Blow Jay Ryan still sucks

Blow Jay Ryan is still completely awful, even in his new role with the ball club. He was stripped of his closing duties after the shoulder "injury", so now the team is trying to find a defined role for him.

How about the role of team gas can? With the Jays down 3-2 in the 7th inning, Ryan served up a solo home run to Kelly Johnson. That run came back to haunt the Jays, because Toronto's rally in the 9th inning fell one run short. They were not able to bring across the tying run, failing to cash in with a bases loaded opportunity and just one out.

Blow Jay Ryan sucks. The mysterious "injury" he suffered in April, was, in my view, a complete fabrication. The team just wanted him to have some time off because he is awful. After tonight, the team gas can has outdone himself, proving that he still is a complete waste of space.

Easy prediction; Rios grounds into double play

I have to be considered a total genius after tonight's ball game in Atlanta. With the Jays down 4-2 in the 8th inning, and Aaron Hill on first base, the "big" hitter in Toronto's lineup came up to the dish, representing the tying run.

Why am I a genius? Because I predicted that Alex Rios would end the inning by grounding into a double play off of Braves reliever Peter Moylan (who?????????) Of course I was correct, the gigantic bum Rios did just that.

Who would have predicted that? I mean, Rios is an absolute stud. The guy is the greatest clutch hitter in major league baseball history. He's had so many game winning hits that you can't remember them all. Between him and Vernon Wells (the original Mr. Awesome) you have to admire the resolve and big time hitting they consistently produce.

Rios and Wells could have tied the ball game last night in the 9th, with the Jays down a run. They didn't. Tonight, they continued to be absolute crap. Good job.

It's saying something when lead-off hitter Marco Scutaro has more RBI then those two piles of goo. They're awful.

Janssen solid in return

In his first start since the 2006 season, Casey Janssen looked pretty solid against the Braves. He went 6 innings, giving up just three runs. Unfortunately, because the Blue Jays offense is awful right now, he is currently in line to lose the ball game.

The only thing that Janssen didn't do well was hold a lead he was given in the 3rd inning. As I've mentioned before, when a pitcher is given a lead and then coughs that up the following inning, that totally demoralizes a ball club. Janssen surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the 3rd frame, and then gave up an additional run in the 4th.

The batter that gave Janssen the biggest fit was Braves starter Derek Lowe! He had two hits off Janssen, getting the rally started in the 3rd (scoring a run), then hitting the go ahead RBI single in the 4th.

Overall, however, the Jays have to be happy with Janssen in his return. Had his offense been anything other then pathetic, he might have won his first game back.

Janssen returns tonight for first time since '07

It has seemed like an eternity since Casey Janssen last pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays. In fact, it has been. Janssen hasn't pitched in a regular season game in over 600 days, and has not started a game since way back in 2006. Janssen returns to the starting rotation tonight against the Atlanta Braves.

It's been a long road back from injury for the 27 year old. In spring 2008, he suffered a torn labrum, missing the entire campaign. Just when he was destined to break camp and head north this year, he felt tightness in his back below his shoulder, causing another set back. In five minor league starts since rehab, he has given up just 2 runs in 23 and 2/3 innings, for a sensational ERA of 0.76.

The timing couldn't be better for his return. He did a very good job as a rookie starter in 2006 before tailing off a bit toward the end of the season, and was phenomenal as Toronto's set-up man in 2007, so to Janssen back in the fold will be a welcome addition for an already stout pitching staff.

Pinch hitting for Roy Halladay backfires

Roy Halladay was his typical dominant self against the Braves last night, carving up the Atlanta order through 7 innings without giving up a single run. He could have lasted longer, but was pinch hit for in the top of the 8th inning because the Jays had a runner in scoring position and were looking to break the 0-0 deadlock. The move backfired, as recent call-up Joe Inglett, pinch hitting for Halladay, struck out. Jesse Carlson came in to pitch in the bottom of the frame, and screwed over the Jays once again, giving up the lone run the Braves needed.

It's unbelievable that Halladay doesn't get the win because we made Kenshin Kawakami look like Cy Young! Coming into the game he was 2-5 with an 5.73 ERA, and hadn't lasted longer then 6 innings in his major league career. Of course, he managed to stifle our ice cold bats and came out with the victory. Incredibly, with Doc not factoring into the win or loss, that ended a string of 26 starts in which he had posted a decision, 20 of which were W's.

Should Cito Gaston pinch hit for Halladay? Ya, it was the right thing to do, because we were going for the win. Hindsight is 20-20, but man does it sting now knowing we lost because of it. Alex Rios and Vernon Wells had a chance to tie the game with a base hit in the 9th, but they failed, of course.