News » been constant criticism domestically

TORONTO -- Some call it the Ed-wing. Stefan de Vrij Jersey . Others describe it as taking the parrot for a walk. When Edwin Encarnacion rounds first base on his home run trot, he raises his right arm slightly and sticks out his elbow. It has become a very familiar sight during the Blue Jays season-high eight-game winning streak. The Toronto slugger homered for the third straight game as the Blue Jays outscored the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6 on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre. Encarnacion hit one of three Toronto homers and starter Mark Buehrle picked up his major league-leading ninth victory for the American League East division leaders. Encarnacion, who has hit 14 of his 16 homers in May, also tied Jose Bautistas club record for most homers in a month set back in June 2012. "You cant describe it," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "Ive been seeing that parrot a lot, thats for sure." Adam Lind and Juan Francisco also went deep for the Blue Jays, who outhit the Rays 13-12. Toronto has won 13 of its last 15 games and 18 of 23. "Theyre no fun right now," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "Everything theyve got going on right now seems to be working." Buehrle (9-1), meanwhile, allowed eight hits and three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings. He wasnt as sharp as previous starts but kept the damage to a minimum. Lind and Encarnacion hit back-to-back shots in Torontos four-run fifth inning. "Everybodys having fun," Encarnacion said. "You can see it on their faces. Were playing great baseball when were on the field. So I think thats the No. 1 thing weve been doing. "Playing great baseball, playing the best baseball and enjoying it, enjoying the game." Linds homer was a two-run blast and Encarnacion followed with a monster shot that landed just above the second deck inside the left-field foul pole. Francisco added a solo shot in the seventh and Casey Janssen worked the ninth inning for his eighth save as Tampa Bay (23-30) lost its second straight game. Toronto (31-22) will go for the sweep of the three-game series on Wednesday night. "Just this offence and the way the guys are swinging the bat, it seems like the pitching - everything is coming together," Buehrle said. Both Buehrle and Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb (1-2) were quick and efficient over the first three innings. The Rays scored a pair in the top half of the fourth and the Jays answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half. Toronto went to work in the fifth after Jose Reyes lashed a ball back to the mound that hit Cobb on his right side near the waist. Cobb stayed in but struggled through the rest of the frame, giving up an RBI single to Bautista before the back-to-back homers. "Id love to blame it on something but honestly it was really good hitters hitting good pitches," Cobb said. The Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the sixth and a single run in the seventh. "It was one of those games that didnt feel good even until the end," Gibbons said. "We opened up the lead a little bit and then they tacked on a few runs to pull to within three. It definitely wasnt a comfortable game. "But when you fall behind, I mean were confident right now. Were really confident." Buehrle, who received a standing ovation after he was pulled, walked a batter and struck out three. Cobb allowed nine hits, six earned runs and a walk over five innings while striking out seven. His earned-run average jumped from 1.40 to 2.93. "I thought Cobb had really good stuff tonight, not pedestrian by any means," Maddon said. "He was really good, moving along really nicely and all of a sudden they struck." Notes: Announced attendance was 15,993 and the game took three hours to play. ... It was the fourth time this season that the Blue Jays have hit back-to-back home runs. Lind has three homers on the season while Francisco has nine. ... Toronto has hit at least one homer in 10 straight games. ... The Blue Jays longest winning streak before this was an 11-gamer last June. ... Gibbons challenged a call in the third inning when first-base umpire ruled that Yunel Escobar was safe. After a review of just 40 seconds, the call was overturned and Escobar was ruled out, making it a 4-6-3 double play. ... Navarro showed his mettle in the third inning. He was struck on his catching hand by Jose Molinas bat on an awkward follow-through and then took a foul tip to his right arm later in the at-bat. He said he bruised a finger and expects to play the series finale. ... Liam Hendriks (1-0) is scheduled to start Wednesday against Tampa Bays Chris Archer (3-2). ... The Blue Jays will complete the 10-game homestand later this week with a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Jersey .J. -- Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch deservedly draw the attention for what theyve done in getting the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Jeremain Lens Jersey . -- Detroit shortstop Jose Iglesias says he has stress fractures in both legs and isnt sure when hell be able to play again, leaving the Tigers two weeks to fill his spot for opening day and perhaps a lot longer. http://www.soccernetherlandsshop.us/Robin-Van-Persie-Netherland-Jersey/ . Compared to what hes gone through in recent weeks, that seemed like a breeze. Speaking to The Associated Press on Friday at an NBA Cares event, Silver said hes thrilled that the leagues attention can be on the championship series between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs -- and not, as it was for so much of the post-season, on the off-the-court matters involving the banishment of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling and now the looming sale of that franchise.SYDNEY, Australia -- Ange Postecoglou has been hired as head coach of the Socceroos in a five-year deal that could involve two World Cups. The 48-year-old Postecoglou, who led Brisbane Roar to two domestic A-League titles before moving to Melbourne Victory last year, is the first Australian head coach of the Socceroos since Frank Farina in 2005. Holger Osieck, a German, was fired earlier this month after back-to-back 6-0 defeats to Brazil and France, despite helping Australia qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy confirmed the widely expected appointment of Postecoglou on Wednesday, announcing a deal running through the 2014 World Cup, the 2015 Asian Cup and qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup. Postecoglou, who migrated to Australia from Greece with his family when he was five and played four times for the Socceroos, will be in charge for the international friendly against Costa Rica on Nov. 19. "I was proud to represent my country as a player and I have the same immense feeling of pride today," Postecoglou said. "The Socceroos belong to the people of this nation. Its my job to make sure we represent all thats good in Australian football." Australia narrowwly missed out on qualifying for the 2002 World Cup and then, with Dutchman Guus Hiddink at the helm, qualified for Germany 2006 and reached the second round before a contentious defeat to eventual champion Italy. Custom Netherlands Jerseys. Pim Verbeek was the next full-time coach, but his tenure ended with Australias disappointing first-round exit at South Africa 2010. Osieck got the Australians through qualifying for Brazil, but the Socceroos playing stocks and rankings have plummeted since the so-called "golden era" in 2006 and theres been constant criticism domestically about a lack of regeneration in the national team. Lowy made no secret of the fact an Australian candidate would be preferred to replace Osieck and drew up a shortlist including Postecoglou, who was national youth coach from 2000-2007, and Graham Arnold, who was interim Socceroos coach in 2007 between the contracts of Hiddink and Verbeek. "I have never taken the view that the coach should be an Australian for the sake of having an Australian," Lowy said Wednesday. "I have always believed we should get the best person we can for the job.