Smell you later - Clayton gets DFAed

The AP (via Globesports.com) reports that the Jays will designate Royce Clayton for assignment. Not today mind you...but tomorrow, just before the game against Texas.

So much for that experiment.

Heartbreak

Such a shame to squander such a fine pitching performance from Shaun Marcum, who dropped his season ERA to 3.18 with his eight innings of six-hit, one-run ball.

And was it just us, or did Wells pull back a bit on that catch in the bottom of the 12th to avoid colliding with Royce Clayton? (We watched the play about ten times on the PVR last night, and it looked that way to us.) Maybe we just need a whipping boy (someone to despise) and Clayton is an easy target.

Of course, Clayton didn't strike out 15 times last night by himself.

Bonus Coverage: Neate at Out of Left Field lays this loss at the feet of the other favorite whipping boy, John Gibbons. It did seem to us that he was shortening up his bullpen a bit much, but we wrote it off as managing for a road win in extras. Whatever...anything to get the Fire Gibbons train back on the rails is fine by us.

Speculation in lieu of actual trade rumours

We've been dying for some half-decent trade rumours. We're frankly sick of the Glaus to the Los Angeles Whoevers or Whatevers, because that's old news, and it ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

So our eyes perked up a bit when we saw Dave over at JaysNest float this one:

"What would you say if Pittsburgh Pirates SS Jack Wilson was a Blue Jay? He is said to be on the trading block and if my memory serves me well, a deal was in the works a few years ago at the trade deadline, but it just didn’t get done."

We'd say: Wilson is so dreadful, he'd barely represent an upgrade over what the Jays have at short now. Compare the OPS for this year and for their careers:

• Wilson: .670 this year, .674 career
• McDonald: .712, .601 career
• Clayton: .618, .671 career
  

Wilson's recent benching in favour of Jose Castillo is being interpreted in Pittsburgh as evidence that a trade is imminent. However, at $5.4 million, he's the highest paid member of the Pirates. And that is not a reflection of his actual worth so much as it is a reflection on what a messed up franchise the Pirates are.

God willing, J.P. passes on this clunker.

The Marathon Men: Jays Win In Thirteen Innings

Before last night's game, we discussed Tomo Ohka's return to the rotation and how he had hoped to get real run support when he signed with the Jays. Well, he got it last night. By the time he left in the eighth, the Jays had scored 7 runs on 3 HRs leaving the rock solid bullpen combo of Janssen/Accardo with a Cadillac Comfortable 7-2 lead. Happy ending for Ohka right?

Add bullpen meltdown as a tag to the right hand column. Janssen came in and got jacked by Michael Cuddyer for two runs in the eighth. In the ninth Jeremy Accardo had his run-free innings streak snapped big time by a Twins team that put on a batting clinic resulting in a tie game. And the marathon began.

Brian Tallet was the pitching star last night. The gangly left hander pitched 2.2 innings of no hit baseball to allow the Jays offense the time to squeeze out the victory in the 13th on an RBI single by Lyle Overbay.

Highlights:

• "Is it safe?" The play of the night was our pal Sal Fasano's blocking of the plate to get Michael Cuddyer out at home in the fifth. He forced Cuddyer to slide past the plate without tagging and then darted towards him once he had stopped to get the out.


• Homer Dome indeed. The Jays (Overbay, Stairs, Clayton, and Rios) slugged 4 HRs in last nights game. Highest total this year.


• Manny? Matt Stairs' play in left field reminds us of another guy who often gets little respect for his defense. Like Manny, his arm sometimes makes up for his lack of agility. For the second time this week, Stairs recovered from fumbling the ball by nailing a baserunner trying to take advantage of the situation. We'd like to think that he does that on purpose.


• Rios and Stairs are red hot right now. Take note of that Gibby. No more riding the pine for Rios.


• Hard as Ohka. Tomo Ohka pitched a gutsy game last night and gave the team every opportunity to win. He was cheated.
• Defense with a capital D. John MacDonald's stellar double play at 3rd base in the late innings yesterday made our collective jaws drop. He can stick around.