TORONTO – Jose Bautista missed his fourth consecutive game with an injured left hamstring when the Blue Jays took the field against the White Sox on Thursday night.Buccaneers Mike Evans Limited Jersey . He confirmed he wouldnt be able to play on Friday night either. But Bautista is progressing. “Better,” he said. “That is the best way I can describe it. It feels better than when it happened, better than the day after. So theres been a lot of progress. But Im obviously not ready to play, not today.” The first tests of Bautistas hamstring were passed on Monday and Tuesday. “Just to make sure I didnt need to go on the DL,” he said. The next test will be conducted on Saturday morning, hours before the third game of this four-game series. Bautista will run a series of sprints and, if his leg holds up, hell be available to at least pinch hit on the weekend. The Jays havent faced a left-handed starting pitcher since the Cardinals Jaime Garcia on June 8, a span of 17 games. Chicago will send three left-handers to the mound from Friday to Sunday, including most difficult challenges on Saturday (ace Chris Sale: 6-1, 2.27 ERA) and Sunday (Jose Quintana: 4-7, 3.69 ERA). Bautistas right-handed power bat would be especially welcomed. He admitted it can be difficult to remain patient as the hamstring heals. “Its tough because I dont want to handcuff the team by not being available,” said Bautista. “But at the same time I dont think I need the extra week to come back and, after two weeks, you normally would have to get some at-bats somewhere. I just dont want to go through that process because I dont feel like I need it.” In 77 games this season, Bautista is hitting .305/.433/.526 with 15 home runs and 59 walks to 48 strikeouts. He is baseballs leader in on-base percentage (.433) and bases-on-balls. Defensively, Bautistas eight outfield assists place him in a three-way tie for second. BAUTISTA CALLS FOR SUPPORT FOR ENCARNACION Edwin Encarnacion entered Thursdays action with 24 home runs, making him the major league co-leader with Baltimores Nelson Cruz. He is listed as a designated hitter on the All-Star fan voting ballot and currently sits fourth at the position behind Cruz, Bostons David Ortiz and Victor Martinez of the Tigers. Jose Bautista isnt happy about it. If the fans dont put Encarnacion into the game, Bautista expects the American League manager will. That man: former Jays skipper John Farrell. “How could you not pick the guy who is leading the league in home runs and RBIs?” asked Bautista. “Im surprised still that the fans havent come out and supported him better and hes not leading the votes for his position, but you cant control that as much as you can control a manager picking a player.” Encarnacion captured the imagination of Toronto fans and baseball in general with his 16-home run May. “I think, either way he should make the team,” said Bautista. “It would be a huge disappointment and let-down to all fans if you dont have a guy like Edwin dressed up for that game. No matter if its the other players or the manager picking him.” Bautista is the captain of the American League team for the annual Home Run Derby, which is held the night before the All-Star Game. Players who take part in the derby dont have to be participants in the game. However, Encarnacion has already told Bautista he wants no part of the derby. Bautista is actively recruiting potential derby-mates. He plans to speak to Chicagos rookie slugger, Jose Abreu (23 home runs) at some point this weekend. “I dont want to pick guys that dont want to do it and I dont want to force guys into doing it if they dont really feel like it, if theyre uncomfortable or they have some health issues,” said Bautista. “I want to win this, so Im not going to pick anybody who is going to be reserved in any way when they go and pick up a bat.” TOLLESONS VISION IMPROVING Steve Tolleson replaced Juan Francisco at third base in the seventh inning of Thursdays game against the White Sox, his first action on the homestand. He began suffering from dryness of the eyes and blurred vision on the last road trip. Tolleson made a Thursday visit to a cornea specialist, his fourth trip to an eye doctor in as many days, and came away with the diagnosis of an allergic reaction to contact lenses. Buccaneers Lavonte David Youth Jersey . With the two sides making little progress over the last six months, however, it appears the players union is prepared for another deadlock. "The (PAs strike) ballots are ready to be mailed out," said a source with knowledge of the negotiations, but who spoke on conditions of anonymity. Sources have told TSN that the CFLPA has steadily prepared for the possibility of a strike vote for weeks, by accumulating addresses of its members, and reviewing labour laws in provinces with CFL teams. Buccaneers Michael Johnson Authentic Jersey . Attfield will chase a record ninth win in the 1 1/4-mile race at Woodbine Racetrack, his last coming in 2008 with Not Bourbon. His horse, Check Your Soul, is the 3-1 early favourite and will leave from the No.BOSTON -- Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara gave his team a spark with his rare fight. Then he won the game with his usual blistering slap shot. Chara and Patrice Bergeron scored third-period goals to lift the Bruins to a 3-2 comeback win over the New York Rangers on Friday. With just under 9 minutes left, Chara unloaded a low slap shot from straight away about 10 feet inside the blue line that beat Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist between his pads. After he fired his shot, Chara was knocked to the ice. When the puck went into the net, while still on his knees, he pumped his fists in the air in celebration. "I saw an opening. I put a puck on net as quick and as hard as I could," said the 6-foor-9 Chara, still in uniform standing at his locker. "It was a good job by everybody." In the second period, Chara squared off with the Rangers Brian Boyle, knocking him to the ice and bringing a loud roar from the sellout TD Garden crowd. It was Charas first fighting major of the season. "I feel its been a while since the last time weve had a fight like that," Boston goalie Tuukka Rask said. "It usually happens in the blink of an eye. It gives a team a boost and really wakes up a crowd, a crowd gets really loud. I think as a team -- I cant say we woke up -- but it definitely gave us an extra boost and we never looked back after that." Brad Marchand also scored for the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins, who improved to 9-2-2 in their last 13 games. Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh scored for the Rangers, who completed a five-game road trip 3-2. Rask stopped 17 shots for Boston, which hasnt lost in regulation at home in its last 10 games (8-0-2). Lundqvist made 25 saves for the Rangers, who played their first game in Boston since the Bruins eliminated them in five games in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last spring. "I dont think we played the way we needed to in the second or the third," Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. "They seemed to be all over us and they eventually get the tying goal and the winning goal there. Weve got to be better in the second and third. It wasnt good enough." Boston had tied it 2-2 on Bergerons goal early in the third period. His shot was stopped by Lundqvist, but caromed into the net off defenceman Dan Girardi, who was in front with the Bruins Loui Eriksson. "Its nice to get one of those," Bergeron said. "I havent got one in a while." Chara pushed Boston ahead laterr with his shot that Lundqvist said he misplayed. http://www.buccaneersstore.us.com/. "Bad read. For some reason, I was reading a high shot and then just made a bad move," Lundqvist said. "Instead of playing it the way I should, I read his stick, and I thought it was going high. I dont know if he fell down or kind of missed it, but it definitely fooled me a little bit. Tough one." The Bruins were called for too many men on the ice with 4 1/2 minutes left, but held the Rangers without any good scoring chances. With New York trailing 1-0 in the first period, Nash and McDonagh scored 1:22 apart. Nash, playing his sixth game after missing 17 with a concussion sustained on Oct. 8, tied it when he spun around near the right circle and slipped a wrister inside the left post. McDonagh moved the Rangers ahead when his rising shot from the high slot beat Rask inside the left post. Benoit Pouliot screened Rask on the shot. "He was right there," Rask said. The Bruins had jumped ahead 1-0 when Marchand one-timed Charas cross-ice pass under the crossbar from the bottom of the right circle for just his second goal in 11 games. Midway into a well-paced but scoreless second, Bostons Torey Krug nailed the left post with a wrist shot. The Bruins had a handful of other good scoring bids that were shot just wide or turned aside by Lundqvist. Both teams had excellent scoring chances in the games opening minutes. Bostons Chris Kelly redirected a shot that hit the post and Carl Soderberg fired one that sneaked between Lundqvists pads but trickled just wide. New Yorks Derick Brassard cut in alone for a decent bid that Rask stopped 6 minutes into the contest. Boston was coming off a 6-1 loss at Detroit on Wednesday, its first of three games in four days. "Those kinds of games do happen," Chara said. "Its good to bounce back and regroup from games like that." NOTES: Bruins D Dennis Seidenberg returned after missing the last four games with an undisclosed lower body injury. ... Rangers LW Taylor Pyatt played his second consecutive match after missing eight with a concussion. ... New York faces Vancouver and former Rangers coach John Tortorella at home Saturday. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault was Vancouvers coach before joining New York. ... Boston hosts Columbus on Saturday. ... The Bruins won the first meeting 2-1 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 19. The teams meet one more time in the regular season, March 2 in New York. ... The Rangers entered tied for the NHL lead with nine road wins. ' ' '
