LYNX: J.J. RIGHTS HIMSELF

The Lynx losing a late lead in today's 4-3 extra-inning loss (boxscore, play-by-play) to Rochester threw a wrench into writing a post about Jason Jaramillo's hot hitting.

As former Expos beat writer Stephanie Myles noted in her column in the Montreal Gazette on the Lynx's Tribute To The Expos day, one of the fans who bought a spot in the fun game on eBay, Louis-Philippe Cartier of Granby, Que., dropped the i in his last name so he could wear a "Carter 8" jersey on Sunday -- like like the Expos' Hall of Fame catcher. The current Lynx catcher, for one day at least, hit a bit like Gary Carter in today's second game, going 2-for-3 with a walk and accounting for all three runs

Jaramillo, a switch hitter, had a big gap in his splits vs. lefty and righty pitchers earlier this season. (He was hitting about .150 right-handed at one point.) After those two run-scoring hits today vs. Red Wings left-hander Jay Sawatski, he's up to .273 right-handed, .278 left-handed. JJ has still hit with much more power from the left side, but overall, he's put a strong 835 OPS so far in July.

Again, c'est la vie, the Lynx couldn't hang on to a two-run lead after reliever John Ennis threw five innings of one-run ball in a spot start. Rochester's Brian Buscher, who was 3-for-4, got a two-out RBI single to cut the margin to one run in the sixth. Two innings later, score tied, Buscher went first-to-third on a single to left field to set up Denard Span's winning hit.

One last thing: Lynx leadoff man Chris Roberson was 3-for-4 and threw a guy out from centre field like he was channeling a bit of the other Expo who rates a plaque in Cooperstown, New York. (Sager, is this where you go into a preemptive rant about how Tim Raines is going to get hornswoggled in the Hall of Fame balloting in 2008? Answer: Not after that sardonic parenthetical dig.)

Red Wings left-hander Brian Duensing fired a complete game in Rochester's 9-3 win (boxscore, play-by-play) in the first game. The Lynx are off to face South-leading Richmond.