Blue Jays limited to 4 hits in loss to White Sox

Even the pinch-hit return of Jose Bautista could not help the Toronto Blue Jays.

The all-star right-fielder appeared in his first game in a week, pinch hitting in the sixth inning but grounding in to a force out on Sunday as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Blue Jays 4-0, Toronto's third loss in a row.

"Hopefully, Bautista's back in here the next couple of games to give us kind of a jolt in the lineup," said Blue Jays left-hander Mark Buehrle who took the loss despite holding the White Sox to two runs in eight innings.

Chicago got seven strong innings from left-hander Jose Quintana (5-7) and a home run and a double from right-fielder Moises Sierra, who started the season with Toronto.

Bautista, who did not play in at all the in the previous six games because of a mild left hamstring strain, hopes that he will be able to return full-time by Tuesday when the Blue Jays next play.

Toronto's Darin Mastroianni, right, is tagged out by Chicago White Sox's Gordon Beckham after making a base running error in the first. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)

"Everybody knows I can't go out on the field and not be 100 per cent," Bautista said before the game after testing the leg by running. "Hopefully by Tuesday I feel better and I can be in the outfield. If not I can DH the whole game and play the day after."

The return of the right-fielder cannot come soon enough. The Blue Jays finished with a 12-15 record in June after winning the first five games of the month. They lead the American League East despite losing nine of their past 13 games.

The Blue Jays won only the opener of the four-game series against the White Sox (39-44) who are fourth in the American League Central.

Besides Bautista's potent right-handed bat, Toronto (45-39) is also without Brett Lawrie who is on the disabled list with a broken right index finger.

"They're a big part of it, no question about that," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons . "Really it's been a couple of weeks we've been cold, regardless. We had some games in there we put some runs up. Overall, since our big streak (21-9 in May), we've cooled off quite a bit there. We need to get going. Today was just kind of flat, one of those dead days.

"Buehrle pitched good enough to win, he really did. He did what he always does. We got zero going and it's frustrating."

Toronto's hitters are frustrated with the scoring drought as well.

"It is hard because you never know who's going to be in the lineup," said Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes who had a double and a single on Sunday. "There's a lot of different people every single day, coming up from the minor leagues and stuff. People need to step it up. If we want to continue to be in first place we need to play better baseball."

Quintana held the Blue Jays to three hits and two walks while striking out seven. He's won back-to-back starts.

Buehrle (10-5), who has not won since June 1, lost for the fourth time in his past five starts. He allowed six hits, two walks and two runs while striking out five against in his second career start against his former team.

White Sox designated hitter Jose Abreu extended his hit streak to 14 games with an RBI single in the third inning. He drove in second baseman Gordon Beckham who hit a two-out double.

Sierra hit his second homer of the season with one out in the fourth to put the White Sox into a 2-0 lead. Chicago claimed Sierra off waivers from the Blue Jays on May 3.

Buehrle knows Sierra will chase pitches out of the strike zone from watching him Toronto but lamented his change-up down the middle of the plate.

"I pretty much teed one up for him and that's what he's supposed to do with it," Buehrle said.

The Blue Jays did not have as many as two runners on base in an inning until the sixth when Reyes doubled with one out and designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion walked with two out.

That brought out Bautista, who had not played since June 22, to bat for catcher Dioner Navarro. Reyes took third on a wild pitch as Bautista worked the count to 3-2 on Quintana. But he hit a ground ball to shortstop and Encarnacion was forced out at second to end the inning.

"I tried to keep the ball down with him," Quintana said. "Behind in the count 2-0, I wanted to keep the ball away. After I'm behind in the count, I just tried to get the round ball."

The White Sox added two runs in the ninth against right-hander Sergio Santos on a single by catcher Tyler Flowers. It scored first baseman Paul Konerko who walked with one out and took third on Sierra's double.

Left-hander Eric Surkamp pitched the eighth and right-hander Jake Petricka took over for the ninth.

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Tony Gwynn paid tribute by Padres

Tony Gwynn's sweet swing was matched only by his incandescent smile.

The Hall of Famer was saluted at Petco Park in San Diego on Thursday night in a ceremony that would have made "Mr. Padre" light up.

Though, that wasn't something Gwynn had trouble doing.

"It was so engaging," former teammate Steve Garvey said of Gwynn's grin. "There are a few guys in sports that have it. You always think of Magic [Johnson], and Tony was baseball's Magic as far as that smile was concerned."

Gwynn, a Hall of Famer who spent his entire 20-year career with the Padres, died on June 16 from oral cancer, a disease he attributed to years of chewing tobacco.

He was 54.

The 15-time all-star averaged .338 over a career in which he had 3,141 hits and won eight National League batting titles. A two-sport star at San Diego State before getting selected by the Padres in the third round of the 1981 draft, he was beloved for his achievements on the field and his humility on and off it.

Gwynn never hid his affection for San Diego, embracing his "Mr. Padre" nickname and declining to leave San Diego as a free agent on numerous occasions. After retiring from the Padres following the 2001 season, Gwynn became SDSU's baseball coach.

Jackson, Hoffman guest speakers

Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and ex-Padre Trevor Hoffman were among the speakers who addressed the crowd of about 20,000 from a stage erected in right field, just in front of the No. 19 carved into the outfield grass.

A podium was placed between three No. 19 Gwynn jerseys, two from the Padres' World Series appearances in 1984 and 1998 and one from San Diego State.

'We all know Tony was ... a great Hall of Famer. ... He was a genuine man ... a 100 per cent family man. ... He was an example of what we all want to live and emulate as a person.'- Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson on the late Tony Gwynn

The left-field scoreboard showed a collage of pictures that ranged from Gwynn tipping his hat to the crowd and to him clutching his Hall of Fame plaque.

And, of course, one displaying that warm smile.

"We all know Tony was a great player, a great Hall of Famer," Jackson said. "That is known when he got 97 per cent of the vote — that puts him in the top four or five. …

"He was a genuine man, a quality man, a 100 per cent family man. A great son, a great husband, a great father, a great friend and a great teammate. He was an example of what we all want to live and emulate as a person."

Thursday's tribute, which started when 19 white doves were released, was open to the public following the private service Gwynn's family held Saturday at SDSU.

Gwynn's fans, many wearing his brown-and-yellow No. 19 jersey, were given a chance to pay their respects to someone they felt they knew.

Anchor in community

He was an anchor of not only the Padres' two World Series teams, but in the community as well.

After leaving the Padres, he coached at SDSU, was a member of the Padres' broadcasting team and remained active in various charities.

A stream of people walked past Gwynn's statue in the adjacent Park at the Park, with a line snaking past memorabilia of his storied career.

Gwynn, whose No. 19 is retired by the Padres, batted at least .300 in 19 straight seasons.

In 1994, he was hitting .394 in August when the season ended prematurely because of the baseball strike; in 1995, he struck out only 15 times in 577 plate appearances.

But it was the way Gwynn carried himself that endeared him to countless fans. And not just those in San Diego.

Gwynn has been honoured around baseball since his death.

Tony Gwynn Jr., his son, was given a standing ovation Tuesday in Philadelphia in his first at-bat with the Phillies since taking a leave following his father's death.

"Even though he was on the other team you still had to admire the way he went about his business," said Joe Torre, an executive vice-president for Major League Baseball and former Yankees manager. "Unfortunately we don't have many, maybe any, maybe Derek Jeter, that conduct themselves in a similar fashion.

"Honestly, what you saw is what you got: he was a good hitter and never tried to show anybody up."

Gwynn became and stayed a star in San Diego. He never thought it would shine brighter elsewhere.

"I'm a Padre, a San Diego Padre," Gwynn once said. "And I'm proud of it."

Near the end of the tribute Hoffman, in a halting voice, talked straight to Gwynn, his former Padres teammate.

"Thank you for representing San Diego," Hoffman said, "with such class."

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Jose Bautista may return to Blue Jays' lineup this weekend

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is making progress from a mild hamstring strain and could return to the lineup this weekend.

He missed a three-game series against New York this week after suffering the injury last Sunday while trying to leg out a base hit during a game in Cincinnati.

Manager John Gibbons said the plan is for Bautista to have a "light day" Thursday before really testing out the leg Friday with the team's training staff.

"Hopefully by the end of the weekend, we're hoping he can get out there," Gibbons said.

Anthony Gose was slotted to fill in for Bautista in right field on Thursday night against the Chicago White Sox. Bautista could be used as a pinch-hitter at some point in the four-game series but it's doubtful that would occur before Saturday.

Bautista is batting .305 this season with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs in 77 games.

Also Thursday, Gibbons said infielder Steve Tolleson "was good to go" after seeing an eye specialist earlier in the day. Tolleson had been dealing with blurry vision over the last few days, likely due to an allergic reaction to his contact lenses.

He was wearing glasses before taking batting practice at Rogers Centre.

"They make him look way too smart to be out there," Gibbons joked.

The Blue Jays have had a few players go down with injuries of late. Infielder Brett Lawrie was also hurt last Sunday against the Reds, breaking a finger when he was hit by a pitch.

Lawrie, from Langley, B.C., will likely be out until at least the all-star break in mid-July.

Left-handed reliever Brett Cecil also went on the disabled list last week due to a groin injury.

The Blue Jays entered play Thursday with a 1 1/2-game lead on second-place Baltimore in the American League East division standings.

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Blue Jays squander Marcus Stroman's strong start

Marcus Stroman deserved better than this. The rookie right-hander took a one-hitter into the seventh inning on Saturday only to have the game fall apart for him and the Toronto Blue Jays on one swing.

When the first pitch from reliever Dustin McGowan was sent into the left-field seats by right-fielder Dayan Viciedo, the Chicago White Sox were on the way to a 4-3 victory on Saturday.

"It's tough to deal with," Stroman said. "It's part of baseball. I have 100 per cent faith in Dustin to come in and get that out every time. If he makes a pitch like he knows he can, we're not even having this conversation."

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said he had his reasons for removing Stroman when he did.

"If you could do things over, you leave him in," Gibbons said. "But my thinking was, he pitched his butt off, it was kind of uncharted territory, I don't want him to lose the game right there.

"That's the way it goes. But you always look back on things like that — I had a plan and it just didn't work."

The Blue Jays scored one run in the ninth inning as their late rally fell short for the second game in a row.

White Sox left-hander Chris Sale (7-1) also pitched well, holding the Blue Jays to four hits and five walks while striking out six to pick up his first career win in three decisions against Toronto.

"They wore him down a bit," said Chicago manager Robin Ventura. "They were fighting off some tough pitches."

The only runs Sale allowed came on a two-run homer by right-fielder Darin Mastroianni in the fourth.

Stroman was strong over 6 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, two walks and two runs while striking out six. He did not factor in the decision in his sixth career major-league start.

"Stroman, he was great tonight," Sale said. "He threw better than I did.

"Obviously, you throw like that, you deserve to win a game."

Stroman allowed a second-inning double to White Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn and then walked him to lead off the fifth and nothing more through six innings.

But in the seventh inning, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu doubled with two out to extend his career-best hitting streak to 13 games and Dunn walked for the second time in the game.

McGowan (4-3) came in from the bullpen and his first-pitch slider was launched over the fence by Viciedo for his eighth homer of the season and a 3-2 Chicago lead.

"It's tough because, obviously, I want to be out there," Stroman said. "I felt strong.

"But I'm also a young, so that was Gibby's choice. Dustin has been great for us all year, so it's not like I was mad about coming out of the game.

"I had 100 per cent confidence for Dustin to come in and get that out. Just one of those things and I'm sure he'll be right back to it."

Gibbons discussed the weight of his decision after the loss.

"This game eats at you, you review everything, you do more so at the moment of something," Gibbons said. "You get a little gun shy around this place, the way the ball has been flying out of here, especially after [Friday] night [when the teams combined for seven home runs]."

The White Sox added a run in the eighth on a single by pinch hitter Alexei Ramirez against reliever Aaron Loup. The left-hander replaced McGowan after two-out singles by centre-fielder Adam Eaton and second baseman Gordon Beckham. Chicago loaded the bases in the ninth with none out against Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen but could not score.

The White Sox (38-44) have won two in a row over the Blue Jays (45-38) to assure themselves of a split in the four-game series.

Right-hander Zach Putnam who got the final out of the eighth stayed in the game for the ninth and allowed a leadoff double by pinch hitter Anthony Gose. Second baseman Munenori Kawasaki singled him home to cut the lead to one, but Putnam held firm to earn his first save of the season.

It was a disappointing result for Stroman, who was coming off a strong win over the New York Yankees last Tuesday when he allowed three hits and one run in eight innings.

It looked like his day when the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. It came from an unexpected source. Mastroianni, just called up from triple-A Buffalo where he has been most of the season, snapped a 0-14 streak to open this season in the majors by taking a 3-2 change-up to left for a two-run homer. It was his fourth career homer in the majors with the first three coming with the Minnesota Twins in 2012. It came after Colby Rasmus took a two-out walk.

"It's important for me," Mastroianni said. "I want to try to help keep this team is in first place.

[Sale]

 just has stuff going everywhere, arm's flying everywhere. He throws that change-up and then, all of a sudden, here comes 95.

"He threw me a lot of change-ups that at-bat. He probably made a bit of a mistake, left that ball up over the plate more than I know he would have liked to."

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Jose Bautista may return to Blue Jays' lineup this weekend

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is making progress from a mild hamstring strain and could return to the lineup this weekend.

He missed a three-game series against New York this week after suffering the injury last Sunday while trying to leg out a base hit during a game in Cincinnati.

Manager John Gibbons said the plan is for Bautista to have a "light day" Thursday before really testing out the leg Friday with the team's training staff.

"Hopefully by the end of the weekend, we're hoping he can get out there," Gibbons said.

Anthony Gose was slotted to fill in for Bautista in right field on Thursday night against the Chicago White Sox. Bautista could be used as a pinch-hitter at some point in the four-game series but it's doubtful that would occur before Saturday.

Bautista is batting .305 this season with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs in 77 games.

Also Thursday, Gibbons said infielder Steve Tolleson "was good to go" after seeing an eye specialist earlier in the day. Tolleson had been dealing with blurry vision over the last few days, likely due to an allergic reaction to his contact lenses.

He was wearing glasses before taking batting practice at Rogers Centre.

"They make him look way too smart to be out there," Gibbons joked.

The Blue Jays have had a few players go down with injuries of late. Infielder Brett Lawrie was also hurt last Sunday against the Reds, breaking a finger when he was hit by a pitch.

Lawrie, from Langley, B.C., will likely be out until at least the all-star break in mid-July.

Left-handed reliever Brett Cecil also went on the disabled list last week due to a groin injury.

The Blue Jays entered play Thursday with a 1 1/2-game lead on second-place Baltimore in the American League East division standings.

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Jose Abreu, White Sox outslug Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays came close but in the end they could not overcome the four home runs allowed by R.A. Dickey.

Their ninth-inning rally netted only two runs and the American League East leaders lost 5-4 to the Chicago White Sox on Friday.

Dickey (6-7) allowed only one other hit besides the home runs and also struck out a season-best nine.

"It's a terrible letdown," Dickey said. "One less home run we win that game. It's just a really bizarre outing to be able to strike out nine guys, get all those swings and misses on what I felt like was a really, really good knuckleball tonight."

Rookie first baseman Jose Abreu hit two solo homers against Dickey and Dayan Viciedo added a solo shot with Alexei Ramirez hitting a two-run blast that proved to be the difference.

The Blue Jays had three home runs. Edwin Encarnacion and Dioner Navarro hit back-to-back solos in the sixth as the Blue Jays 45-37) tied the game 2-2, and Colby Rasmus, leading off the ninth as a pinch hitter, hit his 11th of the season.

Left-hander John Danks (7-6) allowed five hits, including two home runs, and two runs over six innings, to earn the victory.

The White Sox (37-44) regained the lead in the seventh as Abreu led off with his 25th homer of the season. Ramirez followed with his eighth, a two-run drive after a walk to designated hitter Adam Dunn.

"It's a baffling pitch," Dickey said of his knuckleball. "The pitch that Abreu hit out, I threw it the same way that I threw the one that they swung and missed at. It's just part of what you have to accept with the pitch. And then hopefully you look back at the end of the year and you've kept us in games. But tonight was a tough one because we should have won that game."

'You never know'

White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Dickey's knuckleball looked good all night.

"Guys were coming back saying he was throwing a good one," Ventura said. "Guys like that, you never know.

"Sometimes, you go up there and you might not have a chance and you hope he throws a flat one, that's why you never know. You go up there and you could get the good one or you could get the flat one."

The four homers allowed by Dickey were his most in a game since 2006 when he allowed six.

But the Blue Jays still had a chance. White Sox right-hander Ronald Belisario, who was trying for his ninth save, got only one out in the ninth. After the leadoff homer to Rasmus, he gave up one-out singles to Munenori Kawasaki and Anthony Gose. Left-hander Eric Surkamp came in to face pinch-hitter Adam Lind, whose grounder resulted in an error by third baseman Conor Gillaspie.

Right-hander Jake Petricka came in and Jose Reyes forced pinch runner Drew Hutchison out with a grounder to short as another run scored. Melky Cabrera ended the game with a grounder to second and Petricka picked up his second save of the season.

"Hey, we had a shot," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "It would have been a nice little win, it was right there. It was one of those kinds of nights. I thought Dickey was great early on. He gave up two homers, we came back and tied it, they went back out and scored three.

"We made a run late, that's all you ask for."

'Not a surprise'

Prior to the fifth inning, Dickey had allowed only one base runner, on a second-inning error by Reyes. But Abreu led off the fifth with his 24th homer of the season and Viciedo hit his seventh two outs later.

"It's not a surprise," Ventura said. "[Abreu] is a good hitter, but I think you also see the power that's there.

"When he gets it on the barrel, it just seems to continue to go. It's like helium balls, they just continue to float."

The Blue Jays tied the game by hitting back-to-back homers for the sixth time this season with two out in the sixth when Encarnacion hit his 25th and Navarro his fifth.

There was a four-minute delay during the top of the second while Ventura talked to the umpires about some blinking lights on the facade just below the centre-field scoreboard that started flashing after fire alarm bells were heard. The game continued and the lights stopped blinking three batters into the bottom of the second.

"It was more of an annoyance," Ventura said. "You first sit there and notice it and then you're hitting.

"I didn't know if they could actually just turn it off, but I guess it took a while because it's the hotel and there's protocol with the fire department that I'm not in control of, so I couldn't get it turned off."

With the lights still blinking in the bottom of the second, Toronto's Steve Tolleson snapped a career-high 0-for-16 drought with a one-out double to left. A possible rally was thwarted after Kawasaki singled to right but made a big turn around first base. Kawasaki was caught in a rundown between first and second, while Tolleson, who inched too far down the third-base line, was thrown out by Ramirez.

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Giants' Tim Lincecum throws no-hitter vs. Padres

Tim Lincecum's days of dominance may be in the past. That doesn't mean he can't dial up flashes of the Freak he once was — especially against the San Diego Padres.

Lincecum pitched his second no-hitter against the Padres in less than a year, allowing only one runner Wednesday and leading the San Francisco Giants to a 4-0 win.

"I've always been that guy who will kind of go for the strikeout," Lincecum said. "I think my first no-hitter I had 13, so I think I was going for those a little bit more often."

"Today I tried to be a little bit more efficient and take what they were going to give me. They were giving me a lot of groundballs and a lot of pop flies, so I was just going to try to keep attacking the way that I was," he said.

Lincecum totally shut down the weakest-hitting team in the majors, striking out six and walking one in a 113-pitch outing — 35 fewer than he needed last July 13 against the Padres in his first no-hitter.

Lincecum retired the final 23 batters after walking Chase Headley in the second inning, relying much more on his off-speed stuff than his fastball. Though the Padres hit a few balls hard, San Francisco fielders didn't need to make any exceptional plays to preserve Lincecum's gem.

The right-hander with two NL Cy Young Awards became just the second pitcher in major league history to twice no-hit the same team. Hall of Famer Addie Joss did it for Cleveland against the Chicago White Sox with a perfect game in 1908 and a no-hitter in 1910.

"It's hard enough to do one," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "To do two, that puts you in a little different class. I couldn't be happier."

Lincecum (6-5) threw the 16th no-hitter in Giants' team history. Just one other pitcher has thrown two — Christy Mathewson for the New York Giants more than 100 years ago.

In fact, Lincecum joined Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay as the only pitchers with two Cy Young awards and two no-hitters.

"Just to be in that company allows me a chance to pat myself on the back a little bit," he said.

Making the performance even sweeter was the fact that Lincecum even got two hits of his own, becoming the first pitcher with two hits in a no-hitter since Rick Wise hit two homers for Philadelphia against Cincinnati on June 23, 1971.

"Regardless of what they did, I think it's cool I got two hits anyway because up to today I only had one and a pretty poor batting average," Lincecum said. "I got that thing above .100 and I feel much better about it."

But Lincecum will always be known for his pitching. He arrived as a shaggy-haired phenom nicknamed the Freak in 2007 for his ability to generate tremendous velocity from his slight frame.

He won NL Cy Young awards in 2008 and '09 and helped lead the Giants to their first World Series title in San Francisco the following season.

As age and wear and tear ate away at his velocity, Lincecum was forced to change what kind of pitcher he is. It hasn't been an easy transformation at times as he posted a losing record the past two seasons as his ERA hovered around 5.00.

He was even relegated to the bullpen when the Giants won it all again in 2012 but was brought back with a $35 million, two-year deal last off-season for moments just like this.

"I think it's been a battle for him at times to make that transformation to what he is now," Bochy said. "Sometimes less is more, and that's what I think if anything, hopefully he learned today."

Headley walked with one out in the second after falling behind 1-2 in the count. The Padres began the day worst in the majors in batting average, runs and hits.

"He was good. It wasn't a fluke," Headley said. "His split and changeup or whatever you want to call it. If it's not the best in baseball, then it's one of the best pitches in baseball. Even with the diminished velocity, it's still a tremendous pitch. He was able to throw it for strikes when he wanted too."

This was the third no-hitter in the majors this year. Clayton Kershaw did it exactly a week ago and his Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Josh Beckett did it earlier in the season.

The Padres, incidentally, are the only franchise in the big leagues that has never pitched a no-hitter.

Lincecum made quick work of the San Diego hitters in the late innings.

He drew a standing ovation when he batted in the eighth, then got another ovation when he took the mound to begin the ninth.

"His rhythm was going," third baseman Pablo Sandoval said. "That's the best he's pitched. Two no-hitters, that's pretty impressive."

Lincecum struck out pinch-hitter Chris Denorfia to open the ninth. Pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal followed with a tapper back to Lincecum, who tossed to first for the out.

Will Venable was up next, and Lincecum retired him on an easy grounder to second base. Lincecum took a few steps toward first when the ball was hit, stopped to watch the play and clapped his hand into his glove when it was over.

Catcher Hector Sanchez soon met Lincecum for an embrace, and the rest of the Giants joined in the celebration.

"It was amazing," Sanchez said. "Anybody wants to be part of something special like this. That's a great feeling."

Buster Posey got four hits, including a double, and drove in two runs.

Ian Kennedy (5-9) allowed four runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the second when Brandon Crawford tripled and Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly.

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Mark Teixeira spoils Blue Jays' hopes of sweeping Yankees

Drew Hutchison has had a hard time whenever he's faced the New York Yankees this season.

Mark Teixeira hit a two-run home run, Hiroki Kuroda won for the first time in four starts and the Yankees beat Hutchison and the Blue Jays 5-3 on Wednesday night, snapping their losing streak at four games.

Hutchison (5-6) lost for the third time in four starts, allowing four runs and seven hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out six.

"I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to deliver a better performance for us and not give us a better chance to win," the right-hander said.

New York got all the runs it would need with a four-run third inning against Hutchison. Kelly Johnson drew a leadoff walk and scored on Francisco Cervelli's double. Two-outs later, Jacoby Ellsbury hit an RBI single and scored on Teixeira's home run.

"I was disappointed in that big inning, especially allowing three runs with two outs and not being able to make that big pitch," Hutchison said.

For Teixeira, the homer was his third in five games.

"Hutchison pitched really well, he only made a couple of mistakes that one inning and we made him pay," Teixeira said. "Other than that, he was throwing some dirty pitches."

Hutchison is 0-3 with a 9.22 ERA in three starts against the Yankees this season.

"He's still a young kid," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of the 23-year-old. "He's going to go through his growing pains."

Teixeira said it was important for the Yankees to avoid being swept by the AL East-leading Blue Jays.

"That was a big win," Teixeira said. "We needed this one to stop the bleeding a little bit."

Kuroda (5-5) won for the first time since May 28, at St. Louis, allowing three runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings. He walked two and struck out four.

"He got us into the seventh inning with a lead and I thought he threw the ball pretty good," Girardi said.

David Robertson got the final five outs for his 18th save in 20 chances.

Things didn't start well for the Yankees as Jose Reyes homered into the second deck on Kuroda's first pitch, his third leadoff blast this season and the 21st of his career. Melky Cabrera followed with a single, but Kuroda struck out Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion, then got Dioner Navarro to foul out.

Trailing 4-1, the Blue Jays cut the deficit to one in the fifth on a two-out, two-run single by Cabrera, but Lind flied out to end the inning.

New York used two walks and a hit batter to load the bases with no outs against reliever Rob Rasmussen in the seventh but only managed to score one run. Teixeira hit a sacrifice fly off Sergio Santos and Carlos Beltran struck out before Ichiro Suzuki walked to load the bases again. Santos escaped by getting Brian Roberts to fly out.

Kuroda left after Anthony Gose grounded into a fielder's choice in the seventh. Shawn Kelley gave up a single to Reyes and got Cabrera to fly out. Matt Thornton came on, Gose and Reyes advanced on a double steal, but Lind ended the inning with a broken-bat grounder to the mound.

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Blue Jays' Brandon Morrow throwing again

Injured Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Brandon Morrow doesn't have a timeline in place for his return to the lineup.

He's just happy to have his uniform on and be back with teammates after a long stint away from the club while rehabilitating a finger injury.

Morrow returned to Rogers Centre on Tuesday and made 25 throws from 60 feet before the team took batting practice. It was the latest step in his recovery after suffering a torn tendon sheath in his throwing hand on May 2.

"It's not 100 per cent but it's not painful," Morrow said. "It's just kind of stiff from not really using it for six weeks. It actually feels better after I throw. It loosens it up and the range of motion gets better.

"So it's been great. Throwing has been good for the last week."

Morrow had been rehabilitating in Arizona, spending up to two hours a day doing grip exercises to slowly strengthen his index finger.

"There's a lot of pinching and a lot of Play-Doh squeezing," he said. "That's it really."

Over the weekend, he took another step and started throwing from 45 feet. While the sessions would barely get his shoulder warm, Morrow understands it's all part of the slow, long process of regaining strength and mobility.

"It can heal back and that's what we're hoping for," he said. "If there was no chance of it doing that, then I would have just had surgery that first week. But there's obviously a good chance of rehabbing it naturally I guess, and avoiding surgery and being healthy and getting it back to where I need it to be."

Morrow, who's 1-2 with a 5.93 earned-run average this season, had his finger completely immobilized for two weeks after the injury. He couldn't lift upper-body weights for about four weeks until he felt comfortable gripping things again.

Morrow wore a custom brace on his finger while throwing Tuesday.

"There's no doubt that if (his recovery) continues the way it has been that I'll pitch again this year," he said. "I can't put a date on it. They just put together a calendar for me, which I haven't even seen. This is my fifth day throwing so it's too early to say."

The 29-year-old native of Santa Rosa, Calif., was tabbed to be a key part of the Toronto rotation this season. His potential return could give the first-place Blue Jays a nice boost for the stretch drive.

"That's what I'm looking to do is to come in at a really crucial point in the season and be able to pitch the way that I have in the past and contribute and add something to the team," Morrow said.

There were hugs and handshakes all around Tuesday afternoon as he caught up with teammates in the clubhouse and dugout before Tuesday night's game against the New York Yankees.

"I think it was for my own sanity to come back," Morrow joked. "But yeah, I'm to the point where I don't need the hand therapy three times a week anymore, where the rehab is more now throwing and getting back into a regular baseball throwing program routine.

"It makes sense to make that transition from doing the small stuff to more of the baseball stuff. So it makes sense to come back."

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Drew Hutchison, Blue Jays go for sweep of Yankees

Though the Toronto Blue Jays haven't been able to find a way to win at Yankee Stadium for nearly two years, they've fared well at home versus New York this week.

The Blue Jays are in position to record their first home sweep of at least three games over the sliding Yankees in almost 14 years Wednesday night.

Toronto (44-35) has averaged 2.8 runs during a 16-game losing streak in the Bronx, but has totalled 15 while winning the first two of this set versus New York (39-37), which will try to avoid a season-high fifth consecutive defeat. Dioner Navarro hit a three-run homer and Jose Reyes add two hits and scored the winning run on third baseman Yangervis Solarte's throwing error in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 7-6 victory.

The AL East-leading Blue Jays showed their resiliency by prevailing despite blowing a 6-0 lead, something they might have not been able to accomplish during the underachieving 74-88 season of 2013.

''That's big to win that game,'' Toronto manager John Gibbons said. ''We don't win that one last year, I know that.''

Toronto, which dropped 11 of 15 prior to this series, hasn't swept a three-game set from the Yankees since Sept. 19-21, 2000.

Navarro is 5 for 8 with five RBIs in the last two games while Reyes contributed after going 1 for 24 in his previous six contests.

Derek Jeter and Brian Roberts homered for New York, which also has dropped a season-high four in a row on the road.

The Yankees have something positive to build on after scoring two more runs Tuesday than they did in the previous three games.

"I think over time, things usually balance out," manager Joe Girardi told MLB's official website.

The Yankees' Hiroki Kuroda (4-5, 4.23 ERA) is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, but 1-3 with a 5.65 ERA in five starts at Toronto.

Though he is 0-2 in four June starts, Kuroda has posted a 3.33 ERA while receiving only five total runs of support while on the mound during that span. The right-hander gave up two runs in six innings of a 5-3 win over Baltimore on Friday.

Reyes is 9 for 20 (.450) with two doubles and two triples against Kuroda.

The Blue Jays are hopeful slugger Edwin Encarnacion will be in the lineup after he took an inadvertent elbow to the back of the head from runner Mark Teixeira at first base Tuesday. Batting .436 in his last 10 games overall and .400 versus New York this season, Encarnacion, who leads the majors with 24 homers, remained in the game with no problems.

''There was really nothing I could do,'' Teixeira said. ''Hopefully he's OK.''

Teammate Drew Hutchison (5-5, 3.86) allowed a run in six innings of a 4-1 win in his first appearance against the Yankees in 2012, but has yielded 10 runs, 12 hits and seven walks in 7 2-3 innings during a pair of 6-4 defeats to New York this season. He allowed four of those runs and walked four in 4 1-3 innings Thursday.

''You've got to make better pitches,'' the right-hander said.

Jeter is batting .348 (8 for 23) in his last five games versus Toronto, and is 4 for 9 against Hutchison.

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Jose Bautista AL captain for All-Star Home Run Derby

Troy Tulowitzki just hopes no one will hold any grudges when he picks the National League participants for the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game.

The Colorado Rockies shortstop will serve as captain of the NL side and select the four other members for the derby. Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays is in charge of the American League.

"To be the captain, I don't know if that's something I'm looking forward to because of how tough the decisions are going to be," Tulowitzki said Monday before the Rockies played the St. Louis Cardinals. "You can't put everybody that wants to participate on your team. So with that, you open yourself up.

"But, at the same time, I'm honoured to be the National League captain."

The event will be held July 14 at Target Field, the night before the showcase game in Minneapolis.

Bautista is a two-time major league home run champion. Tulowitzki has hit at least 25 homers in three of the past four seasons.

Although the honour was just recently bestowed on Tulowitzki, he's already mulling over his options. Giancarlo Stanton of Miami is high on his list, especially since he leads the league in homers with 20. Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers is also a consideration.

Tulowitzki may even select teammate Justin Morneau, especially since the first baseman came up in the Twins' organization and it would be a homecoming.

"That would be neat for him," said Tulowitzki, who has 18 homers this season. "Obviously, he's a guy I have a relationship with."

Given Tulowitzki's relationship with St. Louis outfielder Matt Holliday, he could be a pick, too. Tulowitzki spent some time catching up with his former teammate before Monday's game.

Did Holliday lobby to be included?

"I don't think so," Tulowitzki said, smiling. "Holliday is just a good friend of mine, someone that I have a great deal of respect for.

"If he wanted to participate, he'd definitely be someone on the list, but he wasn't (lobbying)."

Tulowitzki is hoping players around the NL reach out to him. Rockies pitcher Brett Anderson, who's currently on the disabled list, wrote on his Twitter account: "Fingers crossed Tulo picks me for the home run derby!"

He's listening — and doesn't want to hear excuses about how the derby may mess up a batter's stroke.

"You take a look during (batting practice), sometimes I'll go out there and try to hit a home run on every single pitch," Tulowitzki explained. "It's no different from being in the Home Run Derby.

"Those are my thoughts. I don't really want to entertain that thought, either. You get back on track. And if you're not doing good, you put some (work in the cage). It's not because of a Home Run Derby."

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Mark Buehrle looks to end struggles against Yankees

Mark Buehrle could have used some more help from the rest of the Toronto Blue Jays in his latest loss to the New York Yankees.

Having Adam Lind back might help Buehrle - and it also could offset the potential absence of Jose Bautista.

A day after Lind's impressive return, Buehrle gets another attempt to beat the Yankees for the first time in over 10 years and gain a share of the major league lead in wins Tuesday night.

Buehrle (10-4, 2.32 ERA) is 1-11 with a 5.84 ERA in 17 career starts against the Yankees, and he's 0-9 with a 7.07 ERA in 13 games since getting that victory with the Chicago White Sox on April 10, 2004.

"We've done pretty well against Buehrle. ... We've kind of had his number," left fielder Brett Gardner - 10 for 20 against the left-hander - told MLB's official website.

Buehrle has been backed by just seven runs in his five starts against the Yankees since joining Toronto, but he hasn't given his club much of a chance. He has a 4.65 ERA and has allowed six homers in 31 innings while going 0-3.

He gave up three runs - two earned - in six innings of a 7-3 defeat at New York on Wednesday, falling to 0-3 with a 3.26 ERA overall in his last three outings while being backed by three total runs.

That's a big reason why he's one win behind the Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka for the most wins in baseball, and he's tied for second with Cincinnati's Alfredo Simon and Adam Wainwright of St. Louis.

A bruised right foot kept Lind out of Buehrle's last outing, but he returned to the lineup to connect for a three-run homer and an RBI single to power Monday's 8-3 win.

Another strong performance could soften some potential absences. Bautista is nursing a left hamstring injury that likely will keep him out until later in the week, while Brett Lawrie went on the disabled list Monday with a broken finger.

Lind is hitting .376 versus righties this season, and is 4 for 12 with two doubles and two homers versus Yankees starter David Phelps.

"It's going to be hard, we all know that," Lind said of the injuries to Bautista and Lawrie. "You aren't going to replace Jose Bautista. If we play as a team and do our job in certain situations, we'll hopefully be good, and maintain where we are."

Toronto (43-35) leads Baltimore by 1 1/2 games atop the AL East, while New York (39-36) is in third.

The Yankees have been outscored 22-4 during a three-game slide after winning four in a row, a stretch that included a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays last week.

Phelps (3-4, 3.86) completed that sweep by allowing two runs with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 6-4 victory Thursday.

That effort against the Jays came six days after he allowed two hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 7-0 victory at Oakland, starting his recent turnaround following four straight losing starts that featured a 5.84 ERA.

"One of the biggest things for me every night is going six, seven innings," Phelps said.

Gardner went 0 for 2 in the series opener after going 9 for 20 with two homers in his first five games against Toronto this season. He went 3 for 3 against Buehrle on Wednesday.

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Banged-up Blue Jays back home against Yankees

After making a dent in the AL East deficit with last week's three-game home sweep, the New York Yankees have a chance to take over the division lead with another three games against the Toronto Blue Jays.

With Brett Gardner looking to continue his success in this season series, the Yankees try to take a step toward catching the banged-up Blue Jays starting Monday night at Rogers Centre.

Trailing by 4 1/2 games in the division heading into last week's series at Yankee Stadium, New York (39-35) pulled off the sweep that moved it to 5-1 against Toronto in 2014.

The Blue Jays' advantage remains 1 1/2 games over New York and Baltimore after Toronto and the Yankees dropped their second consecutive contests Sunday.

Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, while Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury had the only others in an 8-0 home loss to Baltimore. New York totaled one run and 11 hits in the final two of a 4-2 homestand.

Gardner went 6 for 12 with a home run, double and two RBIs in last week's series against the Blue Jays, including a season-best four-hit effort to help make a winner out of Chase Whitley (3-0, 2.56 ERA) in Wednesday's 7-3 victory.

Mark Teixeira, who had his 10-game hitting streak snapped Sunday, is 5 for 12 against the Blue Jays in 2014. Teixeira left in the eighth after getting hit on the toes of his left foot by a slider from T.J. McFarland, but manager Joe Girardi said that X-rays were negative.

''I thought it was broken again. I took it out on my helmet,'' Teixeira said. ''Just breathing a sigh of relief right now.''

Whitley will try to win his fourth consecutive start by beating Toronto again after allowing two runs over five innings Wednesday. The rookie right-hander hasn't given up more than two earned runs in his last four starts.

''We had never seen him as a starter,'' Girardi said. ''So our expectations have changed a lot.''

Whitley will be facing a short-handed Toronto lineup this time after Jose Bautista and Brett Lawrie left Sunday's 4-3 loss at Cincinnati. Lawrie sustained a broken index finger when he was hit by a pitch, while Bautista had tightness in his hamstring and is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday.

''It's definitely tough,'' said Lawrie, who said he expects to be placed on the disabled list. ''We're big pieces of the puzzle, especially [Bautista]. It's tough on the team to not have all its bullets. We just have to keep on grinding.''

Jose Reyes, who didn't start Sunday after fouling a ball off the side of his left knee the day before, pinch ran for Bautista and remained in the game at shortstop. The speedy leadoff man has gone 1 for 20 in his last five games and is 2 for 14 against New York in 2014.

Edwin Encarnacion hit his major league-leading 24th home run and Melky Cabrera added two hits Sunday, but Toronto (42-35) lost for the 11th time in 15 games. Former Yankee Cabrera has six homers and 14 RBIs during a 19-game hitting streak against New York.

Marcus Stroman (3-2, 5.14) is 2-2 with a 2.91 ERA in his four starts, though he's looking to give the Blue Jays a better performance after throwing 98 pitches in 3 2-3 innings of a 3-1 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday.

The rookie right-hander allowed three walks, four hits and two runs in his shortest outing since joining the rotation.

Gardner hit a go-ahead home run off Stroman in that contest.

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Jose Bautista, Brett Lawrie injured in Jays' loss to Reds

The Toronto Blue Jays went limping home from their long, losing road trip.

The struggling AL East leaders lost infielder Brett Lawrie and right fielder Jose Bautista with injuries and fell to the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 Sunday.

Toronto was 3-7 on its visit to Baltimore, Yankee Stadium and Cincinnati.

Lawrie, twice hit in the left hand by pitches earlier in the week, sustained a broken right index finger when he was hit by a pitch from Johnny Cueto in the second inning. The team didn't immediately announce how long he would be out.

"It's definitely tough," said Lawrie, who said he expects to be placed on the disabled list. "We're big pieces of the puzzle, especially (Bautista). It's tough on the team to not have all its bullets. We just have to keep on grinding."

Bautista left because of tightness in his left hamstring, manager John Gibbon said. The All-Star outfielder had a single and a sacrifice bunt before leaving.

Cueto pitched eight effective innings and Todd Frazier broke a 2-all tie in the fifth with a two-run homer off R.A. Dickey (6-6).

Toronto has lost five of six, and has dropped five straight series.

Cueto (7-5) gave up three runs — one earned — and leads the NL with a 1.86 ERA. He gave up seven hits and struck out eight while winning his third straight start.

Gibbon became just the latest opposing manager to be dazzled by Cueto, though he also was impressed by his own starter, who got two extra days' of rest after his last start because of a sore groin.

'We're big pieces of the puzzle, especially (Jose Bautista). It's tough on the team to not have all its bullets. We just have to keep on grinding.'- Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie

""I thought (Dickey) was pretty good, except for the home-run ball," Gibbon said. "That's been his nemesis. It was a hot day, but he stayed out there. Cueto was just a little bit better. He's good. He's in a different class."

Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth for his 13th save.

Cueto led off the fifth with a bunt single. One out later, Frazier lined his team-leading 17th homer of the season, and the sixth allowed by Dickey in his last four starts.

"I felt good," Dickey said. "I gave up nine hits, but I think only two or three of them could be described as hard-hit. I think all but one of my earned runs over my last four or five starts have come on home runs. That's tough to overcome, especially against a guy like Cueto. I knew it was going to be a scrappy game from the beginning."

The Reds had their own injury concerns. Second baseman Brandon Phillips left the game in the middle of the fifth with a bruised right heel, and Cueto had to shake off a hamstring cramp to stay in the game.

"When Frazier hit that ball, I went back to tag and I felt it," Cueto said through a translator. "It was just a cramp."

Frazier is tied with Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen and Baltimore's Adam Jones for the most home runs in the month of June, each with seven.

Edwin Encarnacion led off the Toronto eighth with his 24th home run, connecting against his former team. He hit a pair of three-run shots Friday night while Toronto was coming back from an 8-0 deficit to grab a 14-9 win.

The Reds used Encarnacion's error at first to take a 1-0 lead in the first. With Frazier on first and two outs, Phillips was safe when Encarnacion couldn't handle third baseman Juan Francisco's throw on a chopper. Jay Bruce converted the error with an RBI single.

The Blue Jays got help from two errors to take a 2-1 lead in the third. Munenori Kawasaki reached on first baseman Joey Votto's throwing error, Melky Cabrera singled and Toronto loaded the bases on Cueto's misplay of Jose Bautista's bunt. One out later, Colby Rasmus lined a two-run single.

The Reds tied the game in the fourth on Bruce's leadoff double, Ryan Ludwick's single and Brayan Pena's run-scoring double-play grounder.

Encarnacion homered off Cueto into the left-field seats.

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Blue Jays, J.A. Happ can't contain Reds

Jay Bruce's homer helped the Reds get ahead 8-0 for the second day in a row, and Mike Leake made this big lead stand up, pitching eight innings on Saturday for an 11-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

A day earlier, the Blue Jays pulled off the second-biggest comeback in their history. Down 8-0 after the second inning, they rallied to a 14-9 victory behind a pair of homers from Edwin Encarnacion.

The Reds got ahead 8-0 after four innings on Saturday against J.A. Happ (6-4), and the Blue Jays didn't have another big comeback in them. Leake (5-6) had a lot to do with it, allowing the Blue Jays only four hits, including Colby Rasmus' homer.

The Blue Jays are 9-5 all-time against the Reds, having won their four previous interleague series.

Cincinnati's offence has languished near the bottom of the majors for much of the season, with Bruce and Joey Votto spending time on the disabled list. Both are back, and the Reds are starting to hit. They've scored at least nine runs in four of their last six games.

Devin Mesoraco added a three-run homer in the seventh, his third homer in three games, as the Reds pulled away.

Happ made it easy for the Reds in the first inning, walking three batters with two outs. Ryan Ludwick drove in two runs with a single, and another scored on Erik Krantz's passed ball.

Bruce's homer in the third inning gave him 47 homers off left-handers over the last five seasons, the most by any player in the majors. Bruce scored three times overall.

The Reds made it 8-0 in a fourth inning highlighted by RBI doubles from Votto and Brandon Phillips. Leake singled and scored during the rally.

Happ lasted only four innings and give up seven hits, eight runs and four walks.

Billy Hamilton singled home a run, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games. He also stole his 31st base, the most by a Reds rookie since Chris Sabo stole 46 in 1988.

After their four-homer, 16-hit splurge in the series opener, the Blue Jays went back into their hitting funk. The AL East leaders have lost 10 of their last 14 games, scoring two runs or less seven times during that span.

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Rob Rasmussen called up by Blue Jays

Toronto summons reliever for Saturday's game vs. Reds

The Associated Press Posted: Jun 21, 2014 2:54 PM ET Last Updated: Jun 21, 2014 2:54 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays added a reliever for the second game of their series against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, calling up left-hander Rob Rasmussen for the second time this season.

Rasmussen didn't have a decision during his four appearances in May, when he gave up two hits and no runs in two innings.

Toronto used five relievers while pulling off the second-biggest comeback in franchise history on Friday night, rallying from an 8-0 deficit to a 14-9 win. Liam Hendriks started and lasted only 1 2-3 innings, giving up six hits and six runs.

Hendriks was optioned back to Triple-A Buffalo as planned. The Blue Jays had called him up to start in place of R.A. Dickey, who was pushed back to Sunday to let his sore groin heal.

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Liam Hendriks called up by Blue Jays to start vs. Reds

R.A. Dickey's scheduled start pushed back until Sunday

The Associated Press Posted: Jun 20, 2014 5:36 PM ET Last Updated: Jun 20, 2014 5:49 PM ET

The Blue Jays called up right-hander Liam Hendriks to start their series opener Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds, part of a rotation rearrangement.

R.A. Dickey was scheduled to start, but was pushed back until Sunday, giving him a couple of extra days to let a sore groin heal. Hendriks went 1-0 in two starts with a 2.31 ERA earlier this season.

Right-hander Steve Delabar was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. He was sent down on Tuesday and called back on Thursday when Brett Cecil went on the DL. Delabar walked three in the seventh inning of a 6-4 loss at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

Delabar was 3-0 with a 4.91 ERA in 30 relief appearances, walking 19 in 25 2-3 innings.

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

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Blue Jays rally from 8-run deficit to shock Reds

Edwin Encarnacion started Toronto's big comeback with a three-run homer. Many hours and momentum shifts later, he finished it with yet another.

With those two bookend swings, he played the role of comeback kid.

Encarnacion's set of three-run homers helped the Blue Jays pull off the second-biggest comeback in their history Friday night, rallying from an early eight-run deficit to a 14-9 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

"That kind of thing happens," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "But I can't remember one like this — not at this level."

Toronto hit four homers during its comeback. Encarnacion started it by connecting in the third inning off Mat Latos and finished it with his 23rd homer off Sam LeCure during a five-run ninth inning. 

'That kind of thing happens. But I can't remember one like this — not at this level.'- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons on his club's comeback win

"After the [first] three-run homer, we got the emotion back," said Encarnacion, who set a career high with his six RBIs. "We were feeling like we could come back after that."

Brett Lawrie and Juan Francisco also homered for Toronto, which piled up 16 hits and nine walks.

Toronto overcame a 10-run deficit to beat Boston 13-11 in 12 innings in 1989.

With the score tied at 9, Aroldis Chapman (0-2) came on to pitch the ninth and walked leadoff hitter Colby Rasmus. Erik Kratz doubled off the wall in left field to break the tie, and then came around on Melky Cabrera's single.

Chapman was replaced after getting only two outs. Encarnacion completed the big comeback and his sixth multihomer game of the season.

"You may never see another one like that," Gibbons said.

Dustin McGowan (4-2) pitched a perfect eighth. Casey Janssen retired the three batters he faced in the ninth for his 13th save in 15 chances.

The comeback boosted the Blue Jays out of a recent funk. They were swept for the first time this season at Yankee Stadium and had dropped nine of their last 12.

The Reds' pitching meltdown wasted a chance to get back to .500 for the fourth time this season. Cincinnati has yet to have a winning record.

It was the first time the Reds blew an eight-run lead and lost since May 20, 2010, at Atlanta, a 10-9 defeat. The Reds gave up a season-high nine walks.

"I don't know what it is," manager Bryan Price said. "Fortunately, it's only one loss. It's an ugly type of loss. It's the type of loss that affects everybody."

The Blue Jays called up Liam Hendriks to start in place of R.A. Dickey, getting two extra days to rest a sore groin. The Reds knocked him out in the second inning while sending 11 batters to the plate for an 8-0 lead, their biggest inning of the season.

Devin Mesoraco started the rally with a two-run homer and Jay Bruce finished it with a two-run shot. Bruce also singled as the Reds piled up seven hits and a walk.

Hendriks was in the dugout watching one of the major leagues' most powerful offences pull off one of its biggest comebacks.

"It was incredible," Hendriks said. "This offence is fantastic. This ballpark plays up to our strengths."

Latos made his second start since returning from the disabled list and wasn't sharp. He gave up nine hits, three walks and Encarnacion's homer during 5 2-3 innings.

Reliever Jumbo Diaz made his major league debut in the seventh and gave up Lawrie's solo homer and Francisco's two-run shot, cutting it to 9-8. Toronto then tied it in the eighth on Dioner Navarro's double off Jonathan Broxton.

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Blue Jays begin series against Joey Votto, Reds

The AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays should be thrilled to be in Cincinnati. But anywhere other than New York would be just fine.

The Blue Jays are hoping a change of scenery can help them begin reversing a sluggish stretch Friday night in the opener of this three-game set with the Reds.

Toronto (41-33) has dropped nine of 12 after being swept in a three-game set by the New York Yankees, including Thursday's 6-4 defeat. It was the Blue Jays' 16th straight loss in New York and 25th in 27 visits, slicing their division lead over the Yankees to 1 1/2 games.

"Hey, if you're going to play in prime time, you've got to perform on the big stage and we didn't do it," manager John Gibbons said. "We're fully capable of doing it. We just didn't do it. It'll be definitely good to move on."

Gibbons' team now heads to Cincinnati (35-36) with an 8-4 all-time record against the Reds.

Edwin Encarnacion was a bright spot Thursday for Toronto, belting his team-leading 21st home run. He spent his first four-plus seasons with the Reds, and has only faced his former team on the road in a pinch-hitting role June 19, 2011.

Encarnacion is 8 for 20 with three doubles and that homer over the last five games.

Toronto was scheduled to start R.A. Dickey in the opener of this series, but will instead push him back to Sunday due to a groin injury.

"It makes sense to give him another day or two," Gibbons said.

Taking Dickey's place will be Liam Hendriks, who will be recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. The right-hander went 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA in two starts for Toronto last month, and he's 6-0 with a 1.92 ERA in 12 games - 10 starts - in the minors.

"'We think it's important to protect the rotation a little bit," Gibbons said. "He pitched well for us a couple of outings earlier in the year. Hopefully he gives us a boost, too. ... He'll be here for one start and he'll go back and it'll just kind of give those guys a little extra breather."

Hendriks, who spent his first three seasons with Minnesota, has lost both of his interleague starts, giving up 11 runs - five earned - with four homers in 10 innings.

The Reds are trying to bounce back from Thursday's 4-3, 12-inning loss at Pittsburgh after winning six of the previous seven games.

First baseman Joey Votto, from Toronto, extended his hitting streak in the loss. Votto has hit safely in all nine games since returning from a strained quadriceps, going 12 for 36 with eight RBIs.

Mat Latos will try to help them get back to .500 in his second start since returning from elbow and knee surgeries.

The veteran right-hander was pulled after 87 pitches through six innings Saturday, but was superb in allowing just two hits only to have the bullpen waste the effort in a 4-2 loss at Milwaukee.

"It has been a struggle to get where I was," Latos said. "It is definitely good. The outcome kind of sucks, but that is baseball."

Latos will now try to win an interleague start on the road for the first time since beating Tampa Bay on June 22, 2010. He's 0-2 with a 6.45 ERA in four games since compared to a 5-0 record and 3.15 ERA over his last seven home starts against AL opponents.

His only start against the Blue Jays was a home victory with San Diego on June 15, 2010, in his first full season in the majors.

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Blue Jays put Brett Cecil on DL with strained groin

The Toronto Blue Jays placed left-handed reliever Brett Cecil on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a strained left groin and recalled right-hander Steve Delabar from triple-A Buffalo.

Delabar, just sent down Tuesday, and Cecil were both all-stars last season.

In other news, infielder Brett Lawrie was out of the lineup against the New York Yankees after getting hit on the back of his left hand by a pitch Wednesday night. X-rays were negative but manager John Gibbons said Lawrie's hand was swollen and he couldn't grip a bat.

"He needs a day," Gibbons said.

Juan Francisco played third base, with Steve Tolleson at second. Lawrie, hitting .237 with 11 homers and 37 runs batted in, has been starting in both spots this season.

Designated hitter Adam Lind remained out with a bruised right foot. Gibbons hopes Lawrie and Lind will be available this weekend in Cincinnati.

Cecil left Friday's game in Baltimore with groin tightness and rested for a few days before returning to the mound Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. He got two outs but walked in a run and gave up a bases-loaded triple to Brian McCann.

Gibbons said Cecil's groin didn't feel great during his outing. The reliever is 0-3 with a 3.76 earned-run average and three saves in 32 appearances.

In addition, the Blue Jays announced that minor league lefty Ricky Romero had season-ending surgery on his left knee to clean out quadriceps tendon inflammation. The operation was performed Tuesday by Dr. Neal Attrache in Los Angeles, and Romero is expected to need about six months to recover.

Drafted sixth overall in 2005, the 29-year-old Romero was a major league all-star three years ago, when he went 15-11 with a 2.92 ERA for the Blue Jays.

But he has struggled since then and spent this season at triple-A, going 0-3 with a 5.50 ERA in nine starts.

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Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees best Blue Jays

Once Masahiro Tanaka overcame that early jolt from Jose Reyes, the Japanese rookie did just fine.

Tanaka gave up a home run to Reyes on the first pitch of the game, then earned his major league-high 11th victory as the New York Yankees beat Toronto 3-1 Tuesday night for their 14th straight home win over the Blue Jays.

That was the first time Tanaka could remember getting tagged so quickly and said it "threw me off my rhythm a little bit."

Jays activate Rasmus, demote Gose, Delabar

Following Tuesday night's 3-1 loss to the hometown New York Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays reinstated centre-fielder Colby Rasmus (hamstring) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned Anthony Gose to triple-A Buffalo.

Rasmus went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Monday in his latest rehab game with the triple-A Bisons that dropped his batting average to .158 (3-for-19). He had also struck out in nine of those at-bats.

The 27-year-old was sidelined one month with a strained right hamstring. Before the injury, Rasmus was hitting .222 in 37 games with nine home runs, 19 runs batted in and a .266 on-base percentage.

Gose, 23, is hitting .241 with four RBIs and three stolen bases in 33 games (83 AB) with Toronto this season. He was 0-for-2 with a walk on Tuesday and 4-for-22 (.182) with zero homers and RBIs in his last 10 contests.

Earlier Tuesday, the Blue Jays optioned relief pitcher Steve Delabar to Buffalo and recalled utility infielder Munenori Kawasaki.

Delbar, a 30-year-old former all-star, is 3-0 with a 4.68 earned-run average in 29 appearances this season.

Kawasaki is a .219 hitter in 160 games over three MLB seasons with the Seattle Mariners and Blue Jays. 

He went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts on Tuesday and is hitting .250 in four games for Toronto.

The 33-year-old is hitting .276 in 44 games with nine RBIs for the Bisons this season.

— Doug Harrison, CBCSports.ca

"Overall, I think my stuff wasn't really there," he said through a translator.

Even so, Tanaka (11-1) struck out 10 in six innings and left with an American League-best 1.99 earned-run average. The right-hander has made 14 starts this season, he's gone at least six innings in every outing and never permitted more than three earned runs.

"What he's done is remarkable," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He wins."

Brett Gardner hit a two-run homer off the right-field foul pole and the Yankees sent the AL East leaders to their seventh loss in 10 games.

Tanaka made his big league debut April 4 at Toronto and Melky Cabrera hit a leadoff home run on the third pitch.

1st-pitch home run

Reyes provided an even faster start with a drive into the lower deck in right, and slapped his hands as he rounded first.

"I made up my mind before the game that I was going to swing at the first pitch," he said. "You don't want to face Tanaka with two strikes."

Said Girardi: "He just threw a pitch right down the middle and up. Reyes knew what to do."

"Reyes is familiar with this ballpark," he said. "He went to the short part of the park."

Cabrera followed with a liner between Tanaka's legs that knocked off the pitcher's glove. But Tanaka scrambled to retrieve the ball behind the mound and threw out Cabrera, and never again allowed a runner past second.

Tanaka gave up five hits and walked two in moving ahead of Toronto's Mark Buehrle for the most wins in the majors. Buehrle starts Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium in the middle game of the three-game series.

The Blue Jays were the second team to face Tanaka twice. He blanked the Chicago Cubs for eight innings in April before they handed him his only loss a month later.

Dellin Betances worked two innings and David Robertson closed for his 17th save in 19 tries. New York pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts and became the latest staff to slow down the Blue Jays, limited to 24 runs in their last 11 games.

Pitching about 80 kilometres from his Long Island hometown, Blue Jays rookie Marcus Stroman (3-2) threw 98 pitches in 3 2/3 innings on a sticky night. Gardner gave him a workout right away, grounding out in a 12-pitch at-bat to lead off the first.

Kelly Johnson doubled in the third for the Yankees' first hit and Gardner pulled a go-ahead home run.

Derek Jeter opened the fifth with his second hit of the game and scored his 1,900th run on a single by Mark Teixeira. Jeter is 10th on the career runs list, 19 behind longtime teammate Alex Rodriguez.

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Blue Jays turn to Mark Buehrle to end Bronx losing streak

Mark Buehrle had a close-up view of Masahiro Tanaka taking over the major league lead in victories.

Now the veteran can move back into a tie in that department if he can end a personal eight-game losing streak against the New York Yankees.

Buehrle will try to help the first-place Toronto Blue Jays end a 14-game slide in the Bronx in the middle game of this series Wednesday night.

Tanaka struck out 10 over six innings to become baseball's first 11-game winner Tuesday in a 3-1 victory that pulled New York (36-33) within 3 1/2 games of Toronto.

Buehrle (10-3, 2.28 ERA) can pull even with the Japanese star if he avoids a third straight loss after his 10-1 start. He gave up four runs over 6 1-3 innings Thursday in a 4-2 defeat in Baltimore, surrendering a homer for the second consecutive start after allowing two through his first 12.

The left-hander will be up against the club that has given him the most trouble in his 15-year career. He is 1-10 in 16 starts against New York with a 6.02 ERA - his worst against any opponent.

Buehrle's teams have lost all of those games other than his win in 2004, and he went 0-2 with a 5.04 ERA in four starts against them last year in his first season with the Blue Jays. He's 0-4 with a 5.55 ERA in six outings in the current Yankee Stadium.

Brett Gardner went 4 for 12 off Buehrle last year and Ichiro Suzuki was 3 for 9. Suzuki, a .393 hitter versus left-handers, has been his nemesis for years as a career .421 hitter against Buehrle.

Gardner hit a two-run homer Tuesday as New York handed Toronto its seventh loss in 10 games.

The only offense the Blue Jays (41-31) mustered was Jose Reyes' homer on Tanaka's first pitch. Reyes has three career homers in 11 games at the current Yankee Stadium.

"Reyes is familiar with this ballpark," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "He went to the short part of the park."

Reyes and the Blue Jays aren't familiar with Yankees rookie Chase Whitley (2-0, 2.41), who seeks to capture his third straight start and win for the first time at home. Whitley, a right-hander who has never faced Toronto, allowed two runs over 7 2-3 innings Thursday in a 6-3 victory at Seattle.

The Blue Jays have dropped 23 of 25 in the Bronx and haven't won there since Aug. 29, 2012. This is their longest road losing streak in the 37-year history of this series.

Toronto is last in the AL in runs (21) and batting average (.218) since June 7 after finishing with six hits Tuesday.

"It was a close game, we were in that thing, we just couldn't mount any offense whatsoever," manager John Gibbons told the Blue Jays' official website.

Colby Rasmus has been activated off the disabled list and may see his first action since May 12. Rasmus, however, is a .222 hitter who bats .157 in his career versus the Yankees.

Toronto left fielder Melky Cabrera is hitting .324 during a 17-game hitting streak against New York, the club with which he spent his first five seasons.

Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli was activated off the 60-day disabled list Tuesday and could play for the first time since April 13 after being out with a strained hamstring.

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John Gibbons doing right by Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was holding court with reporters in his office before a recent home game when a longtime scribe poked his head in the door.

"Gibby, are you smart again?" he joked, as the veteran skipper let out a roar.

"No, definitely not," Gibbons replied with another hearty laugh.

He may not want to take the credit, but Gibbons is doing something right this season. In a remarkable turnaround from a deflating 2013 campaign, he has guided the Blue Jays to the top of the American League East Division standings.

Gibbons has appeared to use the same style whether his team is struggling or in peak form.

Rarely without a big wad of chewing tobacco tucked under his lip, he's quick with a smile and is as laid back as they come. With over three decades of experience in the sport, he knows not to get too high when times are good or too low when they're not.

"I don't think I'm doing anything differently or trying to be anybody different," Gibbons said in a recent interview.

"I don't know if I could. We're just playing better.

"Nothing has changed. We're just playing better."

Big things were expected last year after an off-season makeover that included the rehiring of Gibbons, who previously managed the team over parts of six seasons until June 2008.

Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos stuck with him, despite a 74-88 campaign last year. With the team currently sporting a 41-30 record, it appears to have been a wise decision.

Gibbons has helped the Blue Jays become one of the surprise stories in Major League Baseball.

"I have confidence in this team," he said. "I knew we were better than we played last year and then we felt there were some reasons we didn't play well last year and we were holding on to that fact.

"At the beginning of [this] year, we got off to just kind of a so-so start. But then we kicked it in and we've been on a nice little roll.

"But I can't say necessarily that it surprises me because I think we've got a good team."

Toronto had a decent April and made its move with a 21-9 record in May. The Blue Jays have cooled off a bit this month but entering Monday's games, only Oakland (42) and San Francisco (43) had posted more wins.

There are several reasons for the turnaround.

The starting rotation is much improved, leadoff man Jose Reyes is healthy and in form and the offence has been one of the best in the major leagues. The players also appear to be used to each other now after an off-season of significant change before the previous campaign.

'Forceful in his thoughts'

Former Blue Jays manager Buck Martinez, currently a team broadcaster, said he feels Gibbons was more demanding in spring training this year and that helped set the early tone.

"I think he pushed his players to play more," Martinez said. "He wanted them to play together more.

"And I think he's been more demanding and been forceful in his thoughts and opinions of what he thinks about this team. I think he's passed them on to the front office and I think he's done a terrific job."

"I think the biggest thing that he has done, he has got a roster right now where he utilizes all 25 men," he added. "Everybody knows that there is a role for them on this team and they're all ready.

"I think he's getting the most out of his 25-man roster."

Gibbons has managed his pitching staff well and his experiments have paid off. Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., is playing well, despite bouncing between second and third base. And the team's rare three-catcher system comprised of Josh Thole, Erik Kratz and Dioner Navarro has been a success.

While firm when he needs to be, the 52-year-old Gibbons is also known for being very approachable.

Pitcher Dustin McGowan, who made his Blue Jays debut in 2005, said Gibbons is the same manager now that he was during his first stint with the team.

"For a manager, for me the important thing is that he relates with the players," McGowan said. "That's what John really does [well].

"He's a guy that's easy to talk to. From a player's standpoint, that's what you want.

"You don't want to have the intimidation factor. If you have a question for the guy, it's like talking to another guy."

'Very loose group'

There is a lot of baseball left to be played this season — the halfway point of the 162-game campaign is still over a week away.

However, the division may be Toronto's for the taking. New York, Boston and Baltimore have spent most of the year hovering near the .500 mark and Tampa Bay has struggled.

With fans salivating at the prospect of the franchise's 21-year playoff drought coming to an end, Gibbons doesn't think his players will be affected by any increased pressure as a first-place club.

"It's still so early in the season," he said. "You're going to hit your ups and downs regardless, it doesn't matter how good you are.

"I don't sense it. It's pretty much a carefree group, it's a very loose group.

"Last year, even when we were struggling, they were very loose. It's just their personality.

"I don't sense that these guys [will be affected]. We'll see, who knows.

"But I don't see any tightening up where guys are like, 'Oh I've got to do this, I've got to do that.' But only time will tell on that.

"It's too early to say right now, though."

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Blue Jays take on Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees

The American League East lead the Toronto Blue Jays built over a three-week hot streak was in danger of evaporating after a recent rough stretch. But two wins in their last three games against one of their closest pursuers have left the Blue Jays feeling much better about themselves.

The New York Yankees also took advantage of Toronto's struggles to pull closer, but they're now the club looking to right the ship as this three-game series opens in the Bronx on Tuesday night.

Toronto (41-30) led by six games on May 6 after winning 20 in 24 contests, but that edge was down to 3 1/2 over the Yankees and Baltimore after a 4-2 loss to the Orioles on Thursday left it with a 1-5 mark in the previous six games.

The Jays, though, went on to take two of the next three at Camden Yards for a much-needed confidence boost and a 4 1/2-game advantage over Baltimore and New York.

"It's a good series in general," Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista said after Sunday's 5-2 win.

"We made some good plays, we got some clutch hitting. A series split on the road against the second-place team is something to not be too upset about."

Dioner Navarro had three hits and drove in two runs in the series finale and Edwin Encarnacion added three hits for the Blue Jays, who had totalled 15 runs in the previous eight contests. Toronto is averaging 4.70 runs, among the most in the major leagues.

"I think [the AL East] is going to stay bunched up until the end," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told the team's official website.

Gibbons will hand the ball to rookie Marcus Stroman (3-1, 5.18), who looks to get back on the winning track following a decent effort in his last start. The right-hander was trying to win for the third time in as many starts since moving into the rotation, but allowed three runs in six innings of a 7-2 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday.

Stroman has pitched six innings in each start, giving up five total runs.

He faces a tall order in matching the Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka (10-1, 2.02), who continued to roll with his second complete game in a 4-2 victory at Seattle on Wednesday. The right-hander struck out a season high-tying 11 batters in winning his fourth consecutive start.

Tanaka, who has a 1.21 earned-run average in that stretch, made his much-anticipated major-league debut against Toronto on April 4, throwing seven innings and giving up two earned runs in a 7-3 road victory. He'll try for a repeat performance against a powerful Blue Jays lineup that appeared to re-awaken Sunday.

"As far as from the first game, I really don't have any thoughts from that," Tanaka told the Yankees' website through an interpreter.

"Toronto is a team that is the best team in our league right now. So obviously, I want to go out there and try to get a win."

New York (35-33) is again counting on its ace as it looks to avoid a third straight loss. The Yankees had won four in a row before dropping their last two at Oakland by a combined 15-6 score.

They certainly didn't get a strong effort Sunday from starter Vidal Nuno, who gave up eight runs in three innings of a 10-5 loss. New York starters had allowed two or fewer earned runs in nine of 10 games prior to the past two.

Ichiro Suzuki had two hits Sunday and has batted .355 in his last 11 contests.

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Pete Rose to manage independent team for 1 game

Former Reds skipper barred for life in 1989 for betting on games

The Associated Press Posted: Jun 07, 2014 8:42 PM ET Last Updated: Jun 16, 2014 10:55 AM ET

Pete Rose is set to return to the dugout.

The 73-year-old career hits leader is going to manage one game for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League on June 16.

Rose was managing the Cincinnati Reds in 1989 when he agreed to a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball. He later admitted that he bet on Reds games while running them.

Rose is able to take this one-game job because the Bluefish are not affiliated with any team in MLB. He has occasionally appeared at official events since his ban, with MLB's permission.

The Bluefish will host the Lancaster Barnstormers in Rose's game.

"I'm doing this because I love baseball," Rose said in a statement posted on the Bluefish web site. "I love young players ... they run hard and they play hard, all the time."

Rose got 4,256 hits during 24 seasons while playing for the Reds, Philadelphia and Montreal.

Rose was banned as MLB investigated his gambling activities and is not eligible for election to the Hall of Fame.

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Tony Gwynn, baseball Hall of Famer, dead at 54

Breaking

Battled salivary gland cancer

The Associated Press Posted: Jun 16, 2014 11:37 AM ET Last Updated: Jun 16, 2014 11:45 AM ET

The San Diego Padres have reported on their website that Hall of Fame baseball player Tony Gwynn has died.

Gwynn had 3,141 hits and a .338 batting average over 20 seasons, all with the Padres.

Gwynn, 54, had been battling salivary gland cancer.

More to come

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Blue Jays lose R.A. Dickey, Lind, game to Orioles

Every once in a while, Chris Davis conjures memories of last season by effortlessly launching a baseball far over the outfield wall.

Davis interrupted his frustrating season with such a moment Saturday, hitting a two-run homer off knuckleballer R.A. Dickey to carry the hometown Baltimore Orioles past the skidding Toronto Blue Jays 3-2.

Dickey (6-5) left with right groin tightness after allowing three runs, two earned, and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. It was the first time this season he's taken a loss when permitting as few as three runs.

Game notes

The Blue Jays activated relief pitcher Sergio Santos (right elbow) from the disabled list and optioned outfielder Darin Mastroianni to Triple-A Buffalo. Santos was needed in the bullpen after LHP Brett Cecil left Friday's game with groin tightness. Cecil will rest for a few days before being reevaluated. … Orioles outfielder Adam Jones went 0-for-3 against Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey and is 3-for-22 lifetime against the knuckleballer. … Toronto is 34-17 when hitting a HR and 6-13 without one.

— The Associated Press

Dickey felt a twinge after getting Manny Machado out, then left after taking a practice pitch.

"I didn't want to jeopardize my next start," Dickey said. "I was probably out of the game after that next batter, anyway. I decided it was probably in everybody's best interest to just call it a day."

Toronto designated hitter Adam Lind also left due to a bruised foot.

Toronto nearly got Dickey off the hook.

In the seventh, Orioles reliever Darren O'Day retired Melky Cabrera on a grounder with two outs and two on. One inning later, Jose Bautista was thrown out in a very close play at the plate while trying to score on a double by Edwin Encarnacion.

Left-fielder Nelson Cruz retrieved the ball and threw to shortstop J.J. Hardy, who fired the relay to catcher Nick Hundley.

"The big play in the game was obviously the relay throw," Davis said. "That was a big hit for Encarnacion and a chance for them to get back into the game and get really good momentum in their dugout."

Lawrie followed with an RBI single.

9 stranded base runners

The Blue Jays stranded nine and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

"This has been a tough run here so we need to hopefully regroup," Blue Jays catcher Josh Thole said. "We're playing behind every night."

Davis batted .286 with 53 home runs and 138 runs batted in last year. This season, he's at .228 with 11 long balls and 33 RBIs.

His work ethic, however, remains the same.

"There's no change in my approach. I've been doing everything I can to try to get back to feeling good in the box," Davis said. "I felt the last couple of days I've started to click a little bit. Didn't have a lot to show for it."

Davis ended an 0-for-9 drought with a drive that put the Orioles up 3-1 in the fifth.

"Big home run for the team in the situation, and the individual," teammate Adam Jones said. "He's been grinding it out."

Orioles starter Bud Norris (6-5) gave up one run and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings to win his third straight start. The right-hander extended an impressive run by Orioles starters, who have allowed two runs or fewer in 13 of the last 16 games.

"We're all out there to help each other and get better," Norris said. "Right now we're kind of cruising."

Britton notches 7th save

After Toronto closed to 3-2 in the eighth, Zach Britton got three outs for his seventh save.

Lawrie had two hits and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who have lost six of eight. The AL East leaders have scored only six runs in those six defeats.

"I thought we had pretty good ABs for the most part," Thole said. "It's tough when you're not getting guys in."

With the score 1-all in the fifth, Jones hit a grounder to third. The throw by Juan Francisco bounced past first base, and Jones lightly pushed umpire Hunter Wendelstedt while rounding the bag. The umpire toppled backward onto the infield dirt but was not hurt.

Davis followed by hitting a 1-0 pitch over the centre field wall and into the Baltimore bullpen.

"We got burned by the home run ball," Toronto manager John Gibbons said.

Earlier, Dickey got into trouble in the first inning when Nick Markakis led off with an infield hit and Machado doubled. But Jones, Davis and Cruz followed with popups.

In the Toronto second, Norris hit Lawrie with a pitch before walking Thole with the bases loaded.

Baltimore tied it in the fourth when Hundley delivered a sacrifice fly following singles by Delmon Young and Ryan Flaherty.

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Slumping Blue Jays aim for series split with Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles continue to receive impressive performances from their starting pitchers.

They hope Chris Tillman can find some consistency and continue that stretch Sunday when they wrap up their four-game series with the visiting Toronto Blue Jays (1:35 p.m. ET).

Baltimore (35-32) claimed a 3-2 victory Saturday, powered by Chris Davis' two-run homer in the fifth inning. Though his 11 home runs this season are far off his pace from last year when he finished with a major league-leading 53, it was his 12th in his last 28 matchups with Toronto.

Bud Norris gave up one run in 6 2-3 innings, marking the eighth time in nine games in which an Orioles starter completed at least six innings while allowing two runs or fewer. The rotation also owns a 2.95 ERA over the last 16 contests.

"We're all out there to help each other and get better," Norris said. "Right now we're kind of cruising."

It's been a bumpy season for Tillman (5-3, 4.91 ERA), who owns an 8.55 ERA in his five outings immediately following quality starts.

He comes off a loss despite limiting Boston to one run over six innings in Tuesday's 1-0 defeat. It marked Tillman's first losing decision in six starts even though he posted a 7.71 ERA in the first five of those games.

"Later in the game I was executing most of my pitches," he said. "So it was good to see it coming. Especially felt better as I went, so that's promising."

Tillman has also experienced erratic results in two matchups with the Blue Jays this year. His first defeat of the season came in a 2-0 loss on April 11 despite allowing no earned runs and three hits in eight innings. He was credited with a victory in Baltimore's 10-8 win at Toronto 12 days later, even though he surrendered seven runs and a season-high nine hits in 5 2-3 innings.

He's 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA in five career home games against Toronto.

The first-place Blue Jays (40-30) have dropped six of eight while homering just three times and averaging 1.9 runs per game. Brett Lawrie and Melky Cabrera - third and fourth on the club in RBIs - have driven in only one run each in that stretch while going a combined 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

"This has been a tough run here so we need to hopefully regroup," said catcher Josh Thole, who brought in Toronto's first run Saturday when he drew a bases-loaded walk in the second. "We're playing behind every night."

Cabrera, who was 0 for 5, is 7 for 19 with a home run against Tillman and 4 for 8 this season.

Left-hander J.A. Happ (5-3, 4.37) will try to improve his efficiency after requiring 89 pitches to get through 3 2-3 innings of a 4-0 loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. He was charged with three earned runs, six hits and three walks.

Happ gave up a solo homer to the currently-injured Matt Wieters while throwing 2 2-3 innings of relief in Toronto's 10-8 loss to Baltimore on April 23. He's 0-1 with a 2.65 ERA in three career starts against the Orioles.

Adam Jones is 5 for 10 off Happ.

Manny Machado is 6 for 11 overall while doubling in three straight games after going hitless in his previous 18 at-bats.

Toronto designated hitter Adam Lind needed a pinch-hitter for his eighth inning at-bat, leaving with a bruised right foot. His status for Sunday is unclear.

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Blue Jays demote Kevin Pillar, recall Bobby Korecky

The Canadian Press Posted: Jun 11, 2014 11:57 AM ET Last Updated: Jun 11, 2014 11:57 AM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have recalled right-handed pitcher Bobby Korecky from triple-A Buffalo and optioned outfielder Kevin Pillar to the Bisons.

Korecky has appeared in one game for the Blue Jays this season, working 1 1/3 scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals on May 30.

He is 3-1 with six saves and a 0.26 earned-run average in 25 games at Buffalo.

Pillar is batting .243 in 24 games with Toronto with no home runs and two runs batted in.

He singled home the winning run in the ninth inning of Monday's 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Pillar, who bats right, has been used mainly in centre field along with Anthony Gose while incumbent centre-fielder Colby Rasmus recovers from a sore right hamstring.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons says he didn't expect to use Pillar in the next several days as the Blue Jays continue a stretch of six straight games against right-handed starters.

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Drew Hutchison delivers as Blue Jays blank Orioles

The Drew Hutchison Road Show enjoyed another successful stop, this time at Camden Yards in front of an unappreciative sellout crowd.

Hutchison scattered six hits over seven innings in another sparkling outing on the road, and the Toronto Blue Jays got a two-run homer from Juan Francisco in a 4-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

Hutchison (5-4) struck out three, walked none and permitted only one runner past second base. The right-hander is 1-3 with an 8.72 ERA at home and 4-1 with a 1.79 ERA on the road.

"It's just worked out that way so far. It's kind of one of those things," Hutchison said of his imbalanced record. "I haven't had many starts at home, so that might be part of it. But the rest of that, I could really care less as long as we're going out there and giving the team a chance to win."

Especially against the Orioles. Hutchison is 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA in five career starts against Baltimore.

"He's pretty good against some other people," Orioles manager Buck Showalter noted.

Hutchison outpitched Ubaldo Jimenez (2-8), who allowed two runs and three hits in six innings but fell to 0-6 at home.

"I was able to hang in for the team," Jimenez said. "I was able to at least get a quality start."

The difference was Francisco's 11th home run, a second-inning drive into the Baltimore bullpen following a walk to Brett Lawrie.

After Hutchison retired three straight batters in the seventh following a leadoff double by J.J. Hardy, a thunderstorm stopped play for 21 minutes.

When play resumed, Toronto scored twice in the eighth off Tommy Hunter on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Jose Bautista.

Blue Jays reliever Brett Cecil left with a groin injury in the eighth inning. He was replaced by Dustin McGowan, who got five outs for his first major league save.

"Just right now it just feels kind of tight," Cecil said.

The victory snapped a three-game skid for the AL East-leading Blue Jays, who had lost five of six while being outscored 29-9.

"I felt like it was the toughest game to win all year, if you want to know the truth," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "We didn't get many hits. We got the big home run, and of course we scratched out a couple late."

Jimenez was seeking his first win at Camden Yards since signing a $50 million, four-year contract during the off-season. He walked five but, after Francisco homered, the right-hander did not give up another hit until Adam Lind singled off the right-field wall with two outs in the sixth.

"That's something that I need to still work on it," Jimenez said, referring to his walk total. "But I was good. I was OK."

Orioles starters have allowed two runs or fewer in 12 of the last 15 games.

Manny Machado had three hits for Baltimore, but the Orioles stranded nine and went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

The Blue Jays put runners on the corners with no outs in the first inning before Jimenez worked out of trouble. In the second, however, Francisco delivered Toronto's major league leading 92nd home run.

That ended the Jays' run of four straight games without a homer and snapped Baltimore's streak of 43 innings without allowing a long ball. It also marked the first time in nine games that Toronto scored first.

After Baltimore loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth, Jonathan Schoop hit a fly to the warning track in centre field.

"I thought I made a lot of really good pitches in that inning," Hutchison said. "They just happened to place a couple in a couple really good spots, and I was able to bear down and make a pitch to get out of it."

Beginning with that out, Hutchison retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced.

Bud Norris starts for the Orioles on Saturday against Toronto and right-hander R.A. Dickey.

Showalter said Machado's suspension will not start this weekend, and it will likely go to the appeal process. Machado is challenging a five-game suspension for intentionally throwing his bat on the field.

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