The Jays lost for the third time in four games and with a twelve game deficit and all of the injuries, you wonder how much longer the Jays can stay where they’re at before throwing in the towel. The Red Sox had that small blip where the looked vulnerable and Curt Schilling being out hurts them, but time is definitely not on the Jays side.
Where the heck has Vernon Wells gone? I know he’s had seasons like this before but a .686 OPS is not what we’re paying this guy big bucks for. At the end of the day, a good season by Wells may mean nothing but the poor performance is pretty discouraging and with the big pay check he’s getting, he may become a poster child for the Jays poor season.
On the other hand, Alex Rios has established himself as a bonafide star. He leads the Jays in most offensive categories and he’s almost right at a career high in homeruns. With an effective Wells, Rios and Wells provide a nice one-two punch with Frank Thomas providing another solid bat for this team.
Of course, once you get past Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett the pitching thins out pretty quickley. And of course A.J. Burnett is on the shelf again. Of course one pleasant surprise has been the bullpen. Guys like Casey Janssen, Brian Tallet and Scott Downs have all had nice seasons and it makes the money that the Jays threw at B.J. Ryan look kind of silly.
Next up is three against the Rockies, who just got done sweeping the Yankees. The next few weeks are pretty important for the Jays. If they can put a little dent into the Red Sox lead, it might be something to build on. If they slide a bit and they’re fifteen down, it may be time to start looking at 2008.
