A perfect day?

If you like the Toronto Blue Jays, then Saturday was probably a perfect day.

1) The Jays, the AL's best team, won in Oakland to end a two-game losing streak.

Toronto is 21-12, which trails only the Manny-less L.A. Dodgers (22-10).

2) Brian Tallet again does the job, and has pitched well in four of five starts.

3) The Yankees (14-16) gave up eight runs in the second inning in Baltimore in A-Rod's second game of the season. New York is closer to last place (ie. where Baltimore resides) than to top spot, only 1 1/2 games ahead of the Orioles (13-18), following its 12-5 loss.

4) Boston lost 14-5 to Tampa Bay at Fenway, and is now in second place, one game behind Toronto. The Red Sox are 19-12. Even the Rays, who won the AL East last season, are struggling. Tampa Bay is 15-17, tied with the Yankees in the standings.

5) Roy Halladay's main rival in the AL Cy Young race, KC's Zack Greinke, finally lost a game. Greinke gave up only one run in a complete-game four-hitter, but fell 1-0 in Anaheim. Greinke didn't walk a batter, and gave up just a third-inning sac fly.

Greinke is now 6-1 with a 0.51 ERA.

His mound opponent on Saturday, Joe Saunders, is 5-1 with a 2.66 ERA following his complete-game five-hitter.

Halladay, meanwhile, is 6-1 with a 3.29 ERA.

******

The Vancouver Canucks lost at home to the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-2, in Game Five of their Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Chicago now leads the series 3-2, and can wrap things up at the United Center in Game Six.

Vancouver was only three minutes away from taking a 3-1 series lead on Thursday in Game Four, but gave up the tying goal late in the third period before losing in OT.

Fortunately, the tables have now turned, and Chicago looks to move on.

Beautiful!

* * * * *

And how about the Pittsburgh Penguins? It's now shades of '92, '95, and '96.

Pittsburgh dropped its first two to the Washington Capitals, and was destined to fall 0-3 in the third contest.

But the Pens won the third game in OT, rallied to win the fourth, and now won again on Saturday, beating the Caps 3-2 in OT.

Seems like every time the Pens and Caps meet in playoff OT, it doesn't matter who the cast of characters are, the Pens always prevail.