Ive got to admit, when I heard Casey Janssen was going on the disabled list with a lower back strain, the first thought running through my mind was here we go again. Wholesale NFL Jerseys 2020 . It seemed just like the past two seasons, where an onslaught of injuries derailed both seasons. At least this time, the injury to the veteran closer doesnt appear to be that series and if there is any area the Blue Jays have depth in its the pen. For now, at least, Sergio Santos, whos had to deal with two injury-plagued seasons of his own since coming back to the Jays, will get the chance to close. I did a little digging and found out that only four of the 15 teams in the American League are starting the season with the same closer they had a year ago. That would be Boston with Koji Uehara, the Royals with Greg Holland, Minnesota with Glen Perkins and the Angels with Ernest Fieri. The Red Sox and the Blue Jays, once Janssen gets healthy, will have the same closers. The Yankees, thanks to the retirement of the great Mariano Rivera, have handed the reins over to right-hander David Robertson. Tampa Bay let Fernando Rodney walk as a free agent and then picked up former As closer Grant Balfour and another one-time closer in Heath Bell. Baltimore dealt their star closer Jimmie Johnson to Oakland and then decided to make veteran starter/reliever Tommy Hunter into their closer. For this year, at least, there is far greater closer stability. Only three of the 15 teams - St. Louis, Arizona and the Cubs - are starting with different closers than they had at the beginning of last season. The Reds would actually be a fourth, as Aroldis Chapman is on the disabled list after taking a line drive just above the eye in spring training but he will be back this season. Its no secret; if the Blue Jays are going to contend for a wild card spot at the very least, theyve got to put up a winning record against their own division. If you look at the last four years since Alex Anthopoulos took over as general manager, the Jays have only been above .500 versus the AL East once. They went 39-33 against their own division in 2010, Cito Gastons final year as skipper. That season, Tampa Bay was the only club that finished better without the division at 42-30. In 2011, they went 33-39, in 2012 they were 29-43, and last year they went 30-46, which was the worst of the five teams within the division. Over that four year span within the East, Tampa has had the best record, averaging 42 wins per season and never worse than second best in terms of wins within the division. The Blue Jays are actually tied with Baltimore for the fewest wins inside the division over the past four years at 131. I found another interesting stat surrounding the last four years - the Blue Jays less than stellar record against left handers. Three of those last four years they have the worst record in the division against southpaws. Only in 2011 were they above .500 versus lefties with a mark of 23-19. Their cumulative record against left-handers over the past four years is 76-93. So, if you cant win enough within your own division and you cant beat lefties consistently, youre not going to be a contender. One final note on the Jays and the American League East. From August 22 on this season, the Jays play 28 of their final 35 against their own division, including six against Boston, seven versus the Yankees, six against Baltimore and nine against Tampa Bay. The only respite is a three game series against the Cubs at home in early September and then a four game series at home; the final week of the season against Seattle. So this is the season the Jays just prove they can beat the East. Better luck against lefties wouldnt hurt either. This is one of the tougher seasons to try and call the American League East, but right now Tampa Bay looks like the class of the division followed by the Yankees (if Tanaka and Pineda are for real), Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles, though if those two flip-flopped it wouldnt surprise me either. Check me in October. I mentioned former Blue Jays catcher Yan Gomes in my last article. Cleveland obviously is impressed with the first Brazilian ever to make it to the Majors. They signed him to a six-year deal that included two option years worth $23 million. I cant ever remember a team trading two catchers as the Jays did in the same off-season - Gomes and Travis DArnaud - and have them both become number one catchers so quickly. Discount NFL Jerseys 2020 .com) - Charlie Davies netted a pair of goals, including the series-winner on Saturday, as the New England Revolution battled the New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 draw in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship at Gillette Stadium and advanced to MLS Cup final via a thrilling 4-3 aggregate victory. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . - Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jason Babin is now a free agent. https://www.nfljerseys2020.com/ . Parmelee hit a game-ending shot in the ninth inning and the Minnesota Twins overcame David Ortizs big night to beat the Boston Red Sox 8-6 on Tuesday.Winnipeg Jets 5 Calgary Flames 2 (Jets 21-23-5, 10-13-1 road) – The win makes it two straight for the Jets under new head coach Paul Maurice, and after snapping a five-game home losing streak Monday, the Jets snapped a three-game road losing streak with the win in Calgary. It was the Flames seventh straight home loss, a new franchise mark. The Jets opened the scoring with Bryan Little notching his 16th of the year, putting home the rebound off a Michael Frolik back hand shot. Andrew Ladd also drew an assist, time of the marker was 5:01. Dustin Byfuglien with his 11th from Olli Jokinen and Chris Thorburn at 8:11 put the Jets ahead 2-0 after one, the shots 10-8 Jets. The Jets added two more in the second, Mark Scheifele with his eighth from Blake Wheeler and Thorburn, followed by Jokinen on the power play from Ladd and Little. Jokinen has now scored in back to back games and has 13 on the season. Shots were 6-3 Jets in the second. In both periods the Jets forecheck gave the Flames problems. The Flames came out with a push to start the third and Mark Giordano with his eighth got the Flames on the board and put the Jets on their heels. Then a key sequence of events: A Jokinen penalty put the Flames on the power play, Ondrej Pavelec made a terrific left pad save of Mikael Backlund, a strong play along the boards by Frolik resulted in a penalty to Dennis Wideman, and while four-on-four Jacob Trouba with his fifth restored the four-goal lead. Pavelec would be superb the rest of the game as he kept the Flames from narrowing the gap, and has now won back to back games. Lance Bouma on a deflection made it 5-2 but Pavlec keept the Flames from getting any closer. NFL Jerseys 2020. Shots in the third were 11-7 Calgary. Jokinen, Ladd, Little, Thorburn, Scheifele and Wheeler all had two points each in the game as the Jets go back to back with five goals scored. Jets have seven players in double digits in goals, last year, after 48 games they had three. After a 14-point shortened season last year, Jokinen has 31 points, and 17 in his last 21 games.? Byfuglien extended his point streak to four games (2-4-6) and has 10 points in his last seven games, 15 points including six goals in his last 13 games. It was Byfugliens 499th NHL game. Scheifele has 6-11-17 in the last 19 games and continues to lead all NHL rookies in assists. Trouba led the Jets in ice time at 23:25. Byfuglien and Setoguchi each had five shots on goal. Little won 13-of-19 face-offs. Postgame, coach Maurice acknowledged how critical Pavelec was to the win with the saves early in the third. Maurice did call a time out at 4-1 to settle his team down. ”We needed to talk about how we were going to handle things going forward,” Maurice said. On the play of rookies Scheifele and Trouba: “They are players, not rookies. When I throw them over the boards its because they get what they have earned. Its been solid back to back games for Scheifele.” Maurice did not feel it was an easy win. “We respected how hard they work.” The Jets now play Edmonton at MTS Centre Saturday afternoon (TSN 1290), then head to California for the first time this season, into Anaheim Tuesday and then San Jose Thursday (both games TSN Jets, TSN 1290). ' ' '