The Blue Jays offence has been positively dazzling, especially in the first eight days of May. You might as well change the franchise name from the Blue Jays to the "Thunder Birds." The Jays have scored 56 runs in putting together a 6-2 record, good for an average of seven runs per game. Over the last couple of weeks, everyone has been talking about the firepower of the Colorado Rockies and rightly so, but the Rockies have scored 58 runs over the same span in May and have an identical 6-2 mark. Granted, the Rockies dont play with a DH for the bulk of their games, so their totals are slightly more impressiveThe Jays pitching numbers have improved this month, as well. They have given up just 31 runs or just fewer than four per game. Colorado has surrendered exactly 32 or four runs per game right on the button. On the season, the Jays have scored 178 runs and given up 158. That 178 total is second in the American League to the Chicago White Sox who have racked up 184, which is, coincidentally, the same number they have allowed. The 178 the Jays have scored is the best in the AL East, but the 158 against is fourth-worst in the American League, ahead of only the Texas Rangers (174), Houston Astros (181) and the White Sox. The Jays though have improved by leaps and bounds over a year ago when they were 13-23 out of the gate. At this point last season, the Jays had only scored 139 runs and had given up 190. The -51 run differential was second-worst in the American League to Houston at -73. The really interesting comparison takes us back to 1993, the last time the Blue Jays won the World Series. The season started a week later so it took the 93 Jays until May 14 to play their 35th game, but guess what - their record then was exactly the same as this years edition at 18-17. On that date the 93 Jays had scored, you guessed it, 178 runs, the same as this years team. The 93 bunch though had allowed a dreadful 193 runs through May 14 for a -15 run differential. Im not saying the 2014 Blue Jays are as good a team as the 93 Jays, because at this point that would be ludicrous. Remember that the 93 Jays added Tony Fernandez and Rickey Henderson to the mix with in-season deals and became even stronger and the 1993 edition also had a lights-out closer in Duane Ward. Still, the numbers of the current team are intriguing and give cause for some hope. Another point - the Blue Jays have won a season high five-straight, which, while impressive, can only be considered a starting point. The 93 Jays had three outstanding runs in-season, From May 20 through June 5, they won 13 of 16 games. Then, from June 15 through the 29, they took 12 of 14 to push their record to 48-30. After losing 10 of 11 from June 30 to July 11 to fall to 49-40, they rebounded to take nine of 10 from July 24 through August 3. Next came a nine-game win streak from September 10 through 21 and then they finished the season by winning five of their final seven. The Jays finished the 1993 regular season with a 95-67 record, one victory fewer than the previous years team. They scored 847 runs, second-best in the American League and gave up 742, which was fifth in the American League. Their run differential was +105. On last May 9, the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox were in a virtual tie for first in the AL East. Tampa Bay was 16-18, four-and-a-half games out. The Blue Jays were dead last at 13-23, eight-and-a-half games out. On May 9, this time around, the Jays are alone in third place in the East, one game back of the Yankees and one-and-a-half behind first-place Baltimore. Its still a very long, difficult haul, but this summer may not be as long as many of us thought it would be. - We dont get to see enough of Colorado to truly appreciate the talents of their young third baseman Nolan Arenado. On Thursday, he broke Michael Cuddyers club record 27-game hit streak that was set only last season. At 28 games, Arenado is exactly halfway to Joe DiMaggios iconic 56-game streak set in 1941. If Arenado stays healthy and can put together one of those streaks for the ages, he would be in position to equal and then surpass DiMaggios streak June 10 and 11 at home against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field. Realistically, though, in this day and age, its hard to see anyone coming close to that milestone. - The Blue Jays lost outfielder Moises Sierra on a waiver claim to the White Sox last weekend. He was added to Chicagos roster last Sunday and made late-inning appearances in that game against the Cleveland Indians and in Mondays cross-city rivalry game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, going hitless in one at-bat for the two games. On Tuesday, though, Adam Dunn was a late scratch and skipper Robin Ventura stuck Sierra in the line-up in right field. He went four-for-four and scored a run in the White Sox 5-1 victory over the Cubbies. It will be interesting to see how his career unfolds with this fresh start. - Two of this years early season hard-luck pitchers faced each other earlier this week at Wrigley. Jose Quintana of the White Sox pitched seven innings of one-hit ball, giving up just one run, while racking up his fourth no-decision in starts. This coming from the guy who set an American League record a year ago with 17 no-decisions. Quintana is 1-2 on the campaign with a 3.56 ERA. On the flip side, the Cubs Jeff Samardzija, whos in his contract year, fired nine innings of three-hit, one-run ball before being taken out. Again, a no decision. Samardizija, whos pitched like an All-Star and has been the subject of many a trade rumour is 0-3 with an incredible 1.62 earned run average. Ultimately, he probably will be traded to a contender, maybe even the Jays, but not until a lot closer to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. And, yes, the White Sox did win that game at Wrigley 3-1 over the Cubs in 12 innings. Nike Air Max Canada . Having won the first leg 1-0 in Barcelona, Madrid entered the match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium already in control and quickly sealed its place in the semifinals when Jese Rodriguez scored in the seventh minute. Nike Air Max Canada Sale . Henry, who missed three games with a knee injury, was charged with a handball in the penalty area in the 82nd minute as he went to block a strike from Patrick Mullins. On the ensuing penalty kick, Lee Nguyen picked up his fourth goal of the season, giving the Revolution a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon. http://www.airmaxcanada.com/ . Austin does not believe the game-time temperature is going to be an advantage for either side heading into the Grey Cup. "We dont think about (the cold)," said Austin. "Im not even sure how you would determine an advantage. Cheap Air Max Sale . - Suspended Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon has voluntarily checked into a treatment facility and seems to be doing well. Cheap Air Max Outlet . The 28-year-old lefty made his MLB debut in 2013, making 10 starts and going 2-5 with 4.05 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Albers was named the Twins organizations minor league pitcher of the year for 2013.This week the 2013/14 Premier League season comes to a close. Here at TSN.ca we will take a look back at the season by bringing together a panel of experts to help pick the best 50 players of the season. This list is based purely on their performances this season. It is not a list of who we think the best 50 players in the league are. Fourteen members were asked to take part (panel below) and submit their top 20 players of the season. Their list was then placed into a scoring system and then the totals determined the overall positions in the top 50. Each day this week we will release the list in 10s. The sport is very much about opinions, so please feel free to write your own list in the comments below. Here is how the Top 20 were scored – 1st place – 30pts; 2nd place – 25; 3rd place – 22; 4th place – 20; 5th place – 18; 6th place – 17; 7th place – 15; 8th place – 14; 9th place – 13; 10th place – 12; 11th place – 10; 12th place – 9; 13th place – 8; 14th place – 7; 15th place – 6; 16th place – 5; 17th place – 4; 18th place – 3; 19th place – 2; 20th place – 1. The Panel Six members of TSNs soccer team were on the panel and were joined by eight other members from around the world who were asked to represent their specific field. Joining our staff members were two outstanding statistical experts, Jonny Blain and Simon Gleave, two brilliant reporters/commentators covering the league, Stewart Coggin and Paul Sarahs and two extremely knowledgeable tactics writers, Tim Palmer and Ritesh from the False9 website and a man who covers the development side of the league like no other, Aidan from the England Youth website. In addition, also involved was arguably one of the knowledgeable writers covering the league in the world, Michael Cox, aka Zonal Marking. Follow the Panel on Twitter Aidan from England Youth – https://twitter.com/englandyouthJonny Blain - https://twitter.com/jonoblainNoel Butler - https://twitter.com/TheSoccerNoelStewart Coggin - https://twitter.com/StewartCogginMichael Cox - https://twitter.com/Zonal_MarkingJason DeVos - https://twitter.com/jasondevosSimon Gleave - https://twitter.com/SimonGleaveKristian Jack - https://twitter.com/KristianJackTim Palmer - https://twitter.com/timhpalRitesh from The False9 - https://twitter.com/TheFalse_9Paul Sarahs - https://twitter.com/PaulSarahsPete Schaad - https://twitter.com/PeteSchaadGareth Wheeler - https://twitter.com/WheelerTSNLuke Wileman - https://twitter.com/LukeWileman 50. Winston Reid (West Ham) – It has been a frustrating year for the New Zealand centre-back in terms of injuries as ankle surgery forced him to miss more than a dozen Premier League matches and it was during this time that his loss was really noticeable. The Hammers have shown glimpses of a very solid unit this past season but it never looks better unless the 25-year-old is in the team. Could be on the move this summer to a bigger club. 49. Martin Skrtel (Liverpool) – Some people who watch Liverpool often` belief Skrtel should not be a part of their future. The Slovakian can be far too aggressive in his own penalty box and, despite improvement, doesnt seem comfortable enough on the ball to suit the style Brendan Rodgers demands. However, this season his strength and bravery, in both penalty boxes, have helped Liverpool win many games. With regular issues surrounding who plays the other side of the centre-back tandem, Skrtel has given Rodgers much needed solidity at the heart of his defence. 48. David De Gea (Man Utd) – There are very few positives for Man Utd fans to take from this past season. However, one of the advantages to having an aging, poor defence was that their goalkeeper was tested more than usual. De Gea had an excellent season and, for some on this panel, was the clubs best player. Arguably one of the best saves of the entire season came in October when Sunderlands Emanuele Giaccherini headed the ball towards the top corner and a stretched De Gea tipped it wide. It was a brilliant save, as was the instinctive stoop he had on a volley by Jonathan Walters a few weeks later.dddddddddddd 47. Santi Cazorla (Arsenal) – It was a mystifying season for the Spaniard. Some think he has the talent to carry a team on his back and showed glimpses of that when Arsenal were at their peak in November (he was outstanding in their home win over Liverpool) yet consistency at the highest level is still lacking. This may not be Cazorlas fault. Although a wonderfully pleasing player on the eyes, it is, perhaps, an indictment on Arsenal in 2014 that he is one of their best players. If he had two or three world class players around him (particularly playing behind him centrally), Cazorla would blossom more often. 46. Jason Puncheon (Crystal Palace) – On January 11, Crystal Palace were having fun at Tottenham, playing the high-flyers completely off the pitch. Then they got a penalty, one Puncheon smashed into Row Z. The look on his face showed just how distraught he was. Palace would lose 2-0 and manager Tony Pulis admitted that the winger couldnt get over the miss for the rest of the game. The next two weeks, Palace won 1-0 twice with goals, each time, from the man who started the season at Southampton. Then, at the start of April, he scored in three straight games to guarantee the teams safety. 45. Joel Ward (Crystal Palace) – Puncheon got a lot of the headlines, but Crystal Palaces best player of the season was arguably a man very few Premier League fans had heard about 12 months ago. Joel Ward was asked to play all different positions across the back four and in central midfield this season but really excelled under Tony Pulis, showing a real assurance in possession, while enjoying the freedom of width by causing overlaps down the wings. 44. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) – Arsene Wengers side have holes and when asked what they need to do to become a title contender, many people think they can do better up top by replacing Giroud. That might be true but the 27-year-old is a striker who should be monitored not just for the goals he scores. Obviously they are essential for a man in his position but the Frenchman is a very clever link forward, comfortable with his back to goal, bringing in to play the multiple playmakers in behind him. He is also very good in the air and has won key aerial battles in both boxes this season. 43. Curtis Davies (Hull City) – What a difference three seasons can make. Once seen as a future star, Davies, cast aside by Aston Villa, had to go down to the lower leagues and improve his craft and when Steve Bruce paid just over two million pounds for him last summer to play in the Premier League there were those who werent sure he was up to the task. Davies (Saturdays game against Villa aside) proved the doubters wrong, starting all but one of the teams league games this season and being, unquestionably, the teams player of the season in what has been a very good season for the club. 42. Alvaro Negredo (Man City) – If this list would have been done at Christmas, the Spaniard would have been in the top 20. All of Negredos nine Premier League goals this season came before the middle of January and if he doesnt score a goal in the final week of the season he will have gone four months without a league goal. However, this is no Roberto Soldado. The beast, as he is called in the blue half of Manchester, is no flop and is a wonderful footballer who can score goals from set pieces, drop deep and play in opponents and score goals in the six-yard box. Expect him to come back stronger and fitter in August. 41. Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) – What a strange season for Arsenals defence. Impressive against most of the league, diabolical away from home at Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton. The Frenchman can be a very polarizing figure, often looked down on because of highlight-reel mistakes such as own goals or high-profile red cards, but when not being put into highlight packs, the 28-year-old shows he is very steady in defence. Like many defenders, he isnt always at his best when forced to turn and face his own goal but very few opponents force him to do so. 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