Toronto Star
Jays' leaky boat continues to sink quickly
By Cathal Kelly
"You swim together or you sink together," manager John Gibbons said before last night's series opener against Boston.
In that case, they are handing out buckets on HMCS Blue Jay this morning.
After being blown out 9-2 by the Red Sox, Toronto finds itself 8 1/2 games behind the AL East leaders. More depressing, the losing streak stands at seven games and counting.
Catcher Zaun is in a hurry to heal
By Richard Griffin
"The last thing that comes (when you return from an injury) is timing," Zaun explained. "I want to speed it up. I want it to get supersonic right now."
Zaun's return to action from previous injuries has been close to supersonic. On May 8, 2005, he was hit on the head at second base versus the White Sox and suffered a concussion, with a projected recovery time of four to six weeks. He was back in the Jays' lineup in 16 days, including two games of rehab at Double A New Hampshire. He's always a man in a hurry to heal.
Godfrey: Nobody to be pushed over side
By Allan Ryan
They had a meeting yesterday: Godfrey, Ricciardi, manager John Gibbons, all the coaches.
"I told them I know we're going through some troubled times," Godfrey said, "but that there's a lot of baseball to play and they have our continued cooperation and support.
"Look, we want to win. We expect to win. Nobody can be happy about this.
"But if somebody's thinking somebody's about to be fired ... well, nobody's going to be fired. As of right now, no one's under the gun."
Those things do happen, of course, so the status is under constant review.
Earlier, Ricciardi was asked if he was concerned about possible fallout over his misdirection (the elbow, not the back) about the nature of closer B.J. Ryan's injury.
He offered a firm, "No!"
Toronto Sun
Home and cooked
By Ken Fidlin
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays offence continued its funk, unable to take advantage of early shakiness by Boston starter Josh Beckett who has been and remains, the hottest pitcher in Major League Baseball. He survived back-to-back extra-base hits, including Alex Rios' leadoff homer, in the first inning and cruised to his seventh victory without a loss, allowing just three more hits and using 89 pitches through seven innings.
Ricciardi's lies don't make much sense
By Bob Elliott
The Jays shut down Ryan because of a "bad back." Manager John Gibbons, pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, the GM and Ryan all were quoted this spring on the state of the closer's bad back. And then of course, everyone would go behind closed doors, titter and guffaw: "We sure fooled those dopes, they'll believe anything ... tee hee."
Jays will tough it out
By Ken Fidlin
The Jays came home after a disastrous 0-6 trip to face the Boston Red Sox, in danger of falling out of touch with the AL East leaders. Gibbons is determined to keep things as normal as he can. No team meetings, no panic, no big changes.
"I don't think I need to (call a team meeting)," he said. "Everybody knows what's going on. The manager's job is to hold it all together and sometimes less is more. (The players) are out there in the arena and out in the arena, it's tough. This is our team and I like this team."
Globe & Mail
Jays bring bad fortunes home
By Robert Macleod
As Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jeremy Accardo engaged in a lively game of pepper with several of his teammates before Tuesday night's game against the Boston Red Sox, the giant lid of the Rogers Centre began to groan, a signal that the retractable roof was about to open.
"What is this?" the Blue Jays' reliever asked as the hitting game came to a momentary stop and he pointed skyward, with the first rays of late afternoon sunshine poking through the widening gap and splashing onto the field.
When going gets tough, Blue Jays call meetings
By Jeff Blair
Good thing Ted Rogers and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment nabob Larry Tanenbaum had a night out at the Rogers Centre Tuesday night, and how fitting is it that Rogers decided to make his entrance and stride across the front of the Toronto Blue Jays' dugout en route to the burgundy seats behind home plate at the very same time as Victor Zambrano was making the walk from the pitcher's mound to the dugout, head bowed in disgrace?
Rogers and Tanenbaum