ORIOLES-JAYS: TRYING HARD TO CARE

Sunday -- Orioles 8, Jays 6 (12 innings): Ah, this must have been the baseball equivalent to water torture, between blowing a lead, John Gibbons running through pitchers like extras in a Bollywood movie and handing the Bore-ioles their first series win in more than a month. Enough said. It's pretty depressing for all fans concerned, so fortunately the NFL is here.

Saturday -- Jays 8, Orioles 3: A little bit of karma for Roy Halladay as the Jays caught lightning in a bottle with seven straight hits and six runs in the bottom of the first off someone named Kurt Birkins.

Incidentally, it's good to see Hector Luna get a couple hits over the past few days. Why? It just so happened we snuck into the 100-level (on a 500-level ticket) for his first game on Aug. 5 vs. Texas. He went 0-for-4 and some fan across the aisle, in a moment of typical T-dotness, a know-nothing trying to be an expert when you don't know what the hell you're talking about, started going on about how "I hate this pickup" and "look at his swing, it's brutal."

It was his first game, for pity's sake. Granted, no one's expecting Hector Luna to ever be an everyday player on a good major-league team, but give him time to prove he can't play, please.

Friday -- Orioles 6, Jays 2: The Jays, on solo homers by Aaron Hill and Hector Luna beat the Orioles. It was The First 8 1/2 Innings Don't Count Night, eh.

(Some people would see this as just another loss; for some it creates nostalgia for a lede the Kingston Whig-Standard once used during an especially bleak Frontenacs season where they lost scored twice in the final minute to cut the final score 7-2.... "too bad the first 59 minutes also counted.")

At least the Red Sox' magic number is about to be cut to nine... no, damn.

Yes, that was Sportsnet's Sean McCormick saying it "looks like the Jays got boned" on a close call at first base during Connected's recap. Real mature, Sean.

Last note: Yahoo Sports! says Troy Glaus might face only a 10-game suspension. He can serve at the start of next season with another team, hint-hint-hint.