Royals 2, Jays 0 as Roy Halladay comes out on the wrong end of a shutout for a change.

Shaun Marcum rights himself and the Jays take the all-important first game of the series.

That didn't quite go according to plan.

The calm after the storm sees the Jays top the A’s in unremarkable fashion.

When it rains, it pours.

You...you're kidding, right?

Kris Benson did it again, but alas, Scott Downs didn't. At the intersection of these two unfortunate events was an uninspiring, writer's block-inducing 7-2 loss that puts the Jays squarely between Daniel Cabrera and a hard place.

We have all said our piece about the Hinske trade, and they did play a ballgame last night in Tampa we could talk about. Facing Scott Kazmir, the Jays smartly decided to work counts and find their way into the yummy Tampa bullpen. It worked.

After an off-day, the Jays continue the road trip with three games in Tampa Bay and three in Baltimore. Meanwhile, things are tightening up in the other league.

Attempting to prick their Wild Card bubble
Making a Twin hit into a double
Words that, to Twins fans, are nothing but trouble
McDonald to Hill to Overbay

The beat goes on.

Jays win 5-0.

Jays win the businessman's special.

A bullpen implosion makes short work of a strong outing from a rookie starter.

That's more like it