There was little the Blue Jays did wrong during the just-ended 10-game win streak.

A show of hands, please. How many of you unabashed Blue Jays fans really believed that they would run the table and make the playoffs?

That's what I thought.

But it sure was fun while it lasted. In the middle of the toughest part of their 2008 schedule, the Jays ran off 10 straight victories against some of the toughest, playoff-ready teams in the American League. They won the close games and they won the blowouts, thanks to baseball's best pitching staff and a rejuvenated batting line-up that has flourished since their flawed and myopic offensive strategy was kicked to the curb back in late June and Cito Gaston and Gene Tenace returned to remind their high-paid hitters how to hit.

Looking inside the 10 wins, a lot of positive things emerged. As a team, the Jays hit a robust .307 (.315 with runners in scoring position), averaged 5.9 runs and 11.4 hits per game. They hit 19 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs, with an on-base % of .350 and slugging % of .499. Individually, nine different Jays hit .300 or better. Alex Rios led the way with at least one hit in every game, leading to a .391 average (18 for 46) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR and 10 RBI. A rejuvenated Lyle Overbay checked in at .364, 3 doubles, 3 HR and 8 RBI. And Vernon Wells went .333, 2 doubles, 3 HR and 8 RBI. These were three of the hitters expected to lead the Jays offence this season, which makes me think about what could have been if the team hadn't so many fastballs go by earlier in the season. But that's hindsight, and you know what they say about that.

Pitching was never the Jays problem this season and it wasn't during the streak. Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett and Jesse Litsch led the way, combining to go 5-0 with a 1.65 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. As a group, the rotation put together a stellar 2.33 ERA while the bullpen clocked in at 2.08. For the first time all season everything clicked, although the only blemish was the performance of closer B.J. Ryan, who has cornered the market on nervous ninth innings. Sure he picked up four saves in five opportunities, but Ryan allowed 12 base runners (6 hits, 5 walks and a hit batter) in his six appearances. Not exactly Francisco Rodriguez, but he does now have 28 saves this season, a pretty decent number for a guy who couldn't even throw a ball a year ago after 'Tommy John' surgery.

Now, based on the comments that you leave at the bottom of my columns, most of you enjoy the fact that I call it the way I see it. And on Wednesday night, when the streak finally came to an end, I had to wonder a couple of things. Sure, Roy Halladay didn't have his 'A' game that night, but he didn't get a lot of help in the field. The one thing that troubled me was playing Jose Bautista at first base with your ace on the hill. In just his third career appearance at first - all with the Jays since being plucked out of the Pirates bargain bin - Bautista looked horribly out of position. If they want to find out if Bautista has value as a back-up first baseman, let's do it against the Orioles, who the Jays have six games remaining this season. And let's do it when Halladay is not on the mound. With the amount of ground balls that he induces, Overbay should be manning first on the nights that 'Doc' pitches. That's just my personal request.

So the win streak ended at 10, one short of the Blue Jays' franchise record. The highlights were many, topped by Gregg Zaun's walk-off Grand Slam last weekend against the Rays. But this was a total team effort from top to bottom and, as I said in my last missive, it augers well for next season. Sure, there will be changes, but with Gaston and Tenace having turned around the offence, combined with the great pitching, this is team that won't likely sneak up on anyone next season.

And leap-frogging past the hated Yankees was a nice bonus too, eh?

STRETCH RUN THOUGHTS

For those of you who still believe that the Tampa Bay Rays will finally wilt and fall out of first, witness their just completed series at Fenway Park. After Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon combined to shut them out in the series opener, they were three outs from falling out of first when they rallied for a pair of runs on Tuesday night to steal Tuesday's game from Papelbon, and then grinded out a 14-inning win on Wednesday. Time to come to the realization, folks, that the Rays, led by their New Age manager Joe Maddon, are not going away. And playoff tickets, in all price ranges, will be readily available at the Tropicana Field box office if you can make it down to St. Petersburg...

This is a good time to be in Chicago. As a Bears fan, I was able to sit at Pizzano's on Sunday night, enjoy the best deep dish anywhere and watch them manhandle the hated Colts. And with the White Sox and Cubs both closing in on division titles, there is a definite spring in the steps of all Chicagoans, and good for them. This is a great sports town, and more than worthy of a World Series, for their devotion to their teams alone...

I don't normally plug other websites, but check out ESPN.com and Buster Olney's strong praise of the Blue Jays in his latest blog.