over.
Chris Gomez scored the winning run in the 10th inning on a mad scramble to an unguarded home plate as the Blue Jays rallied for a gutsy 6-5 win over the Anaheim Angels last night.
“That’s an odd play, I don’t think it happens too often,” laughed Gomez. “It was a pretty good game, us battling back against their bullpen, which is tough, shows we’re not quitting.
“We battled through this and it’s a start. Hopefully we can get some breaks.”
They got some yesterday—much to the delight of 15,301 at SkyDome.
With runners on first and second and two out in the 10th, Simon Pond of North Vancouver hit a shot to first base, which Casey Kotchman knocked down.
The ball dribbled away and was picked up by second baseman Adam Kennedy, who had no play at first. Gomez, meanwhile, initially saw third base coach Brian Butterfield wave him in but missed it when Butterfield changed to a stop sign.
Kennedy threw to catcher Bengie Molina at the plate, who chased Gomez back toward third before throwing to third baseman Alfredo Amezaga. Gomez turned back, saw home open, and dashed to the plate, beating reliever Ben Weber (0-2), who had gone to cover first base.
“Bengie got caught in between and we lost the play,” said Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who thought Molina should have ran Gomez further up the line, giving Weber time to run back to home.
Weber called it “a messed up play. I ran from first as fast as I could. When you’re 34, you’ve lost a step.”
Gomez slid in unchallenged and was mobbed by his teammates. “I’m thinking stay in it and maybe something will happen,” said Gomez.
Pond was credited with a hit and an RBI on the play, which made a winner of Jason Frasor (2-1), who pitched two innings for the win.
“I think it’s about time something like that went our way,” said Jays manager Carlos Tosca.
Eric Hinske kept the game tied in the ninth by making a spectacular diving stab on Jeff DaVanon’s liner and then doubling off Jose Guillen to end the frame.
“It kept us in the game,” said Hinske. “If I don’t make that play, it’s probably a double and the guy scores from first. We kind of fed off it.”
The weird ending capped a wild night.
Josh Phelps erased a 5-4 deficit in the eighth with an RBI single against reliever Francisco Rodriguez, who came into the game with 0.38 earned-run average.
Phelps and Pond also drove in runs in the second, while Reed Johnson and Frank Menechino hit RBI doubles in the fourth for the Jays (18-27).
“It’s a big win for us,” said Hinske. “It’s going to be a happy off-day and hopefully we can carry the momentum the rest of this homestand.”
There was some bad news for the Jays, who lost Carlos Delgado after the third because of a jammed right knee. Tosca is hoping Delgado can DH tomorrow.
Vladimir Guerrero, Guillen, and DaVanon hit consecutive home runs in the third for the AL-West leading Angels (29-16), who had won three-straight.
Guerrero added an RBI single and Kennedy brought in a run when he was beaned with the bases loaded for Anaheim, which had starter John Lackey and Scioscia ejected in the sixth inning.
The trouble started when Jays starter Justin Miller tied a team record by making Guillen his third beaning of the night. Guillen, drilled in the left shoulder, yelled angrily toward Miller, who came off the mound to respond.
“He’s competing, I’m competing too,” said Miller. “It was in the heat of the moment.”
Players from both sides got up in their dugouts, but calm was restored and Miller was pulled from the game.
Both dugouts were warned against further shenanigans but in the bottom of the sixth, Pond was brushed lightly in the chest area one pitch after he had to dive away from a ball near his head from Lackey.
Home plate umpire Jim Reynolds immediately tossed Lackey as Pond turned and ran to first. Lackey also hit Delgado in the second inning.
No other games were scheduled in the AL yesterday.