Winning is better than losing.

The Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays go at it for the first time since Opening Day in Tampa, when the Jays managed to split the first four games of the season.

Both teams look to keep the good times rolling with the Jays on a six game winning streak and the Rays on a four-gamer.

The Toronto Blue Jays will have a new member of the rotation to start this series against the two-time defending AL West Champion Athletics at the Dome. Say hello to Liam Hendriks, called up from the Bisons, and goodbye to Esmil Antonio, who has been designated for assignment.



Liam Hendriks earned the call to Baseball North after posting a 5-0 record with a 1.48 earned run average, walking just three hitters in 48.2 innings at Triple-A Buffalo. BlueJays.com says Hendriks will wear #34, Dave Stewart's old number. However, first base coach Tim Leiper currently wears #34 so we'll see what happens there. Ooh, the intrigue!

The Toronto Blue Jays pay their first visit to Fenway Park in 2014. They'll be joined by lefthander Rob Rasmussen, who has been called up from Buffalo.

Rob Rasmussen posted a 2.65 earned run average and struck out 19 batters in 17 innings with Buffalo this season. According to BlueJays.com, he will wear #59, joining the immortal Carlos Diaz, Mark Dalesandro, Adam Peterson, Curtis Thigpen, Jesse Carlson, Randy Wells and "Strasburg Canada" himself, Brad Mills to wear those digits.

Three games with the Rangers.

Greetings from your old pal Named For Hank. You may have thought that I abandoned you, but rest assured I have been in your basement the whole time and that the calls are coming from inside the house.

So how about that AL East, huh? Awfully polite of the whole division to get off to a rocky start to give us here in Jays-nation a fighting chance for relevance. Tonight, the just-under-.500 Anaheim Angels of Anaheim start a three game set at the Rogers Centre against the barely-over-.500 Jays. If we're lucky, we'll see some Rasmus-on-Rasmus action and give one Colby-Cory bragging rights.

So what on earth is going on? How nice of you to ask...

The Jays took the first two games of this extended series but the odds are more even for these next two. Toronto have the home field advantage but the Phillies are throwing their best two pitchers this year, Cliff Lee and AJ Burnett. The Jays respond with the senior members of the rotation, Mark Buehrle and RA Dickey.

Adam Lind should return tomorrow, there was no need to activate him today with Cliff Lee on the mound for the Phillies. The status of Dioner Navarro and Brett Lawrie is unknown at this point. The Jays bench will be down to one if they are unable to play.

There is either a two game series with the Phillies starting tonight, or a four game series with the Phillies, depending on how you define a series. Some fans are depressed because the Jays are losing series. Others are optimistic because the Jays are only two games out of first place. No-one in the AL east has made a run yet this season.

Today makes the return of Happy McHapp to the starting rotation. Who knows what to expect? His return against the Phillies, in a park he used to pitch in, is probably a good thing for his comfort level. Dustin McGowan gave the bullpen a rest yesterday, let's hope Happ doesn't set that back today.

The Toronto Blue Jays (13-15) start a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates (10-8) at PNC Park this weekend. The Jays are three games back in the loss column of the Yankees and Orioles in the AL East while the Bucs are tied with the Cubs for the NL Central basement and are 9.5 games back of the surprising Milwaukee Brewers.

The Jays head to KC without Ryan Goins. Goins likely would not have improved his numbers in KC, the Jays face two left handed pitchers plus Yordano Ventura. Meanwhile Chris Getz gets to face two lefties right away, it could get him off to a hot start.

The Jays throw Dustin McGowan, Drew Hutchison and Mark Buehrle against the Royals. I believe I heard, or read, that McGowan might use an insulin pump in this start. McGowan is a diabetic and the loss of blood sugar could explain his difficulty once he gets 90 minutes into the game. I also believe that Brandon Morrow uses an insulin pump when he pitches. All eyes will be on McGowan tonight.

"That's chowdah! Chowdah! Say it right!"

This week is AL east week for the Jays, Baltimore for three followed by the Red Sox. The Jays and Orioles take up from where they left off nine days ago when the Jays won the series 2-1. In that series Dustin McGowan and Mark Buehrle got the wins while Todd Redmond took the loss in a game started by Drew Hutchison. Two of the three starters in that series for both teams will start again this week.

"All this energy calling me, back where it comes from..."

The Jays are visiting Minnesota for 3 games. Sadly, since it is weekdays I cannot get down there (5-6 hour drive). Sigh.

The Jays have played ten games under the roof to start the season, that ends tonight with a trip into Baltimore. The Jays face Chris Tillman, Bud Norris and Ubaldo Jimenez. That is one tough match-up and two more favourable ones. Tillman was the O's opening day starter and pitched well last time out. Noriis and Jimenez have not pitched as well and Ubaldo has not lived up to his contract, yet.

The Jays counter with Dustin McGowan, Drew Hutchison and Mark Buehrle. Both McGowan and Hutchison are coming off poor starts and looking to right the ship before Happy Happ shows up.