Carousel starts after another wild ride

The Toronto Blue Jays — and a ticked-off fan base that watched a ninth-inning bullpen meltdown result in a 13-9 Baltimore win Sunday — are looking for answers to their varied pitching woes.

Some of those answers are expected Monday, before the Jays open another key series in Tampa against the divisionleading Rays.

Scott Copeland, the spot starter who gave up seven runs in the second inning Sunday, was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo after the game along with relievers Phil Coke and Ryan Tepera.

The corresponding moves will be announced Monday.

While the Jays continue to fill Aaron Sanchez’s absence with spot starts, the bullpen is a major concern again.

Closer Brett Cecil was charged with four runs in the ninth Sunday, although the Orioles’ rally was in part fuelled by Toronto’s reaction to J.J. Hardy’s slow roller up the middle that brought home the first run.

Shortstop Jose Reyes and second baseman Mune Kawasaki appeared to give up on the ball, and Reyes said they were “confused” on the play. The next batter, Ryan Flaherty, double off Cecil for two more runs.

Cecil, who has given up six hits, three walks, and eight earned runs in his last 21⁄ innings of work, said he

3 has changed his hand position because he suspects he has been tipping his pitches.

Toronto’s relievers have given up 12 runs in its last 11 innings. Their problems go back to the beginning of the season, when the club was unable to bolster its bullpen after a springtraining injury to starter Marcus Stroman and the decision to put Sanchez in the rotation instead of using him in the late innings.

Now, Sanchez is out of the rotation picture for the time being. Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker will check in on the rookie in Florida on Monday but Sanchez, who has been out on the disabled list since June 6 with a lat muscle strain, has not even begun throwing yet.

R.A. Dickey will return to the team Monday after attending his father’s funeral, and second baseman Devon Travis could rejoin the team early this week after missing a month with a shoulder injury. But the stitch work on the pitching is starting all over again.

Copeland was the fill-in for Sanchez. Now the Jays may turn to familiar faces like Chad Jenkins or Todd Redmond, or to veteran Felix Doubront, who has spent parts of five seasons with Boston and the Cubs. Doubront, though, is out of options and would have to be put on waivers if sent back to Buffalo.

The bullpen roles are also uncertain. Cecil could be shuffled to situational work in the later innings, creating an opportunity for hardthrowing rookie Roberto Osuna to close. Or Anthopoulos could look outside the organization for help. Toronto has already been linked in rumours to experienced closers like Jonathan Papelbon, Tyler Clippard and Francisco Rodriguez.

And if the Jays want to upgrade their rotation, starters reportedly available include Matt Garza, Scott Kazmir and Kyle Lohse, and aces Johnny Cueto and Cole Hamels.

Toronto has already been linked in rumours to experienced closers like Jonathan Papelbon, Tyler Clippard and Francisco Rodriguez