Depression

I think it has finally set in: this team is 1-3 against the Baltimore Orioles this season, and they probably deserve it.  I don't think there has really been a loss out of those three that I can look back at and say "Man, they should have won that one", though they had Tommy Hunter on the ropes pretty hard last night.  Usually when you get a mediocre pitcher like Hunter to throw 61 pitches through three innings, especially when he can't hit the glove to save his life, there should probably be a handful of runs scored at one point or another.  Of course, Kelly Johnson (ZH) was the only person to go out there and look like he didn't just wake up after a night of drinking, so that's how you can solve that one.  Of course, Henderson Alvarez was pitching, which means that the Jays were never going to score any runs anyway.

Ah well, I'm not going to dwell on it too much.  It's a long season, and there is bound to be a game like that every now and then, where even an offense as strong as this one just gets kind of stymied and can't really get the wheels turning.  We can come up with any number of factors to blame this one on, ranging from a late flight out of KC causing fatigue, to having all the players worried for their lives, since they're in Bodymore, Murdaland and anything in between.  It's just frustrating to lose to a team as meh as this one.  Again.

From the sounds of it, Eric Thames was absolutely distraught for about 20 minutes after the game, knowing that his non-catch of the Matt Weiters homerun was ultimately the difference in this game.  To me, it didn't look like he helped it over the wall, by rather was reaching up to steal a homer, but that doesn't seem to matter (nor was there a replay conclusive enough to show anything definitive).

'I was at the top of the wall and I reached up to catch it and it was off my glove and into the seats. It's as simple as that.  It all happened so fast. In my glove. I heard the crowd and I looked up saw it was in the seats. Of course, intense anger. Off the bat I had a feeling it was going to be one that I had a chance to rob, and it was, didn't bring it down.''

That probably won't do him any wonders for the Blue Jays Power Rankings on Tao of Steib, in which he ranks dead last, hilariously, might I add, behind the likes of Snider, Vizquel, Evan Crawford, and most of the minor leagues.

Stuff
When I went to find a link to that Power Ranking thing on Tao, I actually found a nice little rant on the Thames/Snider situation, so have a double dose of Tao today.

Mike Cormack of Sportsnet jumps on the pitch-framing bandwagon, and relates it to the current Blue Jays catchers.

Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star gives Kelly Johnson a nice little handjob when comparing him to other AL 2B's.

Jim Bowden of ESPN (insider) clearly lost his mind several years ago, and just in case anyone forgot, he'd like to offer 5 tips on fixing the Red Sox after their 6-10 (or whatever) start.  Excerpt:

1. Deal C Jarrod Saltalamacchia and catching prospects Blake Swihart and Ryan Lavarnway to the Arizona Diamondbacks for C Miguel Montero 

Just remember that there is probably a reason why Jim Bowden doesn't have a front office job in Major League Baseball anymore.

Tango gets all smart and technical with his computer mumbo jumbo to tell us what the Royals' 12-game losing streak means, historically.

Ryan Zimmerman might be headed to the disabled list.  Possibly related, the Nats have announced that they will not use a 6-man rotation once Chien-Ming Wang returns from the DL.  I suppose that means that they'll try to move somebody (probably John Lannan) for a stopgap 3B/INF type.

In other injury news, Carl Crawford is going to see Dr. Andrews about his elbow.  I don't wanna go starting rumors, but that could be Tommy John.  Wonder what Jim Bowden has to say about that one.

Jason Hammel pitches for the O's again tonight.  He pitched against the Jays earlier this year, lasting 5 innings and giving up 2 runs.  Looks like Nolan Reimold is still out for the O's with a neck issue, and Robert Andino has left on paternity leave.  The O's called up Jason Berken to fill the roster.  Kyle Drabek goes for the Jays.  He faced Hammel that night (I think), and was actually pretty good, pitching in to the 8th, allowing 1 earned run. Someone better be fucking with me when it comes to this lineup card.  Gotta split them lefties (against the team that only has 1 lefty in the bullpen)!

Lineups
Jays
Escobar SS
Johnson 2B
Bautista RF
Lind 1B
Thames LF
Encarnacion 3B
Lawrie DH
Rasmus CF
Arencibia C

Drabek P

Orioles
Chavez LF
Hardy SS
Markakis RF
Jones CF
Weiters C
Davis 1B
Betemit 3B
Reynolds DH
Flaherty 2B

Hammel P