Whether or not you can jump a freight train, it is a sure thing that rain, early morning or otherwise, will disrupt a pitching staff. It happened to the big club in Cleveland, and the farm affiliates were not immune to Mother Nature's power on a 1-3 day on Saturday.

You really think they like to rock in space?
Well I don't know
What do you know?
What do you hear?

Not only is Pete Walker's name in that headline, it also describes what Ted Lilly did last night.

Friday the thirteenth saw some ugly plays in Syracuse, and the affiliates went 1-3. New Hampshire had the only win while Kurt Isenberg pitched well in a losing cause for Dunedin.

Haven't we seen this movie before?

So Roy "Doc" Halladay is set to go for the Jays tomorrow against the Indians.

A great nickname like Doc's can spur an entire Hall of Names feature all on its own, but when you add in the fact that it's also been my nickname on and off for 20 years (given my initials, M.D. and the fact that my last name is pronounced "Dockerty in some places), and toss in the additional nugget that I changed jobs this week and now am full-time in the healthcare industry, well, this seems like a natural.

There' have been plenty of major league players nicknamed "Doc." And plenty more with the initials "M.D." But when those two groups go shinguard-to-stethescope, who comes out ahead? Let's find out.

Ted Lilly and Scott Elarton? Maybe not. Ted Lilly and Jake Westbrook, ladies and gents. They crossed me up.

The Jays travel to Cleveland to face a club with a struggling offence, particularly against lefthanded pitching. It might be just the tonic for Ted Lilly.

That said, Cleveland features several hitters on the cusp of breaking out, two solid starting pitchers and a very steady bullpen. It should make for an exciting and well-matched three-game set.

This week's Scout features an antsy young catcher, a faltering postseason hero and a middle infielder who's rather candid in his self-assessment.

On to the Advance Scout!

So it's a little late, but here's a desktop-sized image of the newly refurbished Rogers Centre, as seen from behind home plate, as the team streams off the field after their victory over Kansas City on Tuesday night:

Syracuse wins in extras; Lansing lose early, and late:; and Dunedin go cruising. MacDonald, Thigpen and Griffin are your stars du jour.

And after every plan had failed
And there was nothing more to tell,
You knew that we would meet again,
If your memory served you well.

The Jays had a day off yesterday, but welcomed a new member to their bullpen, Scott Downs. And just in the nick of time for this 3rd installment of the bullpen report. If that hadn't happened, I would have resorted to the Friday the 13th Fake Game Report.

You know the one. The War of the Worlds, the Clash of Pretenders. The Las Vegas Aliens of Caesar's Palace ("Working for the Clampdown since before you were born") vs. The New York Yankees ("It's a thin line between superstar and superannuated"). Believe me, you should be thanking Scott Downs for saving you.

In honor of his brain-breaking 3000+ word Game Report, here's a picture of Magpie, hard at work. See if you can find him:

"April review!" you wonder, "but Ryan, aren't we almost halfway through May already?" Well, yes. Yes we are. Any more questions?

The only team that won last night was the only team with John Hattig. Count the ring!