Earlier last week I mentioned the best ball games I saw in person, relating to the Blue Jays.  On the flip side, here are the games I’d like to forget.  So, in dishonorable mention, the ugliest Blue Jays games I saw in person this year:

1. June 1 (at Angels Stadium) – Angels 4, Blue Jays 3: Off the heels of having their bullpen runless streak broken in an extra inning loss the night before, and a season-righting 20-10 record in May, the team looked to continue that success into June. Think again. This was the game B.J. Ryan’s decreased velocity was magnified, as he blew his first save of the year after going 12-for-12 after his return from the disabled list in mid-April after season-ending surgery the year previous. Ryan could not finish the job with two out – he hit an Angel batter to force in the tying run, and the walk-off hit was a bleeder to right field on the next pitch – showed some omens for future outings to come, or worse, later that week against the Yankees. It wasted a great start for A.J. Burnett, who seemed to be turning the corner this season. I was mortified when Ryan couldn’t close it out; maybe he was affected by the Rally Monkey. I know I was during that whole weekend set.
2. August 1 (at Ameriquest Field) – Rangers 9, Blue Jays 8: This one hurt most of all, as the Jays jumped out to a 6-0 lead while my driving got us lost on the way to the ballpark. (Jonah’s dad: Next time stay on I-75!) Another note: I saw Scott Rolen on the flight from Toronto to Dallas; it seems he had stayed behind from the team on the off day before the Rangers series and was taking the first commercial flight out of Toronto the day of the game. He’s a tall fella; I saw him crouch his head to get in the doorway of the bathroom on the plane. Also on said flight: dulcet-toned announcer Jerry Howarth, longtime radio voice of the Blue Jays. From my arrival at Ameriquest Field I got to see Shawn Marcum not lasting longer than the Rangers starter who gave up all six early runs to Toronto; Marcum didn’t even last the fifth inning, where the Rangers tied it 6-6. I thought they just played “The Natural” theme music for Texas slugger Josh Hamilton when
   he hit a homer; it was universal for all Rangers hitters. It just seems appropos for Hamilton, the way he plays the game. Anyways, the Blue Jays, who never trailed in the game, took the lead again in the ninth by scoring a deuce led by the hot bat of Adam Lind, who tripled in the go-ahead run. Like the Angels game, B.J. Ryan’s strikes were well struck and he couldn’t recover from them. The Rangers never led all game until the final swing of the bat by their rookie outfielder David Murphy, as he lined a walk-off, two-run, opposite-field single off Ryan. At least I left with some parting gifts; it was Dr. Pepper cooler bag giveaway night at the ballpark. Come to think of it, that night Ryan left a gift for the Rangers as well.
3. June 6 – Orioles 6, Blue Jays 5: As much as the bullpen’s been outstanding for the whole season, there have been times (not many, mind you) they’ve stunk it up like the water treatment plant off neighbouring Lakeshore. This game was one of them, as a 4-0 eighth inning lead went by the wayside. Armando Benitez – in his last outing as a Blue Jay, and possibly in baseball, period – gave up game-tying and go-ahead home runs, two of three hit in the inning alone, to propel the Orioles into a 6-4 lead. What’s even worse is that the Jays had a chance to tie it in the same inning, but their penchant for hitting horrendously with runners in scoring position and less than two out occurred again, and provided a harbringer of things to come for this Toronto offence.
4. June 7 – Orioles 9, Blue Jays 4: This game is notorious for a few reasons, one of them falling behind 9-1 to the horrible Baltimore baseball team. I mean, these are the Orioles, the dregs of the AL East! This was also the infamous “tipping” incident – and no, I’m not talking about that time I didn’t leave any at Tremendous for their namesake service – it involved starter A.J. Burnett. The mercurial Burnett was strafed for seven runs over four plus innings of work, and after he was lifted, he was lustily booed for his underachieving efforts in this town to date. Frustrated, as well I’m sure, Burnett doffed his cap in reception of the jeers and was rained down with plenty more as he walked to the dugout. It was a situation that would only be rectified over the season as A.J. improved his record, thus rehabbing his image (I guess that’s how it goes in life – as if it were that simple!).
5. June 11 – Mariners 2, Blue Jays 1: Granted, one of the best young pitchers in baseball was on the mound for the M’s in Felix Hernandez, but the M’s were on a wave of losing that would not be stemmed all year. That is, until they faced their expansion brothers to the northeast; the M’s won five of nine games from Toronto this season. Three of those victories were in the M’s final at-bats, and they did so again today in the ninth inning. B.J. Ryan (again!) gave up only one hit, but his two walks allowed set up the go-ahead run. He lost control to the point where he was tossed by the umpires for arguing strikes. Once again, clutch hitting was stuck in neutral as the team’s 3-4-5 hitters went 0-for-11; and once again, the Blue Jays played to their opponent’s level.