Opposite dugout: Blue Jays not quite an offensive juggernaut and bullpen is struggling

Manager: John Gibbons (9th season)

Record: 32-29

Last 10 games: 6-4

Who to watch: LF Michael Saunders (.290/.372/.523 with 9 HR, 19 RBIs), LF Ezekiel Carrera (.344), 3B Josh Donaldson (14 HR, 33 RBIs), 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion (12 HR, 46 RBIs), RF Jose Bautista (12 HR, 39 RBIs), LHP J.A. Happ (6-3, 3.57 ERA), RHP Aaron Sanchez (5-1, 2.91 ERA), RHP Roberto Osuna (1.65 ERA, 13 saves)

Season series vs. Orioles: 1-2

Pitching probables:

June 9: RHP Tyler Wilson vs. RHP Marcus Stroman, 7:07 p.m., MASN
June 10: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Marco Estrada, 7:07 p.m., MASN2
June 11: RHP Mike Wright vs. LHP J.A. Happ, 1:07 p.m., MASN2
June 12: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez vs. RHP Aaron Sanchez, 1:07 p.m., MASN

Inside the Blue Jays:

If the Blue Jays expected to bash opponents into submission this season while defending their American League East championship, they quickly learned that they need to readjust expectations. While Toronto's 78 home runs rank seventh in the majors, the same team that developed into an offensive juggernaut last season en route to a divisional crown has been pretty mediocre offensively this season, probably one of the main reasons the Blue Jays are struggling to stay on the right side of .500. But make no mistake, the Blue Jays are still a dangerous team - everyone has been waiting for their bats to heat up, and when they do, Toronto could find itself in a three-way dance for AL East supremacy with the Orioles and Red Sox.

Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion and right fielder Jose Bautista are entering their walk years, but Encarnacion has been more of an offensive force than Bautista to this point. Both have 12 home runs, but Encarnacion is batting .237 with 46 RBIs to Bautista's .227 mark with 39 RBIs. Last season's AL MVP, third baseman Josh Donaldson, is leading the Blue Jays with 14 homers, though he's only driven in 33 runs. Oft-injured left fielder Michael Saunders has been surprisingly consistent, slashing .290/.372/.523, and platoon mate Ezekiel Carrera has forced his way into playing time by hitting .344 in limited action. But second baseman Devon Travis is just back from left shoulder surgery and hitting only .174, and the Blue Jays aren't getting the production they expected from catcher Russell Martin (.195), center fielder Kevin Pillar (.246) or first baseman Justin Smoak (.268). With shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the disabled list with a quadriceps issue and first baseman Chris Colabello still serving a suspension for using a banned substance, the once fearsome Toronto lineup is lacking in length.

Right-hander Marcus Stroman starts Thursday night in the opener of the four-game series, and his 4.82 ERA hasn't exactly been the stuff of staff aces. He hasn't gotten through the sixth inning in two of his last three starts, allowing seven runs in a pair of ugly performances that have inflated a once-respectable ERA. But he's 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA in four games (three starts) lifetime against the Orioles. Friday's starter, righty Marco Estrada, took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in his last start at Boston on June 5, settling for an eight-inning effort in which he allowed two runs on two hits. In eight starts since April 21, he's gone at least six innings, but the seven homers he's allowed over his last seven outings are a potential red flag against a team built on home run power like the Orioles, against whom he has a career 2-1 record and 3.16 ERA in seven games (five starts).

Lefty J.A. Happ gets the nod for Saturday afternoon's game, and he's been pretty consistent this year. But Happ was lit up in his most recent start, at Detroit on June 6, when he was touched for six hits and six runs in five innings. He's also been prone to the home run ball, allowing nine in 75 2/3 innings this season. In nine career games, including eight starts, against the Orioles, Happ is 2-3 with a 3.56 ERA. Aaron Sanchez, who is slated to pitch Sunday afternoon's finale, has easily been the Blue Jays' most effective starting pitcher this season. Once considered a possible candidate to close games, the right-hander has gone 3-0 in his last eight starts, working at least 6 2/3 innings in each. He hasn't yielded a home run since April 22. Sanchez fanned a career-high 12 in a no-decision against the Tigers on June 7.

Toronto's bullpen has been a disaster, losing 15 games this season, tied for the worst mark in the majors. Closer Roberto Osuna has been effective, saving 13 games in 15 chances and posting a 1.65 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. But the problem has been getting to Osuna. Former Nationals closer Drew Storen has a 6.64 ERA and Brett Cecil was 0-5 with a 5.23 ERA when he went to the DL with a left arm muscle strain. The Blue Jays acquired right-hander Jason Grilli from the Braves on May 31 to help provide an effective setup bridge, and he's been unscored upon in three appearances since moving north of the border.