So Scott Downs pitched yesterday. He also threw on Monday. I figured I could chart his pitches for that game against the Yankees like Matthew Rauseo did for John Patterson's August 19th start at BaseballAnalysis.com. However, TSN televised the game with their standard practice of not showing pitch speeds, so I went with Plan B in that article.

Maybe we do.

On the bright side, Dustin McGowan held the Indians to just three runs in the first inning. (Updated, 11:15 P.M.)

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.

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.

Maybe it is better to suffer from what one knew than to expose oneself to new suffering. – Emile Zola.

Strange as it may seem, Zola was no pessimist. Or at least I don't think he was a pessimist. Now, Blue Jays fans in the last few years: they have a right to be a bit pessimistic about their bullpen, though this year's version has been fairly reliable. So maybe pessimistic is too strong. Lugubrious? Nah, too bombastic. Wait, here's the word, especially after last night's misery: pissed.

What to discuss, what to discuss... Well, you cannot, by definition, have a positive discussion about the offense when the team does not score a run (and nobody has more than one hit), so that leaves the pitchers.

I have nothing against Pete Walker -- sources indicate he's great at ogling the Queen with Jeff Tam in unaired 2003 commercials -- but his ERA wasn't going to stay at 2.66 all year. (Nor will it stay at 3.12.) This wasn't a surprise. Scott "Schotime" Schoeneweis has a fun last name, but he faced just two batters. Vinnie Chulk didn't have three inherited runners to strand, so he was fairly unmemorable.

You have to love any Blue Jays game where the best part of it all was the losing pitcher. And he is the focus of today's Game Report. Sort of...

Well that was no fun.

That must have been painful to watch.

We've rounded the three-quarter turn, and we can see the finish line up ahead. Still a fair bit of ground to cover, and still some obstacles along the way. Let's see what they are.

What, you think I want to rehash last night's game? Bush was bad, League was worse. There ya go.

No game report today, but Blue Jay fans are feeling good with their team having won 7 of their last 9 contests, including 2 of 3 in their latest series with the American League West front-running Angels of Anaheim in Los Angeles, South of San Francisco, California, United States of America. The Angels were glad to see the Jays leave town after getting an up-close look at the Fighting Jay spirit, and celebrated by stomping the Boston Red Sox 13 - 4 last night. That left the Jays 6-1/2 back of the first place Sox in the American League East. The New York Yankees occupy second, 2-1/2 games up on the Jays. Toronto is only 4 back of Oakland in the American League Wild Card standings, but have 3 additional teams they must trample in their quest to wrest that Card from the A’s – Minnesota, Cleveland, and those vile Yankees.

Frantic, Alice searched her pockets. 'It must be in here somewhere,' she thought to herself. 'I placed it here not half an hour ago.' Her kitten Dinah nuzzled her ankle, but Alice kicked her away in a fit of frustration. Startled, Dinah darted under a bush, the leaves rustling after the feline in a most familiar way.

Her pocket-bound quarry forgotten, Alice called after the truant feline. 'O! I'm sorry, kitten! Please, come back! I'll put out a saucer of milk for you, and then we'll have tea, and when you grow up, you can have crumpets with me!' (Alice believed that kittens grew up to eat all manner of pastries, as she had once mis-heard her father saying 'Let cats eat cake.') 'Please, do return, Dinah!'

Another Pinch-Hit Game Report from Elijah, our Angelino Bauxite who had the added advantage of attending in person last night's ballgame in Anaheim. From Francisco Rodriguez's wildness to Chavez Ravine beach ball mythology, here's today's Batter's Box Game Report.

Very little pre-amble here. It's 2:31 am and I'm tired. So, let's get right to it.

I decided to research the performances of the American League closers, after some debate on the weekend when Miguel Batista nearly blew a save. Bauxites had varying opinions on his performance; this shall attempt to answer the questions. Enjoy!

Fresh off his recent Jamie Campbell-approved Trading Deadline Roundtable...once again, here's everyone's favourite Sicilian Cheer Clubber, Jobu.

Unless you're a Jays fan, of course. Then you might want to forget him.

Orioles 1, Jays 0