And Ch(en) got the win. That was frustrating.

Louisiana, Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away
They're trying to wash us away

Last night we saw everyone's favouite Welshman, Gregg Zaun, go three-for-three with a walk thrown in for good measure. Here's Zaun shaking hands with Butterfield as he rounds third after homering against Tampa Bay:

2 wins, 2 losses and 2 games cancelled for Katrina.

So I finally broke down and committed to writing one of these here Game Reports.

It's no exaggeration, and only slightly a groaner of a pun, to say, "Gee, this is a heck of a team." Consider that you could make a more than passably adequate Hall of Names team just with the 25 Gonzalezes and six Gonzaleses who have played in the majors, and you have some idea just how Good (and we're not talking Detroit/Toledo Tiger/Mud Hen Andrew Good here) this team can be.

There are no weak spots on this team made up entirely of players who had last names beginning with the letter "G" (yes, yes, go ahead and snicker -- there are no weak G spots. There, it's overwith) ...

Ho hum, just another win.

Wait...Bush got some run support? What's next, a hurricane? Someone wearing earplugs during a baseball game?

The Jays face the only team with a more disappointing last two weeks, as the weary and demoralized Baltimoreans come to town for a three-game set that was, at one time, shaping up to be a meaningful pennant-race series. After being swept by the A's in a four-game set at Camden Yards, Baltimore is simply hoping for a return to normalcy and an escape from the controversy that has surrounded this club without any real respite since Jose Canseco named three players in the Orioles' spring training camp in his book.

This is not, however, going to be easy for the Jays. Rodrigo Lopez was brilliant in his last start, and 21-year-old Hayden Penn, who was nearly traded away mid-season, hopes to give Baltimore and its loyal fans some optimism with a strong start on Thursday, when rosters expand.

This week's Scout features an impending end to a streak, an ex-MVP candidate and a troubled pitcher with a troubling amount of money still guaranteed by Baltimore.

On to the Advance Scout!

Now you swear and kick and beg us
that you're not a gambling man
Then you find you're back in Vegas
with the handle in your hand

Miguel Batista awaits the return throw from Gregg Zaun:

Dane Johnson, the ex-Blue Jay pitcher, is now the minor league roving pitching instructor for the Jays. Johnson was originally drafted by the Jays in 1984, and made it to the major leagues ten years later. Johnson was visiting Buffalo last week and took a few minutes to talk with Batter's Box about some of the organization’s pitching prospects.

Big innings are the order of the day as the Toronto farm wins 3 and loses 2.

It's an off day... I thought I'd make a little Data Table.

And we have been talking obsessively about how well the Blue Jays hit with runners on base, haven't we?

Something has gone amiss at work (one of the monkeys has escaped from the lab - or something like that). Because of that, the game report is going to be delayed for awhile.

I'll cop out to the change,
but a stranger
is putting the tease on.