Jose Bautista powers Blue Jays past Red Sox

BOSTON (AP) Toronto manager John Gibbons was most impressed by the power. Jose Bautista enjoyed his throw to the plate a bit more.

Either way, Bautista helped the Blue Jays bounce back with a win over the Red Sox.

Bautista hit a pair of long homers over the Green Monster, starting with the 200th of his career and following with a tiebreaking, two-run drive off Junichi Tazawa in the eighth inning that led the Blue Jays over Boston 6-2 Saturday.

His sixth-inning throw to the plate cut down Shane Victorino on Dustin Pedroia's single to medium-deep right.

Gibbons could only pause, lean back in his chair and smile when asked what impressed him most - the two homers or throw.

``Any time you hit two home runs in close ballgames I have to give it to that,'' he said. ``Homers win.''

Bautista put Toronto ahead 2-0 with a solo homer in the sixth, a drive that cleared a billboard at the back of the Monster seats in straightaway left and had the crowd buzzing for several batters. He stood at the plate briefly, admiring the ball's flight.

``I knew I was one away, so when I was in the dugout I did enjoy it,'' he said, adding a Red Sox parking lot employee retrieved the ball for him.

But it was his throw that made the slugger happiest.

``It's more difficult and more rare to throw people out on the bases,'' he said. ``Anytime I do that I enjoy it a lot more.''

After Victorino's two-run single against Steve Delabar (5-1) tied the score in the seventh, Bautista followed Jose Reyes' leadoff single in the eighth with a drive off Tazawa (4-3) that went off the base of a light-tower in left-center. Bautista has 18 home runs this season and 21 career multihomer games.

The Red Sox had another runner cut down in the seventh. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was out at the plate, when pitcher Darren Oliver's throw home beat him on Jonathan Diaz's squeeze bunt.

Boston manager John Farrell knows how much Bautista can affect a game, having managed the Blue Jays the past two seasons.

``Very good player. Obviously capable of hitting balls out of the ballpark every time he steps in the box,'' he said. ``He gets a 2-0 cutter from (Felix) Doubront for the first solo home run, and then as I mentioned on the split the other way from Tazawa. We looked to put pressure on the defense in that situation. Bautista is ranging to his right, comes up and throws about a 260-foot strike to cut down Victorino.''

Victorino knew it was an accurate throw, but didn't feel like it should be the main focus.

``Plays like that change scenarios,'' he said. ``But we were able to come back and tie the game. Let's look at that on the positive side of things.''

Toronto, which lost the opening two games of the four-game series, stopped Boston's four-game winning streak. The Red Sox had 10 or more hits for the seventh time in eight games.

Reyes boosted the lead with an RBI single in the ninth against Craig Breslow and scored from first on a fielding error by Diaz at third.

Delabar struck out four in 1 2-3 innings. Blue Jays starter Esmil Rogers allowed six hits in six scoreless innings.

Boston's Felix Doubront gave up two runs, five hit and three walks in 6 1-3 innings.

Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus made a run-saving diving catch of Diaz's liner in the fifth.

``Two great plays,'' Rogers said of Rasmus' and Bautista's gems. ``I'm going to owe them something. I don't know what.''

Adam Lind's RBI had put the Blue Jays ahead in the first.

NOTES: Farrell doesn't expect SS Stephen Drew, who left Friday's game after aggravating his right hamstring, to go on the DL. ... Reyes is 3 for 17 since coming off the DL. ... Diaz was promoted to the 40-man roster before the game, when RHP Clayton Mortensen was designated for assignment. Diaz batted ninth and was 0 for 3 with a run scored in his major league debut. ... There was a fairly loud contingent of Toronto fans, chanting `Let's Go Blue Jays' at various times, with many blue jerseys sprinkled behind Toronto's bullpen. ... Bautista and Rajai Davis each stole off Doubront without an attempted throw from Saltalamacchia. Davis stole twice for the second straight game. ... Toronto LHP Mark Buehrle (4-5, 4.73 ERA), who took a shutout into the eighth inning his last time pitching in Fenway, is slated to face RHP Ryan Dempster (5-8, 4.15 ERA) in the series finale on Sunday. After that, the teams don't meet at Fenway again until Boston's final three home games.

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Mark Buehrle, Blue Jays go for series split against Red Sox

It's been four seasons since Mark Buehrle defeated the Boston Red Sox.

Buehrle is also winless in his last five outings at Fenway Park as he tries to help the Toronto Blue Jays earn a split of this four-game set Sunday.

The left-hander began his career 4-0 against the Red Sox (49-34) but is 0-4 with a 4.84 ERA against them in seven outings since the start of 2010, including 0-1 with a 3.95 ERA in two this year.

He hasn't won in Boston since 2004, going 0-3 with a 7.04 ERA in his last five starts there although he only yielded one run over seven-plus innings May 11 in a 3-2 victory. His 5.02 ERA at Fenway is his third-worst in any AL ballpark.

David Ortiz is hitting .358 in 67 at-bats against Buehrle (4-5, 4.73 ERA) while Dustin Pedroia is 9 for 27. Both are 2 for 6 against him in 2013.

One hitter Buehrle has never faced is Jose Iglesias, who is 6 for 16 against Toronto (40-40) and hitting .402 in June for the AL's second-best mark.

Buehrle fell to 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA in eight road starts after allowing four runs and walking a season-high four over five innings Tuesday in a 5-1 defeat to Tampa Bay.

The Blue Jays could use a long outing from the veteran since their bullpen has been forced to work 14 innings in the first three games of this series.

Toronto ended Boston's win streak at four with a 6-2 victory Saturday behind Jose Bautista's 21st career multihomer game. Bautista hit the 200th of his career in the sixth and added a tiebreaking two-run shot in the eighth.

"Any time you hit two home runs in close ballgames I have to give it to that,'' manager John Gibbons said. "Homers win.''

Bautista had been slumping with a .136 average since his last multihit effort June 15 at Texas, but Red Sox manager John Farrell knows that the slugger is always capable of breaking out after managing him the two previous years.

"Very good player," Farrell said. "Obviously capable of hitting balls out of the ballpark every time he steps in the box.''

The Red Sox have recorded at least nine hits over eight straight games while batting .355, but went 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position Saturday.

"We're looking for anyone to score," Farrell said. "We left some opportunities out there."

Boston was much more efficient in going 12 for 25 with runners in scoring position in taking the first two games of this series.

Ryan Dempster (5-8, 4.15) will start for the Red Sox in search of a second straight win after yielding two runs in six innings in Tuesday's 11-4 rout of Colorado. He received two total runs of support in losing his previous two outings.

"The wins come as a team more than an individual," Dempster said. "That's all I care about is that when I start, we win the game."

The right-hander has allowed 17 homers to rank among baseball's highest totals and has given up four in two starts versus Toronto this year - all against different hitters. He's 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in those outings.

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Red Sox recover to edge Blue Jays

BOSTON (AP) Koji Uehara deserves a break after three perfect saves in three days as Boston's new closer.

So don't look for him coming out of the bullpen in the ninth inning of the next game.

``I'm going to tell them that I'm not available tomorrow,'' a laughing Uehara said through a translator after the Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 despite squandering a five-run lead on Friday night.

Joel Hanrahan had blown four of his six save opportunities and had a 9.82 ERA before Tommy John elbow surgery ended his season. Andrew Bailey also struggled and blew two consecutive save chances before manager John Farrell turned to his third option, Uehara.

``After he went through his throwing program, he said he was good to go'' for a third straight day, Farrell said. ``So, we were in a save situation, he was going to be the guy.''

Jonny Gomes put Uehara in that situation when he broke a tie with a bases-loaded, pinch-hit single in the two-run seventh.

``I'm a grinder,'' he said. ``I'm willing to take one off the neck for the team. You've definitely got to be confident.''

Gomes hadn't played in five of the previous six games, but is 4 for 12 with two homers and three RBIs as a pinch hitter. He also is hitting .321 with runners in scoring position.

``With the bases loaded, as disciplined he is with the strike zone, one way or the other it felt like he was going to come through in that situation,'' Farrell said.

The Red Sox had 15 hits, giving them at least 10 for the sixth time in seven games. They have 93 hits over that span.

Andrew Miller (1-2) got the win with 1 1-3 scoreless innings.

The Red Sox won their fourth in a row and improved to 49-33, the best record in the AL and 3 1/2 games over second-place Baltimore in the AL East. They're 16 games over .500 for the first time since they finished the 2011 season at 90-72. Last season, the Red Sox won just 69 games.

With the score tied at 5, Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia singled in the seventh off Neil Wagner (1-2). Brett Cecil relieved and both runners moved up on a wild pitch before Mike Napoli walked, loading the bases.

Gomes, pinch hitting for Daniel Nava, then lined a single past third baseman Maicer Izturis for the go-ahead run. Darren Oliver came in and walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia, forcing in the second run of the inning.

Toronto lost its second game of the series after coming to Boston with 12 wins in its previous 14 games.

Boston had led 5-0 through four innings against Josh Johnson, who lasted just 3 1-3 innings and had no decision for the sixth time in his nine starts this year.

``It was one of those frustrating outings where I should have gotten deeper,'' he said. ``They battled me. They made me throw a lot of pitches and ran up my pitch count.''

But Toronto scored four runs in the next two innings and tied it in the seventh on a solo homer by Edwin Encarnacion, his 23rd of the year, off Bailey.

``We battled to come back and tie it and then they dropped two on us again real quick,'' Gibbons said, ``but the bullpen can't be perfect every night.''

Uehara has been.

He struck out two of the three batters he faced in each of the last three games - one against Colorado and two against Toronto.

``He's got that changeup and he keeps you off balance and he's very durable and loose,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ``They've been trying to find that guy ever since Hanrahan went down and then Bailey struggled and he seems like the perfect guy for it.''

The Red Sox went ahead 2-0 in the second on a walk to Napoli, a single by Nava and Stephen Drew's sixth triple of the season and third in four games. Napoli singled in a run in the third before the Red Sox scored two in the fourth when Drew started the rally with a one-out double.

He left the game with a tight right hamstring and Brandon Snyder pinch ran. Jose Iglesias then singled and both runners scored on a single by Jacoby Ellsbury.

After four shutout innings, Red Sox rookie Allen Webster struggled in the fifth when he allowed RBI singles to Jose Bautista and Encarnacion and a sacrifice fly to Adam Lind.

Rajai Davis then led off the sixth with a single, stole second, took third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Izturis.

Notes: Farrell said Drew is day-to-day. ... Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to nine games and increased his AL-high total to 22 hits leading off an inning. ... Toronto SS Jose Reyes singled in the third, his first hit since he returned Wednesday after missing 66 games with a severely sprained left ankle. ... Boston rookie SS Iglesias went 2 for 4 and has 52 hits in 124 at bats. ... Johnson, who came to Toronto from Miami after last season, got his only win with the Blue Jays in his previous start, a 13-5 victory over Baltimore. ... Esmil Rogers (3-3) pitches for Toronto on Saturday against Felix Doubront (4-3) in the third game of the four-game series.

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Esmil Rogers, Blue Jays look to stop slide against Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have been piling up hits of late.

They'll look to keep turning them into wins as they go for a fifth straight victory Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

Boston (49-33) has posted double-digit hit totals in six of its last seven games, batting .365 with 25 extra-base hits. The Red Sox have been particularly impressive during the current four-game win streak, hitting .436 with runners in scoring position while averaging 7.5 runs.

They continued the hit parade Friday night with 15 in a 7-5 victory over the Blue Jays.

Boston might have to carry on without Stephen Drew, who has three triples and two doubles over the last four games. The shortstop left Friday's game with a tight right hamstring and is day-to-day, according to manager John Farrell.

Dustin Pedroia, meanwhile, had three hits and is 12 for 21 (.571) over the past five games. Jacoby Ellsbury recorded his 15th multihit performance in 26 games, a span in which he's batting .383.

Boston has been particularly hot at home, winning 14 of 18 while batting .319. Ellsbury has hit .414 over his last 13 home games, Pedroia has batted .374 at Fenway Park this season and David Ortiz is batting .351 during a nine-game hitting streak there.

Esmil Rogers (3-3, 3.46 ERA) likely isn't looking forward to facing this Boston lineup. The right-hander has made four appearances against the Red Sox in 2013, all out of the bullpen, and has posted a 23.14 ERA against them. Boston is hitting .462 off Rogers this season with two home runs in 2 1-3 innings.

Rogers, who joined Toronto's starting rotation at the end of May, had surrendered three home runs in his first 50 innings of the season entering Monday. That's when he gave up three straight in the second inning against Tampa Bay, ultimately yielding four runs in six innings of a 4-1 loss.

"I think I lost a little bit of my confidence out there, a little scared to throw my breaking pitch," Rogers told the team's official website. "I don't know why something like that was coming out of my mind. I'll learn about that moment and say it's not going to happen again."

Felix Doubront (4-3, 4.33), meanwhile, hopes the Red Sox's success at the plate carries over for one more day. The left-hander has only one win since April, due in part to an offense that has provided him with 16 runs of support over his last eight starts - he has a 2.89 ERA in that span. Doubront did not get a decision Sunday, allowing three runs - two earned - in five innings of a 7-5 loss at Detroit.

He has not fared well in his last three starts against the Blue Jays, going 0-2 with a 7.80 ERA. Doubront was tagged for nine hits in five innings at Toronto on April 5, yielding three runs in a 6-4 win.

Colby Rasmus has a .385 average against Doubront, including a double, two triples and a home run in 13 at-bats.

Toronto (39-40) has lost four of five while batting .187, but could take some encouragement after coming from five runs down to briefly tie Friday's game.

"What makes it tough is we came back and tied it," manager John Gibbons said, "but it's never easy playing catch-up and that's what we've had to do."

Jose Reyes recorded his first hit since returning from a sprained left ankle. Adam Lind, previously mired in a 6-for-35 slump, recorded an RBI single. Edwin Encarnacion hit his fifth home run in 10 games and is now third in the majors with 23.

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Major leaguers search for The Perfect Swing

"I hit one that far, once. I really did. And I still bogeyed that hole." -- Ron Fairly, Montreal Expos, after watching Mike Schmidt of the Phillies launch a long one.

David Murphy is standing in the Texas Rangers' clubhouse talking about the perfect swing.

As he does, a smile begins to cross his chiselled features; one that is far away, as you might expect from a sailor who swears he's seen a mermaid and has to explain it to someone who wasn't there.

It's personal. It's special. And it happens with an infrequency that requires you to savour every second in case it does not occur again.

"Those moments are kind of few and far between," says the eight-year veteran, while over his shoulder a teammate is pretending not to listen while he's doing up his shoes and nodding his head.

"Those are the moments when you are at the very top of your game, and I guess you want to bottle that feeling because it's something you wish you could feel on a daily basis."

Hitting a baseball has been described, often, as the hardest single act in sports. It's certainly one of the most talked about -- as the man said, this is the only game where you can fail 70 per cent of the time and still make millions.

The perfect swing is out there, re-discovered just enough times to make the never-ending hunt worth it.

"It's hard to explain because it doesn't happen [often]," says Adam Lind, leaning back with his feet up and a plug on the go in the Toronto Blue Jays' clubhouse. "The swing you really want happens, like, once a week, maybe, if you're lucky, and the rest are like you found the right hole, or you hit it in the right spot [on the field]."

Finding the perfect swing can have a sense of magic to it.

Ask Colorado's Michael Cuddyer, a 13-year veteran and one of the best hitters (.339 this season) on the best-hitting team in the National League.

"It kind of starts from the pitcher's hand," he says. "When you have that perfect home run, that perfect swing, it's almost like right when the ball leaves the hand you know it's going to be a perfect one.

"It's almost like you saw it happen, before it happens."

Kind of takes "zoning in" to a higher plane. Ethereal.

'There's no other feeling like it'

In golf, it's a "click". In baseball, it's the storied Crack of the Bat, only much louder than normal.

And the ball has backspin -- allowing it to work with air currents to rise, rise and rise as it heads out of the park on a straight line.

A perfect swing even feels different as you put that 34-ounce (or so) piece of maple or ash onto that six-ounce ball and blast it off to infinity.

"It kind of feels like you are cutting through butter," says Cuddyer, showing with his hand how the bat goes through the hitting zone. "You don't really feel it, but you kind of do … and you just push through it."

Murphy, unprompted (as his interview was the series before), offered almost the same idea.

"It's almost like the ball melts into the bat for a split second," he says. "There's no other feeling like it.

"The game of baseball is full of imperfection -- as a hitter you're going to fail over and over and over again, but in that moment it does feel like perfection, so … those are the pinnacle moments."

There is danger, however, in this ongoing search for baseball's mermaid. Catching a glimpse must not lead you to crash onto the rocks and shoals of self-satisfaction.

You just can't allow yourself to be impressed with yourself.

Cuddyer says there are definitely times when you know you hit one perfectly, "but you have to treat it like any other one."

Because the next 20 might be terrible. In fact, of every 10 home run swings, he points out, only half of them might be anywhere near perfection. For him, that's 84 swats in 5,190 plate appearances during his career.

Lind, up to this story the hottest hitter on the Jays for over a month, doesn't have to look far for reasons to be humble, because "maybe when I impress myself, Eddie's next at bat he'll go like 20 rows deeper."

That's Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto's home run leader with 21 this year.

Still, you can't take away the moment, when it happens. How does it feel, Adam?

"Like you want to do it again."

He smiles the smile of a happy sailor.

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Blue Jays hope to take advantage of struggling Red Sox rookie

The Toronto Blue Jays began their current seven-game trip riding a franchise-tying winning streak, but have struggled to simply win a game this week.

Looking to get back on track, the Blue Jays try to keep the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox from a fourth consecutive win Friday night.

Toronto (39-39) won 11 in a row before losing two of three at Tampa Bay, then was unable to recover after Boston (48-33) scored all its runs in the second inning of a 7-4 victory Thursday.

"You assume you're going to cool off a little bit. That's the way the game works," manager John Gibbons told the Blue Jays' official website. "But you can't have any reversed fortunes."

Dustin Pedroia's two-run homer off Chien-Ming Wang highlighted the big inning for the Red Sox, who have opened a nine-game homestand outscoring opponents 23-11 in three straight wins. They've won 13 of 17 at Fenway Park.

However, the Red Sox received a scare when Jon Lester left in the eighth inning with an apparent injury.

"I slipped a little bit. I guess the doctors were kind of calling it a little jammed hip, a type of zinging sensation down my leg.'' Lester said.

"I'm not too worried about it. The doctors didn't seem worried about it."

The Red Sox are already minus nine-game winner Clay Buchholz, who continues to recover from a neck injury.

That means Allen Webster (0-2, 11.25 ERA) gets a second straight start, and third career, since he was recalled from the minors over the weekend. The right-hander needs to be better than Saturday when he gave up a first-inning grand slam to Victor Martinez and one other run in 4 1-3 innings of a 10-3 loss at Detroit.

"The four runs given back in the first set the tone for the entire evening,'' Boston manager John Farrell said. "I think he settled down after the first inning and pitched OK.''

Toronto counters with Josh Johnson (1-2, 4.60), who pitched well for five innings then allowed four runs and couldn't get out of the seventh inning, but earned his first win as a Blue Jay in Sunday's 13-5 victory over Baltimore.

"Another good outing for him. That's one win," Gibbons said. "Getting on the board so you've got something to show for it always makes you feel good.''

The right-hander is making his first appearance at Fenway, but is 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts versus Boston. He gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings of a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox on April 5.

Pedroia, 2 for 5 with a double against Johnson, is 9 for 16 with six RBIs in four games since he batted .146 with four RBIs in the previous 11.

Teammate Jacoby Ellsbury has hit safely in eight straight games and .382 with 11 RBIs his last 25. He's in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak versus Toronto.

The Blue Jays' Edwin Encarnacion hit .350 with four homers and 12 RBIs during the 11-game winning streak, but since then is 2 for 15 with a solo homer in four contests.

Toronto put outfielder Melky Cabrera on the 15-day disabled list with left knee tendinitis after Thursday's loss and recalled infielder Munenori Kawasaki from Triple-A Buffalo. Kawasaki was sent down after Tuesday's game to make room on the roster for shortstop Jose Reyes.

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5 reasons we'll miss Munenori Kawasaki

Munenori Kawasaki, the Blue Jays' sparkplug of a shortstop, was optioned to triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday as Jose Reyes returns form injury. Take a look back at how the colourful Japanese player captured the hearts of Jays fans.

Munenori Kawasaki, the Blue Jays' sparkplug of a shortstop, was demoted to triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday as Jose Reyes returns from injury.

Take a look back at how the colourful Japanese player captured the hearts of Jays fans:

1. He helped the Blue Jays start "to become family."

That's a quote from pitcher R.A. Dickey, just one of several new Blue Jays who have struggled at times with the team this season. Perhaps Kawasaki's light-hearted nature has helped his teammates loosen up? It sure helps when he knocks in the winning runs, as he did on May 26 against Baltimore.

2. His enthusiasm and candid interviews

This post-game interview with Sportsnet's Arash Madani -- after Kawasaki hit that walk-off double -- went viral, and for good reason:

3. He interacts with the fans

Some Blue Jays fans at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field were glad they showed up to the game early. They helped the shortstop warm up before the game:

4. His celebration after a big play

... which he broke out after his first major league home run against the Orioles on Friday:

5. He knows how to move

Jose Bautista captured this video of Kawasaki's dance moves on the team's charter flight to Tampa Bay after they swept the Orioles over the weekend:

Back to accessibility links

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R.A. Dickey shines as Blue Jays avoid sweep in Tampa

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) R.A. Dickey baffled the Tampa Bay Rays again.

Dickey pitched a two-hitter for his first complete game of the year, Jose Reyes went 0 for 4 in his return from a two-month layoff and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Rays 3-0 Wednesday for their 12th win in 14 games.

``I just concentrate on trying to produce a good knuckleball down in the strike zone for a strike, and today I was able to do that,'' Dickey said. ``Mechanically, I was very repeatable, and you saw the results. They were hitting a lot of ground balls, I had a high strike percentage, so that's what I'm looking for.''

Dickey (7-8) retired his first 13 batters before James Loney grounded a single between shortstop and third base with one out in the fifth. Yunel Escobar had a one-out single in the sixth, then was erased when Matt Joyce hit a double-play grounder.

``Tremendous,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ``You could tell early on he had it going. That ball was dancing. Big break. We played a nice ballgame and as good a game as you can pitch, I guess, unless it's perfect.''

Dickey struck out six and walked one. The knuckleballer pitched a one-hitter for the New York Mets against the Rays on June 13 last year, allowing B.J. Upton's first-inning infield single.

``He was really good, there's no question,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said. ``We didn't hit, I think, even one ball hard. He was just on top of his game.''

Only one Tampa Bay runner, Desmond Jennings who walked and stole second in the seventh, advanced past first base.

Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Blue Jays, who had lost two in a row after tying their team record of 11 straight wins.

Reyes, the All-Star shortstop traded from Miami to Toronto during the offseason, had been sidelined since severely spraining his left ankle sliding into second base during an April 12 game at Kansas City. He grounded out three times, stranding runners on second in the third and fifth innings, and also flied out. His average dropped from .397 to .357 (15 for 42).

``Everything felt the way that I expected,'' Reyes said. ``I enjoyed being out there because I missed that for a long time.''

Reyes also made a nifty defensive play in the first inning, going into the hole to make a back-handed grab and then throw out Jennings at first.

``It's fun to feel the effect of that right out of the chute,'' Dickey said. ``I've played with him for a while now, and I'll tell my grandkids about him. He's that good of a player.''

Jose Bautista doubled leading off the fourth and scored on Melky Cabrera's two-out single. Lind homered in the sixth and Encarnacion in the ninth.

Roberto Hernandez (4-9) gave up three runs and six hits in eight-plus innings.

``I think Roberto was fantastic,'' Maddon said. ``That was probably his best game all year. Both sides pitched well.''

NOTES: To make room for Reyes, Toronto optioned SS Munenori Kawasaki to Triple-A Buffalo after Tuesday's game. It was a move that prompted Gibbons to hold a team meeting to announce the news. ``It's always tough sending anybody out, but there's something special about this guy,'' Gibbons said. ``He was so well-liked and loved by this teammates. He'll be back.'' Gibbons said this is first time he has done something like that in his managerial career. ... The game was played in 2 hours, 10 minutes. ... 2B Ben Zobrist took a hit away from Lind in the second, diving to his right to field a hard shot and then throwing to first.

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Major leaguers search for The Perfect Swing

"I hit one that far, once. I really did. And I still bogeyed that hole." -- Ron Fairly, Montreal Expos, after watching Mike Schmidt of the Phillies launch a long one.

David Murphy is standing in the Texas Rangers' clubhouse talking about the perfect swing.

As he does, a smile begins to cross his chiselled features; one that is far away, as you might expect from a sailor who swears he's seen a mermaid and has to explain it to someone who wasn't there.

It's personal. It's special. And it happens with an infrequency that requires you to savour every second in case it does not occur again.

"Those moments are kind of few and far between," says the eight-year veteran, while over his shoulder a teammate is pretending not to listen while he's doing up his shoes and nodding his head.

"Those are the moments when you are at the very top of your game, and I guess you want to bottle that feeling because it's something you wish you could feel on a daily basis."

Hitting a baseball has been described, often, as the hardest single act in sports. It's certainly one of the most talked about -- as the man said, this is the only game where you can fail 70 per cent of the time and still make millions.

The perfect swing is out there, re-discovered just enough times to make the never-ending hunt worth it.

"It's hard to explain because it doesn't happen [often]," says Adam Lind, leaning back with his feet up and a plug on the go in the Toronto Blue Jays' clubhouse. "The swing you really want happens, like, once a week, maybe, if you're lucky, and the rest are like you found the right hole, or you hit it in the right spot [on the field]."

Finding the perfect swing can have a sense of magic to it.

Ask Colorado's Michael Cuddyer, a 13-year veteran and one of the best hitters (.339 this season) on the best-hitting team in the National League.

"It kind of starts from the pitcher's hand," he says. "When you have that perfect home run, that perfect swing, it's almost like right when the ball leaves the hand you know it's going to be a perfect one.

"It's almost like you saw it happen, before it happens."

Kind of takes "zoning in" to a higher plane. Ethereal.

'There's no other feeling like it'

In golf, it's a "click". In baseball, it's the storied Crack of the Bat, only much louder than normal.

And the ball has backspin -- allowing it to work with air currents to rise, rise and rise as it heads out of the park on a straight line.

A perfect swing even feels different as you put that 34-ounce (or so) piece of maple or ash onto that six-ounce ball and blast it off to infinity.

"It kind of feels like you are cutting through butter," says Cuddyer, showing with his hand how the bat goes through the hitting zone. "You don't really feel it, but you kind of do … and you just push through it."

Murphy, unprompted (as his interview was the series before), offered almost the same idea.

"It's almost like the ball melts into the bat for a split second," he says. "There's no other feeling like it.

"The game of baseball is full of imperfection -- as a hitter you're going to fail over and over and over again, but in that moment it does feel like perfection, so … those are the pinnacle moments."

There is danger, however, in this ongoing search for baseball's mermaid. Catching a glimpse must not lead you to crash onto the rocks and shoals of self-satisfaction.

You just can't allow yourself to be impressed with yourself.

Cuddyer says there are definitely times when you know you hit one perfectly, "but you have to treat it like any other one."

Because the next 20 might be terrible. In fact, of every 10 home run swings, he points out, only half of them might be anywhere near perfection. For him, that's 84 swats in 5,190 plate appearances during his career.

Lind, up to this story the hottest hitter on the Jays for over a month, doesn't have to look far for reasons to be humble, because "maybe when I impress myself, Eddie's next at bat he'll go like 20 rows deeper."

That's Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto's home run leader with 21 this year.

Still, you can't take away the moment, when it happens. How does it feel, Adam?

"Like you want to do it again."

He smiles the smile of a happy sailor.

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5 reasons we'll miss Munenori Kawasaki

Munenori Kawasaki, the Blue Jays' sparkplug of a shortstop, was optioned to triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday as Jose Reyes returns form injury. Take a look back at how the colourful Japanese player captured the hearts of Jays fans.

Munenori Kawasaki, the Blue Jays' sparkplug of a shortstop, was demoted to triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday as Jose Reyes returns from injury.

Take a look back at how the colourful Japanese player captured the hearts of Jays fans:

1. He helped the Blue Jays start "to become family."

That's a quote from pitcher R.A. Dickey, just one of several new Blue Jays who have struggled at times with the team this season. Perhaps Kawasaki's light-hearted nature has helped his teammates loosen up? It sure helps when he knocks in the winning runs, as he did on May 26 against Baltimore.

2. His enthusiasm and candid interviews

This post-game interview with Sportsnet's Arash Madani -- after Kawasaki hit that walk-off double -- went viral, and for good reason:

3. He interacts with the fans

Some Blue Jays fans at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field were glad they showed up to the game early. They helped the shortstop warm up before the game:

4. His celebration after a big play

... which he broke out after his first major league home run against the Orioles on Friday:

5. He knows how to move

Jose Bautista captured this video of Kawasaki's dance moves on the team's charter flight to Tampa Bay after they swept the Orioles over the weekend:

Back to accessibility links

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Blue Jays back in contention in AL East

Riding their longest winning streak in almost 15 years, the Toronto Blue Jays are getting ready to welcome four-time all-star Jose Reyes back to the lineup.

Not that anyone's rushing him, mind you.

That's a big change from two weeks ago, when the moribund Blue Jays were desperate for the return of Reyes, a dynamic shortstop and former National League batting champion who's been sidelined since early April with a severely sprained left ankle.

"We haven't decided anything yet," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Sunday in response to a question about the timing of Reyes' return.

"It's kind of a day-to-day thing. You want to bring him back to screw it up?"

No one wants to mess with the winning chemistry Toronto is enjoying right now, not even in the case of Reyes. With a franchise record-tying 11 straight wins, the Blue Jays are on the best streak by any big league team since Detroit won 12 in a row back in 2011.

Behind exceptional starting pitching, timely hitting and an all but untouchable bullpen, Toronto has won 15 of its past 18 games and outscored opponents 102-52 in that span.

"I've been waiting for this since the season started," Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion said after hitting his 21st homer and driving in four runs in Sunday's 13-5 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.

"I believe in this team, so I knew things had to change, things had to become good for us. That's the way right now and we enjoy it, enjoy the moment.

"I'm not surprised by this. I know this team is good and I know we can do it."

'We're rolling along'

Belief was harder to come by when Reyes' lengthy absence and a host of other problems threatened to derail a highly- anticipated season for the Blue Jays, who haven't made the playoffs since winning back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.

Even before spring training, Toronto was pegged as a favourite for the Fall Classic after an off-season overhaul that added Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle in a massive trade with the Miami Marlins and reigning NL Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey in a deal with the New York Mets.

But the Blue Jays stumbled to a 10-21 start and were stuck nine games below .500 (27-36) after losing to the Chicago White Sox on June 10.

Eleven wins later, Toronto is above .500 for the first time all season and has a new lease on life in the hyper-competitive AL East, where all five teams boast winning records.

"It was a battle early on, we all know that," Gibbons said after his team thumped the Orioles for its third straight series sweep.

"We always figured it was just a matter of time before we started playing better and it lasted longer than we expected. But that's all behind us now and we're rolling along."

Blue Jays relievers have allowed just six earned runs in their past 76 innings. The starters, meanwhile, have allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of the past 10 games, posting an earned-run average of 2.25.

"You want to get here as early as possible because it's a lot of fun being here, being on this streak," Johnson said after beating Baltimore Sunday for his first victory of the season.

"You just want to keep playing good baseball and keep the winning going."

'It's heating up'

The turnaround also means Toronto can afford more patience when it comes to Reyes' minor-league rehab. While many thought he'd be back Monday for a three-game series at division rival Tampa Bay, Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Sunday that Reyes might not return until Thursday, when they begin a pivotal four game set at Fenway Park against the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox.

Like Reyes, Johnson is one of several Blue Jays players to miss time with injuries, sitting out 31 games with a sore right triceps. Third baseman Brett Lawrie (left ankle), starters Brandon Morrow (forearm) and J.A. Happ (knee, head), and late-inning reliever Sergio Santos (triceps) all remain out of action.

But with Johnson healthy again, Reyes close to a return, Encarnacion swatting home runs and a once-leaky defense starting to look sharp, the rebuilt Blue Jays are finally hitting their stride.

Orioles outfielder Adam Jones, limited to just a pair of singles in Toronto's weekend sweep, said he welcomed another contending team into the AL East mix.

"It shows that this division is getting better," Jones said. "It's heating up.

"It's good, it's good for this division. We all have to maintain it through the end of this month, throughout the all-star break and then the second half should be pretty fun."

For a while, it looked as though the Blue Jays might miss out on all that fun. After 11 straight wins, there's reason to smile in Toronto.

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Blue Jays travel to Tampa Bay in search of 12th straight win

Considering the way their pitchers have struggled against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays hope to continue the outstanding hitting that's aided their historic streak.

The Blue Jays will try to keep swinging hot bats as they seek a franchise-record 12th straight win Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Tropicana Field.

Edwin Encarnacion homered and had four RBIs as Toronto (38-36) scored a season high in runs in its 13-5 win over Baltimore on Sunday. The Blue Jays' 11-game win streak matches the team record set in 1987 and equaled in 1998.

Toronto has consistently produced at the plate during its run, averaging 6.4 runs while hitting 20 homers and batting .343 with runners in scoring position.

Encarnacion is hitting .350 with four homers and 12 RBIs over that span, while Adam Lind is batting .341 - also with four homers and 12 RBIs.

"A lot of guys have been in a good rhythm at the same time, which is kind of what we didn't have to start the season,'' said catcher J.P. Arencibia, who had three hits Sunday.

The Blue Jays' rotation has yet to find a rhythm versus the Rays (39-37) this season, though, compiling a 6.97 ERA in seven games. Third baseman Evan Longoria has done the most damage, going 14 for 28 with two homers, seven doubles and 10 RBIs.

Tampa Bay looks to win consecutive games for only the third time this month after splitting a four-game series at Yankee Stadium with a 3-1 win Sunday.

Scheduled starter Jeremy Hellickson (5-3, 5.50 ERA) will attempt to cool off the Blue Jays and lead the Rays to their third win in nine home games. Hellickson has won three of his last four outings while posting a 2.65 ERA in those victories, and the right-hander bounced back from one of his worst outings of the season by giving up two runs over six innings in a 6-2 victory at Boston on Wednesday.

"I'm right where I want to be," said Hellickson, who is 3-2 with a 3.04 ERA lifetime against Toronto. "I just want to eliminate the big inning that I've been giving up.''

Hellickson has yielded five runs and 10 hits in 13 innings in two starts - both Tampa Bay losses after its bullpen blew leads - against the Blue Jays this season.

Slugger Jose Bautista has gone 3 for 4 with a homer in those meetings, improving to 7 for 15 with two homers, one double and one triple lifetime versus Hellickson. He's also batting .440 (11 for 25) with two homers, three doubles and nine RBIs against Tampa Bay this season.

The Blue Jays, who split a four-game series at Tropicana Field in early May, counter with right-hander Esmil Rogers (3-2, 3.14) as they seek their first six-game road win streak since April 7-23, 2010.

Rogers, who also has 23 appearances as a reliever, is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in four starts. He'll try to win his third straight outing after giving up two earned runs over 6 2-3 innings in an 8-3 win over Colorado on Tuesday.

"I've got unbelievable confidence right now,'' said Rogers, who makes his first career start against the Rays. "I can throw any pitch in any count.''

He has yielded two runs in three relief appearances spanning 5 2-3 innings versus Tampa Bay in 2013.

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Jose Bautista powers Blue Jays to 10th straight win

The Toronto Blue Jays have won 10 straight games for the first time in almost five years and are over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

They're also playing with emotion and aren't afraid to show it.

Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer to break an eighth-inning tie as Toronto (37-36) defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays slugger went deep off Darren O'Day and gave the reliever a mouthful after he rounded third base on his home run trot.

"I told him just to keep talking like he was yesterday," Bautista said. "He kind of ran his mouth a little bit after he struck me out. I don't know where that came from but I didn't appreciate it.

"I let him know that yesterday and that's a little reminder today that I didn't appreciate it."

Bautista said he was caught off guard when O'Day appeared to be chirping at him on Friday in a game the Blue Jays came back to win in walk-off fashion.

'I told [O's reliever Darren O'Day] just to keep talking like he was yesterday. He kind of ran his mouth a little bit after he struck me out. I don't know where that came from but I didn't appreciate it. I let him know that yesterday and that's a little reminder today that I didn't appreciate it.'—Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista

O'Day wasn't available for comment after Saturday's game. The Toronto slugger said he's not aware of any history between them.

"I don't have a problem when pitchers celebrate getting a big out in a big inning," Bautista said. "But when you're staring at me yelling stuff and I can't really hear what you're saying, it upset me a little bit."

With Rajai Davis on first base, Bautista worked a full count before turning on a pitch that snaked around the left-field foul pole and barely cleared the fence.

"Darren is a competitor, he likes to compete in those situations," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. "Sometimes he wins, sometimes Bautista wins. You've got two great talented athletes competing out there and they both take it personally."

Maicer Izturis also homered for Toronto and Chien-Ming Wang had his second straight quality start. Reliever Darren Oliver (3-1) pitched one inning for the win and closer Casey Janssen worked the ninth for his 17th save.

The victory moved the Blue Jays into a virtual tie with Tampa Bay for fourth place in the American League East. The Rays dropped a 7-5 decision to the New York Yankees.

Toronto can sweep Baltimore (42-33) with a victory on Sunday afternoon. The Blue Jays last won 11 games in a row in the 1998 season.

Wang and Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez (5-3) were both in form.

Wang allowed five hits and has now gone 16 2/3 innings without giving up an earned run. Toronto starters have surrendered two earned runs or less in eight of the last nine games.

"It all goes back to the way our starting pitching has been going," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "They've been giving us a chance every night and we have a dangerous offence."

Picking their spots

The Blue Jays picked their spots on Saturday, managing only four hits on the day.

Toronto scratched out a run in the first inning when Melky Cabrera led off with a walk and moved to third on an Adam Lind single. Gonzalez threw a wild pitch that allowed Cabrera to score.

Cabrera saved a run in the next frame with a strong defensive effort.

With two outs and Chris Davis on third base, Travis Ishikawa hit a flare to shallow left field. Cabrera — who has had hamstring problems this season — showed some nice range by making a nice running catch.

Wang showed off his defensive skills in the third, using his quick reflexes to snag a liner and then doubling off Ryan Flaherty at first base. Nate McLouth followed with a slicing drive to deep left that Cabrera tracked down at the warning track.

Baltimore tied the game at one with an unearned run in the fifth but Toronto restored its lead in a hurry. Izturis led off the bottom of the inning by smacking the first pitch from Gonzalez over the wall in right field for his fifth homer of the season.

Wang, making his third start for Toronto after opting out of his minor-league deal with the Yankees, needed only five pitches to get through the sixth as the Orioles hit three straight ground-ball outs.

The highlight play came from first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who made a great diving stab to deny Manny Machado a hit. The boisterous crowd of 43,261 gave Wang a standing ovation after he recorded the first out in the seventh inning.

"He shut down a good hitting team," Gibbons said. "I know he feels good, he's a part of it now. He's given us a big boost, that's for sure."

Aaron Loup came on in relief and hit Davis with a pitch. Loup was promptly replaced by Neil Wagner, who threw a wild pitch to Hardy that allowed Davis to move to second base.

Davis moved to third on a groundout by Hardy but Wagner got Ishikawa to fly out to end the inning.

Taylor Teagarden made it a 2-2 game in the eighth inning when he hit a solo homer off Oliver. McLouth reached on an infield single but was caught stealing and Machado fanned for the third out.

Munenori Kawasaki reached on a one-out single in the bottom half of the frame and was forced out at second when Davis hit into a fielder's choice. Bautista followed with his 16th homer of the season.

"We're a resilient group, we don't give up," Bautista said. "We play hard every day, all nine innings. We might not get the result that we want every single day but lately we have.

"So it's been a great run and hopefully it can continue."

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Josh Johnson, Blue Jays look to match franchise record vs. O's

With his triceps and blister issues seemingly behind him, Josh Johnson will try to help the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays continue their stunning turnaround.

The Blue Jays look to match a franchise record with their 11th straight victory Sunday when they host the Baltimore Orioles in the finale of this three-game series.

Toronto (37-36) rallied late for the second straight day as Jose Bautista's two-run homer in the eighth inning lifted the Blue Jays to Saturday's 4-2 victory.

Rajai Davis singled home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in a 7-6 win Friday.

"It's been a great run and hopefully we can continue,'' said Bautista, whose team moved out of sole possession of last place in the AL East for the first time since late April.

The Blue Jays, above .500 for the first time since July 29, now turn to Johnson (0-2, 4.38 ERA) as they look to equal their franchise-best streak set in 1987 and matched in 1998.

The right-hander took two extra days off to let a bothersome blister heal before striking out a season-high 10 over 7 1-3 innings in a 2-0 win over Colorado on Monday.

"Definitely the most comfortable I've been,'' said Johnson, who also missed 31 games with a sore right triceps. "Just being able to get extension on all my pitches, not have to worry about the triceps or anything like that.''

Johnson, who has never faced the Orioles (42-33), is 0-1 with a 1.86 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 19 1-3 innings in three starts since returning from the disabled list.

However, he remains winless in seven starts with Toronto, having received only 13 runs of support.

The Blue Jays have been outstanding offensively during the winning streak, averaging 5.7 runs per game while hitting 18 homers and batting .333 with runners in scoring position.

They'll try to continue that production against scheduled starter Freddy Garcia (3-4, 4.80), who hopes to prevent Baltimore's first three-game losing streak since a season-high six-game slide May 14-20.

After going 1-2 with an 8.16 ERA in his last three starts, Garcia allowed two hits in one inning of scoreless relief in Wednesday's 13-3 win at Detroit.

Garcia has won his last two starts in Toronto, giving up four earned runs and 14 hits over 11 innings. He went five innings and yielded two earned runs and nine hits in Baltimore's 6-5 win there May 25.

Emilio Bonifacio homered off the right-hander in that contest, but enters this meeting in a 1-for-17 slump overall.

Adam Lind is 7 for 11 with two homers off Garcia and 20 for 40 with two home runs in his last 11 games against Baltimore.

Munenori Kawasaki, who provided a game-tying home run in the seventh inning Friday, is 9 for 19 with eight RBIs in his last five games versus the Orioles.

Baltimore slugger Chris Davis, the major league leader with 27 home runs, is 2 for 7 with a three-run homer in this series. He's never faced Johnson.

Teammate Nate McLouth is batting .419 during an eight-game hit streak versus Toronto, but is 1 for 11 with five strikeouts against Johnson.

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Blue Jays extend win streak to 9 in walk-off fashion

Munenori Kawasaki had one thing going through his mind as he rounded the bases after his first home run in Major League Baseball: nothing.

Kawasaki had a RBI single in the fifth inning and a key at-bat in the ninth to help the Blue Jays edge the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 on Friday and stretch Toronto's win streak to nine games. But it's his seventh-inning homer that tied the game 6-6 that is memorable — even if it was a little hazy for him.

"I just tried to hit the ball," said Kawasaki through Yasushi Kikuchi, a reporter from the Kyodo News who offered to translate after the game.

Kawasaki added through his volunteer translator: "I didn't expect to hit the home run at the time. It was like a dream. I was dreaming. In my head was just nothing."

Kawasaki's home run to shallow right field cashed in third baseman Maicer Izturis and brought the 35,472 Blue Jays fans in attendance to their feet. The raucous crowd demanded a curtain call from the Japanese infielder, chanting "KA-WA-SA-KI!" as he repeatedly bowed in gratitude.

"Very happy," said Kawasaki, reading from a small notebook of Japanese-to-English translations. "Thank you, appreciate. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate."

'I didn't expect to hit the home run at the time. It was like a dream. I was dreaming. In my head was just nothing.'—Blue Jays shortstop Munenori Kawasaki

Rajai Davis hit a game-ending single to cap Toronto's (36-36) ninth inning rally as the Blue Jays reached .500 for the first time all season.

Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind also had home runs for Toronto, while closer Casey Janssen earned the win, salvaging a weak start by knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (6-8). Dickey earned a no decision after throwing seven-plus innings, striking out five but giving up six earned runs with two walks.

"It was the crappiest, best game I've pitched, if that's possible," said Dickey. "I had a pretty good knuckleball going into the game and threw a couple hangers up there and they got punished in bad situations but, gosh, what a team.

"To be a part of a team that really, y'know, we're starting to become a family and it's showing."

'The legend grows'

Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy and Ryan Flaherty all had home runs for Baltimore (42-32). Orioles starter Jason Hammel (7-4) fanned seven over six innings, giving up four earned runs and four hits with one walk. Reliever Brian Matusz took the loss.

Trailing 6-4, Toronto's seventh began with promise as Izturis singled off reliever Tommy Hunter. Josh Thole flied out to left field and Emilio Bonifacio struck out, bringing Kawasaki to the plate for his fateful homer.

"I would say that it's no surprise, but that home run was a surprise," said Dickey. "The legend grows. The Kawasaki legend grows, and rightfully so."

Will the Blue Jays make the playoffs?

Melky Cabrera then singled to keep the Blue Jays' rally alive, chasing Hunter from the game. Davis, running for Cabrera, stole second with slugger Jose Bautista at bat, but Darren O'Day struck out the all-star right-fielder to end Toronto's inning.

Baltimore's eighth inning was brief, as Nick Markakis was called out on strikes and Adam Jones popped out to centre field. Rajai Davis got the third out by making a sprinting catch on Chris Davis in left-centre field.

The Blue Jays also had a quick eighth, as Encarnacion, Lind and Colby Rasmus flied out to left, right and centre field respectively. Janssen followed with a three up, three down ninth inning retiring Matt Wieters, Hardy and Flaherty in quick succession.

Izturis started the Blue Jays' ninth with a single to right field. He then advanced on Thole's sacrifice bunt down the third-base line. Matusz intentionally walked Toronto pinch hitter Mark DeRosa — in for Bonifacio — bringing Kawasaki to the plate.

The crowd alternated between chants of "Let's go Blue Jays!" and "KA-WA-SA-KI!" as the Japanese infielder worked up to an eight-pitch 2-2 count, grounding out to second but advancing both Izturis and DeRosa.

When asked about the chants after the game, Kawasaki spoke through his translator, saying: "I was just flattered and my leg was shaking." He then cut in and said himself: "I was nervous. I was nervous."

Davis took full advantage of having runners in scoring position, driving in Izturis with a single to left field that ended the game.

"We got to give credit though to Kawasaki, he had some big hits with men on base," said Davis. "My hit doesn't even happen without those big hits."

Lind opened the scoring for Toronto in the first inning, driving in Encarnacion with a home run over the right-field fence to give Toronto a 2-0 lead.

Showalter ejected

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was ejected from the game in the second after Chris Davis was called out swinging. Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez originally ruled that Davis had tipped the ball and that Thole had failed to control it. Toronto manager John Gibbons came out to argue the call and, after a discussion among the officiating crew, it was ruled a strikeout.

Showalter was tossed from the game by Hernandez after a lengthy debate along the first-base line. The Orioles manager pointed to each member of the umpiring crew and pantomimed throwing them out of the game before leaving the field.

Wieters then struck out, but Hardy hit a home run to deep left to make it 2-1.

Izturis began Toronto's fifth with a walk, advancing to second on Thole's groundout to Flaherty. Izturis made it to third on Bonifacio's pop fly to deep right field along the first-base line.

Kawasaki then cashed in the Blue Jays third baseman with a single to centre field. Cabrera's swinging strikeout ended Toronto's inning, with the Blue Jays holding a 3-1 lead.

Dickey struggled in the sixth, giving up a hit to Nate McLouth. Toronto got an out when Manny Machado popped to right, but Dickey walked Markakis and Jones drove in McLouth with a single.

Chris Davis then cleared the bases with a homer to deep left — his 27th of the season — to give Baltimore a 5-3 lead.

Encarnacion crushed the 10th pitch he faced in the sixth inning, with the ball landing in the Rogers Centre's second deck. That was all the offence Toronto got in the sixth with the score 5-4.

Baltimore immediately responded in the top of the seventh, with Flaherty smashing a home run to deep right field to put the score at 6-4 and set the stage for Kawasaki's heroic home run.

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Chien-Ming Wang, Blue Jays' put win streak on the line vs. O's

The Toronto Blue Jays used some late-inning heroics to extend their longest win streak in five years. Chien-Ming Wang will try to help his team skip the drama in its next game.

The right-hander will look to lead the Blue Jays to a 10th straight victory with another strong outing Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles.

After blowing an early lead in Friday's series opener, Toronto got an unexpected tying home run from Munenori Kawasaki in the seventh inning.

The shortstop's two-run shot was his first homer in 118 career games, and Rajai Davis provided the game-ending single in a 7-6 victory. Kawasaki, filling in for an injured Jose Reyes, drove in three runs and has eight of his 17 RBIs in eight games against the Orioles (42-32).

The nine-game win streak is the longest for the Blue Jays (36-36) since a 10-game run Aug. 30-Sept. 9, 2008. Toronto won a franchise-best 11 in a row in 1987 and 1998.

"We've definitely come back to life, that's for sure," manager John Gibbons said.

Wang (1-0, 3.14 ERA) will try to build on his superb second start with the Blue Jays, a 7-2 win in Texas on Sunday. The right-hander tossed seven scoreless innings in his first victory in a little more than a year and contributed to his team's 1.87 ERA during the win streak.

"We didn't know what to expect, to be honest with you," Gibbons said. "He was one of the best in the game with (the New York Yankees from 2005-09). We got some good reports on him, otherwise he wouldn't be here. To be honest, he's pitching better than I expected of him."

The Blue Jays will be trying to move above .500 for the first time since July 29 and get closer to climbing out of last place in the AL East as they face Miguel Gonzalez (5-2, 3.75).

The right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.21 ERA in his last three starts and 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in his past three against the Blue Jays. He yielded one run over 5 2-3 innings in his most recent matchup May 26 in Toronto, but closer Jim Johnson gave up four runs in the ninth in a 6-5 loss.

Baltimore enters this game having won eight of 12 and with one of the hottest power hitters in Chris Davis. The first baseman has seven of his major league-best 27 homers in the past nine games, driving in 17 runs over that stretch.

"Chris is in a good place," manager Buck Showalter said.

Davis has three home runs in his last five games against Toronto and a pair of doubles in three at-bats versus Wang.

Adam Lind, who hit his fourth homer in six contests Friday, is batting .476 (20 for 42) with two home runs during an 11-game hit streak against Baltimore. He's 5 for 11 (.455) against Gonzalez.

The Blue Jays will try to win five straight at home for the first time since Sept. 23-27, 2010. That run included a three-game sweep of Baltimore.

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Blue Jays' Jose Reyes to play weekend series for triple-A Buffalo

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes appears to be getting closer to making a return to the big-league club.

Reyes, who went on the disabled list April 13 after suffering a severe left ankle sprain, is scheduled to play for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons against the Durham Bulls this weekend.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Wednesday that Reyes is expected to be in the Buffalo lineup for the series opener Friday night.

Reyes recently began a rehabilitation assignment with the Class-A Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League. The four-time all-star had two hits, stole a base and scored a run in four at-bats Wednesday as Dunedin defeated the Tampa Yankees 8-4.

In his first season with Toronto, Reyes is hitting .395 with five RBIs and five stolen bases.

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Jays sweep Rockies, extend winning streak to 8 games

recap

The Canadian Press

Posted: Jun 19, 2013 10:29 PM ET

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2013 12:04 AM ET

 

Early leads have been the norm, the pitching staff is rounding into form and confidence is growing by the day.

The Toronto Blue Jays are doing everything right these days and it's paying off with victories.

Adam Lind hit a three-run homer and Mark Buehrle (4-4) worked five effective innings as the Blue Jays defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Wednesday to extend their season-high winning streak to eight games. Toronto's bullpen allowed just one hit over four innings of scoreless relief and Casey Janssen earned his 16th save.

"Everything is clicking right now for us," Buehrle said. "I can't pinpoint why everything is clicking but we're getting a big hit, getting a big pitch when we need to, guys are playing great defence behind us. I don't know what's happening but hopefully [we can] continue it as long as we can."

Toronto (35-36) completed a three-game sweep of the Rockies with the victory and moved just a game away from the .500 mark. The winning streak is the team's longest since a 10-gamer in 2008.

Neil Wagner, Brett Cecil, Steve Delabar and Janssen all worked an inning apiece.

"What can you say — we've been saying it over and over every day," manager John Gibbons said of his bullpen. "There's going to be times when they're going to give up some runs but right now they're on some kind of roll."

Jose Bautista got things started in the opening frame when he reached on a throwing error by third baseman Nolan Arenado. The Toronto slugger moved to second on a single by Edwin Encarnacion and Lind followed by launching a 2-1 pitch over the right-field wall for his ninth homer of the year.

Lind's hot hitting 'surreal'

The Toronto first baseman has had at least one hit in 19 of his last 22 starts and is batting a stellar .340 on the season. It's quite a difference from a year ago, when he spent part of the season in the minors.

"It's surreal," Lind said. "Couldn't have written that script."

Colorado (37-36) got on the board in the second inning when Jordan Pacheco led off with a double and scored on a single by Yorvit Torrealba.

Toronto restored its three-run lead in the fourth inning. Colby Rasmus walked and moved to third when second baseman D.J. LeMahieu booted a Maicer Izturis grounder.

Emilio Bonifacio hit a tailor-made double-play ball but used his speed to beat the throw to first, allowing Rasmus to score. Bonifacio promptly stole second but was stranded when Colorado starter Juan Nicasio (4-3) struck out Munenori Kawasaki.

Carlos Gonzalez hit a frozen rope inside the right-field pole for his 21st homer of the season to open the fifth inning, making it a 4-2 game. The Rockies would not get any closer as they fell to 0-9 all-time at Rogers Centre.

"This series we didn't play good baseball at all," Gonzalez said. "They pitched well, they scored a lot of runs."

Buehrle didn't have great stuff

Buehrle didn't have his best stuff but still managed to prevent a big inning. The veteran left-hander gave up eight hits, a walk and two earned runs over five innings while striking out four.

"There were just a lot of pitches I got away with today," he said. "Like I said, earlier in the season that wasn't happening. Those pitches were getting hit for home runs and getting us down in a hole early."

Wagner struck out the first two batters he faced. LeMahieu then worked a 14-pitch at-bat before popping up to short.

Cecil came on for the seventh and was dominant once again, striking out a pair and getting a ground-ball out. The left-hander has not allowed a hit since May 28, a club-record span of 38 batters.

Cecil broke David Cone's record of 36 set back in June 1995.

"It's still sinking in," Cecil said of the accomplishment. "I didn't change anything, it is what it is. I'm not here to break records, I'm here to win a World Series."

The Blue Jays added an insurance run in the seventh inning when Kawasaki tripled and scored on Melky Cabrera's single. Toronto put runners on the corners but Lind flew out to deep right-centre field with two outs.

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Blue Jays pitch for 2nd straight series sweep

Mark Buehrle's first season with the Toronto Blue Jays has mirrored that of his team. It was mostly very disappointing until recently.

The 14-year veteran could improve to .500 and help the Blue Jays get within a game of that mark if their longest winning streak in nearly five years continues Wednesday night against the Colorado Rockies.

Buehrle (3-4, 4.66 ERA), who hasn't finished under .500 since 2006, has reached at least 13 wins in five straight seasons but is on pace to fall short of double digits. That's due greatly to a 1-3 record and 6.33 ERA through his first nine starts.

The left-hander served up 11 homers in that span but has since allowed one in 33 innings, going 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA in five starts - four Toronto victories.

"It's not like he's come out of nowhere," manager John Gibbons said. "But he's got to be on as good a roll as anybody in baseball."

So are the Blue Jays (34-36), whose seven-game winning streak is their best since posting 10 consecutive victories Aug. 30-Sept. 9, 2008. This run has pushed Toronto within one win of .500 for the first time since mid-April, and the team has been below the break-even mark since July despite many big-name acquisitions - including Buehrle.

His best performance in a Blue Jays uniform came Friday, giving up four hits and striking out seven in seven innings of an 8-0 win at Texas.

That's part of an outstanding run by the Toronto staff, posting a 0.67 ERA in the last six games and holding opponents to a .192 average.

"If we could do that all year, we wouldn't lose a game, I bet," Buehrle told the team's official website. "... I wouldn't expect to keep this rate up for too much."

While Blue Jays pitchers haven't allowed a home run in 52 consecutive innings, their lineup has hit 15 in the past eight games after a three-homer effort Tuesday in an 8-3 victory over the Rockies. J.P. Arencibia homered for the third time in four games, Edwin Encarnacion hit his team-leading 19th and Maicer Izturis went deep to give him a .333 average in the last eight games.

Colorado (37-35), on the other hand, has yet to homer in this series and now looks to avoid another three-game sweep in Toronto. The Rockies have hit .176 in losing all eight games they've played there.

Juan Nicasio (4-2, 4.86) will face the Blue Jays for the first time, possibly pitching to save his spot in the rotation with newcomer Roy Oswalt to debut Thursday.

Nicasio is winless in his past five starts due largely to struggles as the game goes deeper. He's given up a combined six runs through the first five innings but has allowed 11 after that - and he's yet to pitch past the sixth this season.

"He's had some struggles after the fifth," manager Walt Weiss said. "He's been dominant at times early then run into some trouble in the sixth inning."

Buehrle has had no such trouble lately, and he's 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA in two starts versus the Rockies.

No one has faced him more than Michael Cuddyer, who has gone 34 for 107 (.318) against Buehrle and enters this matchup riding a career-high, 16-game hitting streak.

Fellow Rockies outfielder Dexter Fowler (finger) did not start for the third time in five games Tuesday and his status for this game is uncertain.

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Interleague play perfect timing for Blue Jays

This week's six-game homestand against offensive powerhouses Colorado and Baltimore should be a good test for the improving Blue Jays pitching staff.

It might also be coming at the ideal time for hitters such as Adam Lind, Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera and Colby Rasmus.

The Rockies came to town first and have promptly been shut down by the surging Blue Jays, dropping the first two games of the three-game series by scores of 2-0 and 8-3. Toronto will try to make it eight straight wins in Wednesday's series finale at 7:07 p.m. ET.

Colorado arrived without starting shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (broken rib) but began the week leading the National League in hitting with a .276 batting average, tied with St. Louis for second in on-base percentage (.336) and shared top spot in the major leagues with Baltimore in slugging percentage (.453).

Baltimore, which provides the competition for a three-game set starting Friday following an off day, entered play Monday second in the American League with a .273 average and .325 OBP.

Sure, Toronto has received stellar starting pitching of late from the likes of Mark Buehrle, Esmil Rogers, R.A. Dickey and newcomer Chien-Ming Wang, but the Jays remained 28th of 30 teams in the majors with a 4.99 earned-run average entering Monday.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons will be hoping Rasmus can maintain his power stroke for the homestand. Three of the centre-fielder's four hits on the team's just-completed six-game road trip were home runs over the past three days to give him eight long balls in 34 games this season.

The left-handed hitting Rasmus is hitting .282 with five homers in 31 home starts in 2013. His average is even better in interleague play (.313 entering Monday) over the past two seasons and he boasts a .363 OBP against NL teams in that span. Rasmus went 0-for-2 Monday with a walk and run scored and got the night off Tuesday against Canadian lefty Jeff Francis.

Bautista hasn't homered in six games but tops all Toronto hitters with 23 in interleague action since it began in 1997. He also has 50 runs batted in during those 73 contests while hitting .249 with a .357 OBP prior to Monday's series opener.

Fellow slugger Edwin Encarnacion went deep Tuesday for his first home run in six starts and has clubbed 19 homers in 54 interleague matchups along with 41 RBIs to go with a .279 average.

Lind began the week only four plate appearances shy of qualifying for the AL batting title. He went 11-for-27 (.407) on the Jays' recent road trip to give him a .350 average that would have ranked second to Detroit's Miguel Cabrera (.352) on Monday.

He tops all current Jays hitters with 86 interleague games and, while faring decently in the power department (12 homers, 36 RBIs), his .239 average ranks among the lowest on the club.

Next to the injured Brett Lawrie, Cabrera is Toronto's top hitter for average in interleague play this season among the regulars at .327. But he has yet to homer in 13 games versus NL competition, covering 52 at-bats.

The Blue Jays have a 8-5 record in interleague play this season and are 140-156 overall.

They will face starting pitcher Juan Nicasio (4.2, 4.86 ERA) on Wednesday. Cabrera has had the most success of any current Blue Jay against the right-hander, going 2-for-4 with a double and home run.

Blue Jays' interleague record

• Season	Record
  1997	4-11
  1998	9-7
  1999	9-9
  2000	9-9
  2001	8-10
  2002	9-9
  2003	10-8
  2004	8-10
  2005	8-10
  2006	9-9
  2007	10-8
  2008	8-10
  2009	7-11
  2010	7-11
  2011	8-10
  2012	9-9
  2013	8-5
  ALL-TIME	140-156

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Interleague play may be perfect timing for Blue Jays

This week's six-game homestand against offensive powerhouses Colorado and Baltimore should be a good test for the improving Blue Jays pitching staff.

It might also be coming at the ideal time for hitters such as Adam Lind, Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera and Colby Rasmus.

The Rockies come to town first, opening a three-game series on Monday at 7:07 pm ET at the Rogers Centre.

They arrive without starting shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (broken rib) but lead the National League in hitting with a .276 batting average, are tied with St. Louis for second in on-base percentage (.336) and share top spot in the major leagues with Baltimore in slugging percentage (.453).

Baltimore, which provides the competition for a three-game set starting Friday following an off day, entered play Monday second in the American League with a .273 average and .325 OBP.

Sure, Toronto has received stellar starting pitching of late from the likes of Mark Buehrle, Esmil Rogers, R.A. Dickey and newcomer Chien-Ming Wang, but the Jays remain 28th of 30 teams in the majors with a 4.99 earned-run average.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons will be hoping Rasmus can maintain his power stroke for the homestand. Three of the centre-fielder's four hits on the team's just-completed six-game road trip were home runs over the past three days to give him eight long balls in 34 games this season.

Rasmus is hitting .282 with five homers in 31 home starts in 2013. His average is even better in interleague play (.313 entering Monday) over the past two seasons and he boasts a .363 OBP against NL teams in that span.

Bautista hasn't homered in four games but leads all Toronto hitters with 23 in interleague action since it began in 1997. He also has 50 runs batted in during those 73 contests while hitting .249 with a .357 OBP.

Fellow slugger Edwin Encarnacion also hasn't gone deep in four starts but has clubbed 18 homers in 54 interleague matchups along with 38 RBIs to go with a .278 average.

Lind is only four plate appearances shy of qualifying for the AL batting title. Fresh off an 11-for-27 (.407) road trip, his .350 average would rank second to Detroit's Miguel Cabrera (.352).

He tops all current Jays hitters with 84 interleague games and, while faring decently in the power department (12 homers, 35 RBIs), his .241 average ranks among the lowest on the club.

Next to the injured Brett Lawrie, Cabrera is Toronto's top hitter for average in interleague play this season among the regulars at .326. But he has yet to homer in 11 games versus NL competition, covering 46 at-bats.

The Blue Jays have a 6-5 record in interleague play this season and are 138-156 overall.

They will face starting pitchers Jorge De La Rosa, Vancouver's Jeff Francis and Juan Nicasio in the Colorado series. The top two Toronto hitters career-wise against each of these hurlers is listed below:

Versus De La Rosa:

• Emilio Bonafacio: 3-for-10 with a double
• Melky Cabrera: 3-for-8 with two doubles

Versus Francis:

• Cabrera: 2-for-4 (double, home run)
• Colby Rasmus: 2-for-8 with a double

Versus Nicasio:

• Jose Reyes (injured): 1-for-2
• Rasmus: 0-for-2 with a walk

Blue Jays' interleague record

• Season	Record
  1997	4-11
  1998	9-7
  1999	9-9
  2000	9-9
  2001	8-10
  2002	9-9
  2003	10-8
  2004	8-10
  2005	8-10
  2006	9-9
  2007	10-8
  2008	8-10
  2009	7-11
  2010	7-11
  2011	8-10
  2012	9-9
  2013	6-5
  ALL-TIME	138-156

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Josh Johnson, Jays shut out Rockies for 6th straight win

Maicer Izturis made sure a strong outing from Blue Jays starter Josh Johnson didn't go to waste.

Izturis drove in the game's only runs with an RBI single in the eighth inning Monday as Toronto pushed its win streak to six games with a 2-0 interleague victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Johnson struck out 10 while giving up five hits and walking two through 7 1-3 innings but is still winless in seven starts since being acquired by the Blue Jays in the off-season.

After a rough start to the year and stint on the disabled list with a triceps injury, Johnson has rounded into form as of late. He's given up a combined four runs in his last three starts, including Monday night's gem which was twice pushed back due to a blister on one of his fingers.

"It is what it is at the beginning of the year, but now we're winning and that's the fun part and the key thing," said Johnson. "You win games and everything else takes care of itself."

Monday's victory marked Toronto's first six-game winning streak since May 2011 and moved the club (33-36) to three games below .500 for the first time since April 21.

The streaking Blue Jays, who have won nine of 11, are coming off a 5-1 road trip that included the club's first-ever four-game sweep of the Rangers in Texas.

'It is what it is at the beginning of the year, but now we're winning and that's the fun part and the key thing. You win games and everything else takes care of itself.'—Blue Jays starter Josh Johnson

Toronto broke open a 0-0 game with Colorado in the eighth when Davis greeted Rockies reliever Matt Belisle (4-4) with a single to right and stole second before Colby Rasmus walked. J.P. Arencibia advanced the runners on a short chopper back to the mound to set up Izturis, who sent a flair into short left field to cash in two runs.

After Melky Cabrera hit into a double to end the inning, Casey Janssen sealed the win with his 15th save in the ninth.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons says Izturis — another off-season acquisition who struggled early in the season — is finally starting to settle in with the team.

"I think new guys, a new place, it's not uncommon for guys to press or whatever it is," said Gibbons. "I think he's settling in and feels comfortable now, part of the team. The way he's playing now is the way he's done his whole career. He looks a little more relaxed and settled in."

Jorge De La Rosa pitched seven innings of one-hit ball while striking out four and walking three for the Rockies (37-34), who kicked off a tough nine-game, 10-day road trip that also includes stops in Washington and Boston.

Rockies skip Walt Weiss said De La Rosa's game was affected by a bruise on his right thumb that developed as the game progressed.

"He was pretty uncomfortable the last couple of innings he was out there but he threw the ball well," Weiss said of his left-hander. "It's not anything that's going to be an issue with his next start. It just made him uncomfortable tonight."

Looking sharp

Johnson looked sharp out of the gate, throwing seven pitches — all strikes — for a three-up, three-down first inning. He got into some trouble in the second as right-fielder Michael Cuddyer reached on a single to lead off the inning, giving him a career-high 15-game hitting streak. Todd Helton put runners at the corners with no outs, but Johnson retired Wilin Rosario and Tyler Colvin before Nolan Arenado flied out to end the inning.

"I could feel it that first inning," said Johnson. "I felt good. Just aggressive, a lot more aggressive than my last outing [a 6-4 home loss to Texas on June 9]. Trying to pound the zone, throw my slider, my curve ball. Mostly inside on lefties. It worked out."

After Colorado kept the Jays hitless through three innings, Johnson continued to do his part by mowing down more batters. He came back from a 3-0 count to retire slugger Carlos Gonzalez, forced a ground out from Cuddyer and struck out Helton to end the fourth with six strikeouts.

But the Jays struggled to give Johnson run support. Jose Bautista, in the lineup as the designated hitter for the second straight game, and Edwin Encarnacion both grounded into fielder's choices before the red-hot Adam Lind grounded out to D.J. LeMahieu to end the threat.

Lind came into the game having recorded a hit in 17 of his last 19 games dating back May 23 while batting .453 with 13 multi-hit outings over that span.

Johnson made it eight strikeouts in the fifth after retiring Rosario and Colvin, before giving up an extra base hit to Arenado. Jon Herrera smacked one up the middle that looked like it would score a run, but a fantastic stop and throw to first by Izturis kept it scoreless.

'Great outing'

The Blue Jays shortstop then did it with his bat in the sixth when he erased any ideas of a De La Rosa no-hitter by cracking the ball to right for Toronto's first hit. However, the Jays couldn't capitalize as Cabrera popped out and Bautista sent one to the warning track, drawing groans from the 20,946 in attendance at Rogers Centre.

Those fans were on their feet in the eighth to salute Johnson, whose impressive night ended when LeMahieu's bunt pushed Herrera and Fowler to second and third with one out.

"Great outing," Gibbons said of Johnson. "Since he's been back, two out of three have been dominating performances. He had everything going on — good fastball, good breaking ball. He was attacking pretty good. He's looking to bounce back and contribute. I think he felt really good tonight."

Blue Jays reliever Brett Cecil (3-0) came in and induced a line out from Gonzalez, then walked Cuddyer to load the bases before Helton grounded out.

Cecil has been lights out in recent weeks. The intentional walk to Cuddyer snapped a streak of retiring 25 straight batters dating back to May 31. He hasn't give up a run since May 10.

The last meeting between the teams was in 2010 when the Rockies swept a three-game set at Coors Field. Colorado was swept in its last visit to Toronto in 2007.

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