How Did This Happen?

It's over. Pack it in. The Jays in the AL East are now closer to the last place Orioles than to the third place Rays. They have dropped below .500 for the first time this season and Roy Halladay is starting to look, well, human.

After a torrid start we were talking about playoffs and magic numbers. Now we have to count down the games until the season's over.

Why the pessimism? Well, firstly look at the teams directly ahead of us: the Rays, the defending Al Champs, the Yankees and the Red Sox. None of these teams are going to suddenly free fall, let alone all three of them. At one point this year the Jays were tied for first in the majors with a record of 27-14. Since then they have gone 16-30. Why? Injuries, inexperience, bad luck and of course Vernon. I'll still watch them or listen to them on the radio but all my hopes for playoffs have vanished. Eventually I will cheer up. After all there's always next year.

How Sweep it is

First Sweep. First in the American League. The first test against a divisional rival went well for the Jays. That being said it was against the worst team in the division and the only team in the AL East that has no chance for the playoffs. They also had to win the second game the hard way, forcing extra innings due to Aaron Hill, first an error then his homer, and then having Hill get the game-winning RBI as well. Nevertheless, the Jays still won all three games and their Magic Number to clinch a playoff spot is now 135. The tough tests against the Yankees and Red Sox are coming this month but this is not the end of the road for the Jays as many are claiming. Last year the only team in the East the Jays lost the season series to was the Rays, finishing 7-11 against them. They split the series against both the Yankees and Red Sox going 9-9 respectively and dominated the Orioles going 12-6. The Pennant is coming.