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Aug 12, 2015 - 4:43 AM The hitting has been there all season for the Toronto Blue Jays, but now it's the pitching that's taken center stage as they look to extend their winning streak to 10 games Wednesday night against the Oakland Athletics.

Jose Bautista clubbed the team's 153rd homer - good for second in the majors - in Tuesday night's 4-2 victory. The trade deadline acquisition of Troy Tulowitzki has further added to Toronto's potent lineup - it has gone deep 23 times while going 12-1 since he joined the team - but it can also be argued the addition of David Price to the rotation shortly after landing Tulowitzki has made an even bigger impact.

The starters have gone 9-0 with a 2.17 ERA in 12 games with the left-hander on the roster and 8-0 with a 1.62 mark during this current winning streak. They've held opponents to a .180 batting average while allowing only 5.72 hits per nine innings the last 12 games - well below the rotation's season mark of 8.98.

The bullpen has a 0.86 ERA and limited opponents to a .134 average during this nine-game run.

"You can't expect the offense to score five, six runs every night," manager John Gibbons told MLB's official website. "It's a combination of things, it goes with good pitching."

It has been one of the most dominant nine-game stretches in the majors this season - the 1.43 staff ERA is the lowest by any AL team and the .158 opponent batting average is a major league-low for any nine-game stretch in 2015. Additionally, the 4.83 hits allowed per nine innings is the lowest by any team in the majors this year and for any nine-game span in Blue Jays franchise history.

Toronto (60-48) closed within one-half game of the New York Yankees for the AL East lead and has a chance to be atop the division this late in the season for the first time since repeating as World Series champions in 1993 - which is also the last time it reached the playoffs.

The Blue Jays tweaked their rotation, moving up knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (6-10, 4.59 ERA) to let Mark Buehrle pitch on six days' rest Thursday. Dickey has pitched well since the All-Star break, going 3-0 with a 0.99 ERA in five starts.

Dickey's lone mistake in seven innings against New York on Friday was a solo homer in Toronto's 2-1, 10-inning victory. It's the only home run he's allowed in 36 1-3 innings since the Midsummer Classic after being tagged for 17 in 114 2-3 innings over his first 18.

The right-hander finished two outs shy of a complete game in beating Oakland 5-2 on July 23 and improved to 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA in five starts versus the Athletics since joining the Blue Jays in 2013.

A's counterpart Aaron Brooks (1-0, 2.41) has made a good impression in two starts since being acquired from Kansas City, yielding two runs and nine hits in 14 1-3 innings.

The right-hander, though, struggled mightily in his only appearance against the Blue Jays on May 31, 2014, allowing seven runs in relief and retiring just two batters.

Done in by a two-error second inning, Oakland (51-63) leads the majors with 96, with a league-worst 30 committed by Marcus Semien.

''Right now I'm just taking this one kind of hard," the shortstop said after his throwing miscue contributed to Toronto's three-run rally.

The Blue Jays are hoping Edwin Encarnacion will be available after missing the last two games with a finger injury. Bautista has four homers in his last six games and is hitting .310 during a seven-game hitting streak.