With the Orioles and the Red Sox coming to town, the Jays had a very important week ahead of them.
The series against the Orioles started with a BANG as Edwin Encarnacion finally hit his first homerun of the season while Brett Lawrie (4th) and Melky Cabrera (5th) also went yard.
R.A. Dickey left after six innings, after Nelson Cruz hit a 3-run blast, but that was soon matched by Double E.
The relief corps did its job, allowing only two hits and two walks over the next three innings. On the Orioles’ side, Evan Meek and Josh Stinson were not as stingy as Lawrie and Cabrera each connected for a three-run shot.
In the second game, Dustin McGowan did nothing to impress his manager. Leading 6-1, he was unable to go beyond the fourth inning, as he was rocked for six runs on five hits and a walk. Todd Redmond came in relief and he poured gas on the fire. Over two thirds of an inning, the young  righthander, who could have been a candidate as a fourth or fifth starter, allowed the Orioles to storm back, giving up three runs.
The visiting Birds connected for four homeruns, including two by Cruz who drove in five runs.
What should have been an easy win against Chris Tillman, the Orioles’ ace, became a heartbreaking loss, 10-8, despite Cabrera, Lawrie and Dioner Navarro who got three hits each.
After one out in the ninth inning, the Jays loaded the bases but since John Gibbons had emptied his bench in a single inning, he had to let Jonathan Diaz come to bat and he hit into a game-ending double-play.
Again : too late and not enough!
And in the last game of the series, the relievers wasted another outstanding performance from Drew Hutchison. The young pitched left the game leading 3-2 after six innings and 102 pitches. But Neil Wagner, Brett Cecil and Esmil Rogers wasted his effort, allowing nine runs over the next two innings.
Although the Jays scored three runs on two homers in the second inning, their attack was silenced as they got only three hits over the last seven.
With the Red Sox coming to Toronto, I had the feeling that Mark Buehrle’s string of success was to be snapped. And it started with a base on balls to his first hitter in the second inning. Before that inning ended, the veteran southpaw had given up seven runs on twelve hits, without notching a single strikeout, as the Jays were beaten 8-1.
Jose Reyes, Cabrera and Jose Bautista kept their hitting streak alive but Juan Francisco was to only one who got to Jake Peavy as he hit his first homerun as a Blue Jay.
If you thought that it was bad enough… the worst was yet to come!
On Saturday, Brandon Morrow was sent to the showers even if he had not given a single hit! But, one must say that Morrow had issued eight walks in less than three innings of work…
And as Redmond had done in relief of McGowan in the previous game, Chad Jenkins, just recalled from Buffalo, gave up a grand slam to A.J. Pierzinski and the Red Sox transformed a 1-3 deficit into a 5-3 lead.
Once again, the Jays refused to lay down their bats as they got 13 hits. Bautista and Navarro had three each, but it was to no avail and the Sox won 7-6.
One can wonder if the Jays would be in a much better position if Ervin Santana  (3-0, 1,95 in four starts) had decided to accept their offer instead of the Braves’. But, as the proverb says: « No use crying over spilled milk ».
Luckily, R.A. Dickey came to the rescue in the finale as he notched his second win of the season, preventing a disastrous week.
The Jays won 7-1. Cabrera, Encarnacion and Lawrie lead the attack with two hits each and Dickey pitched six strong innings, without issuing a single walk!
Over their last 10 games, the Blue Jays relievers have been overworked as they were called upon to pitch in 35 2/3 innings, giving up 28 runs on 33 hits and 28 bases on balls.
They need a rest.
Yes, Monday is a day off… but then the Jays have a very heavy schedule as they will play 33 games in 34 days. One should not be surprised if manager John Gibbons decides to use a six starters… including young Marcus Strohman.