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 Authentic Air Jordan 10 . On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one. Cheap Jordan 10 For Sale . Watch the action live on TSN and listen on TSN 1050 Radio beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. The Raptors maintained their spot atop the Atlantic Friday after defeating the Wizards, 96-88, for their second win in a row. http://www.cheapairjordan10.com/ . - A late-game interception by defensive back Malcolm Butler saved the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots. Air Jordan 10 For Sale . -- Henry Josey watched helplessly from the sideline last fall, rehabbing from a serious knee injury, while Missouri was getting pushed around in its first SEC season. Cheap Air Jordan 10 . Serves hit by her surgically repaired shoulder often missed the mark, resulting in 12 double-faults.PHILADELPHIA -- A.J. Burnett struck out 12 in seven innings and Cody Asche and Carlos Ruiz homered to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night. Domonic Brown had two hits and an RBI for Philadelphia, which won for the fourth time in five games. Wilson Ramos and Anthony Rendon homered for NL East-leading Washington, which lost for just the second time in 14 games. Burnett (7-14) won for the first time since the All-Star break, allowing one run on three hits with just one walk. The right-hander entered leading the majors in walks with 76. Tanner Roark (12-8) gave up two runs on five hits in six innings and lost for just the second time in his last nine starts. Roark has a 2.25 ERA over that stretch. Burnett retired the first eight batters before Roarks two-out single in the third. It was just the pitchers sixth hit in 60 at-bats this season. The Nationals didnt get another hit until Rendons one-out homer to left in the sixth that pulled them within 2-1. It was the third homer 15 at-bats for Rendon off Burnett. Burnett had been 0-6 with a 7.41 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break prior to Monday. But he was stellar against Washington, setting a season-high in strikeouts while finishing in double-digits for the 35th time in his career. The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on Browns RBI single and went up 2-0 on Asches leadoff homer to deep right in the fifth. After Washington closed within a run, Ruiz cleared the wall in left off left-hander Jerry Blevins to push Philadelphias advantage to 3-1.dddddddddddd Ramos homered to right with two outs in the ninth off Jonathan Papelbon, who earned his 32nd save in 34 opportunities. Ben Revere, who began the day tied for the NL batting lead at .314 with Colorados Justin Morneau, went 0-for-4 to drop his average to .311. Chase Utley went 0-for-4, extending his slump to 3-for-29. TRAINERS ROOM Nationals: Second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera was out of the starting lineup after injuring his rib in Sundays 14-6 win over San Francisco. Manager Matt Williams said prior to the game that Cabrera is day-to-day. Cabrera pinch-hit in the ninth inning and singled. Phillies: OF John Mayberry Jr. (wrist) played in his fifth rehab game with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday night. Mayberry entered 4-for-14 with a homer and three RBIs in four games there. UP NEXT Nationals: LHP Gio Gonzalez (6-9, 3.83) takes the mound for Washington at 7:05 Tuesday. He pitched seven shutout innings but got a no-decision in the Nationals 1-0 win over Arizona Thursday. Gonzalez has received two runs of support over 33 1/3 innings in his last six starts. Phillies: LHP Cole Hamels (7-6, 2.53) got rare run support in his last outing when he snapped string of seven straight starts with at least seven innings in a 4-3 win over Seattle Wednesday. Hamels is 15-7 with a 2.54 ERA in 30 careers starts against Washington. 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