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ST. 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. Walt Tkaczuk Jersey . Floundering in the English Premier League, United has delivered better performances in Europe this season and stunned Bayern by taking the lead against the run of play through Nemanja Vidics header in the 58th minute. Bayern had dominated possession but struggled to create a clear-cut chance before Schweinsteiger arrowed a half-volley high into the net in the 67th to give the German side a slight advantage ahead of the second leg in Munich next week. Phil Esposito Jersey . Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points and 13 rebounds in limited action, and San Antonio rolled to a 110-82 victory over Milwaukee that kept the Bucks winless in the new year. http://www.rangershockeyonlineshop.com/j...-hockey-jersey/. The 31-year-old, a two-time CFL lineman of the year, was among the most coveted free agents on the market. The Windsor, Ont., native will be especially important to a team that has lost veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo to retirement and is expected to go with the less experienced Troy Smith and Tanner Marsh this season. Joe Kocur Jersey . Its Wu-Tang and Outkast in the final. Now, we all know youve played the role of Andre 3000 in the past, does that mean Outkast is getting your vote?AJ: You know it, you know it. Vladislav Namestnikov Rangers Jersey . -- What Anthony Jennings lacked in experience, LSU more than compensated for with a talented supporting cast in the Outback Bowl.ST. JOHNS, N.L. -- Itll be a long night for IceCaps head coach Keith McCambridge. Falling behind three goals and the inability to capitalize on six power-play opportunities proved insurmountable for the St. Johns IceCaps, who fell 4-2 to the Worcester Sharks on Sunday in American Hockey League action. "I hate to lose, I dont sleep well when we lose," McCambridge said. "I thought we played a strong game. (But) we had a hard time in the first two periods putting pucks to the net and having screens and traffic at the net." Travis Oleksuk, Eriah Hayes, Dan DaSilva and Rod Davison scored for the Sharks (23-17-3). Blair Riley and Kael Mouillierat replied for the IceCaps (28-18-3). The Sharks limited the IceCaps on the power play by blocking lanes and taking away quality scoring chances, which was noticeable to IceCaps forward Eric ODell. "They were doing pretty good with blocking shots and we didnt put enough pucks on net, like we usually do," ODell said. "We were moving the puck pretty well, but (didnt) get enough pucks on net." McCambridge thought the power play, which is seventh overall in the AHL, could have had a better chance at scoring if his own club stayed disciplined while on the man advantage. "We had two power plays where we nullified them by taking penalties," McCambridge said. "That doesnt work in our favour." St Johhns beat the Sharks Saturday night, and would have been thrilled to take both games of the two-game mini series entering the AHL All-Star break.dddddddddddd But winning back-to-back at home hasnt been easy this season for the IceCaps. "We had a pretty good game but we had a couple breakdowns in our defensive zone that cost us," ODell said. "We tend to win one and lose one at home. Its tough to get two wins when teams come here to play us. We have to get better at that. Tonight was an important game and we came up short." The Sharks scored first when a pass from behind the net found Oleksuk out front alone, where he scored into a wide-open net 5:27 into the first period. Davison doubled the lead for the Sharks, hitting home a one-time slap shot past IceCaps goaltender Michael Hutchinson with 5:03 left to play in the second period. Hayes tapped home a rebound 2:50 into the third period on the power play to increase the lead to 3-0. The IceCaps found the score sheet when Riley tipped home a Will ONeill slapshot from the point at the 11:10 mark of the third. Mouillierat pulled the IceCaps to within one by tapping home a rebound off a Carl Klingberg backhander at 14:50, however DaSilva buried an empty netter with 22.2 seconds left to clinch the win for Worcester Troy Grosenick stopped 29 shots for the Sharks, while Hutchinson made 25 saves for St. Johns. ' ' '