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Admittedly, it was only a one-game series, but the Jays have now taken three straight from their key rivals in Boston and New York.

After starting their trip with three ugly losses in Baltimore, the change in fortune has lightened the clubhouse mood considerably.

Over that same time frame, the Jays have welcomed 10 of their No. 1 picks to the big club, Shannon Stewart, Chris Carpenter, Kevin Witt, Roy Halladay, Billy Koch, Vernon Wells, Felipe Lopez, Alex Rios, Russ Adams and Aaron Hill.

Hughes was not expected to pitch in the majors this year at all, if it had not been for the rash of injuries to Torre's staff. The Yankees have already used 18 pitchers and Hughes is the fifth rookie to start a game. Those are ridiculous numbers.

The Jays came out of Baltimore last Sunday afternoon in the depths of a five-game losing streak and with little hope for an immediate recovery in sight. However, in the next four days, they turned things around in a huge way, building a three-game win streak in the process. That includes last evening's 6-0 romp over the New York Yankees and their young phenom pitcher Phillip Hughes.

"We turned the page," said winning pitcher A.J. Burnett, who scattered four singles and didn't allow a hitter past second base in seven innings of shutout work.

Troy Glaus worked out pre-game with the Jays last evening and was walking very gingerly on his left heel that has sidelined him the last two weeks. He took batting practice as well as some ground balls but clearly was favouring his foot.

But there was no Derek Jeter in the lineup for the Yankees