Kevin Cash hit it on the nose both at the plate and in the post-game gloom inside the Jays clubhouse

The Jays rookie catcher made his 18th start since the all-star break yesterday and after striking out in his first two at-bats, he drilled a two-run homer off Oakland's Mark Mulder in the sixth to boost Toronto's lead to 5-2. He also threw out a runner at second attempting to steal.

"It was a long time between hits," Cash said of his homer, his fourth of the season and first since June 24. "It felt nice to get one."

It has been a tough, long haul for Cash this season as he's lost his job to veteran Gregg Zaun and now has rookie Guillermo Quiroz, a recent call-up, ready to take his spot.

On the season, Cash is hitting .194. In his 18 games since the break, Cash has gone 7-for-41 (.170) with 19 strikeouts.

"It's no secret I've stunk this year," Cash said. "You don't get playing time if you're not producing and I can't blame anybody else."

EASE THEM IN

Interim manager John Gibbons so far is keeping to his word as he has employed his three September call-ups sporadically the past two games.

On Friday, shortstop Russ Adams made his major-league debut as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning and came through with a single.

Yesterday, Quiroz received his first taste of big-league action as the Jays DH. After a groundout in the second and flyout to the warning track in centre in the fifth, Quiroz collected his first big-league hit with a single to centre in the sixth and followed with a single in the ninth going 2-for-4 on the day.

Left-handed hitting Eric Crozier, a DH/first baseman, also saw his first action as with two-out in the ninth he pinch hit for Orlando Hudson. Oakland lefty Chris Hammond froze him on a two-strike curve for the punchout.

Meanwhile, Gibbons said Adams will start at short today.

Right-hander Ryan Glynn will also make his first start for the Jays today as he is replacing Josh Towers, who has some soreness in the back of his right shoulder. It will be Glynn's 36th major- league start and his first since June 1 of 2001 when he was with Minnesota.

BASE PATH BLUES

Poor Oakland baserunning led to three doubleplays in the opening four innings.