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TORONTO – Watching Brett Cecil pitch, its difficult to imagine that just a little more than a year ago, a group of reporters approached his locker stall in Dunedin to ask if hed cracked the 2013 lineup. Whats happened since - an All-Star appearance and a 2.82 ERA in 60 appearances last season and a perfect run over his first 10 outings (eight-and-two-thirds innings) this season - is special. There was Cecil on Tuesday, called upon by manager John Gibbons in the seventh inning of a 3-3 game with the Blue Jays in a jam, bailing out his team once again. The Orioles had runners on second and third with one out. Cecil walked slugging left-hander Chris Davis before striking out Adam Jones and Steve Clevenger. The clutch performance paved the way to a six-run eighth and Toronto beat the Orioles 9-3, winning the opening game of a fourth-consecutive series. “Just trying to make good pitches,” said Cecil. Cecil is a native of Dunkirk, Maryland. He went to the University of Maryland and served as the Terrapins closer in his sophomore year of 2006, saving 13 games to set a school record. His success as a reliever in college prepared him for the role hes tasked with now. “I knew right off the bat once I moved to the ‘pen that it wouldnt take long,” said Cecil. “Ive done it before and it worked out in the past and it sure has now.” GIBBONS APPROACH TO BULLPEN Entering Tuesdays action, the Blue Jays had received 103 2/3 innings in 19 games from their starting pitchers, an average of between five-and-a-third and five and two-thirds innings per outing. Toronto will need more from its starting five and the sooner the better. After this coming Mondays off day, the Blue Jays will begin a stretch in which they have one day off between April 29 and June 1. Manager John Gibbons tries to balance the short-term and long-term consequences of each decision. “I mean, youve got to think long-term, but youre trying to win that game, too,” said Gibbons. “If theyre fresh you go to them … You want (starters) to go deeper into the game, but if they start to lose it or start to tire out because of the pitches or whatever it is, you look at the lineup or what youre facing, youre trying to hold that game in check.” Youll start to see more of J.A. Happ, Esmil Rogers and Todd Redmond in the fifth and sixth innings in games if the starters dont get deep. The specialists at the back-end of the bullpen cant be the daily option. “If you wear them down too much, those guys arent going to be probably effective later, anyway,” said Gibbons. “Thats why youre going to need some other guys to step up and get some big outs in the sixth, maybe the seventh.” In the last two seasons, 13 of the 20 playoff teams have had staffs that averaged six or more innings per start. The worst, Cleveland, averaged just better than five-and-two-thirds innings per start last season. The Blue Jays, in the early going of 2014, are averaging about an out fewer per start than the Indians of last year. If that doesnt seem like much, prorate that stat over 162 games. Youre asking your bullpen to get 162 more outs over the course of the season. INJURED JANSSEN IN TORONTO Casey Janssen rejoined his teammates in Toronto on Tuesday after his minor-league rehab assignment was halted. The strain in his abdominal/back area, near his oblique, hasnt improved to the point where Janssen is comfortable continuing to appear in games. He threw an inning for Single-A Dunedin a week ago Tuesday, allowing a hit and striking out one. “To be clear, it wasnt a setback,” said Janssen. “We realized it wasnt going to heal doing what I was doing. So instead of putting our foot on the gas, we had to take it off a bit and listen to my body a little bit more.” Janssen played catch before Tuesdays game with the Orioles. The plan is to throw a bullpen session in Toronto later this week and, if hes feeling better, Janssen will go back out on a rehab assignment. “Thats the frustrating part. Im not in pain,” said Janssen. “I mean theres a little bit of annoyance in there and the thing was, as long as you werent in pain, to keep progressing. So I didnt have symptoms of pain, but realizing that the swelling wasnt going to go away and Im in more jeopardy of maybe reinjuring, either that or somewhere else because Im compensating, we added it all up and it didnt make sense.” The Blue Jays bullpen, usually reliable, had two hiccups toward the end of the just-completed road trip through Baltimore, Minnesota and Cleveland. A six-run, eight-walk eighth inning turned a 5-3 lead into a 9-5 deficit in Thursday nights loss to the Twins. On Sunday, three walks and a bases-clearing double in the sixth turned a 4-2 lead into a 5-4 deficit in a loss to the Indians. Janssen is confident his mates will get back on track. “Those guys are still one of the best in the game,” said Janssen. “I dont care what a game or two happened or didnt happen. Basically, these guys are really, really good. Its a strength of our team and it will be a strength of our team.” ROGERS REBUILDING CONFIDENCE Esmil Rogers pitched two scoreless innings to mop up Saturdays shutout win in Cleveland. After a tough start, he needed it. “I know that I can do that more than one time,” said Rogers. “Anytime they need me, Im going to be there. If Im healthy, Im going to be great.” Rogers has allowed a staff-high four home runs on the season in just 10 1/3 innings pitched. Watching balls fly out of the park, he admits, rattled his confidence. “Sometimes you get a little frustrated about that because people can see you and you want to do the best you can,” said Rogers. “I think about it and I dont want it to happen again, but this is baseball. You dont know when youre going to be good and when youre going to be bad.” Tarik Cohen Youth Jersey . on the 15-day disabled Monday list because of a strained right hamstring. Roquan Smith Youth Jersey . -- The Denver Broncos are shuffling their offensive line this off-season and Orlando Franklin provided some insight into their plans Monday by tweeting that hes moving from right tackle to left guard. http://www.bearsfootballpro.com/Authentic_Akiem-Hicks_Bears_Jersey/ . Horford is out 3-to-4 months with a torn pectoral muscle for the Hawks, who have won two straight and five of six games. Atlanta improved to 2-0 on the residency with Saturdays 93-91 triumph over Minnesota, as Ivan Johnson scored his teams final four points, including the game-winning free throw with 4. Riley Ridley Youth Jersey . -- Adrian Peterson takes a look around the league and sees big money flying everywhere. Brian Urlacher Bears Jersey . Or take a relaxing vacation somewhere warm. Brayden Schenn and Scott Hartnell scored, Ray Emery stopped 32 shots and the Flyers beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 on Saturday for their fourth straight victory.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Packers losing streak without Aaron Rodgers is over, though the frustration continues in Titletown. A tie did little to lift spirits in chilly Green Bay. Backup quarterback Matt Flynn threw for 218 yards and helped spark a rally from a 16-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to the Minnesota Vikings. But the teams could only muster field goals in overtime and had to settle for a 26-26 draw Sunday. "Its an empty feeling. You go out there and didnt lose the game," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "But you feel like you didnt accomplish what you set out to do." Same sentiment in the Vikings locker room, where one player held tightly to a hot cup of coffee to warm up following a game that started with temperatures in the upper teens. "I view it as a loss, personally. We gave up a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter," defensive end Jared Allen said. "I dont have a sister, but Im going to say its like going to prom with your sister." For a while, the match was full of heart-racing drama. Mason Crosby hit from 20 yards at 10:28 of the extra period and Blair Walsh connected from 35 with 3:54 left. Greg Jennings, playing his first game at Lambeau Field as a member of the Vikings (3-8-1), dropped a third-down pass with 2:11 left. The Packers (5-5-1) also stumbled on their next possession. One last chance for the Vikings went nowhere with 1 second left, and the teams walked off with the first tie in the NFL since the Rams and 49ers ended 24-24 on Nov. 11, 2012. At least the 77,000-plus frigid fans got to witness a bit of history -- this was first game to end in a tie under the new overtime rule instituted last year that continues the extra period if both teams open it with field goals. A touchdown by either team would have ended the game. Jacksonville and Houston both kicked field goals to open OT in a game on Nov. 18, 2012, then the Texans won it with a touchdown. "I think to everybody around here, it feels like a loss, for sure," Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk said. The Packers are also in unfamiliar territory with so much instability at quarterback. Its been that way since Rodgers -- perhaps the most irreplaceable player in the NFL -- hurt his left collarbone on the first series of a 27-20 loss to the Bears on Nov. 4 that started the winless string. Flynn, Rodgers former backup who was re-signed last week, replaced the ineffective Scott Tolzien and finished 211 of 36 for 218 yards and a touchdown.dddddddddddd He nearly led Green Bay back from a 23-7 deficit early in the fourth quarter to a win. Flynn caught a break in overtime after a third-down sack was called off by a holding penalty on Vikings safety Robert Blanton. He followed with three long completions, including a 34-yarder to the leaping Jarrett Boykin to the 7. Two runs by Eddie Lacy (110 yards on 25 carries) got the Packers to the 2, but Flynn misfired on third down to set up Crosbys kick. Adrian Peterson had 146 yards and a score on 32 carries. He and Toby Gerhart (91 yards on eight carries) dented the Packers worn defence in overtime, but could not get in the end zone. The Vikings settled for Walshs kick. That was it for the scoring. The fans bundled up in parkas and knit caps to brave temperatures in the upper teens had to settle for a draw. Some positives for the Packers: a maligned defence stopped two late fourth-quarter drives; Lacys running; Flynns play in relief. And the tie being less damaging than a loss would have been in the division race. "Looking at the guys eyes in the huddle, I dont think there was any doubt," Flynn said. "Im proud of the guys for fighting, but we just have to finish." Things looked bleak for them early in the fourth quarter after Walshs 29-yard field gave Minnesota 23-7 lead. Up to that point, Christian Ponder was the best quarterback on the field. He connected with Rhett Ellison for a 12-yard touchdown pass that helped give the Vikings build a 16 point lead. Ponder finished 21 of 30 for 233 yards. Maybe the quarterback carousel has finally come to a halt in Minnesota, though afterward Ponder was focused on a missed opportunity. "We let it get out of our hands," he said. "Its unfortunate were not walking away with our third victory." Notes: Jennings was booed heartily by Packers fans after the first of his two catches, totalling 29 yards. ... Audie Cole finished with 13 tackles and a sack starting for leading tackler and MLB Erin Henderson, who missed the game for a personal matter. ... CB Sam Shields missed a second straight game for the Packers with a hamstring injury. ... Tolzien finished 7 of 17 for 98 yards, but had an entertaining 6-yard touchdown run in the first quarter after putting a spin move on a defender before stumbling into the end zone. ... The only other tie between the teams was a 10-10 draw on Nov. 26, 1978. ' ' '