I see little JG is in the lineup today. So I have to agree with coach. It could be close or the Jays will pound them. Depends if Little JG is an easy out or in for one of his homer games.

The contrast between the recently departed Hillenbrand and Giambi the Younger is interesting.

By all accounts, Hillendbrand, second on the team in RBI, was hitting well. Giambi, by all accounts, is not hitting well.

Hillenbrand is at 303/335/443. Giambi is at 191/333/404.

Hillenbrand has never hit well at Fenway, so moving on could mean topping an 800 OPS in 2003 (though if his over/under is set at 800, I'd be betting on under).

Giambi, has not hit well, there's no disguising that. But it wouldn't take much more than a couple of 2-for-4's to bump his OPS past Hillenbrand's. And really, he's not exactly miles behind Toronto's DH, even batting .191. Phelps is currently at 259/347/426.

Phelps is currently at 259/347/426

Phelps is .243/.308/.386 over the last twenty games, he hasn't started to come around yet. Lucky for the rest of the league really :-)

Maybe Phelps is still bothered by the wrist injury; it's not much fun to hit when your wrist is sore.

As for Little JG ... he's really had one good game this year, when he went 4-4 against the Twins with two homers. In only one other game this year does he have more than one hit.

I know Coach is at the game, so he can't answer this right now. Maybe someone else can.

Myers on first, none out, Phelps at the plate. Phelps continues to step out of the box to read the signs from the 3rd base coach. What on earth could those signs be?

We can be sure it's not news that Myers will be stealing. We also know it's not a hit & run since Tosca doesn't believe in that tactic much to begin with, and especially not with the combination of deathly slow baserunner and a batter who swings and misses a lot of pitches.

What's left? Is there a sign to just hit the friggin' ball? Does Phelps need to see such a sign (no sarcasm please)? Could anyone on Boston possibly be fooled by Phelps pretending to get a sign in an obvious 'hit away' situation?

Just what's the point?

Uh oh, Halladay looks like its April again. 6-0 Sox. Whats up? Is this just Boston inflicting a bit of revenge, a fluke or is the new rotation experiment having a phycological effect. Ouch

I keep telling myself to not to excited about this year, this isn't suppose to be the year to compete, but it really has the feeling of something special. Game now tied.

Is Manny Ramirez the worst D-for-the-Dollar in baseball?

How good is it as a starting pitcher when you dig yourself a 6-0 hole in three innings and get to start over again after 4?

As much as we like to complain about the Blue Jays 'pen - collective incompetence and Tosca's misuse there-of - how about this one from the Sox? Wakefield out, in comes Matt White. That's Rule 5 draftee Matt White, whose A / AA / AAA ERAs go 4.52 / 4.47 / 4.76 and who has racked up 3 major league innings (8 earned runs).

Berg welcomes him to Toronto with a triple, Woodward follows up with a double and it's 7 - 6 for your Toronto Blue Jays.

Ramirez dogs it on another fly and Garciaparra can't quite bail him out... Which Sox are these again? Call it a hometown double for Cat and an 8 - 6 Blue Jay lead. Matt White is done for the day.

Wells cashes Cat with a ground rule double on Mendoza's first pitch, and Tos.. I mean Little pulls him for Embree to face Delgado. Matt White's line is closed at 3 earned in 2/3.

Let's see, Roy is at 65 pitches over 5. That projects to 110 over 8, bring on Politte for the ninth, and that's 7 for 7 against the Yanks and the Red Sox.

You are spot on-- That one pitch Mendoza outing was very Tosca-like.
Guess we are going to be seeing the whole Boston pen.

Doc not looking very sharp in the 6th, I better revise my projection to include Lopez and / or Walker.

Doc's struggles aside, this is one fun game... If only it was, say, Doug Davis getting his ERA hit this hard and not someone prominently featured on Fantasy Teams owned by yours truly...

What a day for Greg Myers 4-4
Can we start looking for an All-Star spot for Myers/Wilson....heck at this pace Myers can go on his own.....what a signing by JP!

Out of town scoreboard: Roger is at 6 runs, 4 earned, after 5 innings in Detroit. He's got an 8-6 lead so he could still get #300 today, but I can't think of a better way for him to get it - pitching poorly against a terrible team.

It's been fun, but I belong outdoors. Catch y'all later.

Pretty amazng that a SP can give up six runs right away, and might get away with a win. Halladay could have a 4+ ERA at the end of the year, and still wind up with 18 or more wins. If he gets 3 wins in June, July, August, and September, that would be 18, and 3 a month is no real stretch. Of course, we can't leave out the possility of another April, which throws my whole master plan off. Speculation is fun, isn't it? We'll see what reality brings us over the course of time, I guess.

Pete Walker looked, well uhhh not exactly sharp

Halladay should have been able to finish the inning. It's not like Tosca put a lefty in to face the lefty, and Halladay stuck out his final batter. And yes, even if Walker got the guy out, it still would have been the wrong decision in my mind. A lefty would have been understandable. I wouldn't have loved it, but understood it.

This Lopez kid came from nowhere, and it is a darn good thing.

You expected Tosca to make sense?

8-8 in Detroit
No 300 for Roger.... I feel so bad for him---NOT!!!

Another sloppy ninth by Politte. I'm guessing that Aquilino is our closer next year.

Had to comment on the Yanks-Tigers and Clemens's bid for 300: Not a big fan of Rocket the man, but he's been a tremendous pitcher. Interesting contrast in the way Torre handled him going for 300. Against the Sox, Clemens was way off and had thrown 100+ pitches early. But he sends him back out there for the 6th (7th?) even when he could see he was gassed, thinking that if they were down 2 and Roger gets through the inning, that's one more shot for the Yanks' offense to get the win for him. Instead, Clemens gets shelled and throws 137 or so pitches in the effort.

Fast forward to today. Clemens decent until the 5th, when he gives up a dinger to Eugene Kingsale, of all people. Yanks come back to give him the cushion, but instead of pulling him after 5, Torre keeps Clemens in. The interesting part comes when it's 8-6 Yankees and all Clemens needs to bring it home is 3 innings from a decent Yankees pen that now has Rivera healthy enough to pitch 1+. Not only that, but the Yankees actually find themselves in the position of having to WIN some games during the regular season. So, 8-6, how do you ensure #300? By bringing in your worst reliever, Sterling Hitchcock, of course. Bada-bing, it's 8-8, Rocket's denied. I'm not sure I'd be too happy if I were Clemens. I might wonder why we didn't use Hammonds/Osuna to get to Rivera there.

So against the Sox, Torre does everything he can to give Rocket a chance to get the W. And against the Tigers, he does everything he can to ensure that he doesn't. Curious.

Answer to the question, Game 58--Another Sweep? Yes.

Isn't Politte our guy? What do numbers say about whether he's reaching toward Mt. Henke? My father-in-law always says Heartattack Henke. Best Jays closer ever, tho.

...when he gives up a dinger to Eugene Kingsale, of all people.

You mean Sir Eugene Kingsale. Of all people indeed!

By bringing in your worst reliever, Sterling Hitchcock...

In fairness to Hitchcock, he had been pitching fairly well this year. That said, deep down he is pretty crummy and his numbers should soon reflect that.

And to bring these two comments together, if there's a name to with the title Sir, isn't it Sterling Hitchcock?

NY-Detroit. Bottom of the 16th. Sparks has gone 6 2/3. Are we going to see a 9-inning non-complete game?

Doesn't look like it, Yanks put up 2 a two spot in the top of 17 (inning isn't over yet) but what made me double take is that on ESPN's scoreboard is shows Boomer as the current pitcher for the pinstripers...Anyone corroberate that?

This has to be one of the greatest Blue Jays runs off all time what with all things considered, and there's hardly anyone in here? For all the regulars that live in Toronto, I hope they're not "here" because they're "there". Oh, the good fortune of being at the Dome for this little ditty. What a day, what a series, what a first two months! A LOT of good fortune, or luck if you wish, but that offence and about nine of the pitchers have had a direct effect in these sweet ass-kickings and what a pleasure to watch.

Wells is in his 6th inning. He recently missed a start (Contreras started for him on Friday, I think it was) but I guess he's better now.

and how about the nice warm welcome the Jays extended to former D-Back Kim

Was at the Dome again today...a real beauty of a game. The crowd of 27K was really into it. I mean, legitimately watching the game and cheering as enthusiastically as a Toronto crowd can, and at the right times.

Blue Jay Fever. Catch it. Don't quarantine yourself.

I can think of at least 3 balls on Friday and 2 balls today that really should have been singles but the ineptitude of Manny Ramirez and Trot Nixon saw the balls roll by for doubles. It's not a speed issue here guys, you're taking terrible routes to balls. Back, no wait, right, uh...back more. Dumb.

It was apparent that Matt White was in trouble when 2 of his warmup pitches flew by the catcher to the backstop. The Sox really need some pitching help. Kim is only the beginning.

Reed Johnson is such a dirtbag, a real pleasure to watch and the kind of player I think I would be (if I only had more talent and a shaved head). Mike Bordick easily matches him in terms of heart. And Frank Catalanotto in LF seems entirely more comfortable out there. This is a team, gentlemen. The pieces complement each other. The whole exceeds the sum of the parts. I don't Toronto has boasted a real team since 1993.

FYI, Josh Towers was sent to Syracuse today. No subsequent move has been made yet. Guesses?

The report I saw is that... gulp... Mr. Huckaby is returning to the big club. It is a potentially dangerous thing to allow Tosca to get his hands on Huckaby, thereby reducing the offence to a 7-man lineup when Halladay pithces in Cincinnati.

I won't mind the move if Huckaby is confined to defensive replacement duties (meaning that Myers will be free to pinch hit for other players as needed).

Doug Davis - S - Toronto Blue Jays Jun 1

The Blue Jays have abandoned their idea of going to a four-man rotation in June.
Manager Carlos Tosca said a couple of starters -- probably after consulting with their agents -- weren't thrilled with the idea. Doug Davis will remain Toronto's fifth starter.

(This was was pasted from rotoworld. Just about what I thought might happen.)

It looks like Tosca will have a decent bench for hitting for the pitcher in the N.L.-park games next week. He won't hesitate now to use his 2nd-catcher. Phelps of course is available to hit. If they're still reluctant to use Stewart in the outfield he can probably still hit once a game. Clark/Berg are a left/right option with the other still a defensive backup for almost any position. Huckaby is the emergency catcher. Not a bad bench for a team with no money. :-)

If it is the Jeter-killer again, Missouri will have reached it's quota of all catch-no hit catchers with St. Huckaby, St. Girardi, and St. Matheny all within miles of one another. Wilson and Myers will be ostracized what with their hitting plagues.

They'll need 40man space, so they'll seemingly slip another of the injured pitchers onto the 60day DL -- probably Justin Miller, leaving Rosario as the only gimp.

Yip, it's Huck. I left one gimp out, the gimpiest gimp, Doug Creek takes himself to the 60day DL.

I am the Anti-Jay, look at my boobs.

Great line in the Boston Herald today:

"What looked like a cakewalk for Wakefield turned into a pie in the face."