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NEW YORK – The Blue Jays entered Thursdays series finale at Yankee Stadium losers of eight of their last 11 games. Theyd dropped 15 in a row in the Bronx dating back to 2012 and had seen their lead over their pinstriped rivals in the American League East dwindle to two and a half games. This is a slump. Its lasted for about two weeks. The downturn comes on the heels of a terrific May, when Toronto won 21 of 30 games and Edwin Encarnacion captured the imagination of fans with his 16-home run month. This is not is the end of the world, nor does this slump suggest a long-term trend. This is on the offence and thats a good thing because theres too much talent in the Blue Jays lineup for the widespread malaise to continue. To wit: The starting pitching has been fine. You could say its been good and you wouldnt be wrong. In the last 11 games, Jays starters have allowed four or more earned runs only twice and have pitched to a staff ERA of 3.71. The starting pitching was supposed to be the weakness. So far it has held up. The Jays have hit only four home runs in their last 11 games. Not surprisingly, three of the home runs came in two of the three victories. Toronto continues to lead baseball with 93 team home runs, which is crucial to the clubs attack. Of the 338 runs the Jays have scored this season, 147 (43.4 per cent) have come via the long ball. Jose Bautista hasnt hit a home run in 11 games, his longest power drought of the season. Hes still hitting for a respectable average, .275 with five of his 11 hits going for doubles, but the Jays miss his power bat as the club struggles, having scored three or fewer runs eight times in the span. This is a phase, both for the individual and for the ballclub, Bautista said, that was bound to happen. "If you can execute every single day for 162, youd probably win 140 games," said Bautista. "We dont expect to execute every single day. But we do have to pick it up. Its one thing, were running into some St. Louis good pitching, some other pitching staffs. I dont want to speak badly or worse about the Yankees or the Orioles but its not the same. We faced much better pitching at home during the last homestand than we have on this road trip, except for Tanaka, who did a tremendous job. So we shouldve won some of these games that we lost." It hasnt helped, either, that Edwin Encarnacion has hit only one home run in the last 11 games. "Weve lacked some timely hitting," said Bautista. "Our pitching has been there enough, I think, that we shouldve won some of these games that weve lost. We just need to keep going on offence. We got really hot at one point and kind of hitting a little cold spurt now. Weve just got to overcome it and not get 10 hits a day but get them when you get the baserunners on." Bautista has repeatedly acknowledged hes bought in to hitting coach Kevin Seitzers philosophy of using all fields. The slugger has become a better all round hitter. His 1,000th career big league hit, achieved in the eighth inning of Wednesday nights loss, was a double to right field. That alone would have been a story last season. This year its commonplace. "I think Im more aware of some situations where people are going to keep challenging me inside, especially when Im behind in the count or theres the right situation when theres a defensive shift," said Bautista. "Why not try to go over there and it ended up working out again? But the previous at bat I tried going that way and I hit into a force out, when Melky got forced out at second. So it works sometimes, sometimes it doesnt." Its difficult to watch a team go into a funk, especially when it had become customary for fans to watch Toronto out-slug and, often, out-pitch opponents. Despite the recent struggles, the Jays offence remains top 10 in important statistical categories: Home runs – 93 (1st)On-base percentage - .329 (5th)On-base plus slugging percentage - .760 (2nd)Walks – 243 (9th) Cheap Air Max Online Australia .Y. -- Florida Panthers captain Ed Jovanovski finally has something to show for all the pain he went through in overcoming a string of injuries that kept him sidelined for much of the past two years. Air Max Sale Australia . He will just have to wait a little longer. Bester grabbed an early lead before Scotlands Darren Burnett took over and ran away with the mens singles lawn bowling final 21-9 on Friday. http://www.cheapaustraliaairmax.com/ . Next week, hell try to add to the list. A Stanley Cup champion as a rookie, Seguin followed that up by becoming the youngest player to lead the Boston Bruins in scoring. Buy Nike Air Max Australia . A strong fastball. A big, bending curveball that can buckle hitters at the knees. Against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, Elias put the entire package together against one of the leagues strongest lineups. Cheap Nike Air Max Shoes Australia .J. -- Rampage Jackson scowled, howled, then bellowed to the crowd: "Im back! Im back!" With rebuilt knees and a new promotion, Jackson might have one more act left in MMA.DETROIT -- David Ortiz hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning, and the Boston Red Sox rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, snapping their five-game losing streak. The Red Sox left men on base all night long, including when Ortiz was retired on a deep flyball to centre in the seventh. But there was no doubt about his homer off Joba Chamberlain (1-3), which carried about halfway up the section of seats beyond the wall in right. Chamberlain was trying to protect a one-run lead instead of struggling closer Joe Nathan, who had pitched the previous two nights. John Lackey (7-4) pitched eight sharp innings for Boston, and Koji Uehara tossed a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 12 chances. Detroits Miguel Cabrera left in the sixth with left hamstring tightness. Brock Holt had four hits for Boston, including a leadoff single in the ninth with the Red Sox down 3-2. After a one-out walk by Dustin Pedroia, Ortiz connected for his 14th homer of the season. Lackey allowed two earned runs and seven hits, and it looked as if he would have to settle for a complete-game loss for the second consecutive game before Ortiz put the Red Sox ahead. Mike Napoli also homered for Boston in his first game back from a finger injury. Bostons previous seven series all ended in sweeps, with the Red Sox on the losing end of four. They avoided that fate Sunday despite leaving 10 men on base. With the score tied at 2 in the seventh, Holt hit a one-out triple, but with the infield in, Xander Bogaerts hit a grounder to third and Nicck Castellanos made a diving stop for the second out.dddddddddddd After a walk to Pedroia, the AL Central-leading Tigers brought in Coke, perhaps the most maligned member of Detroits beleaguered bullpen. With the count full, Ortiz hit a drive to centre that Austin Jackson tracked down about 400 feet from the plate. Ortiz is now 2 for 19 against Coke -- but he would get another chance later against Chamberlain. Detroit took the lead with an unearned run in the seventh. After Castellanos led off with a single, Jackson hit a slow roller that Bogaerts mishandled at third for an error. One out later, Eugenio Suarez singled sharply to left to put the Tigers ahead. Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked two. The Red Sox had men on first and third with one out in the fourth before Sanchez struck out Stephen Drew and Jackie Bradley Jr. Pedroia opened the scoring in the third with a sacrifice fly, but Suarez tied it in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single. Cabrera doubled in the fourth and scored on Victor Martinezs single. Napolis sixth homer tied it in the sixth. NOTES: Detroit C Alex Avila struck out three times in his first game back since he was hit in the head Friday by the follow-through of Ortizs swing. ... The Tigers play at the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. Detroit RHP Rick Porcello (8-3) faces RHP Hector Noesi (1-3). ... Boston plays at Baltimore, with Red Sox RHP Jake Peavy (1-3) taking the mound against RHP Bud Norris (4-5). 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