SEATTLE -- I'm always on the lookout for signs of the apocalypse. Buying t-shirts on CNN.com with your favorite headlines comes to mind. Check out this beauty to the right.

Another sign that we might be nearing the end is the cheeseburger-in-a-plastic-bag meal offered to me on my Continental flight from Toronto to Seattle. Talk about yuck. Nooooo thank you. I sat out and opted to buy some fruit when I landed in the land of Starbucks. The dude sitting next to me wolfed down two of those suckers, stinking up my row in the process.

But I digress...I'm here and so are the Blue Jays and we're all in one of the greatest cities in the U.S. of A. As far as road cities go (and I exclude Chicago because that's where I be from), Seattle is in a dogfight with San Francisco for my second favorite stop. Boston is my favorite hands down. New York is New York, but for my tastes, it slides in at No. 4.

Speaking of New York (I'm just chalk full of tangents today -- must be the jetlag), Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston would love for his club to reach the .500 mark by the time the All-Star game at Yankee Stadium rolls around. So, that means Toronto needs an 8-4 record over the next 12 to meet that goal.

With three here against last-place Seattle and another three against Baltimore, mixed between series against the first-place Angels and the resurgent Yankees, an 8-4 record might -- might -- be attainable. Honestly, I don't think the Jays will do it, seeing as that's the equivalent of winning each of the next four series. We'll see.

I also think it's a bit early to start heralding Cito and his boys as the team saviors. So far, the Jays have gone 5-4 under Gaston, flashing a much-improved offense against three National League opponents. I want to see if the offense we've been seeing more of lately holds up against teams like the Angels of the AL East.

Gaston downplayed the fact that his team has faced lesser opponents so far.

"All these teams have Major League Baseball players. To me, any given night you can be beat by anyone. Any given day you can be beaten. I know that [the American League is] supposed to be better than Cincinnati and better than the Braves, but I just think they're all big-league teams. You've got to take them one by one and it can happen, teams go through bad times. After the All-Star break, it's a new day too. I don't see it [as facing lighter competition], I just see them as Major League players -- all of them. Otherwise, they wouldn't be here. There are tougher teams [ahead], but we'll just take it one day at a time."

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (37-42) at SEATTLE (31-50)
at 10:10 p.m. ET at lovely Safeco Field

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, LF

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay (8-6, 3.12)

MARINERS
Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Jose Lopez, 2B
Raul Ibanez, LF
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Jeremy Reed, CF
Richie Sexson, 1B
Jeff Clement, DH
Kenji Johjima, C
Willie Bloomquist, SS

PITCHING: RHP R.A. Dickey (2-3, 4.79)

TORONTO -- In honor of Cito Gaston's favorite lineup, which is making an unprecedented (this season at least) fourth appearance in a row, I'm going to forget all about the importance of sample sizes and provide you a glimpse of what this local nine has done since Gaston took over the manager's chair a week ago:

1. Marco Scutaro, SS: .320/.414/.320, 2 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB
2. Joe Inglett, 2B: .471/.571/.706, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB
3. Alex Rios, RF: .429/.448/.714, HR, 5 2B, 2 RBI, 5 R, BB
4. Vernon Wells, CF: .308/.310/.346, 2B, 5 RBI, 5 R
5. Matt Stairs, DH: .333/.462/.444, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB
6. Scott Rolen, 3B: .273/.429/.773, 3 HR, 2 2B, 9 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB
7. Lyle Overbay, 1B: .320/.370/.400, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB
8. Gregg Zaun, C: .188/.316/.375, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB
9. Adam Lind, LF: .357/.438/.786, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB

TEAM TOTALS: .306/.385/.475, 8 HR, 13 2B, 37 R, 25 BB, 28 K

Man, if only Gibby would've found this lineup among the 60-odd combinations he tried. Granted, Jays fans shouldn't start crying playoffs until there's a sample size large enough to call a trend, and rolling this lineup against some American League foes will be a better test as well.

So it's far too early to start annointing Cito and Gene Tenace and their revolutionary "see ball, hit ball" approach as the saviors of this season. There's a loooong way to go yet. Gaston would like to simply reach .500 before the All-Star break. For those counting at home, the Jays need to go 10-5 over the next 15 games to reach that goal.

Today's lineups:

ATLANTA (39-41) at TORONTO (38-42)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

BRAVES
Gregor Blanco, CF
Ruben Gotay, 3B
Kelly Johnson, 2B
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Brian McCann, C
Greg Norton, DH
Jeff Francoeur, RF
Brandon Jones, LF
Brent Lillibridge, SS

PITCHING: RHP Jair Jurrjens (7-3, 3.20)

BLUE JAYS
See Above.

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan (6-5, 4.21)

...well, you know the rest of the saying. I can't help but post about the NBA Draft today. Those of you who read regularly know I'm a big Bulls fan, seeing as I grew up in Chicago.

So today the Bulls had the No. 1 pick and decided to go with the hometown special, picking Chicago's own Derrick Rose. Here's hoping it works out better than Eddy Curry in 2001.

I was kind of hoping the Bulls would go after Michael Beasley out of Kansas State. I thought he was a better fit, personally, and I don't usually like sticking with the hometown fave. No doubt, Rose is solid. I just hope this isn't a Jason Williams redux -- he was supposed to be the next big point guard, too. Granted, his motorcycle had more to do with derailing that prospect than anything else.

Kudos to the Raptors for pulling off the Jermaine O'Neal trade. If healthy, he and Bosh should be quite the tandem. I followed the Raps some up here this past season and even got out to a couple games at the ACC -- once to see if Dwight Howard's arms are actually as big as they appear on TV and once to see if the Bulls were really as bad as I was reading. Yes, and yes.

Oh, yeah, baseball. Jays are up, 7-1...

TORONTO -- The same lineup three games in a row? Is that legal? It sure didn't seem it when John Gibbons was running the show. Then again, the offense was doing zilch when Gibby was around and he kept trying to find the right mix. Cito Gaston has had -- what those things called, runs? -- so he keeps rolling out the same order.

Yeah, yeah, bases loaded no outs, no runs. 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Loss. All on Wednesday night. But, shoot, five runs in a loss was almost unheard of earlier this year -- let alone another game that included more than one homer. I mean, one homer has been hard to come by for the Jays.

Gaston said he likes what Voodoo? Mighty? Joltin'? Joe Inglett has been doing out of the No. 2 spot so he's kept him there. Inglett's showing has helped convince Gaston to keep Marco Scutaro at short. But, Scutaro's play has also kept him in the mix, too. Gaston said he still plans on getting David Eckstein back in there soon.

Cito said he might've switched the order up some tonight, but he didn't think it was fair for the guys who have been sitting to have to come in and face Edinson Volquez right out of the gates. So, same lineup it is. Two more times, and this will be tied for the most used lineup of the season.

Oh, and in case any of you have been out of the loop, John Parrish is starting for the Jays on Saturday. It was officially announced today, even though we've been writing it for a few days now. With the Triple-A Chiefs, the 30-year-old lefty has gone 10-1 with a 2.74 ERA, 90 strikeouts and 35 walks in 82 innings. Not too shabby.

Today's lineups:

CINCINNATI (36-42) at TORONTO (37-42)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

REDS
Jerry Hairston, SS
Adam Dunn, LF
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Ken Griffey Jr., DH
Joey Votto, 1B
Jeff Keppinger, 3B
Jay Bruce, RF
Corey Patterson, CF
Paul Bako, C

PITCHING: RHP Edinson Volquez (10-1, 1.71)

BLUE JAYS
Marco Scutaro, SS
Joe Inglett, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Gregg Zaun, C
Adam Lind, LF

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch (7-4, 4.06)

TORONTO -- Cito Gaston has received plenty of congratulatory phone calls since assuming the manager's chair for the Jays on Friday. On Wednesday, he ran through a list of some of his callers: George Bell, Leo Mazzone, Cecil Fielder, Mel Queen and, wouldn't you know it, Frank Thomas.

"Every day I get here I say I'm going to call some of them back, but I've just been so busy," Gaston said.

When he's not weeding through his voicemail, Gaston is also having visitors drop by the stadium. One Joe Carter ducked his head into the manager's office after the game last night and Gaston's face lit up. Before Tuesday's game, Gaston also spent a couple hours with former Jays prez Paul Beeston.

Gaston also noted that Toronto second baseman Aaron Hill, who is out indefinitely with a concussion and has been instructed to stay away from the team for two weeks (as to avoid wanting to take part in baseball activities), dropped by the ballpark to say hi to his new skipper.

"Aaron came by to see me today," Gaston said. "He's anxious to get back in the lineup. I told him that we'd love to have him back in the lineup, but we want him back healthy. It's not about today, it's about the rest of his life and his future. They're starting to take those things a little more seriously than they used to and I think they should."

Hill was clocked in the side of the face on May 29 by a David Eckstein elbow and has been dealing with post-concussion symptoms ever since. As Gaston noted in that last quote, concussions weren't treated with nearly as much care as they are nowadays.

"I got one right here," said Gaston, pointing to his left cheek -- nearly the same spot Hill was drilled. "And I was in the lineup the next day. I guess they hit me in the right place. Back then, it was, 'How do you feel?' 'I feel good.' 'Where are you?' 'I don't know, but I can play.'"

Gaston was then asked if he remembered who hit him.

"Oh, no, it was too long ago," he said with a laugh. "See? And I said it didn't affect me, right?"

Today's lineups:

CINCINNATI (35-42) at TORONTO (37-41)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

REDS
Jay Bruce, RF
Adam Dunn, LF
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Ken Griffey Jr., DH
Joey Votto, 1B
Jeff Keppinger, SS
Corey Patterson, CF
Javier Valentin, 3B
David Ross, C

PITCHING: RHP Aaron Harang (3-10, 4.33)

BLUE JAYS
Marco Scutaro, SS
Joe Inglett, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Gregg Zaun, C
Adam Lind, LF

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay (8-6, 2.90)

QUOTABLE: "Last night he came in and he sat down and I said, 'Worn out, huh?' He said, 'A little bit.' But I said, 'Keep it up.' We want him to be worn out. It was a good night for him last night -- a good night for all of us." -- Gaston, on third-base coach Nick Leyva and Toronto's 14-run, 22-hit win on Tuesday

TORONTO -- So it's the sixth inning and I'm blogging now, so sue me. Honestly, I was so dumbfounded by the fact that the Blue Jays were scoring 11 runs over the first two innings that I complete forgot about hopping on here. Ah, well. Better late than never.

With the Reds in town, Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi couldn't escape questions about the recent controversy involving him and the Cincy slugger. As you probably know by now, Ricciardi made some comments last week during his weekly radio show, saying Dunn "lacked a passion for the game." Dunn wasn't happy.

On Tuesday, Ricciardi had this to say:

"I talked to Adam on Saturday, so I see it as a dead issue. I don't know if he [accepted it] or if he didn't, but I apologized. Actually, he called me. I tried to get his phone, but I wasn't having any luck. So he called me and I told him I made a mistake. I apologized. I let my guard down, which I shouldn't have done, but I did. That's all I can do is apologize."

Upon hearing that, Dunn said that phone conversation never took place. Caught up with Ricciardi up here in the pressbox later and he stuck by his story, insisting that he spoke with someone on Saturday who claimed to be Dunn. Ricciardi was at a loss, "All I know is the person I talked to said it was Adam Dunn. That's quite a prank to pull."

Somebody's fibbing, but honestly, it's reached the "Who cares?" realm, in my book. Ricciardi said what he said, he issued an apology either indirectly or directly to Dunn, Dunn didn't reall sound like he accepted the apology, and let's move on. Dunn's not coming to Toronto.

Oh, yeah, it was Cito Gaston's first appearance at the Rogers Centre since taking over as the manager. The fans responded with loud chants of "Cito! Gaston!" in the fifth inning.

Today's lineups:

CINCINNATI (35-41) at TORONTO (36-41)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

REDS
Norris Hopper, CF
Adam Dunn, LF
Ken Griffey Jr., DH
Brandon Phillips, 2B
Joey Votto, 1B
Jeff Keppinger, 3B
Jay Bruce, RF
Paul Janish, SS
Paul Bako, C

PITCHING: RHP Bronson Arroyo

BLUE JAYS
Marco Scutaro, SS
Joe Inglett, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Matt Stairs, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Gregg Zaun, C
Adam Lind, LF

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett

NOTES: RHP Shaun Marcum (right elbow) is due to resume throwing on Saturday and Ricciardi said the pitcher will likely be out until after the All-Star Game. ... Ricciardi again said there's no timetable for the return of 2B Aaron Hill (concussion). ... Ricciardi noted that LHP John Parrish is the "front-runner" for Saturday's start against the Braves. ... Former hitting coach Gary Denbo has been offered a job as Toronto's roving Minor League hitting instructor. ... Gaston indicated that shortstop is the one position he's still trying to sort out the playing time for. Scutaro has started at short the past two games.

PITTSBURGH -- It goes without saying that the coaches who were recently let go by the Blue Jays aren't happy, and know that the coaches who survived the firings aren't all pleased with everything that's gone on around the team either.

This was a tough weekend for a lot of people around the Jays camp.

The coaches who are still with the club -- pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, bench coach Brian Butterfield and bullpen coach Bruce Walton -- are each only signed through this year and it's an open question whether they may consider their options at the end of the season in light of the recent developments.

Former first-base coach and long-time Toronto coach/player Ernie Whitt is the first of the fired coaches to air his thoughts. Here's some of what he told the Toronto Sun in a story by Bob Elliott in today's paper:

"The word 'disappointment' doesn't fit. The word 'shock' doesn't accurately describe how I feel.

"I understand that, when a team is not performing, the manager's job is on the line. When we're not hitting, the hitting instructor's job is on the line. Usually, if the manager is fired, the bench takes over or the bench coach is fired. This is difficult to accept or to understand.

"J.P. Ricciardi wanted me to quit last year by re-assigning me. He has wanted to get rid of me for a while. All the time I was there, he never once asked my opinion. Gibbons would, as a game would unfold.

"I thought I had people in my corner. I go back a long way with Paul Godfrey, with people close to the team like Herb Solway and Paul Beeston. ... I'm beyond angry, I'm beyond shock. I am trying to take the high road, but if I did something wrong, I wish they'd have explained it to me.

"I thought giving my loyalty and passion to the game, the city of Toronto, the Jays fans and this organization meant something. The love I have for this organization, my God, and all of a sudden it has been pulled away. That's the biggest disappointment. The best answer I can come up with is they thought it was a good time to get rid of me.

"I still feel I'm the best manager Toronto has never hired."

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (35-41) at PITTSBURGH (36-39)
at 1:35 p.m. ET at PNC PARK

BLUE JAYS
Marco Scutaro, SS
Joe Inglett, 2B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Scott Rolen, 3B
Gregg Zaun, C
Adam Lind, LF
Dustin McGowan, P

PIRATES
Luis Rivas, 2B
Jack Wilson, SS
Nate McLouth, CF
Jason Bay, LF
Adam LaRoche, 1B
Jason Michaels, RF
Jose Bautista, 3B
Raul Chavez, C
Ian Snell, P

PITTSBURGH -- Jays right-hander Shaun Marcum has been placed on the 15-day DL with a an injury to his throwing elbow and he's currently in Florida seeing team doctor Steve Mirabello. Marcum is scheduled to see renowned arm specialist Dr. James Andrews in the next few days.

Blue Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said Marcum has been dealing with some minor discomfort in his arm for the past few weeks, but the pitcher didn't indicate that he felt bad enough to skip a start. The Jays finally decided that Marcum should be checked out after the pain persisted.

Replacing Marcum on the roster is outfielder Adam Lind, who was called up from Triple-A Syracuse. He was sitting next to Chip Cannon win the third inning of a game on Friday night when the manager delivered the news saying, "You're going to first," to Cannon and then "You're going to Pittsburgh" to Lind. "I was shocked," Lind said.

Jays ace Roy Halladay was fine a day after being struck in the head with a line drive. He underwent a CAT scan on Friday night and everything came up clear. Halladay is going to start as planned on Wednesday. The Jays will need to call up a starter to fill in for Marcum on Saturday.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (35-40) at PITTSBURGH (35-39)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at PNC PARK

BLUE JAYS
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Alex Rios, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Rod Barajas, C
Kevin Mench, LF
David Eckstein, SS
Jesse Litsch, P

PIRATES
Jack Wilson, SS
Freddy Sanchez, 2B
Nate McLouth, CF
Jason Bay, LF
Adam LaRoche, 1B
Doug Mientkiewicz, RF
Jose Bautista, 3B
Raul Chavez, C
Paul Maholm, P

PITTSBURGH -- You'll have to excuse my lack of bloggage yesterday. That was quite the hectic day for this weary scribe -- nothing sleeping in couldn't cure this morning, though.

My day yesterday began at 4:45 a.m. in Milwaukee. I'm on a strict schedule for that whole marathon training program I'm doing and I had to log 5 miles yesterday. That meant heading out at 5 for a jaunt along Lake Michigan before heading to the airport.

Two flights later -- thanks Continental! -- I was in Pittsburgh and at my hotel around 12:30, about the time the news landed that the Blue Jays had fired John Gibbons and brought back Cito Gaston and a few of his handpicked coaches. Add 12 innings and an ace pitcher getting hit in the face with the liner and, well, I was beat.

Gibbons handled his dismissal with grace, offering nothing but thanks to the Jays and GM J.P. Ricciardi for giving him the chance to manage. The only part that bothered Gibby -- a fellow American who will be missed -- was that three other coaches (Ernie Whitt, Marty Pevey and Gary Denbo) also were shown the door.

"That's the toughest part of it all," said Gibbons, who received the news Friday morning in Pittsburgh. "If it just effects me, that's one thing, but when other coaches are involved -- that's their livelihoods. That's what bothers me."

Know that Gibby never lost that clubhouse. The players in that clubhouse were Gibbons fans, but simply lost too many games to this point, underachieving in light of lofty expectations, and costing Gibby his job in the process. A move had to be made as a statement that the season to this point has been unacceptable.

I'll admit that it seemed a bit odd to bring back Gaston and some members from the Jays' staff from the 1990s. I was going over possible replacements earlier this week and considered Gaston's chances, but didn't think the club would go that route. Well, I thought wrong, and it'll be interesting to see how this all pans out.

In his first game as the new-old skipper, Gaston watched the same ol' Blue Jays: great pitching, no hitting. Toronto dropped a 1-0 game in 12 innings in Pitt and Gaston admitted to making "some mistakes out there." One, perhaps being a little rusty after 11 years between managerial stints, came when Gaston brought Jason Frasor into the game in the 12th.

"I walked off the mound tonight to give the umpire the name of the pitcher," he explained. "Once you walk off you can't go back. He walked away from me and I walked off to tell him and I couldn't go back. So when Frasor came in, I couldn't even tell him anything, so I just tossed the ball to [Wilkerson] and he gave him the ball. That's a mistake on my part right there."

As for Roy Halladay, who took a line drive off the side of his face and left after seven inning, he was deemed day-to-day and expected to make his next start. Still, as a precaution, he was off to have an X-ray after the game. So, we'll learn more tomorrow. After what's been going on with Aaron Hill (out indefinitely due to post-concussion syndrome), the Jays aren't taking any chances.

MILWAUKEE -- Did Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi learn nothing from the recent A.J. Burnett ordeal, or even from his own slip of the tongue last season about B.J. Ryan's injury?

I give Ricciardi all the credit in the world for being one of the game's most accessible GMs, and his willingness to speak is mind is wonderful for us scribes. But there are still times when Ricciardi would benefit from applying the ol' filter to his thoughts. He openly aired them again on Wednesday night and he's talked himself into some controversy once again.

This is from "Wednesday's with J.P." -- the weekly radio call-in show Ricciardi has with Jays fans on the FAN 590 AM in Toronto. Ricciardi was asked if Toronto perhaps had interest in Reds slugger Adam Dunn, to which J.P. responded:

"Let me ask you something. What do you know about Adam Dunn?" Riccardi told the caller. "He's a lifetime .230, .240 hitter that strikes out a ton and hits home runs. Do you know that the guy really doesn't like baseball all that much?

"Do you know the guy doesn't have a passion to play the game that much? How much do you know about the player? There's a reason why you're attracted to some players and there's a reason why you're not attracted to some players.

"I don't think you'd be very happy if we brought Adam Dunn here."

All Ricciardi had to say was something to the effect of, "No, we're not interested in Adam Dunn. He doesn't fit what we're looking for" and this would've been another non-story. Just like if he'd never admitted the Jays lied about Ryan's elbow injury last year during the same weekly call-in show.

Last week it was Burnett saying he'd accept a trade to the Cubs "with open arms," instead of limiting his comments to "my loyalties rest with the Blue Jays and I'm not thinking about my future just yet." Burnett had to deal with the aftermath of his honesty and Ricciardi's now dealing with the same.

In Cincinnati, here's what Dunn had to say to reporters:

"I know nothing about this clown. I have no idea who he is. I don't really care what one guy thinks, to be honest with you. If I'm a GM, I don't know if I would go out of my way to kind of discredit a player.

"It [ticks] me off to be honest with you. He doesn't even know me. If he knew me, fine, say what you want. This guy doesn't know anything about me other than what he sees on whatever SportsCenter they have up there. That's it."

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (35-38) at MILWAUKEE (38-33)
at 2:05 p.m. ET at Miller Park

BLUE JAYS
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Matt Stairs, LF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Alex Rios, RF
Gregg Zaun, C
David Eckstein, SS
A.J. Burnett, P

BREWERS
Craig Counsell, 2B
J.J. Hardy, SS
Ryan Braun, LF
Prince Fielder, 1B
Corey Hart, RF
Russell Branyan, 3B
Gabe Kapler, CF
Jason Kendall, C
Ben Sheets, P

NOTES: Jays RF Alex Rios was moved down to the No. 6 spot in the lineup -- the lowest he's hit in the order this season -- in light of his recent struggles. Said Jays manager John Gibbons: "It'll take a little pressure off -- take a load off -- and maybe get him going. He's missing his pitch and his swing is a little long."

MILWAUKEE -- It's another sunny day here with the dome open at Miller Park, but boy is it chilly. Noticeably colder than yesterday, so good thing I brought the ol' sweatshirt to the ballpark to help battle the open pressbox.

Anyways, the Jays' lineup had a noticeable omission for tonight's game. Right fielder Alex Rios is on the bench, though manager John Gibbons said it was simply a way to get more left-handed bats in the order to counter hard-throwing righty Ben Sheets.

Gibbons said Rios being out had zilch to do with his 0-for-4 showing with three strikeouts in last night's 7-0 loss to the Brews. Still, it's worth noting -- as we've been doing all year -- that Mr. Rios just isn't producing the way Toronto had hoped he would.

Over his last 42 games, Rios has hit .237/.284/.305 with no home runs and 11 RBIs, moving between the leadoff spot and the No. 3 hole. Whether he's in the middle of the order or at the top, Toronto can ill afford to have Rios continue to perform this poorly.

If you ask me, Rios is the key to Toronto's offense. He came into the year as arguably the Jays' most potent hitter and definitely with what we thought was the most upside. He could still turn it around, and for the Jays' sake, here's hoping he does.

If Rios were producing as the power threat we all thought he'd be, Toronto's offense might not be in such sour shape. Now, he's hardly the lone hitter at fault here. But, especially with Rios struggling, there's just no hitter to fear within the Jays' lineup.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (35-37) at MILWAUKEE (37-33)
at 8:05 p.m. ET at Miller Park

BLUE JAYS
Brad Wilkerson, LF
Joe Inglett, 2B
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Gregg Zaun, C
David Eckstein, SS
Shaun Marcum, P

BREWERS
Craig Counsell, 2B
J.J. Hardy, SS
Ryan Braun, LF
Prince Fielder, 1B
Corey Hart, RF
Russell Branyan, 3B
Mike Cameron, CF
Jason Kendall, C
Ben Sheets, P

QUOTABLE: "What do you want me to do? Light a little fire?" --Gibbons, when asked his plan for turning the bats around

MILWAUKEE -- Tucked away in a display case inside the Brewers' clubhouse is a base that was pulled from the field when Lyle Overbay set a Milwaukee franchise record for doubles in a season with 53 in 2004.

"Really?" said a smiling Overbay, when told the base was still in the stadium. "I may have to sneak off with that."

The Milwaukee media were loving them some Lyle Overbay on his Reunion Tour to Milwaukee. His first trip back to 'sconsin since being traded to the Jays prior to the 2006 season. So, who got the better of that five-player deal?

Overbay's been hot and cold this year, was hurt all last year and was strong in 2006. Pitcher Ty Taubenheim -- the othe player the Jays received in the deal -- is currently 4-8 with a 4.98 ERA for the Pirates' Triple-A squad.

The Jays sent Dave Bush, Zach Jackson and Gabe Gross to the Brew Crew. Gross is now with the Rays (sent in a trade earlier this year for a pitching prospect). Bush won 12 games in each of the past two years, but is 2-7 this year. Jackson is 1-5 for Milwaukee's Triple-A team.

Gee, let's call it even.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (35-36) at MILWAUKEE (36-33)
at 8:05 p.m. ET at Miller Park

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Scott Rolen, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Kevin Mench, LF
Rod Barajas, C
Lyle Overbay, 1B
David Eckstein, SS
Dustin McGowan, P

BREWERS
Craig Counsell, SS
Joe Dillon, 2B
Ryan Braun, LF
Prince Fielder, 1B
Corey Hart, RF
Russell Branyan, 3B
Mike Cameron, CF
Jason Kendall, C
Manny Parra, P

NOTES: 2B Aaron Hill is heading to Pittsburgh on Thursday to visit a concussion specialist. He's still at least 10 days away from a return, and I'm being very optimistic with that assessment. ... Jays skip John Gibbons weighed in on the A.J. Burnett would-accept-a trade-to-the-Cubs-"with-open-arms" ordeal, saying in response to the media's reaction: "He said what he said. It can be interpreted any way you want it. A.J., he speaks his mind -- he always has. It's funny in this business, sometimes people like that and the media doesn't think there's enough of that anymore. When a guy does, that's what happens. I don't doubt his loyalties here -- I don't doubt that."

From today's Chicago Sun-Times:

TORONTO -- One day after beating the Cubs in Toronto, Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett liked the idea of a trade to the Cubs so much he might as well have said, ''Please.''

''As of right now I'm a Blue Jay, and I'm going to pitch to the best of my ability as long as I'm part of this club,'' he said. ''But if something were to happen and I'd have the opportunity to go to a place where baseball is breakfast, lunch and dinner, that would be awesome.

''Right now my focus is with this club, but if something like that were to happen, I'd accept it with open arms.''

With six weeks to go before the non-waiver trading deadline, the Cubs' biggest need as they eye October is a veteran starting pitcher, preferably one capable of competing for a top-three spot in a playoff rotation.

A clear-cut frontline starter such as the Cleveland Indians' C.C. Sabathia might not even be available, much less attainable. But second-tier guys such as Burnett -- who has good-enough stuff to be a lightning-in-a-bottle find if he gets on a two-to-three-month roll -- are expected to be out there.

Granted, Burnett (he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent after this season) covers himself by saying his focus right now is on the Jays, but I don't know what his teammates might think about him publicly saying he wouldn't mind a trade to Chicago. Thoughts?

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays activated catcher Gregg Zaun from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday and sent Curtis Thigpen back to Triple-A Syracuse. Someone asked manager John Gibbons if Thigpen was going to talk to "Voodoo" Joe Inglett about how to stay in the big leagues.

"We'll get him on his flight as soon as possible before Joe can get ahold of somebody," Gibbons said with a laugh.

Zaun was in the lineup as the DH, but Gibbons said having him catch is "a non-issue." Zaun's arm is feeling fine. Gibby was non-committal when asked about how he plans to divy out the playing time between Zaun and catcher Rod Barajas, saying, "We'll just put the guy out there that we think can help us win that day."

Vernon Wells was back in the lineup one day after leaving early with a sore left wrist -- the same one he broke in May. Lyle Overbay was given the day off and Brad Wilkerson took over at first base. Gibbons liked Wilk vs. lefties and former Jays southpaw Ted Lilly is on the bump for the Cubbies.

Today's lineups:

CHICAGO (44-25) at TORONTO (35-35)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

CUBS
Reed Johnson, LF
Kosuke Fukudome, RF
Derrek Lee, DH
Aramis Ramirez, 3B
Jim Edmonds, CF
Geovany Soto, C
Mark DeRosa, 2B
Micah Hoffpauir, 1B
Ryan Theriot, SS

PITCHING: LHP Ted Lilly (6-5, 5.13)

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Scott Rolen, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Kevin Mench, LF
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, 1B
Gregg Zaun, DH
John McDonald, SS

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch (7-2, 3.42)

...really? Playing "Father of Mine" by Everclear during pregame? Don't they realize that's not exactly a heartwarming song to be playing on Father's Day? Of course, as I type that, it's promptly cut off. Nice.

TORONTO -- I understand that the Toronto fan base loves Reed Johnson. He's the type of player fans tend to love and, that being the case, I'm all for giving the guy a warm welcome this weekend in his first trip north since being released by the Jays and signed by the Cubs.

All that being said, the timing of his standing ovation by the Jays' fans at Rogers Centre on Friday night was a little unsettling. With Toronto leading 3-2 in the ninth, Johnson came on as a pinch hitter and received a loud, prolonged standing o. In that situation, why were the fans cheering so loudly for a visiting player?

"You don't see that too often," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "But hey, I'm happy for him, man. He did a great job here for this organization and was a fan favorite."

Still, root for the man in a situation like this afternoon, when he'll lead off the game for the Cubs. I'm not saying the fans should've booed him on Friday, but shouldn't the cheers be reserved for the home team in that critical situation, especially when closer B.J. Ryan had been struggling some of late?

"I think we all think that he deserves it. No question," said A.J. Burnett, downplaying the crowd's ill-timed cheers.

But what if Johnson had homered to tie the game instead of groudning out to second? Would the crowd have gone nuts for Johnson then?

"That would be different," Burnett said with a grin. "Good thing he hit it hard. Better for us he hit it right at somebody."

On another note, talked to second baseman Aaron Hill this morning and he's still fighting symptoms from the concussion he suffered on May 29. That being the case, a Minor League rehab stint this week seems unlikely. Hill said he's still running into issues after light drills -- not good. You can read the full story when it's up on bluejays.com

Today's lineups:

CHICAGO (43-25) at TORONTO (35-34)
at 1:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

CUBS
Reed Johnson, LF
Kosuke Fukudome, RF
Derrek Lee, 1B
Aramis Ramirez, DH
Jim Edmonds, CF
Mark DeRosa, 3B
Mike Fontenot, 2B
Henry Blanco, C
Ronny Cedeno, SS

PITCHING: RHP Jason Marquis (4-3, 4.54)

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Matt Stairs, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, LF
David Eckstein, SS
Joe Inglett, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay (8-5, 3.07)

TORONTO -- I'm not going to lie. I wish this Jays-Cubs Interleague series was at Wrigley Field and not trapped under this dome. Either way, any little taste of Chicago I can get is always good and I saw a lot of Cub-jersey-clad fans outside the ballpark today.

Toronto fans in attendance will be disappointed to see Reed Johnson was not in the starting lineup. Where't the love, Lou? Well, Johnson is only hitting .232 against righties this year and A.J. Burnett is on the hill (First start since his fantastic sarcastic hat tip to the booing fans. I had no problem with that, by the way -- thought it showed a good sense a humor).

Us scribes piled into the visitors' clubhouse to catch up with Reed and he's doing great -- not bitter in the least. Would you be bitter if you moved from a .500 club that is struggling to score to a team with the best record in baseball? Johnson described Chicago as "no place I'd rather be" and you've got to believe him.

The Ted Lilly-Toronto reunion will happen on Sunday. It's also Lilly's first stop in TO since his famous on-field donnybrook with manager John Gibbons. Other than the triumphant return of a couple ex-Jays, the only news here was the non-return of a few injured Jays. Aaron Hill is a few days away from maybe being cleared for a Minors rehab and Shannon Stewart is on his way to Florida to continue his rehab workouts.

Jeremy Accardo has suffered a setback in his rehab with Class A Dunedin and will be reevaluated in a couple days. Catcher Gregg Zaun has been rained out two days in a row, so he'll suit up for Syracuse tomorrow and perhaps be activated Sunday or, probably more realistically, in time for Tuesday's game in Milwaukee.

Today's lineups:

CHICAGO (43-24) at TORONTO (34-34)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

CUBS
Ryan Theriot, SS
Micah Hoffpauir, 1B
Derrek Lee, DH
Aramis Ramirez, 3B
Kosuke Fukudome, RF
Geovany Soto, C
Jim Edmonds, CF
Mark DeRosa, 2B
Eric Patterson, LF

PITCHING: RHP Sean Gallagher (3-2, 4.42)

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Matt Stairs, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, LF
Joe Inglett, 2B
David Eckstein, SS

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett (5-6, 4.98)

TORONTO -- OK, so I'm a little behind here today. It's the second inning and my blog isn't live yet! Well, blame the Blue Jays and their game-time decisions. We had to wait a while to see if Vernon Wells (right ankle) and Alex Rios (back/groin) were able to play today.

Turns out they were considered go for launch and were still in Toronto's lineup. Wells tweaked his ankle on a catch at the wall in the third inning on Monday and then when running across first base in the seventh. Rios said he tweaked his back during batting practice on Monday, but was feeling fine.

Also, it turns out that C Gregg Zaun won't be activated on Wednesday after all. He's going out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse, DHing on Wednesday, catching on Thursday with the hope of coming off the DL Friday. 2B Aaron Hill (concussion) is another 5-6 days away from a rehab stint and LF Shannon Stewart (right ankle) has a Grade 2 sprain and will be out at least three weeks.

Oh, and the Jays signed their top pick from Thursday's Draft, first baseman David Cooper (17th overall). Toronto agreed to terms with 27 of its draftees on Tuesday. Cooper will head to Auburn for starters with a ticket to Dunedin soon to come if he hits as well as he's supposed to.

Today's lineups:

SEATTLE (23-41) at TORONTO (33-33)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

MARINERS
Ichiro Suzuki, CF
Jose Vidro, DH
Raul Ibanez, LF
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Jose Lopez, 2B
Jeremy Reed, RF
Richie Sexson, 1B
Jamie Burke, C
Yuniesky Betancourt, SS

PITCHING: RHP Carlos Silva (3-6, 5.96)

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Matt Stairs, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, LF
Joe Inglett, 2B
David Eckstein, SS

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan (4-4, 4.26)

TORONTO -- No, nothing happened to me. I heard there was some concern about my whereabouts over on Wilner's blog. Fear not. I'm perfectly fine. I merely took a few days off to celebrate the ol' anniversary with The Wife.

But, I'm back in Blue Jays land and apparently they played on without me. And they made a bunch of moves, too, huh. Only real updates today were that catcher Gregg Zaun is due back Wednesday as planned and there is no news concerning Shannon Stewart's MRI, though GM J.P. Ricciardi did say Stew could be out a while. Doesn't sound good.

Ricciardi was also asked what he thought of this year's Blue Jays Draft class.

"It's hard to tell. I'll let you know in a couple years," he replied with a smile.

As noted on draft day, David Cooper -- Toronto's first overall pick -- is likely ticketed for Class A Auburn for starters. Considering he's an advanced hitter, the Jays are hoping he doesn't have to reside in the New York-Penn League for too long. In fact, if Coop plays well, he may skip by Lansing and head straight to high A Dunedin before the year's up.

"He'd probably start in the Penn League, like we do with most of the guys," Ricciardi said. "Then, if he progresses for maybe about a month, if he does well, we'd move him up to Dunedin. But he's an advanced bat, so hopefully he'll be able to get up there."

See, I basically just paraphrased that quote. Also, in regards to catcher J.P. Arencibia -- one of last year's first-rounders -- he won't be in Dunedin much longer. All he's done is hit .307 with 11 homers, 22 doubles, 56 RBIs and an .882 OPS in 55 games for the Class A Blue Jays.

"He's getting close," Ricciardi said, when asked if Arencibia was due for a promotion. "He's got to go. There's not much more he can do down there."

Today's lineups:

SEATTLE (22-41) at TORONTO (33-32)
at 7:07 p.m. ET at the Rogers Centre

MARINERS
Ichiro Suzuki, CF
Jose Vidro, DH
Raul Ibanez, LF
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Jose Lopez, 2B
Jeremy Reed, RF
Richie Sexson, 1B
Kenji Johjima, C
Yuniesky Betancourt, SS

PITCHING: LHP Jarrod Washburn (2-7, 6.56)

BLUE JAYS
Alex Rios, RF
Matt Stairs, DH
Scott Rolen, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Rod Barajas, C
Kevin Mench, LF
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Marco Scutaro, 2B
David Eckstein, SS

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch (7-2, 3.45)

NEW YORK -- A reporter asked Blue Jays manager John Gibbons this morning if he had any theories about why Dustin McGowan has been so much better at home than on the road this year. Gibbons shrugged.

"It's hard to figure that," he said. "He's been so good at home. I don't know why that is."

Gibbons then asked if we knew the numbers off-hand for McGowan's career, noting that it was a similar situation last year. I quickly scooped up the Jays media guide off the desk and read the stat lines aloud. Here's what they are, including this season:

CAREER AT HOME: 12-6 with a 3.31 ERA (3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in 2008)
CAREER ON ROAD: 6-13 with a 5.98 ERA (1-3 with a 5.68 ERA in 2008)

"So what the hell are we doing pitching him today?" said a chuckling Gibbons, to an eruption of laughter from those in the room.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (32-29) at NEW YORK (29-30)
at 1:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
David Eckstein, SS
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Kevin Mench, RF
Rod Barajas, C
Joe Inglett, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Dustin McGowan (4-4, 3.95)

YANKEES
Johnny Damon, DH
Derek Jeter, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Hideki Matsui, LF
Jorge Posada, C
Robinson Cano, 2B
Wilson Betemit, 1B
Melky Cabrera, CF

PITCHING: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 4.14)

NOTES: CF Vernon Wells was due to begin his Minor League rehab assignment with Dunedin on Thursday night, serving as the DH for the Class A Blue Jays. Gibbons said Wells could maybe be back by the middle or end of next week, which would be about a week ahead of the minimum six weeks originally stated. ... 2B Aaron Hill ws out of the lineup for the 6th game in a row and Gibbons didn't rule out a possible DL stint, though he said the club was hoping Hill would be ready to play this weekend. ... C Rod Barajas was back in the lineup a day after leaving with tightness in his lower back. ... INF Marco Scutaro was given the day off to rest a sore right wrist, though it's not considered serious.

NEW YORK -- Aaron Hill was still out of the lineup for the Blue Jays on Wednesday night. But, did you know that apparently it's allowed for Toronto to use the same lineup two days in a row? Yeah, I know, I wasn't sure if that was legal or not, either.

And get this, the lineup used tonight is actually the fourth time this particular lineup has been used this season. Of the 49 lineups used this season, that makes this starting nine tied for th emost often used order...and it's without the Jays' starting second baseman.

The other most often used lineup is the one that opened the season: 1. David Eckstein, SS, 2. Matt Stairs, LF, 3. Alex Rios, RF, 4. Vernon Wells, CF, 5. Frank Thomas, DH, 6. Lyle Overbay, 1B, 7. Aaron Hill, 2B, 8. Marco Scutaro, 3B, 9. Gregg Zaun, C. Remember that one?

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (32-28) at NEW YORK (28-30)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, RF
David Eckstein, SS

PITCHING: RHP Jesse Litsch (7-1, 3.18)

YANKEES
Johnny Damon, LF
Derek Jeter, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Hideki Matsui, DH
Wilson Betemit, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Jose Molina, C
Melky Cabrera, CF

PITCHING: RHP Mike Mussina (8-4, 4.26)

NOTES: RHP Brian Wolfe was activated from the 15-day disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Syracuse; SS John McDonald began his rehab stint with Class A Dunedin and will need around a week, perhaps less, of games before returning to Toronto; Zaun played catch and hit prior to Wednesday's game to further test his injured right elbow; Hill (concussion) took part in pregame drills.

NEW YORK -- Joba Chamberlain is starting! Did you hear?! Yeah, he was in the bullpen for the Yankees and now he's starting. Cool, huh? Isn't it awesome? No, I'm not making it up. I'm serious. It's the greatest thing ever...

Well, that's what it felt like picking up any of the newspapers here in NYC today. Holy Hype, Batman. Talk about going a bit Joberboard with a story. See what I did there? But, hey, it's nothing new here in the Apple. What would be a minor deal elsewhere becomes a big deal around here, especially when the Yanks are involved.

"That's just New York," Jays skip John Gibbons said. "They hype everything. It's always been that way here and over at Shea and everything. That's why it's such a unique and exciting place to go to. There's always something going on."

Someone asked if facing Joba amidst all the hype could be something that adds some extra motivation for Jays ace Roy Halladay (Remember him? He's starting tonight, too, apparently, though I couldn't find a Toronto pitcher listed anywhere in the papers out here).

"He may not even know who's pitching tonight," Gibbons said with a laugh. "He's so locked in."

The Jays are just hoping Joba doesn't go all Shaun Marcum on them, throwing a no-hitter until his 65-70 pitch limit kicks in (see Jays vs. Rays on May 13, 2007). Hey, at least Toronto doesn't have to face Chamberlain's 99-mph heater in the eighth inning before possibly having to take on Mariano Rivera.

"We're not going to miss him in that eighth inning, I'll tell you that," Gibbons said. "We know going in that he's on a pitch limit, so hopefully we can kick that up on him pretty quick -- get him out of there and get to their bullpen."

Their bullpen sans Joba, of course.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (31-28) at NEW YORK (28-29)
at 7:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium

BLUE JAYS
Shannon Stewart, LF
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Matt Stairs, DH
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, RF
David Eckstein, SS

PITCHING: RHP Roy Halladay (6-5, 2.93)

YANKEES
Johnny Damon, LF
Derek Jeter, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Hideki Matsui, DH
Jason Giambi, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Jose Molina, C
Melky Cabrera, CF

PITCHING: RHP Joba Chamberlain (1-2, 2.28)

ANAHEIM -- It's been well documented that Jays starter A.J. Burnett has adopted "Hangin' Tough" by the New Kids on the Block as his new pregame warm-up music. He even went as far as saying it was because Toronto has, in fact, been "Hangin' Tough" lately.

Well, I was riding the elevator down from the pressbox to the clubhouse this morning, and -- on the very day that Mr. Burnett is taking the hill for the Jays -- I heard that familiar "Oh oh OH OH oh!" of the other famous New Kids tune, "The Right Stuff."

If Burnett throws a no-no, we'll know why.

Some actual news: Jays skip John Gibbons said CF Vernon Wells has already started swinging a bat down in Florida, where he's rehabbing his broken left wrist. That seems to be ahead of schedule and Gibbons said Wells (injured on May 9) is hoping to return on the early side of the 6-8 week timetable he was told his comeback would require.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO (31-27) at LOS ANGELES (33-24)
at 3:35 p.m. ET at Angel Stadium

BLUE JAYS
David Eckstein, SS
Marco Scutaro, 2B
Alex Rios, CF
Scott Rolen, 3B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Rod Barajas, C
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Kevin Mench, DH
Joe Inglett, LF

PITCHING: RHP A.J. Burnett (5-5, 4.57)

ANGELS
Maicer Izturis, SS
Gary Matthews Jr., RF
Garret Anderson, LF
Vladmir Guerrero, DH
Torii Hunter, CF
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Mike Napoli, C
Brandon Wood, 3B
Sean Rodriguez, 2B

PITCHING: RHP Jon Garland (5-3, 3.89)