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TORONTO - Toronto FC finds itself hurting on defence as it heads to Houston for a Saturday game with the Dynamo. Brandon Bolden . Right fullback Mark Bloom and Brazilian winger Jackson were both hurt in Wednesdays 1-1 tie with Vancouver. Manager Ryan Nelsen says Bloom will be out for four to six weeks with a knee injury while Jackson could be out for 10 days or longer with a knock to the Achilles. Centre back Steven Caldwell is already out for a month with a quad tear. Bradley Orr and Nick Hagglund are likely to step in the backline but the team may have to recall Ryan Richter next week from his loan to Ottawa Fury FC as cover. The injuries come just as Toronto (7-5-4) seemed to finally be getting back to full fitness. Steve Grogan Authentic Jersey . The agreement Thursday was for $5,000 above the midpoint between the $2.4 million he had asked for and the $1.6 million the Indians had offered when the sides exchanged arbitration figures last month. Alfonzo Dennard . - Alex Gordon went from a bust to busting the bank.The Toronto Blue Jays kick off a nine-game road trip Friday in Baltimore as they open a weekend series with the Orioles at Camden Yards. Right-hander Dustin McGowan gets the nod for the visiting Blue Jays and will look to rebound from a rough first assignment against the New York Yankees last Friday. In that outing, McGowan was tagged for four runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings of a 7-3 loss. That start was McGowans first in almost three years after spending last season in the bullpen and the previous one recovering from surgery. The rust was evident, as he worked up too much of a sweat in the bullpen prior to the game and tipped his pitches a few times. "Hes better than that and hell get better than that," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. For Baltimore, right-hander Chris Tillman appears to have picked up right where he left off last year when he went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA and earned his first All-Star nod. Tillman has allowed only one earned run in each of his first two starts and went 8 1/3 innings at Detroit in his last outing. His teammates are starting to look at Tillman as the true ace of the staff. "Hes definitely working his way up to that status," right fielder Nick Markakis said. "Hes learning how to pitch, hes learning how to attack tthe zone, hes got confidence on the mound.Kevin Faulk Authentic Jersey. And when you got confidence and talent, it takes you a long way." Orioles third baseman Jonathan Schoop spoiled Masahiro Tanakas first home start for the Yankees with a three-run homer in the second inning on Wednesday as Baltimore went on to earn a 5-4 win and a series victory. The Os broke a 3-3 tie with two runs in the ninth off reliever Shawn Kelley. With an off day Thursday, they are hoping to get shortstop J.J. Hardy back into the lineup after missing five of the last six games with recurring back spasms. The plan was for Hardy to test out his back at the ballpark on Thursday and see how it responds. "Well see how it feels. Hopefully Ill be able to do everything and should be good to go," Hardy said. "I feel good about it." Toronto missed out on a series sweep over Houston on Thursday as it fell, 6-4. R.A. Dickey, who effectively switched spots with McGowan in the rotation, served up a pair of costly home runs after not allowing any in his first two starts. Last year, he gave up the second-most home runs in the majors. Dickey went on to yield five runs in seven innings against the Astros. Baltimore won last years season series with the Blue Jays by a slim 10-9 margin. ' ' ' |
