TORONTO -- A rare chance to pitch with a lead gave R.A. Dickey the opportunity to be more than just a knuckleballer.Russell Martin had three hits and two RBI, Dickey pitched 6 2/3 innings for his first home win since July 10 and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-2 on Tuesday night.Toronto remained tied with Boston for first place in the AL East. The Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 2-1.Dickey had received eight total runs of support in his previous five starts, losing three. His teammates gave him six runs to work with Tuesday, which he appreciated.Always great pitching with the lead, Dickey said. You can take some little risks that you might not normally take. Threw a lot of good changeups tonight, good sinkers down in the zone. I actually had good conventional stuff tonight and that helped me through some innings when I didnt have a great knuckleball.Dickey (9-13) came in 2-8 with a 5.57 ERA in 13 home starts but held the last-place Angels in check, allowing two runs and six hits.Manager John Gibbons said Dickey was fantastic after giving up a two-run homer to Angels rookie Nick Buss in the second.Then he kind of put it in cruise control, Gibbons said.Martin had an RBI single in the first, drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk in the third, singled and scored in the fifth, and doubled over the head of center fielder Mike Trout in the seventh. Martin is 12 for 27 with nine RBI in his past five games.Hes smoking hot right now, Gibbons said.Michael Saunders hit his 21st home run, a solo shot off A.J. Achter in the eighth, and Edwin Encarnacion and Darwin Barney each reached base three times as the Blue Jays won their fifth straight over the Angels. Toronto has outscored Los Angeles 51-16 in that span.Down the stretch every game is important, Barney said. I dont think were taking anyone lightly.Buss hit his first major league home run, but Los Angeles lost for the fourth time in six games. The Angels have lost 15 of 18 overall.He looks very comfortable at the plate, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Buss. Hes certainly not overmatched. Hes hitting the ball hard. He looks like he belongs here.The Angels lost their 11th straight road game, their longest such skid since a 14-game streak in 1969.Trailing 2-1, Toronto loaded the bases with no outs against left-hander Tyler Skaggs in the third. Barney scored the tying run when Martin walked and Encarnacion put the Blue Jays in front by scoring on Troy Tulowitzkis double play groundout.Skaggs (1-3) allowed four runs and four hits in four-plus innings and is winless in five starts. His five walks were a season-worst.Unfortunately, kind of the same stuff weve seen the last couple of starts, Scioscia said. Whether its a release point issue, whether its a mechanical adjustment or whatever it is, hes a hair off right now and hes not able to make the pitches he needs to.JOEY BATS ALMOST BACKBlue Jays OF Jose Bautista (left knee) is expected be activated off the 15-day DL as soon as he is eligible on Thursday. Gibbons said Bautista will be used at DH often to protect his knee.CRIME DOESNT PAYJosh Donaldson was caught stealing in the fifth, snapping a streak of 23 consecutive successful attempts. He hadnt been caught stealing since June 3, 2013, with Oakland.TRAINERS ROOMBlue Jays: 2B Devon Travis was not available after getting a cortisone injection in his sore right ring finger. Barney started in his place. ... OF Kevin Pillar (sprained left thumb) was activated off the 15-day DL and started in center field. RHP Ryan Tepera was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to clear a spot for Pillar.UP NEXTAngels: RHP Matt Shoemaker (7-13, 4.14) is 1-1 with an 8.38 ERA in two career games against Toronto.Blue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (7-5, 3.20) allowed a season-high five earned runs against the Yankees on Aug. 16. It was the third time in 21 starts this season Estrada has allowed more than three earned runs. Swell Liberty Water Bottle . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Cheap Swell Bottles . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. http://www.swellbottleuk.com/ . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Liberty London sWell Bottle . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Swell Bottles Uk Sale . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum.SHERBROOKE, Que. -- Brooks McNiven always wanted a life in baseball. After years as a player, hes found it as a coach. The 32-year-old is on the coaching staff of British Columbias baseball team at the Canada Summer Games, and hes found a calling giving advice to the young players on one of the top-rated squads at the tournament. "When I first finished playing pro ball I came home to Vancouver and I didnt really know what kind of direction I wanted to go with the rest of my life after ball," said McNiven, who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1999 and then by the San Francisco Giants in 2003. "It was just kind of there at that time and it was kind of filling a void for a bit to try and give myself some time to figure out where I wanted to go. "Getting involved with younger kids and being able to guide them and help them and everything is really kind of cool." McNiven is well-suited to coaching in multi-sport events like the Canada Games. His father Al represented Manitoba in the 1973 Canada Games, while the younger McNiven pitched for B.C. in 2001. Brooks McNiven went on to play for Canada internationally at the 2007 World Cup, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the 2009 World Cup. "Its an amazing experience to play for your country," said McNiven on Wednesday. "You hear all those cliches that its completely different when you put on a jersey that says Canada across the chest. You never really believe it until youre there and you actually do it. "You immediately come together as a family. You immediately have something in common with all those other baseball players even though youve never met them before." McNiven is particularly close with left-handed pitcher Brad Smith, also from Vancouver. The two met four years ago when McNiven was helping out at a baseball training camp organized by the University of British Columbia -- his alma mater -- and Smith was one of his pupils. The two kept in contact with each other while McNiven continued to play in the minor leagues. When McNiven started coaching for Vancouvers North Shore Twins they spoke more frequently and Smith joined that team this season. Smith has relied on McNiven for advice both on and off the field. The coach first helped with his throwing motion, then addressed the mental side of Smiths game. "Throughout my bbaseball career Ive had a lot of trouble on the mound keeping my cool.dddddddddddd I was a big head case last year, Id be throwing my glove and swearing at my players," said the 18-year-old Smith, who went 11-1 in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League, including playoffs. "This year I didnt do it as much -- because I had a lot of success this year, so it didnt really come out -- but when I didnt have that success I got back into the same routine. "I remember in the States I came back and said I hate baseball, I dont want to do this anymore." McNiven calmed his protege down and got him to recognize that those emotions were just coming in the heat of the moment. He also recommended Smith meet with renowned sports psychologist Saul Miller. Two sessions with Miller, whos worked with the Vancouver Canucks and B.C. Lions, amongst other professional sports teams, helped Smith centre himself and remain calm when he was pitching. McNiven and Millers guidance faced its biggest test on Monday when Smith was called on to start against Quebec in a key matchup of the Canada Summer Games. "It was the biggest stage Ive ever pitched on," said Smith. "It was the Quebec team so the whole citys cheering for them -- everyones rooting for Quebec -- and there were a lot of scouts there and there was some talk that if I pitched well I could make the junior national team." Although Smith struggled in B.C.s 11-9 loss, he still saw it as a growing experience. He credits McNivens support and guidance for that change in attitude. "I kept my cool in that game, and if I didnt go see Saul theres definitely no way that Id be staying cool in that game," said Smith. "I just wouldve made myself look like a fool. And if Brooks hadnt sent me to see Saul, I just dont know what wouldve happened." For McNiven, that is the biggest reward of being a coach and why hes drawn to being a mentor to Smith and other players. "Ive never been on that side of the game before," said McNiven. "It kind of gives you chills at times when you see kids youve worked with for a while and they go out and have success and they do some of the things youve been working on. "Not saying that Im taking any credit for what they do out there because I cant go out there and throw the ball for them anymore -- its all them." ' ' '