The day after Brandon Morrow walked eight batters in just two and 2/3rds innings and got the hook, Ricky Romero had a two-inning control meltdown of his own Sunday at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo. Facing the Reds Triple A affiliate Louisville, Romero walked the bases loaded in the first inning and again in the second, but he escaped unscathed both times and actually lasted five innings. Romero didnt give up any more walks and didnt surrender a run during the stint. Earlier in the week, an upbeat Romero was on TSN Drive with Dave Naylor and co-host Dave Hodge and said he felt he was pitching better than he had been in a year and a half. He also said he would welcome a call-up right now if the Blue Jays needed or wanted him. As shaky as the Jays starting pitching has been this season, especially over this just completed homestand, Romero doesnt figure to get called up anytime soon. He simply has to be more consistent with his control. The largest pitcher I have ever seen in the Majors is C.C Sabathia. Though he has trimmed down now a bit, there were times over the past two or three years where he weighed between 285 and 300 pounds. Well in that same Buffalo-Louisville game on Sunday, the Bats used a closer by the name of Jose Diaz. A year ago, the 64 native of the Dominican Republic pitched at 347 pounds and of course was known by the nickname of Jumbo. This year having just turned 30, he realized it might be time to shave off a few pounds to try and prolong his career. He got down to 278, but the stat sheets now are listing him at 315. Jumbo racked up his sixth save Sunday against the Bisons. He throws with pretty good velocity, too. Cincinnati already has Aroldis Chapman as their closer, but who knows at some point, he may surface in the Majors. Historic Lineup Since the Blue Jays in the Pat Gillick era were one of the very first teams to extensively scout and sign talent out of the Dominican Republic, it only seems fitting that on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre, they became the first team in Major League history to field a starting lineup that included six players born in the Dominican. The starting 9 included Jose Reyes, Melky Cabrera, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Juan Francisco and Moises Sierra. An equally, if not more, historic moment occurred back on Sept 1 of 1971 when the Pittsburgh Pirates fielded an entire starting lineup of African American and Latin American players including Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell. The rest of the starting 9 included Al Oliver, who later played with the Expos and the Blue Jays, Rennie Stennett, Jackie Hernandez, Dave Cash, Manny Sanguillen, Gene Clines and starting pitcher Dock Ellis. Better April The Blue Jays started last season at 10-17 in April and they are already guaranteed a better first month this time around. John Gibbons and company are 12-13 with two games at Kansas City left in this month. But something to remember, there were only two playoff teams with losing Aprils in the American League a year ago. Tampa Bay went 12-14 but rebounded to finish 91-71 to earn a play in the knockout game with Texas to decide the second Wild Card spot. Cleveland earned the first Wild Card at 92-70 after opening April at 11-13. Conversely Texas had the best record in April at 17-8, but finished the season in that knock-out game at 91-71. All of that means if the Blue Jays are going to need 91 victories to have a shot at the playoffs this year, they will have to go 79-58 the rest of the year or 21 games over .500. Thats not impossible, but the starting rotation will have to be far better the rest of the way. Right now, the Blue Jays staff era is 4.45, 25th in the Majors, just slightly ahead of Baltimore at 4.49. I dont know if this is a plus but the only team in the AL East with a sub -4.00 era is Boston at 3.90 and the BoSox are fourth in the division just behind the Blue Jays. This and That Its really interesting to look at the early season gap in some pitching categories between the National League and the American. The Senior Circuit has eight of the top 10 staff ERAs. Only Oakland and K.C. break into that group. The National League has had 10 complete games to just four for the American, including two by Texas. There have been 34 shutouts in the National League to 23 in the American. St. Louis has six and Texas leads the American with six. I guess it just helps to illustrate why Ervin Santana chose Atlanta over the Blue Jays. After going 7-9 in their 1st 16 game segment against the East, the Jays have a 20-game stretch where they dont play their own division at all. Their next game against the East is May 20 at Fenway Park in Boston. In fact, they only have six games against the East for the entire month of May, getting Tampa Bay at home the week after that Boston series. The All-Star voting has begun for the Mid-summer Classic Tuesday July 15th at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins. If voting closed today, the only Blue Jays on my ballot would be lefty Mark Buehrle and Melky Cabrera. Jose Bautista could make it as well, but more on his name and All-Star reputation at this point. I also did a rough count and if Buehrle keeps it up, his natural turn to pitch would fall on All-Star Tuesday so their might even be a chance he could start. But thats still a lot of innings pitched and a long way off. Anfernee Simons Blazers Jersey . His absence against the Celtics comes a day after he scored 43 points in the Heats 100-96 win at Cleveland. Clyde Drexler Jersey . He looked very comfortable Wednesday night. Konerko had a big three-run double and Gordon Beckham homered for the second straight game, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-3 victory over the sliding Chicago Cubs. https://www.blazerslockerroom.com/Damian...Edition-Jersey/. A larger-than-life personality known for his intimidating style in the 18-yard box, Schmeichels career spanned some 20 years -- including a memorable tenure at Manchester United. Bill Walton Blazers Jersey .Y. - The Philadelphia Eagles game at Green Bay against the Packers on Nov. Caleb Swanigan Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (4) – He had a strong game Sunday; was very good in tight with big saves on Crosby, Malkin and Neal in-crease.(SportsNetwork.com) - The San Jose Sharks aim to extend a four-game point streak tonight as they host the Vancouver Canucks in the first matchup of the season between the Pacific Division rivals. Listen to all the action live on TSN Radio 1040 beginning at 5:30pm pt. The Sharks avoided a third straight loss on home ice with Saturdays 3-1 win over the New York Islanders. Logan Couture netted the game-winning goal with 8:10 to play and Antti Niemi came up with 19 saves. On the winning goal, Marc-Edouard Vlasic sent a pass across the blue line to Justin Braun, who had his slap pass re-directed into the top of the net by Couture at the right side of the net. I knew I was trying to tip it and get it up. I was lucky it got in, said Couture. Great look by Braun. Tomas Hertl scored on the power play and James Sheppard tallied a late goal as San Jose moved to 3-0-1 over its last four games. San Jose lost defenseman Scott Hannan to an undisclosed injury late in the first period and his status for this game is unknown. Niemi, meanwhile, will make his fifth straight start and is 9-7-2 with a 2.64 goals against average and .913 save percentage in 18 prior starts against the Canucks. The Sharks won three of four versus the Canucks last season and have claimed seven of the past nine meetings overall. Vancouver did snap a three-game series road slide in its last trip to San Jose and comes in having won five of its last six overall. The Canucks rallied to beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Tuesday to open a four-game road trip. TThe Canucks trailed 2-0 after the first period, but finally got on the board with four seconds left in the second frame and then scored four times in the final frame.dddddddddddd Nick Bonino had two of those goals. Vancouver failed to score on its first 26 shots before Henrik Sedin got his club on the board with a rebound goal in the final seconds of the middle period. I think in the second we just took the game over, said Vancouver forward Shawn Matthias, who scored unassisted with 6:50 to play to cap the scoring. It just seemed like we were rolling the lines and cycling the puck well. All four lines were going. Ryan Miller made 20 saves for Vancouver. He won his sixth straight start and is 9-1-0 on the season with a 2.22 GAA and .917 save percentage. Miller is 7-1-0 lifetime versus the Sharks in nine meetings with a 2.17 GAA and .932 save percentage. Canucks forward Alex Burrows is eligible to return tonight from a three-game suspension earned for a high, late hit on Montreals Alexei Emelin in last Thursdays win. Canucks (18PTS) at Sharks (16PTS) - 10:30PM SJ was 3-1-0 vs VAN last season SJ has gone 3-1-0 past 4 games at home vs VAN (lost last) SJ (7-4-2): 3-0-1 past 4 games, 12/13 on PK outscored opponent 15-2 in 1st pd Wingels (2G, 2A) 4 game PT streak VAN (9-4-0): 5-1-0 past 6 games, 12GA, 19/20 on PK won 2 straight on the road, 2GA in each game, 8/8 on PK H Sedin/Edler both (1G, 1A) past 2 games Miller has won 6 straight, 1.65GAA, .937sv% Miller 7-1-1(tie) all-time vs SJ, 2.17GAA, .932sv% ' ' '