Blue Jays not considering fire sale at trade deadline

After a busy off-season, the Toronto Blue Jays were expected to be contenders.

Instead they're well under .500, out of the American League East and AL wild-card races and grasping for positives amid a season that hasn't gone according to plan.

"When you're not winning games, it's not good," general manager Alex Anthopoulos said during a recent homestand. "You're scratching your brain trying to come up with ways to get better."

One way to get better, for next year and beyond, involves selling before Wednesday afternoon's trade deadline. Anthopoulos recognizes the Blue Jays' place at the bottom of the standings, but with the hope of contending in 2014 there might not be many assets available to deal.

"Everyone's in trade mode," Anthopoulos said. "I think anything we do, if we can do something that helps currently, great, but even for the following year as well, we'll look to do it. We're having dialogue, but I'd say every player we're having dialogue about are players that can help us beyond the current year."

In other words, don't expect a fire sale of every Blue Jays player who has underacheived this season. Only three are impending free agents: starter Josh Johnson, whose value is at an all-time low, reliever Darren Oliver, who's 42 years old, and outfielder Rajai Davis, who's a part-timer relied on mostly for his speed.

The bullpen has been one of a few bright spots for the Blue Jays this season, featuring all-stars in Brett Cecil and Steve Delabar. Until last week Toronto hadn't lost a game it led after seven innings.

Attractive relievers

Naturally, the Blue Jays have been getting calls about relievers, but Anthopoulos didn't commit to trading from a position of strength.

"We do have depth, and that is an area that we can afford to trade a reliever and still be fine," he said Wednesday. "We're not close to doing anything. As I sit here today I don't think we're trading a reliever. The only free agent in that group is Darren Oliver. So any reliever deal, it can happen now or we can take it into the off-season and make a deal there. I wouldn't rule it out because of that depth."

Left-handed relief is often hard to find, so Oliver might be a commodity for a playoff contender that wants a rental. At 1,900 innings for his career, Oliver has some wear on him, but he was 3-2 with a 3.82 ERA going into the Blue Jays' series in Oakland.

Aaron Loup, a 25-year-old left-hander, leads the team with a 1.90 ERA, and veteran lefty Juan Perez was nearly perfect before giving up six runs in his past two appearances. The Blue Jays have a team option on closer Casey Janssen for next season and have Cecil and Delabar under team control for the foreseeable future.

But Anthopoulos learned last year when he was trying to acquire bullpen help that it's hard to make a trade for just a reliever.

"By themselves, a team needs a reliever but the flip side (is), 'Well, I only want to pay so much to get a guy (to) pitch 40 innings, especially for the last two months,"' he said. "And it's so difficult to equate just on a one-on-one deal, and that's why it's easier to make them part of a larger deal."

The market for reliever trades has already been set. On Monday the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim traded 37-year-old former Blue Jays lefty Scott Downs to the Atlanta Braves for minor-league right-hander Cory Rasmus, and the Houston Astros traded closer Jose Veras to the Detroit Tigers for 19-year-old outfield prospect Danry Vasquez and a player to be named later.

Speedy Davis could leave

The 32-year-old Davis appears to be Toronto's most tradeable position player, as he showed Sunday when he tied a franchise record with four stolen bases in a single game. He's tied for third in the majors in steals (31 going into Monday night's game), despite having far fewer at-bats than anyone else in the top 10.

"His first step is as good as anybody I've ever seen," manager John Gibbons said. "I mean he's really a force when he does get on for you."

Davis, who has been traded twice in his career, isn't worried about the speculation.

"I think that I could help anybody win. Obviously I'm capable of stealing bases," Davis said. "I guess I try not to focus on the things that I can't go control, just try to go out there and focus on the things I can control."

Anthopoulos is the one in control from the Blue Jays' end. Speaking a week before the trade deadline, he said the Blue Jays "don't have anything big going" and tempered expectations of making a move by citing a lack of traction to that point.

"There's some things that are definitely alive," Anthopoulos said. "They're a coin flip right now if they're going to happen. But I think they're conversations that if they don't get done now, they would carry into the off-season."

Anthopoulos prefers to make deals before July 31, which he calls "chaotic" and "rushed."

"It's like last-minute shopping," he said. "The doors of the store are starting to close and everybody's scrambling. And for us, we're going after very specific players and very specific things."

The Blue Jays figure to need starting pitching help, though if Ricky Romero returns to form at some point and Kyle Drabek manages to rebound from his second career Tommy John surgery, Anthopoulos might not need focus on that area when talking about deals.

But even with shortstop Jose Reyes' strong play in the past month since returning, the infield is a place of emphasis. That's why Brett Lawrie has played second base in addition to third, a move that gives Toronto some flexibility in the trade market.

"We're certainly looking to do some things in the infield at the trade deadline," Anthopoulos said. "I'm not saying that we will, but we're actively having dialogue with some teams to see if we can do something there."

As recently as Friday, Gibbons said he likes his team and has confidence in his players. He doesn't see some better performances of late as evidence that players want to be traded to a contender.

"I don't think they're playing better so they can get out of here," Gibbons said. "I think some of them haven't had their normal years, and if they kick it in the rest of the way, I think it's just who they are. ... We got some pretty good guys. Most of the guys out there are proven players in this league at this level. Most guys don't ever want to leave, anyway, to get traded. You've got to uproot and that's never easy, either."

Whether it's this week or in the off-season, the composition of the Jays roster will change. Anthopoulos said he hasn't thought of September call-ups yet and isn't sure if the Blue Jays' 2014 core will look much different than this group.

"You evaluate each player. (Some) you think they're going to bounce back, some you may not be as convinced," he said. "That's where you may see some change. But any time you don't win games and you don't perform, clearly you're going to see some type of changes going forward."

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5 Blue Jays trade deadline candidates

A longshot to make the playoffs, the Toronto Blue Jays are sure to bite if management is offered substantial value for one of their players prior to Wednesday's non-waiver trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET.

The question is, will general manager Alex Anthopoulos make a splash and ship right-fielder Jose Bautista to a playoff contender or lean to a much smaller deal and ship out one of the relief pitchers from an impressive bullpen?

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Blue Jays not considering fire sale at trade deadline

After a busy off-season, the Toronto Blue Jays were expected to be contenders.

Instead they're well under .500, out of the American League East and AL wild-card races and grasping for positives amid a season that hasn't gone according to plan.

"When you're not winning games, it's not good," general manager Alex Anthopoulos said during a recent homestand. "You're scratching your brain trying to come up with ways to get better."

One way to get better, for next year and beyond, involves selling before Wednesday afternoon's trade deadline. Anthopoulos recognizes the Blue Jays' place at the bottom of the standings, but with the hope of contending in 2014 there might not be many assets available to deal.

"Everyone's in trade mode," Anthopoulos said. "I think anything we do, if we can do something that helps currently, great, but even for the following year as well, we'll look to do it. We're having dialogue, but I'd say every player we're having dialogue about are players that can help us beyond the current year."

In other words, don't expect a fire sale of every Blue Jays player who has underacheived this season. Only three are impending free agents: starter Josh Johnson, whose value is at an all-time low, reliever Darren Oliver, who's 42 years old, and outfielder Rajai Davis, who's a part-timer relied on mostly for his speed.

The bullpen has been one of a few bright spots for the Blue Jays this season, featuring all-stars in Brett Cecil and Steve Delabar. Until last week Toronto hadn't lost a game it led after seven innings.

Attractive relievers

Naturally, the Blue Jays have been getting calls about relievers, but Anthopoulos didn't commit to trading from a position of strength.

"We do have depth, and that is an area that we can afford to trade a reliever and still be fine," he said Wednesday. "We're not close to doing anything. As I sit here today I don't think we're trading a reliever. The only free agent in that group is Darren Oliver. So any reliever deal, it can happen now or we can take it into the off-season and make a deal there. I wouldn't rule it out because of that depth."

Left-handed relief is often hard to find, so Oliver might be a commodity for a playoff contender that wants a rental. At 1,900 innings for his career, Oliver has some wear on him, but he was 3-2 with a 3.82 ERA going into the Blue Jays' series in Oakland.

Aaron Loup, a 25-year-old left-hander, leads the team with a 1.90 ERA, and veteran lefty Juan Perez was nearly perfect before giving up six runs in his past two appearances. The Blue Jays have a team option on closer Casey Janssen for next season and have Cecil and Delabar under team control for the foreseeable future.

But Anthopoulos learned last year when he was trying to acquire bullpen help that it's hard to make a trade for just a reliever.

"By themselves, a team needs a reliever but the flip side (is), 'Well, I only want to pay so much to get a guy (to) pitch 40 innings, especially for the last two months,"' he said. "And it's so difficult to equate just on a one-on-one deal, and that's why it's easier to make them part of a larger deal."

The market for reliever trades has already been set. On Monday the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim traded 37-year-old former Blue Jays lefty Scott Downs to the Atlanta Braves for minor-league right-hander Cory Rasmus, and the Houston Astros traded closer Jose Veras to the Detroit Tigers for 19-year-old outfield prospect Danry Vasquez and a player to be named later.

Speedy Davis could leave

The 32-year-old Davis appears to be Toronto's most tradeable position player, as he showed Sunday when he tied a franchise record with four stolen bases in a single game. He's tied for third in the majors in steals (31 going into Monday night's game), despite having far fewer at-bats than anyone else in the top 10.

"His first step is as good as anybody I've ever seen," manager John Gibbons said. "I mean he's really a force when he does get on for you."

Davis, who has been traded twice in his career, isn't worried about the speculation.

"I think that I could help anybody win. Obviously I'm capable of stealing bases," Davis said. "I guess I try not to focus on the things that I can't go control, just try to go out there and focus on the things I can control."

Anthopoulos is the one in control from the Blue Jays' end. Speaking a week before the trade deadline, he said the Blue Jays "don't have anything big going" and tempered expectations of making a move by citing a lack of traction to that point.

"There's some things that are definitely alive," Anthopoulos said. "They're a coin flip right now if they're going to happen. But I think they're conversations that if they don't get done now, they would carry into the off-season."

Anthopoulos prefers to make deals before July 31, which he calls "chaotic" and "rushed."

"It's like last-minute shopping," he said. "The doors of the store are starting to close and everybody's scrambling. And for us, we're going after very specific players and very specific things."

The Blue Jays figure to need starting pitching help, though if Ricky Romero returns to form at some point and Kyle Drabek manages to rebound from his second career Tommy John surgery, Anthopoulos might not need focus on that area when talking about deals.

But even with shortstop Jose Reyes' strong play in the past month since returning, the infield is a place of emphasis. That's why Brett Lawrie has played second base in addition to third, a move that gives Toronto some flexibility in the trade market.

"We're certainly looking to do some things in the infield at the trade deadline," Anthopoulos said. "I'm not saying that we will, but we're actively having dialogue with some teams to see if we can do something there."

As recently as Friday, Gibbons said he likes his team and has confidence in his players. He doesn't see some better performances of late as evidence that players want to be traded to a contender.

"I don't think they're playing better so they can get out of here," Gibbons said. "I think some of them haven't had their normal years, and if they kick it in the rest of the way, I think it's just who they are. ... We got some pretty good guys. Most of the guys out there are proven players in this league at this level. Most guys don't ever want to leave, anyway, to get traded. You've got to uproot and that's never easy, either."

Whether it's this week or in the off-season, the composition of the Jays roster will change. Anthopoulos said he hasn't thought of September call-ups yet and isn't sure if the Blue Jays' 2014 core will look much different than this group.

"You evaluate each player. (Some) you think they're going to bounce back, some you may not be as convinced," he said. "That's where you may see some change. But any time you don't win games and you don't perform, clearly you're going to see some type of changes going forward."

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Blue Jays get rude welcome in Oakland to kick off road trip

recap

The Associated Press

Posted: Jul 30, 2013 1:17 AM ET

Last Updated: Jul 30, 2013 1:50 AM ET

 

Yoenis Cespedes knows just how dangerous Oakland's offence can be with everybody clicking. Usually, it starts with the Cuban slugger doing his part, as he puts it.

Cespedes homered and hit a two-run triple, Josh Reddick added a two-run double and had three RBIs, and the A's beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-4 on Monday night.

Jed Lowrie singled home a run and Reddick hit a sacrifice fly in Oakland's four-run first inning. Cespedes led off the eighth with his 16th home run, snapping a career-high 25-game homerless streak for the Home Run Derby champion.

"It's not about the homer. I've started to feel better and everything is going to be fine," Cespedes said through an interpreter. "When I'm hitting well, I feel like I'm contributing my grain of sand, doing my part. This team is pretty dangerous when everybody works together."

Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer, while Adam Lind and Brett Lawrie each hit solo shots against A.J. Griffin (10-7), who retired the first 13 batters of the game before Lind's one-out drive in the fifth.

'[Esmil Rogers] wasn't very good tonight. This team makes you throw them strikes. We didn't play a very good game all the way around. It was less than an inspiring game. We fell behind early, tried to hang around and they blew it open.'—Blue Jays manager John Gibbons

Lawrie homered leading off the sixth, and Encarnacion connected for his 29th of the year four batters later.

The shaggy-haired Griffin, who went 7-1 last year as a rookie, gave up four runs and four hits, struck out five and walked two in seven innings to win for the fifth time in his last six decisions. He was through four perfect innings on 42 pitches.

The AL West-leading A's (63-43) won their fourth straight and seventh in nine to move a season-best 20 games over .500, tied for best record in the AL with Tampa Bay.

Oakland has matched its best record through 106 games since 1992.

"It means we've won a lot of games to this point. We're still in July," manager Bob Melvin said. "You keep trying to pile up the wins, add them up at the end and see where you're at."

They have some momentum after taking three of four from the division rival Los Angeles Angels at the Coliseum, where Oakland has won 24 of its last 30 home games.

Cespedes breaks out of slump

Cespedes hadn't homered since hitting two June 21 at Seattle. Monday's clout also was his first at home in 25 games since May 19.

"Cespedes is getting on fire," Griffin said. "He's too good not to put together one of these streaks. We're going to ride him all the way to the promised land."

Toronto, last in the AL East, had its six-game road winning streak against the AL West end.

Melvin shuffled his batting order with Eric Sogard in the No. 2 hole and Josh Donaldson dropping down to sixth as he tries to get back on track — and the A's certainly got ample production from top to bottom.

Seth Smith snapped an 0-for-30 funk with an RBI double in the third. Donaldson matched his career-high hitless stretch of 17 at-bats when he grounded out in the third, then he singled in the fifth to snap it.

Reddick hit a first-inning sacrifice fly, then doubled in two runs in the fifth. Stephen Vogt contributed an RBI single later that inning.

"It's a slow process for me," Reddick said. "I'm not going to turn it around overnight."

After a long first inning, Esmil Rogers (3-5) didn't make it out of the fifth in his first career start against the A's. He was tagged for a season-high eight runs — six earned — on nine hits in 4 1-3 innings. But the right-hander didn't record his first out until the 24th pitch he threw, and needed 35 in all to get out of the first already in a 4-0 hole.

"He wasn't very good tonight," manager John Gibbons said. "This team makes you throw them strikes. We didn't play a very good game all the way around. It was less than an inspiring game. We fell behind early, tried to hang around and they blew it open."

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Tigers trade for Jose Veras to strengthen bullpen

The Detroit Tigers added some help for their shaky bullpen Monday, acquiring reliever Jose Veras from the Houston Astros for minor league outfielder Danry Vasquez and a player to be named.

Veras is 0-4 with a 2.93 ERA this season, and the 32-year-old right-hander has struck out 44 in 43 innings with only 14 walks.

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski says the team is pleased to add an experienced arm to the bullpen.

Detroit entered the season with a lot of uncertainty at the closer spot, and although Joaquin Benoit has pitched well in that role of late, the American League Central-leading Tigers still needed bullpen depth.

Aside from Benoit and Drew Smyly, none of their other relievers have been all that effective on a consistent basis.

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Blue Jays start AL West trip in Oakland

If the Oakland Athletics' latest victory was further indication that their offense is heating up, they just might run away with the AL West title.

Hoping to build on an impressive comeback win, the A's look for a fourth consecutive victory Monday night against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.

Oakland (62-43) averaged 1.6 runs while splitting eight games from July 8-20, but since is putting up 5.0 per game while winning six of eight. The A's overcame an early five-run deficit to win 10-6 over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

"That's just Oakland A's baseball," catcher Derek Norris told the Athletics' official website. "You know there's going to be a time when both (hitting and pitching) are going to click, and that's going to be scary for teams when they come in to face Oakland.

"That's what makes us a very good ballclub."

Yoenis Cespedes had three hits with four RBIs as Oakland increased its division lead to a season-high six games over struggling Texas. Before breaking out, Cespedes was 2 for 15 with five strikeouts in his previous five games since he won the All-Star Home Run Derby.

"I've been working a lot, every single day, to try to get the swing that I got (Sunday),'' said Cespedes, who still has not homered in 25 consecutive games.

Teammate Eric Sogard also had three hits, and is batting .407 (11 for 27) with six RBIs in his last eight contests after going hitless in his previous nine at-bats.

"We've had some guys struggling, and then someone else shows up ... and then someone else shows up," manager Bob Melvin said. "We still have some guys struggling, but we manage to either get just enough or keep adding on like (Sunday).''

Toronto (48-56) scored 24 runs while winning three of four from major league-worst Houston this weekend, with half coming in Friday's 12-6 victory. Colby Rasmus delivered the winning single in the bottom of the ninth for a 2-1 win Sunday.

The Blue Jays entered that set in the midst of a seven-game skid.

"We have to put as many wins together as we can," Rasmus told the Blue Jays' official website. "Stay positive and get on this (10-game) West Coast trip and go out there and try to win some ballgames."

Rasmus is batting .365 with 14 RBIs in 23 games this month, and .357 (5 for 14) in his last three versus Oakland.

Teammate Edwin Encarnacion went 9 for 12 with eight RBIs in the Houston series. He's hit .391 (9 for 23) with two homers and five RBIs in his last six games against the A's.

However, Encarnacion and Rasmus are a combined 1 for 6 with three strikeouts against scheduled Oakland starter A.J. Griffin (9-7, 3.84 ERA).

The right-hander allowed four hits over 7 2-3 scoreless innings while going 1-0 against the Blue Jays last season, but left after 32 pitches with a strained shoulder versus Toronto on August 4.

Griffin gave up three runs on two more homers in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-3 win at Houston on Wednesday. He ranks among the major league leaders with 23 home runs allowed, but only six have come at home.

He'll be opposed by Esmil Rogers (3-4, 3.74), who has not earned a decision in his last three starts. Rogers allowed two runs despite yielding 10 hits in seven innings of an 8-3, 10-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.

The right-hander pitched 3 1-3 scoreless innings of relief versus Oakland last year.

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Astros rough up Josh Johnson, Blue Jays

Josh Johnson doesn't have the answers.

After another horrid start, the Toronto Blue Jays starter didn't know what he was doing wrong this season or in Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Houston Astros at Rogers Centre.

"I've just got to make better pitches," he said. "I made some OK pitches, but then I made some terrible ones as well."

Johnson fell to 1-7 and saw his earned-run average rise to 6.08 as he gave up seven runs on seven hits, including three home runs. It was his third straight bad start and fifth consecutive loss in as many appearances.

'I've just got to make better pitches. I made some OK pitches, but then I made some terrible ones as well.'— Blue Jays starter Josh Johnson

"He's scuffling, that's an understatement," manager John Gibbons said. "He's feeling it. I mean, he's human. You feel for the guy. And he's never struggled a whole lot in his career. He's trying to settle in, he's trying to contribute, and it hasn't gone well for him. It's tough. There's really nowhere to hide out there."

Johnson tried to take a "different mind-set" onto the mound Saturday afternoon after lasting just two innings Monday. His pre-game bullpen session admittedly wasn't sharp, but the right-hander insisted he didn't think, "Here we go again" after surrendering back-to-back singles to start the game.

"Sometimes that happens," Johnson said. "Seems like it's happened a lot more with me, but it's part of the game."

When Astros designated hitter Chris Carter hit a three-run home run before Johnson recorded an out, it marked the sixth straight start in which he allowed multiple runs in the first inning a base runner got on. Pitching coach Pete Walker said he and his staff were "certainly aware" of that trend.

Lacking confidence

But throwing from the stretch isn't Johnson's only problem, as Gibbons pointed out that he allowed solo home runs to Justin Maxwell and Matt Dominguez from the windup.

Where Johnson's issues stem from could be mechanical or mental. More likely, it's a combination of both, as the 29-year-old said his confidence is "not real high" right now.

"They all go through those stretches where confidence becomes an issue," Gibbons said. "You've got to deal with it. That's part of this business. I know he's scrambling, he's got to be scrambling trying to figure it out because you'll see him: He'll pitch some hitters good and then lose it and get hit pretty hard."

Johnson tried to work on keeping his throwing motion more direct, driving down his right hip instead of falling off the mound toward first base. He consciously thought about it for all 5 2/3 innings Saturday.

"I'd do it for a couple pitches and then I wouldn't do it for a couple," Johnson said. "That inconsistency was still there a little bit."

Consistency has been hard to find for the Blue Jays this season, and that goes beyond Johnson's struggles. They managed to put six runs on the board Saturday, finally getting to Astros starter Dallas Keuchel, but it wasn't enough.\

Solid hitting, but...

Keuchel, who lasted until Jose Bautista's three-run homer in the eighth, said the Blue Jays had as good a lineup as he has seen in the major leagues. Toronto showed it by out-hitting Houston, but the hole Johnson dug was too deep to get out of.

"I think he just wants to compete, and he just wants to get some consistency in his game right now," Walker said. "The frustration is that he doesn't feel like he's giving this team a chance to win a game."

As Johnson failed to do that for the fourth time in five starts, it's time for more re-evaluation. Walker said it's "back to the drawing board a little bit with him."

From his vantage point, Johnson saw some positives. He finished with eight strikeouts and was able to last into the sixth inning to keep a tired bullpen fresh.

But the negatives certainly outweighed the positives.

"I just think they put some good swings on him," Gibbons said. "The ball's not where he's trying to locate it, and then he's maybe up in the zone a little bit and they hit him."

Johnson said he "threw some pretty good pitches." Because he didn't throw enough, he was left to lament another loss, but the coming days will mean more work to right his game.

"It's a battle right now," Walker said. "And I know he's frustrated with the consistency, but we're certainly not giving up on him by any stretch. I still think he's got plenty of stuff to get major-league hitters out. I think you saw it with the strikeouts today: At times he's very good. He's going to continue to work at it, and I still believe in my heart that he's going to have some good games here."

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Late Jays voice Tom Cheek honoured with Ford C. Frick award

Tom Cheek, the late Toronto Blue Jays announcer, was honoured with the Ford C. Frick award for broadcasting at the baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Cheek broadcast 4,306 consecutive Blue Jays games — including the club's two World Series victories — from Toronto's first contest until June 2, 2004.

For Blue Jays fans, Cheek's most memorable call is his description of Joe Carter's World Series-winning home run in 1993, when his deep baritone voice shouted into the microphone: "Touch 'em all Joe! You'll never hit a bigger home run in your life."

The Florida-born Cheek was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame last month, and was added to the Blue Jays' Level of Excellence at Rogers Centre in 2005, the year he died.

Frank Jobe recognized

Former major league pitcher Tommy John was on hand, appropriately enough, as Dr. Frank Jobe was also honoured on Saturday.

Jobe was recognized for his impact on the sport. He developed the procedure known as Tommy John surgery when he fixed the left-hander's elbow in 1974.

A day before Hank O'Day, Jacob Ruppert, and Deacon White were posthumously inducted into the shrine, Paul Hagen accepted the J.G. Taylor Spink award for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.

Also honoured at Cooperstown was Thomas Tull, the CEO of Legendary Entertainment and producer of the Jackie Robinson biopic "42."

"I can't believe I'm sitting here next to Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe," Tull said. "All these gentlemen have done for the game brought them to Cooperstown. I'm just thankful I'm here."

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Encarnacion homers twice in 7th as Jays crush Astros

By the time Edwin Encarnacion took his curtain call in the seventh inning, R.A. Dickey's rough night was forgotten.

The Toronto Blue Jays' starting pitcher watched as the lineup put on a show and was glad he didn't cost his team the game. It didn't matter that Dickey struggled because Encarnacion and Co. couldn't stop hitting.

Encarnacion became the first Toronto player in 20 years to hit two home runs in the same inning as he led the way for the Blue Jays' 12-6 rout of the Houston Astros on Friday night at Rogers Centre. It marked Toronto's first consecutive victories since its 11-game winning streak last month.

"I picked a good night to be very mediocre, that's for sure," said Dickey, who allowed five earned runs on seven hits in six innings. "But we had a great offensive night. I mean this night should definitely be about Edwin and what he did. I mean, how momentous. To get to see something like that's pretty neat."

'I'm just thinking, 'Put the ball in play,' so I put it in play, I got a homer.'— Edwin Encarnacion

Encarnacion led off the seventh with a solo home run off Astros reliever Paul Clemens. After his teammates ensured him another at-bat, the designated hitter connected on almost the same swing, this time off Hector Ambriz for a grand slam.

"I'm just thinking, 'Put the ball in play,' so I put it in play, I got a homer," Encarnacion said. "And then the second homer in the same inning, I don't know how to homer (twice) in one inning. I was enjoying the game with my guys, enjoying the game, we were laughing a little, happy because we were on the top of the game. I was so proud when they told me — somebody I don't remember — I had two homers in one inning."

The last Blue Jay to hit two home runs in one inning was Joe Carter, who completed that feat on Oct. 3, 1993.

"To get to see something that you only see once every 20 years is like seeing a comet," Dickey said. "It's pretty cool."

Encarnacion had a double earlier to make it a 3-for-4 night that he'll never forget because of his place in the record books.

"I don't think you can get any better than that," manager John Gibbons said. "He's had another great year, he really has. You look, he's been steady all year. Early on, he hit into a lot of tough luck early in the season, but I think he's been as steady, probably, as anybody in baseball."

Offence explodes

Beyond Encarnacion, the Blue Jays' offence was steady Friday night against an opponent that has given up the most runs of any team in the majors. They started knocking around starter Jordan Lyles and continued to torment a young bullpen.

Seven different Toronto batters had at least one RBI, and every starter except Jose Bautista and Josh Thole picked up at least a hit. It was the kind of collective performance that Mark DeRosa said after a players-only meeting days earlier was necessary.

"They all pitched in," Gibbons said. "That's hard to do, and that's rare where everybody produces like that. But good teams, teams that win, everybody's got to pitch in one way or the other. You're going to run into stretches where some guys are cold and somebody else has got to pick you up, and then those guys tail off, the other guys usually come back. Nights where everybody's clicking, you get the big, big nights."

Friday night became big in the seventh-inning. The Blue Jays trailed 6-4 at the time but made up that deficit quickly with back-to-back homers from Encarnacion and first baseman Adam Lind.

Second baseman Maicer Izturis drove in Colby Ramsus — the go-ahead run — with a double, and later a bases-loaded walk by Wesley Wright kept things going. Encarnacion then provided the fireworks with his grand slam to cap off the eight-run inning.

"It did unravel rather quickly," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "They put some good swings on some pitches and you look up and it's an eight-spot."

Encarnacion wasn't sure his second home run was gone, but it wasn't surprising to him that he managed some good swings.

"I've been working with my timing the last couple days," he said. "I got my timing back, so I was seeing the ball good."

Astros hitters were seeing the ball well, too, off Dickey. The knuckleballer saw his home ERA rise to 5.97, and he gave up his 18th home run of the season at Rogers Centre.

"I didn't make many mistakes, but every one I made tonight got hit. Every one," Dickey said. "I did a lot of good things tonight and I'm always looking for things for improvement."

Improvement could take time as Dickey spends his remaining home starts trying to figure out how to hone his pitching in a hitters' park.

It played every bit as small Friday night as balls were flying all over the field. The Blue Jays tied a franchise record for extra-base hits with 12.

"We really came to life late to take the lead and open it up," Gibbons said. "It's a great place to hit, it really is. We swung it tonight."

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Josh Johnson, Blue Jays host reeling Astros

The Toronto Blue Jays have finally strung together a couple of wins.

Josh Johnson would settle for one at this point.

The right-hander will try to avoid a career-worst fifth consecutive losing start Saturday when the Blue Jays and major league-worst Houston Astros continue their series north of the border.

After Mark Buehrle's two-hitter in Thursday's 4-0 series-opening victory helped Toronto (47-55) end a season-high seven-game skid, the Blue Jays equaled a team record with 12 extra-base hits in Friday's 12-6 victory.

Edwin Encarnacion hit two of the club's five homers, a solo shot and a grand slam in the eight-run seventh. The only other Blue Jay to homer twice in one inning was Joe Carter on Oct. 3, 1993, against Baltimore.

"I don't think you can get any better than that,'' manager John Gibbons said after Toronto won back-to-back games for the first time since a franchise record-tying 11-game surge June 11-23. "He's having another great year (with 28 home runs).''

Johnson (1-6, 5.66 ERA) is not. He's 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA in five starts since defeating the Orioles on June 23 after lasting just two-plus innings in Monday's 14-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing five runs and seven hits and calling his performance "pitiful."

"You feel for the guy because he's competing but it just hasn't happened,'' Gibbons said.

Johnson, who also lost four consecutive starts Aug. 9-25 while with the Marlins, is 0-2 with a 4.84 ERA in four career starts versus Houston.

He'll face an Astros team that's dropped 19 of 23 overall and 15 of 19 on the road.

Houston (34-68) will try to get back on track with Dallas Keuchel (4-5, 4.42) going for his first win in six starts. The left-hander was in position to pick up a victory Monday, exiting with a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning, but the bullpen faltered again in a 4-3 loss.

The Astros have blown 15 saves and their relief corps has been tagged for a major league-high 64 homers - 22 more than anyone else in baseball.

"It doesn't matter about what the other team is going to do," manager Bo Porter said. "We have to do a better job of making quality pitches in those situations.''

One positive for Houston heading into the weekend is the play of Marc Krauss, who went 2 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs on Friday. The rookie left fielder had four RBIs in his first 20 games since getting called up June 21 when Trevor Crowe (shoulder) went on the disabled list.

Krauss could get more playing time with J.D. Martinez (sprained left wrist) being placed on the disabled list after getting injured Friday. The club called up center fielder Robbie Grossman to take Martinez's spot.

Jose Reyes is swinging one of the hottest bats for the Blue Jays since the All-Star break. Reyes is hitting .394 during that eight-game stretch with two homers, four doubles and seven RBIs after reaching safely five times and coming up a triple shy of the cycle Friday.

Colby Rasmus' 4-for-5 effort, meanwhile, lifted his average to .393 since the break.

Toronto has won three of four from Houston since losing the first four matchups between these clubs.

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Cubs finalizing deal to send Alfonso Soriano to Yankees

The Chicago Cubs have pulled Alfonso Soriano from the lineup and manager Dale Sveum says a trade to send the outfielder to the New York Yankees is about "99 percent done."

Soriano was replaced in left field by Cole Gillespie for Thursday night's game at Arizona.

Soriano is hitting .254 with 17 home runs and 51 RBIs. He is a seven-time All-Star and made his major league debut with the Yankees in 1999.

"If we are able to add him, it's definitely a great thing," said Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson who is rehabbing in Tampa, Fla.

"Plus, he's played there before. That's one thing that is a difficult thing to adjust to. You've got to come to New York and can you handle it, can you not.

"Obviously he had in the past, so if it is 100 percent it will definitely be a good thing for us. He has flexibility to move around wherever we would need to have him. If it is, it will be exciting."

The Yankees and Cubs would need to work out the financial aspects of Soriano's rich contract. New York is fourth in the AL East, trailing leader Boston by 6 1/2 games, and desperate for power.

"He's been there before and he's performed in that atmosphere," Sveum said.

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Jays end losing streak 4-0 over Astros

Mark Buehrle was a man in a hurry.

The Blue Jays starting pitcher had a Tim McGraw concert he wanted to attend with his wife Thursday night, so he made quick work of the Houston Astros and got on his way. In tossing a two-hit shutout, Buehrle led the way as Toronto ended its seven-game losing streak with a much-needed 4-0 victory at Rogers Centre over the team with the worst record in baseball.

Buehrle insisted his postgame plans weren't on his mind as he mowed down the Astros with remarkable efficiency. The lefty threw 108 pitches over nine innings, striking out nine and wrapping things up in a clean 2 hours and 18 minutes.

"He was just marvelous," Adam Lind said. "He threw the heck out of that baseball tonight."

Buehrle's domination couldn't have come at a better time for the struggling Blue Jays, whose bullpen had been taxed during a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mixing his pitches and keeping counts low, the 34-year-old rarely got into trouble and dazzled the Astros.

"It was typical Buehrle: When he's on, when he's hitting spots, when he's got that good change-up," manager John Gibbons said. "I thought he did a really good job of hitting some of the right-handers inside tonight to keep them honest. It came along at the time when we definitely needed it because our bullpen's kind of tired."

The bullpen never stirred because Buehrle (6-7) was always in control. He didn't allow a hit until Justin Maxwell's single with two outs in the fifth, and he didn't flinch after J.D. Martinez's double in the seventh as the Blue Jays clung to a one-run lead.

"I had everything working," Buehrle said. "Obviously velocity wasn't there. I was making pitches when I had to, movement was good and keeping the guys off balance. ... It was just one of those days that I had everything going for me."

Perhaps because he didn't overthink the ramifications — either of the Blue Jays' skid or their fatigued relievers, who combined to throw 13 1/3 innings in the previous three games. Gibbons made it clear his team needed a strong outing from Buehrle, but that didn't cause undue stress.

"In your mind you know that the bullpen's been worn out and been used a lot," Buehrle said. "But if they have 10 days off, I'm going out there trying to go as deep in the game as I can. If the guys say, 'Hey I need to get an inning today,' I'm still trying to go seven, eight innings every time I'm out there. I don't put any more pressure or look at the situation like that."

Canadian Bedard limits Jays' damage

Pressure could have come from pitching in a tight game, as Houston starter Erik Bedard managed to hold the Blue Jays to just one run on three hits through five innings. Limiting the damage to an RBI double by Edwin Encarnacion, the Navan, Ont., native was forced to exit after 95 pitches, and Toronto took advantage of reliever Lucas Harrell to provide Buehrle some insurance.

Jose Bautista, Encarnacion, Lind and Maicer Izturis combined to put three runs on the board in the seventh. Buehrle didn't need the extra run support, but it sure didn't hurt, especially one night after the Blue Jays failed to build on their lead and watched it slip away.

"We saw what happened last night when we couldn't score an additional insurance run, but that's baseball," said Lind, whose opposite-field double drove in Bautista. "It just makes things a lot easier tonight for our starting pitcher or your bullpen when you can add one or two extra runs."

Izturis' two-run double made it 4-0, more than enough of a cushion for Buehrle, who rarely even got to a full count against an Astros lineup that features left fielder Chris Carter as its only real power threat and shortstop Jonathan Villar as its only hitter above .300.

But he didn't want this victory to be discounted because of the opponent.

"I'm sure there's going to be a lot of people saying that obviously this is the worst team in baseball and record-wise they're not very good," Buehrle said. "But in my mind they're still big-league hitters. If you make a mistake, they're going to make you pay for it. I did make a few mistakes — I got lucky and got away with them."

Nine strikeouts were the most for Buehrle since 12 on April 16, 2005. But he didn't react like picking up Toronto's first win since July 13 was anything special.

"I think it was just like any other game we've won," Buehrle said. "I don't think it's any bigger that we've lost seven in a row and we finally won a game as opposed to winning three or four in a row. Guys were happy, music's playing."

Minutes later Buehrle was off to watch McGraw, even though he didn't request that music to play in celebration.

"He could've played whatever he wanted tonight," Lind said.

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Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow's season in jeopardy

Brandon Morrow hasn't pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays since late May, and when he will again remains a mystery.

The starter's sore right forearm is feeling better but still isn't 100 per cent and he'll be re-examined to figure out exactly what's wrong, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. All MRIs have revealed so far is inflammation, but that isn't a source of much comfort.

Sportsnet reported that Morrow has an entrapped radial nerve in his right forearm and is likely out for the rest of the season.

Anthopoulos didn't say that's the case, but the GM sounded pesimistic about Morrow's prognosis.

"It's hard to be [optimistic] at this point, I'm just being honest. He just hasn't been able to get it going," Anthopoulos said prior to Toronto's home loss Wednesday night to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I don't know enough about the severity.

"I just know that it's not safe for him to go out there. The last thing you want is a blown-out shoulder or an elbow or something like that. We don't know enough yet about Brandon."

Morrow was placed on the disabled list in early June after going 2-3 with a 5.63 ERA in 10 starts for the Blue Jays.

The 28-year-old has been throwing side sessions in Dunedin, Fla., but there's no time frame for when he could return.

"I ask our trainers: It seems like we've given him so much rest, should he not be 100 per cent at this point? It's tough to know how everyone's body recovers," Anthopoulos said. "It just might be one of those things that it just needs a lot more time than we hoped and thought."

Happ still on the mend

Another starter who began the season win Toronto's rotation is left-hander J.A. Happ, who suffered a twisted knee and a skull fracture May 7 when he was hit by a line drive. Happ could return after one more minor-league rehab start or the club could choose to give him a couple more.

"When he moves off the mound it's still not 100 per cent," Anthopoulos said. "Obviously he can go out there and pitch, but he's still a little bit stiff at times with some of the movements off the mound."

When Happ returns, the Blue Jays would like him to eat up innings. Toronto's bullpen had logged a major league-leading 353 1/3 innings heading into action Wednesday. Happ is working towards being able to throw 90-to-95 pitches.

"We'll see how he does," Anthopoulos said. "He runs deep counts no matter what, so it's the type of guy that especially with a seven-man 'pen, when he is back we want to feel good enough that he can go deep enough to be able to protect the 'pen."

Right-hander Kyle Drabek, who's coming off his second career Tommy John surgery, is doing well while Drew Hutchinson (elbow) and Sergio Santos (triceps) are also making progress, Anthopoulos said. Reliever Luis Perez (elbow) is expected to start a rehab assignment in August and would then be on pace to return by September, if not sooner.

That kind of clarity doesn't exist with Morrow, whom the Blue Jays would like to be a part of their long-term future. So far in the majors, he hasn't eclipsed 180 innings in a season, but Anthopoulos declined to label Morrow as someone who might never be a 200-inning starter.

There's just no certainty about Morrow's short-term prognosis, and what he could bring if and when he returns.

"A lot can happen, a lot can change," Anthopoulos said. "All of a sudden he may feel great and it may just be two more weeks of rest or something.

"We may see him in three weeks or September or whatnot."

Anthopoulos was hopeful he'd have more answers in a week or two and certainly in a couple of months. The unknown prevails for Morrow and the Blue Jays until then.

"It's too early. I don't have enough information," he said. "At some point we'll get to the bottom of it."

With files from CBCSports.ca

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Canadian Erik Bedard, Astros look to hand Blue Jays 8th straight loss

Erik Bedard likely is hoping a return to his native Canada will also be the end of his four-start losing streak as the Houston Astros begin a 10-game road trip.

The Toronto Blue Jays, though, aren't finding home to be all that cozy as they'll look to end a six-game losing streak at Rogers Centre and a seven-game skid overall in Thursday night's series opener between last-place clubs.

Bedard (3-7, 4.41 ERA), who will be making his first start in Ontario since 2007, suggested a hockey-themed team flight to Toronto, where Houston (34-66) begins an extended trip that also has stops in Baltimore and Minnesota.

The left-hander, though, has walked 18 in 23 innings during his losing streak. He had 10 strikeouts and a no-hitter going when he exited with one out in the seventh inning against Seattle on Saturday, but his five walks led to three runs - one earned - and he ended up suffering a 4-2 defeat.

Despite not allowing a hit, Bedard had thrown 109 pitches, matching the same number he threw in his previous start - a 5-0 loss to Tampa Bay on July 14.

"I've had three shoulder surgeries,'' Bedard said. ``I'm not going over 110 (pitches). I'd rather pitch a couple more years than face another batter.''

Bedard is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in his last seven starts against Toronto, but he hasn't faced the club since last pitching at Rogers Centre six years ago. He's had some success against current Blue Jays hitters, though, as Melky Cabrera is just 3 for 21 lifetime off Bedard.

He'll look to help get the Astros on track after they fell 4-3 to Oakland on Wednesday for their 17th defeat in 21 games.

"We're going to play a long road trip, but it's also against some good teams," first baseman Brett Wallace said. "We just need to go out there and stay focused and just try to win every series."

The Blue Jays (45-55) have been swept in both of their series since the All-Star break, each coming in Toronto as part of their 10-game homestand that ends Sunday.

They were one out away from victory Wednesday, but Colby Rasmus' error in center field allowed the tying run to score in the ninth before the Dodgers exploded for a five-run 10th to win 8-3.

The Blue Jays haven't lost eight straight overall since a nine-game skid from May 19-27, 2009, and they haven't suffered a seven-game home losing streak since dropping their first eight of 2004.

"I thought we were rock bottom last night,'' manager John Gibbons said, referring to his club blowing a five-run lead in Tuesday's 10-9 loss. "I guess not.''

Starter Mark Buehrle will try to end some personal struggles, as his last two starts haven't gone very well.

Buehrle (5-7, 4.83) allowed eight runs - his most in four years - through six innings of an 8-5 loss at Baltimore on July 12, then gave up four runs and a season worst-tying 10 hits in seven frames of Saturday's 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

After going 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA from May 22-June 19, Buehrle is 1-3 with a 5.52 ERA over his last five outings.

"I can't pinpoint what's going on. It's frustrating," Buehrle said.

The left-hander hasn't faced the Astros since allowing one run in eight innings of a 6-3 win June 10, 2007, while pitching for the White Sox.

Houston has won five of six all-time meetings with Toronto.

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Slumping Blue Jays try to avoid Dodgers sweep

Once thought to be one of baseball's most disappointing teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers have surged into the NL West lead and are on the verge of their longest road winning streak in 58 years.

The Toronto Blue Jays still hold that distinction, as they'll be attempting to avoid a seventh straight defeat in Wednesday night's series finale.

Los Angeles was 12 games below .500 after a loss to San Diego on June 21, but it has since won 22 of 27 after rallying for a 10-9 victory Tuesday.

Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run homer while Andre Either and Mark Ellis also drove in three runs for the Dodgers (52-47), who have scored 33 runs over the last three games and hold a slim lead over Arizona atop the division.

"We're starting to be able to throw some big innings together," manager Don Mattingly said. "If you can get to the point where you don't feel like you're out of games, I think that's important."

A victory Wednesday would give the franchise its first 10-game winning streak away from home since the then-Brooklyn Dodgers won their first 11 road games in 1955.

Ricky Nolasco, who is 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA in three starts since being acquired from Miami on July 7, will be on the mound looking to help Los Angeles accomplish that feat.

Nolasco (6-9, 3.75 ERA), who gave up two runs in 5 1-3 innings of the Dodgers' 3-2 win over Washington on Friday, was one of the few highly paid Marlins not sent to Toronto in a blockbuster trade in November that included former teammates Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio.

The right-hander's only start versus Toronto came in 2009, though he's had some experience against some of the current Blue Jays. Reyes is hitting .340 with three homers, a triple and double, while Melky Cabrera is 6 for 13 (.462) with a homer off Nolasco.

Cabrera went 0 for 4 to snap his seven-game hitting streak Tuesday as the slumping Blue Jays (45-54) have dropped the first five of their 10-game homestand.

"It doesn't get any worse than that, considering where we're at," manager John Gibbons said.

Reyes hit a two-run homer and finished with a season-best three RBIs, but Toronto was unable to end its season-high skid despite holding a players-only meeting before the game.

"Maybe it sparks something, maybe they air some things out, maybe they feel they need to try and do some things different, whatever it might be," Gibbons told the team's official website earlier Tuesday. "If the results change, it was a good meeting. If the results don't change, it wasn't a good meeting. It's that simple."

Gibbons will turn to Esmil Rogers (3-4, 3.84) as Toronto looks to get on track.

Rogers is 2-2 with a 3.62 ERA in nine starts this season after giving up four runs - all solo homers to match a career worst allowed - in 5 2-3 innings of Toronto's 8-5 loss to Tampa Bay on Friday.

Gibbons, though, felt the right-hander pitched well otherwise.

"When he was on, he was dominating," Gibbons said. "He never really got into trouble, it was just the solo home runs."

Rogers hasn't had much success against the Dodgers, going 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in three starts while pitching for Colorado in 2010 and '11.

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Chicago City Council set for final vote on $500M Wrigley Field renovation

Chicago's City Council was set to give a final vote Wednesday on a $500 million US renovation of historic Wrigley Field that includes its first massive Jumbotron, improved facilities for the players in the bowels of the 99-year-old ballpark and a hotel across the street.

Under the plan, the Chicago Cubs would erect a 5,700-square-foot electronic Jumbotron in left field above the ivy-covered outfield walls that is roughly three times as large as the iconic manual scoreboard in centre field, as well as another large advertising sign in right field.

The Cubs, which waited decades to install lights at Wrigley, have been pushing for renovations since the Ricketts family bought the team in 2009. After an effort to get public help for the project failed, the Cubs said the team would fund the entire renovation — but it needed the signs and the advertising revenue they would generate to help pay for it.

The City Council's vote comes a day after the council's zoning committee signed off on the deal with the blessing of the alderman whose ward includes the ballpark. Alderman Tom Tunney's support was considered crucial to the project that Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants approved. Tunney initially said the signs would harm the quality of life in the neighbourhood around Wrigley, but he signed off on the deal after winning concessions from the Cubs. Among them was an agreement not to erect any outfield signs in addition to the Jumbotron and right field sign and to indefinitely postpone a proposed bridge over the adjoining Clark Street.

Still looming is whether the Jumbotron and right field sign will disrupt the views of the rooftops that surround two sides of the ballpark. The owners of the rooftops, who have a contract with the Cubs to share a chunk of their revenue with the team, have said repeatedly that they might file suit if the Cubs put up anything that cuts into their views.

The signs have easily been the most contentious part of the project because erecting them could trigger lawsuits from the rooftop owners and change the look of the ballpark that has become beloved as a link to baseball's history.

During public hearings, many fans told city officials that it was time for the ballpark to change. They said if the team was to continue to attract fans, particularly younger ones, it had to include the Jumbotron and other amenities that are common in every other Major League stadium. The back-and-forth became so heated that at one point, the team's chairman, Tom Ricketts, floated the idea of moving the team to another location where it could get the amenities it needs to compete with other teams.

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Brewers' Ryan Braun suspended for rest of season

The first star to fall in baseball's latest drug investigation is one of its biggest: Ryan Braun.

The 2011 National League MVP was suspended without pay for the rest of the season and the post-season Monday, the start of sanctions involving players reportedly tied to a Florida clinic accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs.

The Milwaukee Brewers star accepted the 65-game ban, 15 games more than the one he avoided last year when an arbitrator overturned his positive test for elevated testosterone because the urine sample had been improperly handled.

"I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions," he said in a statement.

Braun, injured Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and more than a dozen players were targeted by MLB following a report by Miami New Times in January that they had been connected with Biogenesis of America, a now-closed anti-aging clinic.

"For these guys still to be involved with this stuff just baffles me," Miami Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "The education's there and everybody knows what you can and can't take. It baffles me that this continues to be a black cloud over the game. I know Major League Baseball's done a great job of cleaning up the game and the testing policy and all that. And it's working. But at the same time, too, it seems like we'll go through a lull and then, bam, here comes another guy that gets suspended. It's got to stop."

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced Braun's penalty, citing the outfielder for unspecified "violations" of both baseball's drug program and labour contract. Braun will miss the Milwaukee Brewers' final 65 games without pay, costing him about $3 million of his $8.5 million salary. With the Brewers in last place in the NL Central, they aren't likely to have any playoff games for him to miss.

"I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed," Braun said. "I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love."

Under the agreement reached by MLB and the players' association the specifics of Braun's admission were not made public.

A person familiar with the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized, said 50 games of the penalty were connected to Biogenesis. The additional 15 games stemmed from Braun's actions during the grievance that overturned his positive test from October 2011. The suspension will count as a first violation of the drug program, the person said.

Union head Michael Weiner said last week that arbitration hearings for players contesting suspensions likely would not start until September, which would delay any penalty until next season. But he also indicated the union would urge players to make a deal and get a suspension over with if there was strong evidence of guilt.

"I am deeply gratified to see Ryan taking this bold step," Weiner said in a statement. "It vindicates the rights of all players under the joint drug program. It is good for the game that Ryan will return soon to continue his great work both on and off the field."

180-degree turnaround

Braun's acceptance of the suspension marks a 180-degree turnaround from his defiant spring training news conference in Phoenix last year, after his 50-game ban was overturned.

"We won," he said then, "because the truth is on my side. The truth is always relevant, and at the end of the day, the truth prevailed."

The 29-year-old Braun was hitting .298 with nine homers and 38 RBIs this year, slowed by a thumb injury that limited him to one game between June 9 and Friday. He was at Miller Park before Monday's game against San Diego and addressed the Brewers, then left without speaking to reporters.

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin spoke with Braun but wouldn't divulge details of the discussion.

"I'm disappointed. He's a very important player to our organization and to the ballclub and to our performance on the field," Melvin said.

Braun met with MLB investigators in late June. Baseball's probe was boosted when Anthony Bosch, who ran Biogenesis, agreed last month to co-operate with the sport's investigators.

The suspension is the latest in a string of high-profile drug cases across sports. Cyclist Lance Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner, ended years of denials in January, admitting he doped to win. Positive tests were disclosed this month involving sprinters Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson.

By serving the entire penalty this year, Braun gains a slight monetary advantage. His salary increases to $10 million next year, when a 65-game suspension would cost him about $500,000 more.

"We commend Ryan Braun for taking responsibility for his past actions," Rob Manfred, MLB's executive vice-president for economics and league affairs, said in a statement. "We all agree that it is in the best interests of the game to resolve this matter. When Ryan returns, we look forward to him making positive contributions to Major League Baseball, both on and off the field."

Negotiations over penalties for other players haven't begun, according to a second person familiar with the probe, also speaking on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

Rodriguez admitted using PEDs while with Texas from 2001-03 but has denied taking them since.

A three-time AL MVP, Rodriguez has been sidelined all season following January hip surgery and was hoping to be activated this week. A quadriceps injury developed while he played at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and caused him to remain on the disabled list. He is not expected at the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., until Wednesday.

Braun became the latest star tripped up by baseball's drug rules.

The sport was criticized for allowing bulked up sluggers to set power records in the 1990s and only started testing in 2003. Since then, testing and penalties have become more stringent and last year San Francisco's Melky Cabrera was suspended for 50 games, just weeks after he was voted MVP of the All-Star game.

Four All-Stars this year have been linked in media reports to Biogenesis: Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz, San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera, Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon and Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta.

Other players reportedly tied to Biogenesis include Cabrera, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli and Seattle catcher Jesus Montero.

"I guess this gives an example to the kids what not to do," Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said.

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Dodgers score 14 runs, hand Jays 5th straight defeat

Josh Johnson didn't need to think too hard about how to describe his performance Monday.

"I was pitiful," said the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander. "It's the only way I could put it."

It was difficult to disagree. The Blue Jays' losing skid hit five games after they made five errors in their 14-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were led by catcher A.J. Ellis's career-best five RBIs.

Johnson (1-6) allowed seven hits and five runs in two-plus innings to drop his fourth consecutive decision.

'I didn't even battle them. Everything was in the middle of the plate. So there's nothing else I can do but take it. Yeah, that was a pretty poor performance.'

— Blue Jays pitcher Josh Johnson

"I didn't even battle them," Johnson said. "Everything was in the middle of the plate. So there's nothing else I can do but take it. Yeah, that was a pretty poor performance."

Ellis had four hits including a two-run homer as the Dodgers extended their winning streak to four games.

"He's been pretty good all year, really," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "For me, he's just consistent. He gives you good at-bats all the time. It's not always hits but you're always going to get a quality at-bat from A.J. He's a guy who knows what he's doing up there."

Skip Schumaker also drove in three runs with a home run for the Dodgers (51-47) while the Blue Jays (45-53) were outhit only 16-13.

Love for Ryu

South Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (8-3) allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings to pick up his second win in his past three starts. Cheered on by a large contingent of fans in the stands along the right-field line, he gave up nine hits and two walks while striking out three.

"That was definitely more than I expected here in Toronto," Ryu said of his cheering section. "I was very appreciative of that, it was a big help for me."

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was less appreciative and more selective in his words.

"I probably can't say it right there," he said. "It wasn't a very good game. We got whipped all the way around. Josh, they took it to him. Even our bullpen tonight everybody gave a little up. We were sloppy defensively, it was just a crappy game, it really was."

Andre Ethier doubled with one out in the second and A.J. Ellis hit his fifth homer of the season to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Johnson hit Juan Uribe with a pitch with two out and Mark Ellis singled. Carl Crawford singled in a run and Ellis took third on a throwing error by centre-fielder Colby Rasmus. Yasiel Puig singled in the fourth run.

The Dodgers chased Johnson in the third. Ethier led off with a double and scored on a single by A.J. Ellis to make the score 5-0. A wild pitch and a catcher's interference put runners at first and second with none out before left-hander Aaron Loup replaced Johnson.

Frustrating situation

Johnson was at a loss to explain what has gone wrong for him this season as his earned-run average sits at 5.66.

"I don't know," he said. "The ball is in the middle of the plate and it's pretty easy to see why they hit it all over the place. One day it'll be really good and then the next day it will be back to square one. It's been really inconsistent. I don't know.

"Sometimes I feel like I make a pretty good pitch — not today — but in past games I make a pretty good pitch and all of a sudden you get base hits, bloopers fall and balls get through. But today I didn't make a good pitch."

Gibbons said there's no plans to change the rotation, and that Johnson isn't going anywhere.

"What I've seen of Josh he's just scattering too much," Gibbons said. "He's inconsistent in the zone making his pitches. He has a tendency to yank it to his glove side where he gets in trouble. You feel for the guy because he's competing but it just hasn't happened. It's not for a lack of effort but basically it comes down to locating the ball and he's had trouble doing that."

The Blue Jays tried to get back into the game. They scored twice in the third started by Edwin Encarnacion's two-out infield single. Adam Lind walked and Melky Cabrera singled in a run. Mark DeRosa had an RBI single to right when Schumaker could not hold his sinking drive to cut the lead to 5-2.

The Dodgers scored once in the fourth. Adrian Gonzalez led off with a walk, took third on a single by Hanley Ramirez and came home when Ethier grounded into a double play.

The Dodgers added four in the sixth against Dustin McGowan and Brett Cecil. After a walk and the second error of the game by Lind, A.J. Ellis picked up his fourth RBI of the game with a single. Uribe's groundout to shortstop scored another run. Mark Ellis hit a sacrifice fly and Crawford had an RBI single to make the score 10-2.

The Blue Jays scored twice in the sixth. After two singles, a fielder's choice grounder by Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., scored one. A wild pitch by reliever Jose Dominguez scored the other.

The Dodgers scored four against reliever Steve Delabar in the seventh, three on Schumaker's first homer of the season that followed a single by A.J. Ellis that gave him his fifth RBI.

"RBIs are a product of guys getting on base in front of me and I had three guys who I felt like were on base every time I came up with Adrian, Hanley and Andre," Ellis said.

The Blue Jays scored once in the eighth on DeRosa's double and Rasmus' single.

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Dodgers make rare visit to Toronto

The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't suffered many losses lately, but another injury to one of their stars has them concerned.

The red-hot Dodgers hope to have Matt Kemp back in the lineup Monday night when they try to extend their longest road winning streak in nine years against the Toronto Blue Jays.

After missing 11 games because of inflammation in his left shoulder, Kemp provided the club with a huge lift in his return Sunday by going 3 for 4 with a home run, double and three RBIs in a 9-2 win at Washington.

The star center fielder, however, hurt his left ankle sliding into home plate on a force play in the ninth inning and limped off the field. Manager Don Mattingly said the injury appears to be a sprain and doesn't think Kemp will be placed back on the DL.

"It's not bad. I hope it's not bad,'' Kemp said. "The biggest thing will be tomorrow when I wake up and see how it feels.''

Depending on how the ankle responds, Kemp may not be available when the Dodgers (50-47) go for their eighth consecutive road win and 21st in 26 games overall in the opener of a three-game set in Toronto.

Shortstop Hanley Ramirez has certainly shown the ability to carry the load, raising his average to .393 after going 2 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs to help Los Angeles sweep the series in the nation's capital.

The Dodgers, on their longest road streak since a nine-game run July 3-26, 2004, have a chance to take over sole possession of first place in the NL West for the first time since Aug. 19 with a win and an Arizona loss.

Scheduled starter Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 3.09 ERA) will try to keep them rolling as he looks to bounce back from a rare subpar outing.

After going 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his previous 10 starts, the left-hander gave up five runs and seven hits over five innings before leaving without a decision in a 7-5 win at Arizona on July 10.

Ryu will have to contend with a hot Jose Reyes as he faces the AL East-worst Blue Jays (45-52) for the first time. The speedy leadoff man reached base four times in Sunday's 4-3 loss to visiting Tampa Bay and is 11 for 27 (.407) in his last six games.

After missing 18 games with a sore left knee, teammate Melky Cabrera went 1 for 4 in his return to the lineup.

The Blue Jays hope to avoid their fifth straight loss and 17th in 24 games, but right-hander Josh Johnson (1-5, 5.16) has gone 0-3 with a 6.33 ERA in four starts since his last victory June 23.

Johnson was tagged for a career high-tying seven earned runs over six innings in losing his third straight start, 7-4 at Baltimore on July 14.

He was also hit hard in his last meeting with the Dodgers, lasting only three innings after giving six runs and 10 hits - including a pair of homers - in an 8-2 loss while with the Marlins on Aug. 25.

Adrian Gonzalez, who homered off Johnson in that contest, is hitting .361 with six homers and 19 RBIs in 15 career games in Toronto.

Teammate Yasiel Puig did not start Sunday after going 1 for 14 in his last four games, but is expected to return to the lineup in this contest.

This is the first meeting since 2007 when the Dodgers took two of three in Toronto.

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Birthday Bio: Dave Stieb

CBCSports.ca periodically wishes a happy birthday to athletes and others involved in the sports world that have left a lasting legacy on their game. Today, we say "Happy 56th" to Dave Stieb, the only pitcher in Blue Jays history to record a no-hitter.

CBCSports.ca periodically wishes a happy birthday to athletes and others involved in the sports world that have left a lasting legacy on their game. Today, we say "Happy 56th" to Dave Stieb, the only pitcher in Blue Jays history to record a no-hitter.

Dave Stieb began his major league career in 1979 with the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Santa Ana, Calif., native was billed as a power pitcher, relying on his fastball and challenging hitters high and inside. But, as you can see below, Stieb was more than a one-dimensional hurler. He developed a few deceptive pitches, including a much-feared slider:

It was with these tricky tosses that Stieb flirted with history. He carried no-hit bids into the ninth inning on four occasions, including this perfect game that survived with just one out remaining in a 1989 game against the Yankees:

As heartbreaking as it is to be so close to perfection (including in back-to-back starts in 1988), Stieb just kept plugging away. Finally, with a no-hit bid heading into the ninth inning for a fifth time, this happened:

Sadly, Stieb's pitching career seemed to reach its peak at this point, as he was hit with a series of shoulder and back injuries in 1991. He finished his last season as a Jays starter in 1992, picking up a World Series ring along the way.

He returned to the Jays in 1998, coming out of the bullpen for a season, but retired after that year as the team's franchise leader in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, complete games and shutouts.

Stieb is still involved in the Jays' spring training activities... despite the video below:

In honour of Stieb's birthday and, as the above clip mentioned "what a hunk" and "so nice looking" he is, let's salute the pitcher with the entrance music of fellow July 22 birthday boy Shawn Michaels:

Back to accessibility links

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Jeremy Hellickson wins 5th straight as Rays hold off Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays were one hit away from turning things around on Saturday.

But like so many other games in a season that has gone off the rails, Toronto's clutch moment never came as the Tampa Bay Rays held on for a 4-3 victory.

"We had our opportunities, especially late there, but we couldn't get that big one," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

Brett Lawrie walked with one out in the ninth and came around to score on an error by Rays closer Fernando Rodney, but the Blue Jays left runners at second and third when Adam Lind flied to centre.

"When you keep nibbling back and keep nibbling back and get within striking range and then you can't strike, it's frustrating," said Lawrie, who made an error on a throw from that led to a run in the Rays' three-run third inning.

The Blue Jays also had the bases loaded with none out in the eighth but couldn't get anything as Rays reliever Joel Peralta got a foul out and two strikeouts.

Tampa Bay got two RBIs from rookie right-fielder Wil Myers, while starter Jeremy Hellickson (9-3) won his fifth consecutive decision.

The Rays (57-41) have won the first two of the three-game series with the Blue Jays (45-51) and have taken 16 of their last 18.

Hellickson allowed five hits, including a home run by Jose Bautista, three walks and two runs in five innings for the Rays before left-hander Alex Torres took over in the sixth.

Hellickson said he was not feeling well on Saturday.

"After BP [Friday] I started getting a little light-headed and I threw up a little bit," he said. "I think it's going around, there's five or six of us who aren't feeling too well."

Hellickson had a no decision in his previous start on July 10 but is 7-1 over his past nine outings.

Tough loss for Buehrle

Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle (5-7) allowed 10 hits and four runs (three earned) in seven innings to take his second consecutive loss.

"Maybe we're overrated, maybe we're not as good as we thought we were," Buehrle said of a Blue Jays team that was expected to contend for the World Series but instead sits last in the American League East. "When we had an 11-game winning streak we had everything going for us. Guys were making play. We were hitting balls just out of the reach of guys and we were making the right pitches at the right time and now it seems like nothing is going our way."

The Rays opened the scoring in the first when Desmond Jennings led off with a walk. Ben Zobrist then bunted for a single, Jennings took third on a fly out and scored on Myers' sacrifice fly.

"It was a battle, probably one of the longest seven inning games time-wise," Buehrle said. "A lot of base runners, falling behind in the counts. That first inning, it was like I forgot how to pitch. I couldn't throw a strike. Then I got some stuff together then they found some holes and got some guys on base."

Tampa Bay added three runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead. Sam Fuld led off with a single, Jennings bunted for a single and Zobrist walked to load the bases. Evan Longoria forced Zobrist at second to score one run before Myers singled in another. Longoria scored when Ryan Roberts forced Myers at second and reached first base on a throwing error by Lawrie.

Buehrle was upset with himself on the bunt by Jennings.

"It seems like I've been guessing wrong a lot of times this year," he said. "When the guy squared around to bunt I just automatically go right to third base and he bunts it down the first-base line and it's a single instead of waiting a couple of seconds to see where he's going to bunt it. I've got to do a better job of fielding balls up the middle.

"To me, this is one of the worst years I've had as far as fielding my position, not reading the ball right, some balls getting up the middle and when I do get the ball not making the right throw. A lot of it comes back on me."

Bautista's 22nd homer of the season with two out in the bottom of the third cut the lead to 4-1.

The Blue Jays scored in the fifth on a groundout by Edwin Encarnacion that scored Jose Reyes from third.

Toronto had a golden opportunity to tie or take the lead in the eighth but couldn't capitalize with the bases loaded and none out.

Torres walked Bautista and Encarnacion to open the inning before being replaced by Peralta, who walked Lind to load the bases.

But as has been the case so many times this season, Toronto couldn't come up with a key hit. Colby Rasmus fouled out, Maicer Izturis was called out on strikes and J.P. Arencibia struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.

"It was Houdini-esque," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of Peralta. "Just a masterful job on his part of managing the moment."

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Rays look for series sweep vs. R.A. Dickey, Blue Jays

With outstanding pitching, defense and some timely hitting, the Tampa Bay Rays have continued their tear following the All-Star break.

The surging Rays, though, could be facing a tough test as they try for their 17th win in 19 games Sunday when they go for a series sweep against R.A. Dickey and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Tampa Bay (57-41) is a major league-best 43-23 since May 8 after claiming its fourth straight win Saturday, 4-3 at Toronto. The Rays have been getting it done in all areas, committing only three errors during their 16-2 stretch while the pitching staff has a 2.09 ERA.

They're also averaging 5.0 runs with 18 home runs and a .283 average with runners in scoring position despite going 1 for 8 in those situations Saturday.

Luke Scott has played a large role, batting .386 with three homers and eight RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak. Rookie Wil Myers, who went 2 for 4 with two RBIs Saturday, is 14 for 28 over his last seven games.

The Rays, however, are facing a resurgent Dickey (8-10, 4.69 ERA), who has pitched well in three of his last four outings and also against them. The knuckleballer is 2-2 with a 3.10 ERA over that span and two-hit the Rays in a 3-0 win at Tampa Bay on June 26.

Dickey, seeking his third win versus the Rays this season, is 3-0 with a pair of complete games and a 1.13 ERA in his last four starts against them.

He's done a solid job holding down Scott (0 for 10), James Loney (3 for 16), Desmond Jennings (1 for 13) and Ben Zobrist (2 for 13).

"The last four or five weeks I've really felt good," said Dickey after allowing two earned runs over six innings in a 4-2 loss at Cleveland on July 11. "I've had one rough start in there, but other than that I've really been good as far as the way I've felt. I anticipate a pretty strong (second) half."

The right-hander will get the chance to back up his words and help the last-place Blue Jays (45-51) avoid their fourth straight loss and 16th in 23 games since an 11-game winning streak.

Toronto, however, may find it tough to score runs against Tampa Bay right-hander Chris Archer (4-3, 2.96).

Following a rough start, Archer has come on strong as of late - going 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA over his last five outings. He struck out eight and walked none in his first career shutout, a five-hitter in beating Houston 5-0 last Sunday.

"The best game I've ever pitched in my life," said Archer, who hasn't allowed an earned run in his last 16 innings.

He may have to deal with a hot Jose Bautista as he faces the Blue Jays for the first time. The slugger has homered in the first two games in this series, giving him four in his last three home games against the Rays.

Teammate Jose Reyes is also seeing the ball well, going 9 for 24 (.375) in his last five games.

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Rays hit 4 home runs to beat Blue Jays

John Gibbons liked the Blue Jays' chances after they belted three home runs and built a 4-1 lead in the early going against the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.

Unfortunately for the Toronto manager, the Tampa Bay Rays were also zoned in at Rogers Centre.

Ben Zobrist, Wil Myers, Evan Longoria and Kelly Johnson each hit solo homers off Blue Jays starter Esmil Rogers to help David Price pick up his fourth win of the season Friday as Tampa Bay defeated Toronto 8-5 in a game that looked a lot like this week's home run derby.

"In this ballpark the ball flies. Once it's elevated it goes a long way," said Gibbons, whose team got solo home runs from Edwin Encarnacion, J.P. Arencibia and Brett Lawrie, to go along with a two-run shot from Jose Bautista. "We do the same thing on offence on our side."

Price (4-5), who is now 7-0 in eight career starts in Toronto, gave up four runs on seven hits over seven innings. The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner also struck out five and gave up one walk after surviving a rocky start.

"We score four off Price — you feel pretty good about it when you do that," Gibbons said. "He hangs around. He goes deep in the game every night but you feel pretty good if you can get four off him."

Ryan Roberts had the go-ahead RBI in the eighth inning and scored an insurance run for red-hot Tampa Bay (56-41), which sits second in the AL East coming out of the all-star break.

"We were playing the best ball we had up to this point of the year leading up to the all-star break," Price said. "To have that four-day break, you don't want it to mess up the momentum that the team has and just the winning feeling we have in the clubhouse and in the dugout. That was a big win for us tonight, we hit on all cylinders."

Brett Cecil (3-1) suffered his first loss of 2013 for the Blue Jays (45-50), who remain cemented in the AL East basement and started the unofficial second half of the season with a thud.

Rare bullpen struggles for Jays

Adding to Toronto's misery was the fact that the Rays scored four runs off a Toronto bullpen that has been one of the club's lone bright sports. All-stars Cecil and Steve Delabar couldn't keep the score tied 4-4 in the eighth as Roberts singled home Johnson before coming around on Desmond Jennings double to give the Rays a two-run lead.

"They've been so good," Gibbons said of his relievers. "They can't be perfect all year long."

Toronto put two runners on in the eighth, but Colby Rasmus hit a lazy flyball to left to end the threat.

The Rays then scored two more in the ninth before Lawrie added the game's eighth home run, his sixth of the campaign, as a consolation.

Rogers gave up the four solo homers on seven hits to go along with four strikeouts over 5 2-3 innings. In two starts against Tampa Bay this season, the right-hander has allowed seven solo homers.

Despite the trouble with the long ball, Gibbons said his starter pitched well.

"That was kind of a funny game for him. When he was on, he was dominating, and then of course the four solo home runs," said Gibbons, who didn't think Rogers was tipping his pitches to Rays. "He never really got into trouble, it was just the solo home runs."

With thunderstorm and tornado warnings issued across Southern Ontario, the crowd of 33,266 inside the sealed-shut and steamy Rogers Centre saw a home run bonanza early on.

Price, who has had an up-and-down season that included 47 days on the disabled list with a triceps strain, now has 13 career victories against Toronto in 17 starts, the most against any opponent.

But it wasn't easy for the 27-year-old left-hander in the early going.

After Encarnacion gave Toronto a 1-0 lead with his 26th homer of the season into the second deck in left in the bottom of the first, Zobrist tied the score with a solo shot of his own in the top of the third.

Arencibia hit Toronto's second solo homer in the bottom of the inning, this one to straight away centre field for his 17th of the season. Reyes then singled with one out and stole second before Price surrendered Bautista's 21st homer, a two-run shot to right-centre that gave Toronto a 4-1 lead.

"I thought he kept getting better," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of Price. "He wasn't bad at the beginning, he just threw it in a couple of bad spots."

The Blue Jays could have blown the game wide open after loading the bases with two outs, but Rasmus popped out to end the threat.

Tampa Bay would make them pay dearly.

Myers made it 4-2 with a solo shot to right in the top of the fourth, his fourth home run of the season. It was Myers' second against Rogers, who gave up back-to-back-to-back homers, including one to the rookie, in Tampa Bay's 4-1 victory on June 24 that snapped Toronto's 11-game winning streak.

Longoria hit the most impressive home run of the night in the sixth to cut Toronto's lead to one with a moonshot off the facing of the third deck in left for his 19th. Then Johnson tied the score 4-4 with the Rays' fourth solo home run, this time to right field for his 14th.

"A couple mistakes," Rogers said. "Here in this league, you pay."

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Rays look to keep bats hot vs. Buehrle, Blue Jays

The Tampa Bay Rays showed no signs of slowing down in their first game after the All-Star break, relying on a power surge as they picked right up where they left off.

After tying a season high with four home runs, they'll seek their 16th win in 18 games when they face the host Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

Four Rays homered in an 8-5 victory Friday, one of them being Wil Myers, who finished with three hits to make him 7 for his last 13.

Kelly Johnson also homered and is 5 for his last 8 with four runs, while Ben Zobrist, who came in batting .180 in July with one home run, had a third-inning shot among his three hits.

``We were playing the best ball we had up to this point of the year leading up to the All-Star break,'' left-hander David Price said. "To have that four-day break, you don't want it to mess up the momentum that the team has and just the winning feeling we have in the clubhouse and in the dugout. That was a big win for us tonight. We hit on all cylinders.''

Tampa Bay's hitters took advantage of a Toronto team that has struggled to keep the ball in the park at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays (45-50) have given up 77 home runs at home, the highest total in baseball.

In contrast, the Rays (56-41) have been led by superb pitching during their hot streak, posting a 2.09 ERA in the past 17 games.

Jeremy Hellickson (8-3, 4.67 ERA) is one of the Tampa Bay pitchers that has been on a roll, going 4-0 with a 1.97 ERA in his last five starts. The right-hander allowed 12 home runs in his first 11 starts but has given up three in his last eight.

"I don't think it's confidence in myself; it's confidence in throwing a fastball down and away 2-1," Hellickson told the Rays' official website. "Earlier in the year, I would have bounced a changeup. I just have a lot of confidence in my fastball right now."

The right-hander was unable to win a career-high fifth straight start in a 4-3 victory over Minnesota on July 10. He surrendered three runs and struck out eight in six innings.

Hellickson has a 2.25 ERA in three starts against Toronto this year, including a 4-1 win June 24 in which he allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings.

Mark Buehrle (5-6, 4.89), in contrast, is coming off his worst start of the season, allowing a season-high eight runs - three homers - in an 8-5 loss at Baltimore on July 12.

"What do you do? You've just got to get ready for the next start," Buehrle said.

The left-hander, who has a 6.44 ERA on the road, will try to rebound at home, where he is 4-1 with a 3.30 mark.

Tampa Bay's bullpen has posted a 0.81 ERA in the last seven games. Joel Peralta has pitched 5 1-3 straight scoreless innings in that stretch, allowing a hit and a walk, while Fernando Rodney has not allowed a run in 12 appearances and has converted 13 saves in a row.

Toronto slugger Jose Bautista is in a 4-for-37 (.108) slump but ended an eight-game home run drought Friday.

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Vote: Should the Blue Jays be buyers or sellers?

Those who could have predicted before the season that the Toronto Blue Jays would be mired in the basement of the AL East at the MLB all-star break should head straight to their nearest convenience store and purchase a lotto ticket.

With so much hype surrounding their revamped roster this past off-season, many pundits had pegged the Blue Jays as one of the teams to beat in the American League. Las Vegas oddsmakers even had them as high as 7/1 World Series favourites at one point before the MLB season officially opened on March 31.

But the Jays (45-49 coming out of the break) have underachieved so far this season and sit 8½ games out of the AL wild-card lead and 11½ back of AL East-topping Boston.

And with rumours swirling around the future of starter Josh Johnson — whose contract expires at the end of the season —and the MLB non-waiver trade deadline fast approaching on July 31, the debate has already begun as to how general manager Alex Anthopoulos and his staff should be approaching the next couple of weeks.

Optimists may point to the Oakland Athletics' surge to the top of the AL West last season. After trailing the Texas Rangers by 13 games at the end of June, they rallied to capture the division crown.

Some may believe the Blue Jays can do the same. Others may prefer Toronto starting to plan for next year.

What do you think?

Here are some points of interest that may help you decide:

The good

• What once could be considered the Jays' Achilles' heel has evolved into their most lethal weapon. The Toronto bullpen has bailed the starting rotation out of sticky situations all season, fuelled by the pitching of all-stars Brett Cecil (1.94 earned-run average, 0.97 WHIP, had a scoreless streak of 16 straight appearances) and Steve Delabar (5-1, 1.71 ERA, with opponents hitting only .199 against him). Dustin McGowan has also found his niche in his return, with a 1.54 ERA in 11 games, while Casey Janssen has converted 18 of 19 save opportunities.

Should the Blue Jays be buyers and sellers at the trade deadline?

• All-star slugger Edwin Encarnacion has been lights-out for Toronto over the past two-plus seasons. He's tied for third in the league with 25 home runs and his 72 RBIs are sixth-best.
• Munenori Kawasaki may not put up the strongest numbers (.213 avg.) but what he lacks in offensive punch he makes up for in comedic relief. The fan-favourite Japanese shortstop is known for his ability to make his teammates laugh, something this squad sorely needs.
• Rajai Davis. This speedster makes things happen when he's on the base paths. He's got 24 steals in just 58 games for the Blue Birds this season.
• Esmil Rogers has been a surprise standout in Toronto's rotation. His 3.64 ERA is nothing to scoff at — and it's tops among the team's starters.
• An 11-game win streak in the first half.

The bad

• Aside from power numbers (Toronto is tied for second with 115 home runs), the Jays have struggled to find consistency with their offence. They're hitting a dismal .243 on the road (23rd in the league) and are 26th with the bases loaded (.233). What's even more alarming is they're hitting only .248 (19th) against AL opponents.
• Injuries. Some would argue they're unavoidable, but Toronto has suffered some major personnel losses due to various ailments. Starter Brandon Morrow, after a breakout campaign in 2012, has appeared in only 10 games in his injury-limited 2013 and has a subpar 5.63 ERA. Jose Reyes's season was derailed in April and he missed more than two months with an ankle sprain. Plenty more have seen time on the disabled list.
• Brett Lawrie will never be accused of complacency, but he's also had problems keeping his emotions in check. This year, he was ejected after arguing balls and strikes during a game in May, tossing his batting gloves and helmet to the field, and also had a heated altercation with manager John Gibbons. There's also his injury issues and inconsistency at the plate, too.

The ugly

• It was supposed to be a point of strength, but the Jays' starting rotation has been borderline atrocious this year. A few stellar starts here and there have helped, but a 5.07 ERA among the starters is good enough for second-worst in all of Major League Baseball. Off-season additions Josh Johnson, R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle have struggled to find their grooves, save for a few dominant performances. Only two pitchers in all of MLB have given up more runs (72) than Dickey, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. He's also been tagged for 20 home runs (tied for fifth-most).
• After its 11-game winning streak that helped it climb back to respectability, Toronto has stumbled. Since the string was snapped on June 24, the Jays have gone 7-13.
• Equally as abysmal is Toronto's 18-27 record against the AL East. The Jays' inability to beat their divisional foes with any consistency must turn around if they hope to make a playoff push. It will be a tough test though on Friday when Toronto opens up the unofficial second half of the season against the resurgent Rays.

We want to know what you think. What would be best for the Blue Jays? Vote in our poll and let us know in the comments section below.

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MLB players to watch in 2nd half

Brett Lawrie was "pumped" to be back in the Toronto Blue Jays' clubhouse last weekend in Baltimore, not pumping out his chest at what his return from injury could mean for the team's prospects in the unofficial second half of the season.

Manager John Gibbons wondered if the 23-year-old from Langley, B.C. could provide the team with "a shot in the arm" following a 41-game absence with a high left ankle sprain.

Lawrie went 1-for-8 in the final two games of a three-game series and watched his season batting average plummet to .204. It seems forever ago that the second/third baseman burst on the scene and hit .293 with a .373 on-base percentage and nine home runs in his 43-game introduction to the major leagues in 2011.

"I'm no saviour," he reminded reporters and fans in Baltimore. "You just want to go out … and do whatever you can to help the team win."

Lawrie will have to do more than this season's five homers and 14 runs batted in through 39 games if the Blue Jays stand a chance at trimming their 8½-game deficit in the American League wild-card race.

His move and adjustment to second base, the position he played while climbing the ranks in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, is also worth monitoring as it could affect his performance at the plate.

With five of the six division leaders fewer than three games ahead of their closest competitor, there's room for a lot of players to make a difference in the final 10 weeks of the regular season.

In the photo gallery above, we feature Lawrie and 11 other major leaguers to keep an eye on.

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A-Rod takes rehab to Triple-A, could rejoin Yankees Monday

Alex Rodriguez is going to join Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, likely the final stop in his rehabilitation from left hip surgery before he returns to the New York Yankees as early as Monday.

Rodriguez is 5 for 28 with six strikeouts in his rehab that began July 2 with Class-A Charleston. He hit his first homer on Monday for Double-A Trenton.

A-Rod's 20-day rehab limit ends Sunday and he told a New York radio station Wednesday he expects to be in the Yankees lineup Monday at Texas.

Yankees general manager told ESPN New York that Rodriguez could be activated Monday or Tuesday, after a day off. If the team decides the third baseman is not ready for major league games he has to go back on the disabled list.

Rodriguez hasn't played for the Yankees since a dreadful post-season. He had surgery in January.

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Olympics critical to growing softball in Canada

Caitlin Lever is not ready to give up on her dream of competing in another Olympics.

But for the veteran softball outfielder and for others from Canada, the U.S., Australia and Venezuela competing in the Canadian Open Fastpitch tournament this week in Surrey, B.C., it won't just be the usual issues of age, health and performance that determine a player's place in the Games.

Politics will also come into play.

Softball has not been played in the Olympics since 2008, as a result of an International Olympic Committee vote in 2005. But the IOC will decide in Buenos Aires on Sept. 8, whether to bring it back for the 2020 Games.

Lever, 28, played for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Games, but she does not know if she will be competing in seven years. She is starting to move on with her life, having taken an assistant coach's position at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

But if not for herself, Lever hopes softball makes a comeback for the sake of her younger teammates and the sport.

"It's such a big sport and it's worldwide and there's so many kids that play it and dream it," said Lever, whose team faces Japan in an evening game Thursday.

"The future is bright and it's just starting. We're just breaking the mold now of what softball's capable of."

Currently, Canada's top players chase dreams of playing internationally in tournaments, fledgling pro circuits in the U.S. and Japan and playing in the world championships, held every two years.

Lever, the American-born daughter of former NHLer Don Lever, said an Olympic presence will make a large difference when it comes to growing the sport in Canada.

"I think the love for the game will always be there and will keep the sport going," said Lever. "But I think it's important to have something like that to reach, to keep people in the sport longer.

"I think we can retain more if they knew that was somewhere they could go, especially top elite athletes that can pick several sports. It's important to keep them here.

"It always sounds a bit sweeter when you're trying to get kids to come play or vets to stay on board instead of moving on with their lives and jobs. When you've got that cherry there in front of you, it's a hard thing to pass up."

'Would be great for Canada'

Acting Canadian head coach Dave Paetkau said having softball in the Olympics will also help grow Canada's powerhouse program. Team Canada is ranked fourth in the world and stands to gain financially if the sport returns to the Games.

"[Sport Canada] funding for Olympic programs is a lot higher, so it makes a big difference," said Paetkau. "I know when [softball] was in Olympics, there was a big push [in terms of interest] in Canada and, with us being ranked in the top four in the world, there's a good chance for us to get a medal at the Olympics, which would be great for Canada."

Paetkau, who is running the team while head coach Mark Smith prepares for the upcoming Canada Summer Games, said a return to the Olympics will help raise the talent level here and elsewhere.

"It brings in more players to play the game, which means we have a better chance of having top athletes playing softball, and that's what we're looking for to compete at the international level," said Paetkau. "And that will happen with most of the countries if softball does get back in the Olympics. It will just pick up the game and make it more exciting."

'People were very upset'

Softball's exclusion from the Olympics is a source of discontent even for players who were not with the program when Canada placed fourth in Beijing.

"It was really upsetting when it got taken out to begin with," said pitcher Sara Plourde, who is in her first season with Team Canada. "I think many people were very upset by that, so I think 2020, it's going to be huge to see the sport back there, even (for) the girls this age, knowing that eventually they can play on an Olympic team again."

Canada entered Thursday's play with a 2-0 mark following a 3-0 victory over Australia on Wednesday. The Canadians, who have just two losses, are off to one of their best starts to a season.

It remains to be seen how many players will be with Team Canada in 2020, but a favourable IOC vote will drive some to keep chasing their Olympic dreams.

"With and without it, I absolutely have the incentive to keep playing, but [a possible Olympic berth] is definitely a booster to keep playing," said Plourde, a Bristol, Conn., native who, like Lever, plays for Canada by virtue of dual citizenship. "I would love to play in the Olympics one day. I'll be 30, we'll see. You never know."

'We're just hoping'

Paetkau, who runs a softball academy in Abbotsford, B.C., expects most potential Olympians to be recruited from the current teenage talent pool. He said softball's inclusion and increased Sport Canada funding would enable players to train for up to 30 hours per week without having to worry about working elsewhere.

IOC members will decide whether to return softball and baseball, also dropped after 2008, and reinstate wrestling after it was excluded from the 2016 Olympics. Squash is a candidate for first-time entry.

Vetern infielder Jen Yee, a 26-year-old with a masters in engineering, is postponing her career while she toils on the diamond. Yee does not know how much longer she will compete, but shares Lever's desire to see softball back in the Games.

"I think we're all in the same boat," the Surrey, B.C., native said. "We're just hoping."

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