More photos » Brian Blanco - AP

1 day ago: The Toronto Blue Jays' Chris Lubanski rounds second after hitting a triple against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a spring training baseball game Wednesday, March 17, 2010, in Sarasota, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

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I'm busy this morning so just a quick game thread post. Should be back for some of the game, it is on Gameday Audio.

A couple of quick notes. Zech Zinicola has been returned to the Nationals. Had to figure that would happen, we have too many bullpen arms to keep a rule five guy.

Zack Jackson and Lance Broadway have been sent to the minor league camp. Down to 47 players in the major league camp.

The lineup today is Bautista 3B, Hill 2B, Lind DH, Wells CF, Overbay 1B, Buck C, Reed RF, Snider LF, McDonald SS. So Mac is back in camp, must be tough on him.

Ricky Romero is to pitch 5 innings and Dana Eveland 4.

The National Post has a story on Adam Loewen. He really does have to show something this year, but he has a nice looking swing.

Tao of Stieb has a post about Cito Gaston's first 'final season' with the Jays, back in 1997. He remembers things much the way I do. The reluctance to use Shawn Green, Carlos Delgado and Shannon Stewart. Joe Carter batting cleanup even though he was long past his overdue date. Otis Nixon, Orlando Merced, Carlos Garcia and Rueben Sierra seeing way too much playing time. 

Enjoy your morning. 

The game is on Sportsnet East (if you get that channel), also on MLB.tv.

We won the Bgame 8-1. Joey Gathright homered. He has 1 career homer, so, like Halley's comet, I think since we didn't see this one, I doubt we'll live long enough to see the next.

Lance Broadway pitched 3 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned.

Steve Register went 2, with just 1 walk.

David Purcay, 2 innings, 1 hit, 3 K.

Zach Jackson, 2 innings, 3 hits.

Bautista, Wells, Hill, Lind and Gathright each had 2 hits. Buck, Lubanski and Gonzalez had 1.

The A game will have Scrabble starting, Cecil, Janssen and Accardo to follow.

Line up:

Jarrett Hoffpauir, 3B

Brad Emaus, 2B

Jeremy Reed, RF

Randy Ruiz, 1B

Brian Dopirak, DH

Travis Snider, LF

Chris Aguila, CF

Jose Molina, C

Tyler Pastornicky, SS

Not sure when we picked up Chris Aguila, he played for the Marlins and the Mets, I guess we picked him up as a free agent.

I'm looking forward to watching.

The title is from the Wilco song Jesus, etc. I saw Wilco a couple of weeks ago and they were great.

Hi everyone.  Happy Daylight Savings Time. 

The Jays take on the Braves again today.  The lineup:

Jose Bautista, 3b

Aaron Hill, 2b

Adam Lind, lf

Vernon Wells, cf

Lyle Overbay, 1b

Randy Ruiz, dh

John Buck, c

Alex Gonzalez, ss

Travis Snider, rf

Brandon Morrow starts today for the Jays (3 innings), with Josh Roenicke (2), Shawn Camp (1), Scott Downs (1), Jason Frasor (1), and Kevin Gregg (1) all to follow.

In other news, Dustin McGowan was scheduled to throw his second simulated game this morning.  Assuming everything goes well, the plan was to start working him into games next week.  But we'll have to see how today goes first.  

Alden Gonzalez had an article on lefty rotation hopeful Dana Eveland on bluejays.com today.  I thought this bit from Cito was interesting:  

"[Eveland's] pitching real well," Gaston said. "We're just going to keep running him out there and hope he continues to pitch like that. If there's no space on this club, he'll certainly be close to go and get it [elsewhere] if he had to. It's just that this is a good spring for us, as far as pitching. We have a lot of good pitchers here this year, and it may just go down to the wire, see who could take those jobs."

As I mentioned this morning in our pitching spring training rundown and Andy Mc pointed out in yesterday's comments while listening to Eveland strike out 4, give up 2 singles (one which should have been caught by Jeremy Reed) and walk no one over his 3 innings, Eveland is out of options. I don't see any way a 26-year old lefty pitcher who has already had some major-league success and who has pitched well this spring clears waivers, so I think the Jays have to find a spot for Eveland or lose him.  My guess is that if Eveland continues to pitch well, the Jays will try to find a spot for him, even if it means using him in the bullpen and optioning Jeremy Accardo, Casey Janssen, or Jesse Carlson.  Of course anything could happen over the next few weeks. 

Today's title comes from the Bob Dylan song "Oh Sister" off probably my second or third favourite Dylan record, Desire.  The quote seemed fitting given that today is March forward here in North America.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.  It's pouring here, but I hear it's sunny in Florida, so sounds like the Jays will play. 

As he missed his start yesterday due to rain, Brian Tallet worked 3 innings in a simulated game yesterday.  The other pitchers who were schedule to work yesterday - Casey Janssen, Jeremy Accardo, Zach Jackson, Zechry Zinicola, and Merkin Valdez - will work in simulated games today. 

But as for the Jays' game against the Braves, here's the lineup:

Mike McCoy, ss

Joey Gathright, cf

Jeremy Reed, rf

Brian Dopirak, 1b

Travis Snider, lf

Jarrett Hoffpauir, 3b

Brad Emaus, 2b

Jose Molina, c

Good opportunities for several Jays vieing for roster spots. Speaking of, we took a look at the first 10 days or so of games and where different players battling for roster spots stand so far this morning. If you haven't taken a look yet, check it out.

Ricky Romero will get the start and the opportunity to throw as many as 4 innings, while Dana Eveland, Sean Henn, Ray (formerly Reider) Gonzalez, Rommie Lewis, and Willie Collazo.  I hear Brett Wallace, Randy Ruiz, and J.P. Arencibia made the trip with their teammates, so I'd expect them to feature in the game at some point.  Tim Hudson makes the start for Atlanta.

Today's title comes from "Bottled in Cork," a song off Ted Leo's just-released record The Brutalist Bricks.  I can't get enough of it right now, and the title seemed appropriate given how a little of Cito's good will does indeed seem to go a long way in helping a player secure a roster spot.  I hear the FAN is carrying the game, so enjoy!  I plan on listening myself while trying to get some work done.

More photos » Brian Blanco - AP

Brian Tallet is scheduled to start today. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

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Hi everyone.  I'm being a bit optimistic as the weather on the East Coast isn't exactly baseball-friendly, but the tarp is reportedly off and Jordan Bastian thinks that there will be a game today between the Jays and the Astros.  Assuming there is a game, it'll be carried by MLB Game Day Audio with choice of either affiliate.   

With the wet ground, the Jays are playing it safe with some of their regulars and have reshuffled their lineup.  The lineup:

Jose Bautista, 3B

Aaron Hill, 2B

Jorge Padilla, RF

Lyle Overbay, 1B

Randy Ruiz, DH

Chris Lubanski, LF

John Buck, C 

Alex Gonzalez, SS

Joey Gathright, CF

Vernon Wells, Jeremy Reed, and Adam Lind were the scratches.  We've been wondering about Edwin Encarnacion, who has been conspicuously absent thusfar, but we finally got some good news.  Encarnacion is reportedly feeling better and will start getting into games next week.  That'd certainly put him on pace to crack the opening day roster. 

Brian Tallet will start today.  Tallet struggled his first spring start, but he can't be feeling too bad about his chances to make the starting rotation with the manager's confidence behind him and Brad Mills getting sent down to AAA today.  Casey Fien was also optioned to AAA, while Doug Kyle Drabek and David Cooper were sent to minor-league camp. 

I was encouraged to see that Jordan Bastian and Brandon Morrow supporting Washington DC's own Five Guys burgers.  Florida's "food" is mostly a bad joke, but if they have Five Guys, it can't be all bad.   

Speaking of DC, today's title comes from the great, great Ted Leo and the Pharmacists song "Ghosts."  Leo is part Clash, part early Elvis Costello, with some Thin Lizzy guitar-playing mixed in there, and all awesome.  It's even better than it sounds. 

Update:  No game.  Sadness.

I'm busy this morning so putting up the game thread early, might be back around game time.

The Jays are busing down to Port Charlotte to play the Rays. Shawn Marcum and Brad Mills are too pitch for the Jays. Mike Wilner points out that Marcum is all lined up to be the opening day starter if things continue as they are. Ricky Romero would be in the game 2 spot and they are moving Brandon Morrow next start to Sunday to put him in line for the 3rd game. There is a little ways to go yet, lots could happen.

Today's lineup:

Gathright CF

Hoffpauir 3B

Wallace DH

Ruiz 1B

Lubanski LF

Padilla RF

Emaus 2B

McDonald SS

Molina C

Nice to see Ruiz playing first. We talked in yesterday's game thread about Cito saying Lyle Overbay would play everyday. I'm choosing to not to believe that.  Last year Cito platooned him and he didn't have as good a choice for platoon partner as Randy Ruiz would be. If Overbay plays everyday and Lind is DH everyday there wouldn't be a real role for Ruiz. Pinch hitter, I guess. Overbay doesn't hit lefties at all. Like Hugo said, John McDonald would be a better choice against lefties. I know Cito doesn't like to platoon but I can't imagine that he won't in this case. 

Lind hasn't played in the field yet this spring. I'd like him to play out there some, he's too young to only DH.

I'm not sure when we should start worrying that Encarnacion won't be ready to start the season. We still have 3 weeks until opening day. Batters don't need a month to get ready for the season, 2 weeks should be plenty, hopefully he'll be ready to play in the next week. 

We still have 29 pitchers in camp. It would be hard to get innings for all those guys. I don't think we've seen Sean Henn yet or Casey Fien. I'd imagine neither would make the team. I only remember seeing Janssen, Camp, Carlson or Roenicke in a game once each, though they may have pitched in one of the B games. I'd think that we'll see a large number of pitchers sent to the minor league camp in the next few days. 

More photos » FRANK GUNN - AP

Jason Frasor is one of several arms set to throw today. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

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Hi everyone.  Some quick notes on this morning's "B" game:

• Brandon Morrow threw 2 pretty effective innings (3 hits, but no walks or runs, and 2 strikeouts).  He threw 32 pitches, 20 for strikes. 
• Marc Rzepczynski threw a lot of pitches, but made it through three effective innings, yielding only one run.  Zep used 49 pitches (34 strikes) to strike out 5 of his nine casualties, but only surrendered two hits and didn't walk anyone. 
• Brett Cecil made his spring debut and from what Jordan Bastian says, the cut on his thumb is still holding back his curveball.  Cecil wasn't any more efficient than Morrow or Zep, throwing 46 pitches (28 for strikes) over 2 innings and giving up one big 3-run home run to Cody Ransom.  He walked one but did strike out 4 in his two innings. 

Anyway, on to the A-game.  Your Jays' lineup:

Bautista, 3B

Hill, 2B

Lind, DH

Wells, CF

Overbay, 1B

Reed, RF

Buck, C

Gonzalez, SS

Snider, LF

The pitching lineup is interesting.  Lance Broadway will start, followed by Kyle Drabek, David Purcey, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg, and Zack Jackson.  Frasor, Downs, and Gregg continue to be pitched back-to-back-to-back in the same game. 

Anyway, mlb.com will carry an audio feed, though from the point of view of the city of brotherly love.  Enjoy, all!

The Jays, fresh off a win propelled by long balls by the triumvirate of Wells, Ruiz, and Bautista, take on the Houston Astros this afternoon in Kissimmee.  Today's lineup, which looks to be a fun one:

Joey Gathright, LF

Jarrett Hoffpauir, 3B

J.P. Arencibia, C

Lyle Overbay, 1B

Brad Emaus, 2B

Brett Wallace, DH

Jorge Padilla, CF

Travis Snider, RF

Johnny McDonald, SS

Pretty fun to see Snider, Wallace, Emaus, and Arencibia all in the same lineup, no?  In light of our conversation yesterday, I find it very interesting to see how this lineup is constructed. 

Making the start today for the Jays will be southpaw Ricky Romero, who is expected to throw three frames.  Romero will be followed by, things permitting, some combination of fellow lefty Dana Eveland, Chad Jenkins, Zach Stewart, Merkin Valdez, Zechry Zinacola, and Willie Collazo (no way all of them get into the game, unless Romero and Eveland both fall flat on their faces. 

In other news, Dustin McGowan is set to throw two simulated innings tomorrow, and Brett Cecil will work a bullpen session today and pitch in a "B" game on Wednesday. 

According to mlb.com, there will be an audio feed of the game courtesy of Houston's announcers.