PS3 » e inning. Cano later added an over-the-sh

Ive got to admit, when I heard Casey Janssen was going on the disabled list with a lower back strain, the first thought running through my mind was here we go again. It seemed just like the past two seasons, where an onslaught of injuries derailed both seasons. At least this time, the injury to the veteran closer doesnt appear to be that series and if there is any area the Blue Jays have depth in its the pen. For now, at least, Sergio Santos, whos had to deal with two injury-plagued seasons of his own since coming back to the Jays, will get the chance to close. I did a little digging and found out that only four of the 15 teams in the American League are starting the season with the same closer they had a year ago. That would be Boston with Koji Uehara, the Royals with Greg Holland, Minnesota with Glen Perkins and the Angels with Ernest Fieri. The Red Sox and the Blue Jays, once Janssen gets healthy, will have the same closers. The Yankees, thanks to the retirement of the great Mariano Rivera, have handed the reins over to right-hander David Robertson. Tampa Bay let Fernando Rodney walk as a free agent and then picked up former As closer Grant Balfour and another one-time closer in Heath Bell. Baltimore dealt their star closer Jimmie Johnson to Oakland and then decided to make veteran starter/reliever Tommy Hunter into their closer. For this year, at least, there is far greater closer stability. Only three of the 15 teams - St. Louis, Arizona and the Cubs - are starting with different closers than they had at the beginning of last season. The Reds would actually be a fourth, as Aroldis Chapman is on the disabled list after taking a line drive just above the eye in spring training but he will be back this season. Its no secret; if the Blue Jays are going to contend for a wild card spot at the very least, theyve got to put up a winning record against their own division. If you look at the last four years since Alex Anthopoulos took over as general manager, the Jays have only been above .500 versus the AL East once. They went 39-33 against their own division in 2010, Cito Gastons final year as skipper. That season, Tampa Bay was the only club that finished better without the division at 42-30. In 2011, they went 33-39, in 2012 they were 29-43, and last year they went 30-46, which was the worst of the five teams within the division. Over that four year span within the East, Tampa has had the best record, averaging 42 wins per season and never worse than second best in terms of wins within the division. The Blue Jays are actually tied with Baltimore for the fewest wins inside the division over the past four years at 131. I found another interesting stat surrounding the last four years - the Blue Jays less than stellar record against left handers. Three of those last four years they have the worst record in the division against southpaws. Only in 2011 were they above .500 versus lefties with a mark of 23-19. Their cumulative record against left-handers over the past four years is 76-93. So, if you cant win enough within your own division and you cant beat lefties consistently, youre not going to be a contender. One final note on the Jays and the American League East. From August 22 on this season, the Jays play 28 of their final 35 against their own division, including six against Boston, seven versus the Yankees, six against Baltimore and nine against Tampa Bay. The only respite is a three game series against the Cubs at home in early September and then a four game series at home; the final week of the season against Seattle. So this is the season the Jays just prove they can beat the East. Better luck against lefties wouldnt hurt either. This is one of the tougher seasons to try and call the American League East, but right now Tampa Bay looks like the class of the division followed by the Yankees (if Tanaka and Pineda are for real), Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles, though if those two flip-flopped it wouldnt surprise me either. Check me in October. I mentioned former Blue Jays catcher Yan Gomes in my last article. Cleveland obviously is impressed with the first Brazilian ever to make it to the Majors. They signed him to a six-year deal that included two option years worth $23 million. I cant ever remember a team trading two catchers as the Jays did in the same off-season - Gomes and Travis DArnaud - and have them both become number one catchers so quickly. Air Max 90 Cheap Nz Free Shipping .Before a raucous sellout crowd, the Hawks won for the 29th time in 31 games to extend their Eastern-best record to 36-8.As usual, pretty much everyone chipped in.Four starters were in double figures and backup point guard Dennis Schroder led a spurt at the start of the fourth quarter that helped the Hawks pull away. Air Max 90 Cheap Nz Online . Rinehart joins safety Darrell Stuckey and linebacker Donald Butler as potential unrestricted free agents who are remaining with the team. http://www.airmax90cheapnz.com/ . Beckham finished 2 for 4, adding a double in the first inning. Chicago has won eight of 12 to get back to .500 (27-27). The White Sox are 6-3 against Cleveland this season after losing 17 of 19 to their American League Central rival in 2013. Mike Aviles went 1 for 2 with a walk and drove in Clevelands run. Cheap Air Max 90 Nz Clearance . The visitors missed a host of good chances to win the game, and were left to rue substitute Ivo Ilicevics strike against the crossbar in the 86th minute, when he only had the goalkeeper to beat. Air Max 90 Cheap Nz Sale . In five games last month, Billings led all scorers with 11 goals, 27 assists and 38 points as the Rock posted a 2-3 record.SEATTLE -- For all that Felix Hernandez has done in his career, pitching meaningful games in the final two months of the season has been a rarity. With Seattle in the thick of the wild-card chase in the American League, Hernandez got the Mariners most anticipated home series since 2007 off to an electric start on Monday night. Hernandez allowed one run in seven strong innings, extending his major league record streak, and Robinson Cano provided a jolt of run support as Seattle romped to an 11-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Hernandez twirled another gem, making his 16th straight start of at least seven innings while allowing two earned runs or less. Hernandez needed just 96 pitches to get through seven and his only mistake was Jose Bautistas solo home run in the fourth. And he did it before a buzzing crowd of 41,168 as Seattle remained one game back in the chase for the second wild-card spot. "That was unreal. That was pretty good," Hernandez said. "Were fighting. Were going to continue to fight and do the little things." And for a change, Hernandez wasnt left wondering if Seattle would score enough. Cano ignited a seven-run sixth inning with his 10th homer of the season for a 3-1 lead. That was just the start. Mike Zunino followed with an RBI triple and an RBI double by Endy Chavez ended the night for Toronto starter Drew Hutchison (8-10). Seattles biggest inning since an eight-run outburst May 3 against Houston was just getting started. Brad Miller lined an RBI triple and Dustin Ackley brought home two runs with a single. Cano came up again, and after stepping out of the box while a lightning bolt and thunder crackled outside the stadium, just missed a second homer in the inning by inches with a RBI double off the wall. "Everything I saw was away ... so I was just trying to go the other way, but I wasnt trying to hit a homer," Cano saiid.dddddddddddd. A day after going 19 innings to beat Detroit at home and not arriving to Seattle until 12:30 a.m. local time, Bautistas 23rd homer was the only highlight for Toronto. The only other Toronto batter to get a hit was Colby Rasmus, who had two and is now 7 for 10 against Hernandez. King Felix struck out eight, walked none and lowered his ERA to 1.95 for the season. Hernandez is 9-2 with a 1.41 ERA during the 16-game streak. "With Felix out there, you give those guys a lead they put it away," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. WEB GEMS Canos heady fielding cut down a potential scoring opportunity for Toronto in the second. After Rasmus doubled, Dioner Navarro hit a grounder to second. Cano threw to third and got Rasmus trying to advance. Hernandez then got a double play grounder from Danny Valencia to get out of the inning. Cano later added an over-the-shoulder basket catch running down the right-field line. 2K KING Hernandez became the first pitcher since Dwight Gooden to reach 2,000 innings during or before his age-28 season. Hernandez, 28, reached the mark when he completed the second inning. TRAINERS ROOM Blue Jays: 1B Adam Lind (foot) is expected to join the team on Tuesday in Seattle, and 1B Edwin Encarnacion (quad) is still on track to rejoin the team Friday in Chicago. Mariners: OF Michael Saunders (oblique) will have his rehab assignment delayed by a few days. He was set to leave Triple-A Tacoma to be with his wife for the birth of their child. UP NEXT Blue Jays: J.A. Happ (8-6) has thrown at least seven innings in each of his past two starts, but has just one victory since June 26. Hes given up three earned runs combined in his last two starts and the Blue Jays have lost both games. Mariners: Chris Young (10-6) is 5-2 with a 2.79 ERA in his last 10 starts. Young has reached 11 victories only twice in his career. ' ' '