TORONTO – This weekends series against the Tampa Bay Rays is important for the obvious reason: the Blue Jays are running out of time and games to make up the three-and-a-half game deficit for a playoff spot they had entering Fridays action. Marcus Williams Jersey . There are other reasons, too. Take a look at the leagues schedule. The Blue Jays are one of six teams, seven if you count Kansas City thanks to its precarious half-game lead on Detroit in the American League Central, competing for two wild card spots. As Toronto is hosting the Rays, four of those teams are squaring off. Cleveland (tied with Toronto) is visiting Detroit (which holds the second wild card spot). Meanwhile, nighthawks will stay up enjoying the Athletics (which holds the first wild card spot) versus the Mariners (a half-game behind the Tigers) from Seattle. If the Blue Jays sweep the Rays, it will mean they gained ground on at least two teams (because one of Oakland, Seattle and one of Cleveland, Detroit will lose) each day. On the days Toronto loses, it loses ground to at least two teams, a situation the Jays cannot afford as the regular season enters its final two weeks. "Well, I mean, were coming out here trying to win this game regardless of the circumstances," said manager John Gibbons. "We dont have a whole lot of room to play with so we need to win some games." With a seven-game road trip to Baltimore and New York looming, followed by home series with Seattle (four games) and Baltimore (three games) to end the year, as of Friday Tampa Bay was the lone remaining sub-.500 opponent on the Jays docket. "We dont think about what other teams are going to do," said Jose Reyes. "We think about us, about taking it one game at a time because youre not going to win three games in one day." Reyes hammered the old cliché but its the truth. While theres reason to root for Baltimore to beat New York (there was a loud cheer during Jays batting practice when the Orioles walked off an 11th inning victory over the Yankees on Friday afternoon) and Boston to beat Kansas City, the other two results are saw offs. Simply, the Jays must win. Rotation switch Manager John Gibbons is taking advantage of the off day on Thursday to slightly reconfigure his starting rotation. Left-hander Mark Buehrle, originally scheduled to open the series in Baltimore on Monday, instead will start Sundays finale at home against Tampa Bay. Rookie Marcus Stroman moves to Monday. He had been set to pitch on Sunday. "Give (Stroman) another extra day," said Gibbons. "Weve been trying all year long to protect these guys, young guys especially." Another reason for the switch: Buehrles numbers against the Rays are much better than his numbers against Baltimore. In five starts against Tampa Bay this season, Buehrle is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA. In three starts against the Orioles, hes 1-2 with a 4.67 ERA. Stroman has yet to face Baltimore. Yet another reason for the switch: despite injuries to Manny Machado and Matt Wieters and a 25-game suspension to Chris Davis for a positive test for amphetamines, the Orioles are a home run hitting team. The recent development of Stromans dominating sinkerball, a groundball pitch, plays well in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which is prone to allowing the home run. Davis suspension helps Blue Jays The AL East-leading Orioles, already without Wieters (elbow) and Machado (knee) for the remainder of the season, lost first baseman Davis for 25 games. This will not disappoint Blue Jays pitching, on whom Davis has feasted. Since the start of the 2012 season, in 47 games, Davis has hit 21 home runs against Toronto. No opposing player has more in that span. Davis, 28, has had a disappointing season. After leading baseball with 53 home runs and 138 RBI and posting a 1.004 OPS in 2013, his numbers have dropped dramatically (20 home runs, .704 OPS in 2014). Davis tested positive for amphetamines, which he said were the result of his use of the stimulant Adderall. Davis said he had a Therapeutic Use Exemption for Adderall through to the end of last season, a prescription which, apparently, was not renewed. Marshon Lattimore Womens Jersey . - Josh Sterk scored twice to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 7-1 rout of the Ottawa 67s in Mondays Ontario Hockey League action. Marshon Lattimore Youth Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings have claimed forward Travis Outlaw off waivers under the NBAs new amnesty provision, filling out the frontcourt with another veteran. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers starter Colby Lewis did a bit of reminiscing when he noticed the stands filling up while he warned up in the bullpen before the game. The veteran right-hander went out and provided a promising flashback performance against the New York Yankees, even after another leadoff homer by Brett Gardner. The Rangers clinched their first series in a month with a 3-2 victory Wednesday night. Lewis retired the last 13 batters he faced in seven strong innings, much like the 2010 AL championship series when he beat the Yankees twice -- including the Game 6 clincher at home that got Texas to its first World Series. He had since missed the last half of 2012 because of elbow surgery and missed all of 2013, when he had an unprecedented hip procedure for a major league pitcher that was just short of a full hip replacement. "I was definitely an adjustment period getting used to a prosthetic hip, I guess," Lewis said. "As the weeks have kind of transitioned into the second half, I feel like every time I take the mound, I feel like Im getting stronger, my mechanics are sharper." The Rangers had lost seven consecutive series since taking two of three against Minnesota from June 27-29. Texas went ahead to stay with three runs in the first off Hiroki Kuroda (7-7). Elvis Andrus had an RBI double and scored the tiebreaking run on a single by Adrian Beltre, who came home on Leonys Martins single. Lewis (7-8) allowed four hits, with four strikeouts and New York didnt have another runner after Carlos Beltrans two-out single in the third. "He made some adjustments along the way, and he just showed his presence and his veteran presence out there," manager Ron Washington said. Neftali Feliz pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in as many chances since reassuming the closer role after Joakim Soria was traded to Detroit a week ago. Neal Cotts, considered a potential trade possibility before Thursdays non-waiver trading deadline, retired the top three batters in the Yankees lineup in order in the eighth. Kuroda struck out four while allowing nine hits over seven innings. Derek p;Jeter was 0 for 4 in his final game in Texas, where a pregame ceremony honouring him included a personal appearance by former President George W. Trey Hendrickson Youth Jersey. Bush. After the Yankees captain was presented a pair of boots, a video was shown of Bush and Jeter when the former president threw the first pitch before Game 3 of the 2001 World Series, just weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Bush then came out and presented the Yankees captain a framed signed picture of the two together that night nearly 13 years ago. "I heard he was coming to the stadium but I didnt know he was going to come out onto the field, so thats pretty special feeling," Jeter said. "When you have a president come out and give me something to honour, Thats definitely a memory Ill have for a long time and get to brag to a lot of different people." GARDNER GOES DEEP -- AGAIN: Gardner led off the game with a homer for the second straight night, after homering twice in the series-opening loss for New York. His 14 homers are already six more than his career high last year. TRAINERS ROOM Yankees: Second baseman Brian Roberts got his third game off in four days. Manager Joe Girardi said the 36-year-old is dealing with general soreness. Roberts has already played in 91 games this season, after averaging only 48 games the last four seasons with Baltimore. Rangers: Left-hander Derek Holland, who had left knee surgery after getting tripped by his dog on the stairs at his home during the off-season, made his first rehab start for Double-A Frisco. He threw two scoreless innings without allowing a hit, throwing 21 of 33 pitches for strikes with four strikeouts and two walks. ON DECK An off day Thursday for both teams. The Yankees go to Boston for the opener of a three-game series Friday night, when the Rangers start a nine-game trip with a series opener at Cleveland. A-GAME: Rangers left fielder Jim Adduci had two hits and a couple of nice catches. Adduci made a running catch in the second, holding on after he leaped, reached out and then crashed into the wall. "There is zero thought process in that," he said. "That wall won." Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
Pinnwand