Stud Tampa hurler Matt Garza has tossed the 2010 season's fifth no-hitter. Better yet, it was almost the stunning season's fifth AND sixth no-hitters as Detroit starter Max Scherzer carried his own half of a potential double no-no into the seventh inning as well.

Details.

The Jays bullpen did not have a fantastic Sunday, and defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory in the second half of a twin bill. It would have given the Jays a 3-game winning streak and put them at 7-3 to finish their road jaunt. With the Orioles coming to town the Jays could have run their streak to six games before getting the Indians, who have been playing better as of late (and have given the Jays trouble to boot all season) but still aren't very good. So maybe the Jays would have been 12-4 coming out of the All-Star break before a difficult stretch that includes 12 straight against the Beasts of the East, an Oakland/Anaheim west coast swing, and then the Sox and Yanks again. And if they could hold their own there, then have a good September, then maybe they had an outside shot at the playoffs...

Ok, so none of that seems particularly likely, and let's face it, the Jays are going to miss the playoffs for the umpteenth straight time. Despite all this though it still seems, well, like an exciting time to be a Jays fan. There's a lot happening right now.

As longtime readers may have noticed, I am enamored with batter-pitcher match-ups. I take them seriously, I believe in them absolutely.

Over the course of the first three innings of their game against the Las Vegas 51s, the Portland Beavers scored as many runs as all six Jays affiliates combined on Sunday.

Overall the farm was not bad on Saturday.  2 losses and 5 wins with an outstanding day by third baseman Mark Sobolewski – 5 for 7, 2 doubles, two home runs and 7 RBIs.  The long ball blessed the 51s with Arencibia and Wallace each belting one, and producing 6 RBIs.

The Toronto Blue Jays were rained out in Detroit Friday night so that game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday with game times of 1:05 and 6:05 in the post meridian.  We look west for our topic of the night where emotions ran a little high in the Mariners dugout during their 2-1 loss to Boston at Safeco Field.

Pitching was the name of the game Friday, the Jays pitchers had a one hitter, a two hitter and a three hitter as the affiliates recorded four wins in five games.  Four Lansing pitchers combined on a one hitter.  Lansing themselves had only four hits but two of them were round trippers.  The GCL Jays had three pitchers combine on a two hitter.  The Jays had only five hits but one of them was a three run home run by Michael Crouse.  Three Fisher Cat hurlers combined on a three hitter and the hitters took it from there.  Auburn won a slug fest while Las Vegas lost despite a big night from Brett Wallace.

Dunedin and the DSL Jays were rained out.

Travis Snider had another monster of a game while Kyle Drabek didn't do so bad himself either. The whole thing shook out in a 3-3 night, and there were a couple of interesting performances.

We'll put it back together, raise up a giant ladder, with love and trust and friends and hammers, this summer. We're gonna lean this ladder up against the water tower, climb to the top and drink and talk, this summer.

One and Five: What a Wednesday on the farm, seventeen innings but  no cigar for Dunedin.  A Lugnut “W” and  “Ls” for the GCL Jays, New Hampshire and Las Vegas.  Our boys were outhit 62-46 and it showed.

The Jays ran into the good Zack Greinke and lost their series with the Royals.

We all know that prospect development in baseball is an uncertain and rocky process.  First round picks flame out and never make it to the major leagues.  Twentieth round picks or similar undrafted longshots do make it from time to time.  There is a saying in baseball development that in any year one third of your prospects will improve, one third will fall back and one third will stagnate. 

Last year was not a good one for the Blue Jays under this measure.  Approx one half of Jays prospects fell back last season while only about one sixth jumped ahead.  That might be why the Jays now have a new farm director and a new scouting director, not to mention a new GM.

So how are the Jays prospects doing in 2010?  Let's start with the Jays top 30 prospects for 2009, as selected by Batters Box.  We will also include the players obtained in the Halladay trade. 

The bats got the job done for three wins south of the border while the pitching down in the Dominican led to another victory on a 4-2 night for the affiliates.

Do you know what today is? Besides two days before the always highly-anticipated Pi Approximation Day (22/7)? Well, the trade deadline is coming up soon, but most of the Jays' trade assets are still with the team. Therefore, I declare today Wild Trade Speculation Day!!!!

Ooh, "The Emausculator". Can we start using that? (Sorry, I'm just feeling a little left out after Jordan Bastian came up with the Yunel Bomber tonight on Twitter. Genius.) Anyway, Monday night's games featured some bottom-of-the-ninth drama, and the affiliates came out with a 3-3 night, though if you count the DSL things tip in our favour.