TORONTO — The numbers are looking worse with each game as the losses pile up for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The latest defeat, a 3-1 decision to the Oakland Athletics on Friday night, left Toronto under the .500 mark for the first time since late March.
The Blue Jays (22-23) have lost 10 of 13 at home, six of eight overall and 11 of their last 16.
"If we're pitching, we're not hitting. If we're hitting, we're not pitching," said Toronto starter Marco Estrada. "Whereas before we were kind of doing everything right.
"Plain and simple, we've just got to play a little bit better."
The Athletics pulled ahead with a pair of runs off Estrada in the seventh inning. Reliever Danny Coloumbe (1-1) worked 1 1/3 innings for the victory and Blake Treinen recorded the last four outs for his ninth save.
Dustin Fowler scored twice and had two of Oakland's nine hits as the Athletics improved to 5-3 on their 10-game road trip. Oakland (23-22) has won four of its last five games.
The teams will continue the four-game set over the weekend. By dropping the first two games, Toronto will extend its string of consecutive winless series to six.
The Blue Jays managed six hits in all and struck out a season-high 15 times.
For the second straight night, Oakland's starter took himself out of the game due to injury. This time it was southpaw Brett Anderson, who left during the second-inning warmup with a left shoulder strain.
His replacement was Josh Lucas, who had been recalled shortly before the game. He coolly fanned five of the first six batters he faced.
"They've got some good young pitching, there's no doubt about that," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "Tip your hat to them. They did the job."
Fowler took Estrada (2-4) deep in the third inning for the first home run of his big-league career.
Lucas worked into the fifth inning, leaving after giving up an RBI single to Gio Urshela. Luke Maile, who had hustled into second base on a flare into left field, scored to make it 1-1.
"We had a lot of contributions tonight but none more than Josh Lucas," said Oakland manager Bob Melvin. "You need someone to go into that fifth inning. He did exactly that. That was a godsend for us."
Estrada was a strike away from getting out of the seventh inning unscathed. Instead Chad Pinder, Fowler and Josh Phegley hit consecutive doubles to push two runs across.
Toronto threatened in the eighth as Justin Smoak walked and Yangervis Solarte hit a two-out single. But Treinen came on and struck out Kevin Pillar before getting the Blue Jays in order in the ninth.
Announced attendance was 21,703 with the roof closed at Rogers Centre. The game took two hours 55 minutes to play.
Notes: The Blue Jays placed left-hander Jaime Garcia on the 10-day disabled list before the game due to left shoulder inflammation and recalled right-hander Deck McGuire from triple-A Buffalo. ... The Athletics placed pitcher Andrew Triggs on the 10-day DL with right arm nerve irritation. He lasted 2 1/3 innings Thursday before taking himself out of the game. ... Russell Martin played third base for the Blue Jays with Maile behind the plate. Josh Donaldson was the designated hitter. .. Toronto right-hander Sam Gaviglio (1-0, 2.08 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday afternoon against southpaw Sean Manaea (5-4, 2.35).
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Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
