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ST. Vince Coleman Jersey For Sale . PETERSBURG, Florida – The Blue Jays limped into the All-Star Break off a 2-8 road trip around the continent, taxing in terms of games lost, bodies injured and miles traveled. Take a look at the broader picture and while Toronto enters the unofficial second half with a winning record (49-47), the clubs 2014 trend to-date isnt entirely different from the 2013 Blue Jays, a team that terribly disappointed. The Jays opened up with a 12-15 March/April, looked like world beaters in May when they won 21 of 30, and since have erased those gains by losing 23 of their last 34 games. Last year, the Jays were 23-32 at the end of May and made it to two games over .500 on the strength of an 11-game win streak in June, only to fall into a July tailspin from which they wouldnt recover. Like last season, the club as currently constituted is injured. Brett Lawrie is out through July, most likely, with a fractured right index finger. Edwin Encarnacion is on the disabled list until at least July 20 with a Grade-2 strain of his right quadriceps. Adam Lind is down for at least two weeks, likely more, with a fractured right foot. Unlike last season, the starting pitching has held up. Its been the bullpen thats been suspect. The staff ERA of 3.91 is a marked improvement over last seasons 4.81, which was second-worst in baseball. The bullpen ERA has climbed from 3.37 in 2013 to 4.39 through the first half of this year. It was responsible for six blown saves in a 15-game span in April at a time when the offence was averaging five-and-a-half runs scored per game. Speak of the devil, the offence, which after a hot start in April and torrid May has cooled considerably. Still, Toronto is a Top-10 team in most major statistical categories. The clubs .325 on-base percentage ranks seventh; its .422 slugging percentage ranks fourth; put the two together and the on-base plus slugging percentage of .747 is fourth. The Jays continue to lead with 116 home runs, although a recent dry spell has afforded the Baltimore Orioles (113 heading into their game Sunday night) and Colorado Rockies (112 pending Sundays results) opportunities to close the gap. So, what is this team? Star slugger Jose Bautista (.292/.409/.510 – 17 home runs) summed up his clubs first half performance. "Were obviously not playing the baseball that we started off playing and that were capable of playing, and we have a lot of injuries to deal with," he said. "Bottom line is weve got to figure out how to win some of these games that weve been losing, especially the close ones. Weve got a lot of open opportunities for some people that could step up to those opportunities and hopefully make a name for themselves and cause a good enough impression to stick around maybe a little longer than it was planned when they originally got called up. So hopefully we can manage to win enough games to stay in one of the top two positions in the division, and when we get all our big bats back, kind of get back in the thick of things." As for the approaching July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the clubs veterans are saying the right things publicly, but there is a quiet longing for general manager Alex Anthopoulos to be active in the market. The budget parameters with which Anthopoulos is working arent clear and the general manager often refers to the need to be "creative" when piecing together a potential trade. It seems likely that an addition of salary, even prorated to about one-third of its 2014 value, would require the deletion of salary off the current roster. It doesnt help that the Jays have injured Ricky Romeros $7.5-million and Esmil Rogers $1.85-million rotting away at Buffalo. It all matters to the bean counters. "It would definitely help," said Bautista of a trade acquisition or two. "I dont think its a must and I dont think its the only way that we can become contenders. I think weve been playing good enough baseball. We managed to get up to first place and stay there for a while earlier this year. We can definitely get back there. Weve just got to play that good baseball we were playing earlier. So I dont think a move is needed just to be considered contenders." "I just think we need to get healthy," said R.A. Dickey. "I feel like we had our team there for a while when we were really going well in May and early June. I feel like thats kind of what were capable or doing with the guys in this clubhouse. Every team thats going for a championship would love to have another player, sure, but I dont think its essential for us to win, no." The American League East hasnt been this available to the Blue Jays since the club won the division in 1993. The Orioles will come out of the All-Star Break on a 10-game, pacific swing through Oakland, Anaheim and Seattle while the Blue Jays launch a seven-game homestand against injury-riddled Texas and the scuffling Red Sox. It is, essentially, a reversal of the schedule the two clubs have experienced over the just-completed 10-day span. The Yankees are dealing with crippling injuries to their starting rotation, most notably Masahiro Tanaka (elbow), CC Sabathia (knee) and Michael Pineda (shoulder), which leaves the Bronx Bombers vulnerable. Theyre openly talking of being sellers at the deadline in Boston, leaving the Rays as the divisions lone sleeper team should Tampa Bay decide to hold on to ace David Price through the remainder of the regular season. Its been an up and down, 96-game ride for the Blue Jays so far this season. The final 66 games should provide more of the same. ROTATION OUT OF THE ALL-STAR BREAK Friday (vs. Texas): R.A. DickeySaturday (vs. Texas): Marcus StromanSunday (vs. Texas): Mark BuehrleMonday (vs. Boston): Drew HutchisonTuesday (vs. Boston): J.A. Happ The Rangers are expected to start ace right-hander Yu Darvish in Friday nights series opener. Keith Hernandez Cardinals Jersey . Manager John Gibbons wasnt taking the bait on Friday afternoon following his clubs 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Red Sox. "When we put the team together, well announce it at the end," said Gibbons. "Nice try, though." Pressed further, Gibbons was only slightly more willing to share what everyone believes hes thinking about his 23-year-old right-hander. Adam Wainwright Cardinals Jersey . Toews was drilled by Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik with 6:30 remaining in the second period on Sunday night. The two were going for a loose puck.The Los Angeles Lakers hope to start the month of February on a good note when they open a three-game road trip tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Lakers will also visit Cleveland and Philadelphia, have lost four in a row on the road and are 8-18 as the guest this season. They are 3-12 on the road against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles is mired in a six-game slide overall and dropped a 110-100 decision to the Charlotte Bobcats the last time out on Friday, when Pau Gasol finished with 24 points and nine rebounds. Nick Young added 21 off the bench and Jodie Meeks scored 19 points for the Lakers, who are only 3-18 in the last 21 games and shot 38.7 percent from the floor. "They just werent ready to play for whatever reason," said Los Angeles head coach Mike DAntoni. "Whether its the end of January, who knows, but its inexcusable." As has been the case almost all season, injuries are the main story for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant (knee) wont travel with the team on this trip and it was announced Gasol (groin) would also stay in LA for rehab. However, there is some good news as all three injured point guards, Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar, appear ready to return to the lineup. "Theyre all good," DAntoni said. "I think theyre all ready to go. Theres a possibility all three could play (at Minnesota)." Lakers center Chris&nbssp;Kaman is probable Tuesday because of a sore knee and he has missed the previous seven games. Custom St.Louis Cardinals Jersey. He might get the starting call with Gasol shelved, although Kaman has basically fallen out of the rotation. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have dropped two in a row and three of five games, including Saturdays 120-113 setback at Atlanta. Kevin Love pumped in 43 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, while Kevin Martin and J.J. Barea added 17 and 12 points, respectively, for the Timberwolves, who finished shooting 44 percent from the field. Barea was ejected with 6:43 left in the fourth quarter after receiving his second technical foul. "I didnt even know I had it (43 points) until I think Martin told me after the game. I was just trying to get us back in the game by any means," Love said. "Teammates set me up with a lot of good shots. A loss, especially right now, is tough." Love has posted three straight double-doubles and nine in the last 10 games, posting an average of 25.3 points and 13.3 rebounds in that time. Minnesota has dropped 11 straight in Atlanta and will visit Oklahoma City and New Orleans after hosting the Lakers. The TWolves, who are 13-9 in the Twin Cities, have split two meetings with Los Angeles this season and will host the Lakers on March 28. The Lakers have won 26 of the last 28 matchups with Minnesota and are unbeaten in 11 straight and 12 of 13 contests at the Target Center. cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
