KANSAS CITY – His Blue Jays mired in their first prolonged slump of the season, losers of six of eight and prone to giving away games in which theyve enjoyed healthy leads, star shortstop Jose Reyes has noticed bad habits creeping into the teams games and wants them nipped in the bud. Travis Lakins Red Sox Jersey . "We cannot stay the same way the whole season long," said Reyes. "This is not acceptable. Something needs to change because were a better team than what were showing right now. Its a long season and we just need to continue to push." Its been a frustrating week for the ballclub. Dating back to the start of the last homestand, a week ago Tuesday versus Baltimore, the Jays have lost four games in which theyve led by at least three runs. The bullpen, usually reliable, has allowed 23 earned runs in 25 2/3 innings (8.06 ERA) in that span. Making matters worse, the Jays played perhaps their worst game of the season on Tuesday in Kansas City, which starts a string of 20-consecutive games without a day off. There were fundamental mistakes sprinkled throughout, including a run-scoring throwing error; the Royals taking an extra base twice on balls hit to left field; an arcing fly ball that bounced on the warning track for a double to start the Kansas City comeback; and Edwin Encarnacion not hustling out a ground ball and wild throw with two runners on. "This is baseball," said Reyes. "Sometimes the stuff in baseball doesnt go perfect. Sometimes youre going to make a mistake but you have to learn from that mistake." Its early and the Jays entered action on Wednesday only three games behind the division-leading New York Yankees but Reyes doesnt want the club consistently giving away games any longer. "When you go through September, if youre competing for making the playoffs those are the games you say, Oh man, I lost those games in April and you see where we are now and we need those games," said Reyes. "But like I said thats in the past and as a player you have to put stuff in the past and try to get it the next day." LAWRIE OUT OF THE LINEUP Brett Lawrie missed his first game of the season on Wednesday night, sitting out with tightness in his back. The 24-year-old is hitting .192/.243/.384 in 107 plate appearances. His six home runs rank second on the club behind Jose Bautista (8). Lawrie leads the Blue Jays with 20 RBI. Lawrie gave no indication he was concerned for the long-term, deeming himself day-to-day. GIBBONS CONSIDERING McGOWANS ROLE Dustin McGowans six-inning, two earned run effort on Tuesday night may have earned him another start. "As of right now its going to stay the same," said manager John Gibbons. "Were still debating adding that extra guy for that long stretch. Weve got to decide quick." McGowan, a type 1 diabetic, wore his insulin pump for the first time in an attempt to regulate his blood sugar and maintain energy throughout the game. It worked. McGowan alluded to "feeling stronger" as the night progressed. "He did a helluva job (Tuesday) night," said Gibbons. "Hes probably going to start again. My only reservation about it is how good he was in the bullpen. Weve struggled at times down there. Im still not sure where it all leads." On top of McGowans move out of the bullpen, Gibbons is without his closer, Casey Janssen, meaning hes down two quality late-game right-handers. JANSSEN THROWS BULLPEN Casey Janssen is making tangible progress toward his much-anticipated return from an oblique strain. He threw a bullpen session of more than 30 pitches on Wednesday. "Yeah, pain free, just trying to get my arm to work fast again," said Janssen. "I didnt get much of a spring training and want that to start building up and getting strong and getting used to the grind of throwing all those pitches off a slope and throwing aggressively." Janssen will throw another bullpen on Friday in Pittsburgh. If all goes well hell head out on another, hopefully his final, rehabilitation assignment. Hell ask the Blue Jays to place him at Double-A New Hampshire, hoping for better competition than he would get at Single-A Dunedin. Janssen also wants to be closer to Toronto and with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons scheduled to play early next week against the Braves affiliate just outside Atlanta, New Hampshire seems the appropriate spot. As for the recent struggles of his bullpen mates, Janssen doesnt expect the issues to persist. "Honestly, I kind of use this line, but I truly feel that zeroes can be contagious," he said. "When everyones putting up zeroes it seems easier to put up zeroes. Unfortunately when those hitters are comfortable in the box and putting good swings, their confidence level goes up and makes our job a little bit tougher. Its the same guys that had unbelievable years last year, and I dont want the first month to skew anybodys vision of what our bullpen is and what they can be, because its an electric bullpen." LIND TO RESUME BASEBALL ACTIVITIES Adam Lind, out with lower back tightness, is eligible to come off the disabled list on Thursday. He wont be back then but the Blue Jays are hopeful his return will come soon. "Hes feeling better," said Gibbons. "Hes going to take some ground balls either today or tomorrow. Hes swinging the bat. Hes starting to feel better. They backed him off a couple of days ago because it was still irritating him but hes back to go." Lind is under the care of team doctors in Dunedin, Florida. He received a medicinal injection nine days ago to alleviate his symptoms. Hell appear in at least one extended spring training game and could play in a Gulf Coast League game before rejoining the Blue Jays no sooner than this weekend in Pittsburgh. Wholesale Red Sox Jerseys . - No matter the lineup or location, the San Antonio Spurs are rolling through the NBA again this spring, just the way they have for most of the last two decades. David Price Red Sox Jersey . 1 overall pick in the draft by the Houston Texans, is recovering from sports hernia surgery. https://www.cheapredsox.com/2221z-tony-conigliaro-jersey-red-sox.html . Ryu (8-3) allowed a run and three hits in six innings and struck out six in his 13th start. In his first 13 starts last season -- his first in the major leagues -- the left-hander was 8-5 with a 2.85 ERA. This was the ninth time this year that Ryu has allowed fewer than three earned runs, and he is 7-0 in those games.CLEVELAND -- The Los Angeles Lakers left Canadian Robert Sacre on the court after he fouled out in the fourth quarter. Coach Mike DAntoni felt it was the best move for his depleted team. Its been that kind of year for the short-handed Lakers. Los Angeles lost two more players to injuries on Wednesday night and had to go to a little-known NBA rule to hold on for a 119-108 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. "That was, by far, one of the strangest games Ive ever seen," DAntoni said. Rookie Ryan Kelly scored a career-high 26 points and Steve Blake had his first career triple-double for Los Angeles, which snapped a seven-game losing streak. The Lakers set a franchise record for 3-pointers, going 18 for 37 from long range. But Los Angeles first win in two weeks was overshadowed by a bizarre ending. The Lakers had eight available players coming into the game. Then Nick Young twisted his left knee in the first half and Chris Kaman fouled out early in the fourth quarter. When Jordan Farmar left with leg cramps in the final period, that put Los Angeles at five players. Sacre committed his sixth foul with 3:32 remaining, but the North Vancouver, B.C., native stayed in the game because DAntoni was out of healthy bodies. The Lakers were assessed a technical foul. "That was just crazy," Sacre said. "When I got my sixth foul, I was just like, Oh, dang! Then I got to come back in, so I thought it was something special. I didnt know what was going on." Each side has to have five players on the court at all times during an NBA game. With the Lakers down to five healthy players, DAntoni was informed by the officials that he could leave Sacre on the floor and any addition foul on the centre would also result in a technical. "I didnt know about that rule, but its a nice rule," DAntoni said with a chuckle. The Lakers were without Steve Nash (rest), Jodie Meeks (sprained ankle) and Jordan Hill (strained neck). Pau Gasol (groin) and Kobe Bryant (knee) remained in Los Angeles for the three-game road trip. The situation was so unusual that Nash, who was in street clothes, went to the locker room and put on his uniform late in the game, but DAntoni said he had no intention of putting the point guard into the game. "I was not going to go to Nash -- it was not an option to us -- but the other thing we talked about was having Jordan go out there and just stand in the corner," DAntoni said. "When the officials came over to explaiin the options to me, we decided to keep Robert out there. Johnny Pesky Red Sox Jersey. I knew he would be smart and not commit too many more fouls." Nash played for the first time since Nov. 10 on Tuesday night after being out because of a nerve problem in his back. Meeks sprained his right ankle about a minute into Tuesdays game and Hill was elbowed in the head by Kaman. Farmar scored 21 points and Wesley Johnson added 20 for the Lakers, who shot 53 per cent from the field. Blake had 11 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds. C.J. Miles led Cleveland with 27 points. All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving was taken out with 7:32 remaining in the third quarter and finished with 11 points as the Cavaliers lost their sixth consecutive game, tying their longest losing streak of the season. Anderson Varejao was the only starter to play in the fourth quarter as Miles, Anthony Bennett of Brampton, Ont., Matthew Dellavedova and Dion Waiters got the Cavaliers back in the game. "They definitely deserved to be on the floor," Irving said. "That second group did a heck of a job. You have to give a whole bunch of credit to them. If I were the coach, I would have played that second group as long as he did." "Maybe we can learn something from what that group did on the floor," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "They played the right way." The Lakers built a 29-point lead in the second quarter and led 96-68 late in the third period before the Cavaliers rallied. Cleveland cut the lead to 100-90 early in the fourth and got to 114-108 before Blakes 3-pointer with 56.9 seconds left finally sealed the win. While the Cavaliers were off Tuesday, the Lakers lost in Minnesota and flew through a snowstorm to arrive in Cleveland around 2 a.m. Wednesday. While Los Angeles had 22 assists on 25 field goals while building a 70-49 halftime lead, Clevelands offence was stagnant. The Cavaliers shot 37 per cent from the field and were 1 of 18 on 3-pointers. NOTES: The Cavaliers hung a new banner of Austin Carrs retired No. 34 jersey from the rafters at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday. The original banner vanished last week and is still missing. Carr was the first player drafted by the franchise in 1971 and currently works as a TV colour analyst for the team. ... Nash is expected to play Friday night in Philadelphia. ... Lakers G Manny Harris second 10-day contract expired and the team chose not to re-sign him for the rest of the season. Harris went out on a high note with 18 points against Minnesota. ' ' '