The disappointing news about Roy Halladay's fracture casts a cloud over the otherwise excellent news that the Jays are finally home again. If I'm in the Jays front office, I'm using all the influence I have this off-season to lobby against a 13-game Baltimore-Anaheim-Detroit-New York trip in August.

Don't expect any sympathy from the visitors from Cleveland; they're locked in a virtual three-way tie for the lead in the wild card chase, and are red-hot of late. Although a successful weekend will sadly benefit the Yankees more than anybody else, it'll still do the young Jays some good to get back on track after playing a somewhat lower quality of baseball over their last seven games.

This week's Scout features a surprising shortstop, some front-office AL Central gamesmanship and a lefty that hasn't been quite as deceptive as he'd like to be. Plus, another Trivia Challenge!

On to the Advance Scout!

According to Mike Wilner on the Fan 590, the Blue Jays announced about 15 minutes ago that Halladay's broken leg has not healed as well as they had hoped, so they're shutting him down for the season to recover.

According to TSN, the Jays have called up Guillermo Quiroz and designated Ken Huckaby for assignment. Was this Huck's final tour as a Blue Jay? How's Quiroz's health? Does this mean that Gregg Zaun can sleep in one or two days next week?

Lately it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it's been

Here's Frank Menechino watching a ball sail into foul territory:

They weren't all singles that the Sky Chiefs saw flying around Dunn Tire park yesterday, as the Chiefs were dumped unceremoniously. The farm affiliates went 4-3.

I started thinking about what I'd write for this column while I was in the bathtub, soaking off the effects of a disheartening loss to the Yankees yesterday afternoon. This road trip was bad enough that the glimmer of hope in the wild card race shown to us just days ago is all but gone.

Cleveland are making things interesting.

The first four Yankee batters of the game scored, and that was basically all she wrote.

The Jays return home with a 5-8 mark on their 13-day road trip.

Now lightning strikes in old New York
It may be dark but I wanna talk

Hey, it worked yesterday. So here's Alex Rios sending some poor baseball on a long ride:

Shutouts galore and the quickest AA update ever.

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My father has an expression that he acquired growing up in Newfoundland, back when there was a fishing industry to speak of in those parts: “He’s got more guts than a five-cent fish.” It’s a statement made admiringly of someone who shows a lot of gumption; “the guts of a burglar,” they’d say in places presumably with more crime and fewer cod.

Dave Bush was under a lot of scrutiny tonight and faced a lot of pressure to stop a losing skid. He came through with flying colours, firing 6 shutout innings and striking out 7 Yankees in the Bronx. One monster Blue Jay inning did in the pinstripers tonight.

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.