Bayern Munichs main title rivals all slipped up last weekend, leaving them more in competition with each other for European qualification places than for the German championship. Bayern continues its march at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, while second-place Bayer Leverkusen hosts Stuttgart on Saturday. Third-place Dortmund gets the 19th round of games underway at bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday. LEAGUE OVER?Bayern Munich was 14 minutes from its first loss of the season Wednesday, down 1-0 at Stuttgart with its league-record unbeaten run on the line, before Claudio Pizarro equalized and Thiago Alcantara sealed the sides 16th victory from 18 games. It was the manner of the Spaniards goal that stole the headlines, a spectacular overhead kick to win the game in injury time, but it also stretched Bayerns commanding lead over Bayer Leverkusen to 13 points, with Borussia Dortmund another four behind after 18 games. Bayern hasnt lost in the league in 43 games. At the same stage last season, Bayern led Bayer Leverkusen by nine points and Borussia Dortmund by 12. Jupp Heynckes side went on to clinch the quickest ever Bundesliga title. His successor, Pep Guardiola, is already well ahead of his pace. DORTMUND DEPRESSIONJakub Blaszczykowskis season-ending injury - the Poland captain tore his cruciate ligament in last weekends 2-2 draw at home with Augsburg - is just the latest serious injury blow to Borussia Dortmunds faltering Bundesliga season. Dortmund has already had to contend with long-term injuries to defenders Lukasz Piszczek, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels and Marcell Schmelzer, as well as influential midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, while dealing with the distraction of Polish striker Robert Lewandowskis end-of-season transfer to Bayern. German media reports suggest that Serbian attacking midfielder Milos Jojic is on the verge of signing from Partizan Belgrade, while Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg says Hertha Berlins Colombian striker Adrian Ramos is likely to be Lewandowskis replacement in the summer. HUNTELAAR RETURNSAfter a troublesome season so far, Schalkes mood visibly improved last Sunday with the return of Klaas Jan Huntelaar after five months out injured. The Dutch striker opened the scoring and his mere presence seemed to bring the best out of his teammates as they triumphed 3-0 at Hamburger SV. Adding to the new-found sense of optimism, all the sides above dropped points - with the exception of Bayern - allowing Schalke to climb to fifth, two points off Borussia Moenchengladbach in the last Champions League qualification place. Schalke hosts big-spending Wolfsburg, which is just a point behind and also aiming for fourth place, on Saturday. Huntelaar, who has 50 goals in 85 games for Schalke, is back just when hes needed most. "His presence alone does us the world of good," Schalke coach Jens Keller said. HAMBURG CRISISHamburger SV, the only Bundesliga side to have played every season, finds itself firmly in a battle against its first relegation after four defeats in succession. "Were going down if we keep going like this," Hamburg playmaker Rafael van der Vaart said after the latest defeat to Schalke left the side in the relegation play-off place. Hamburg fired Thorsten Fink as coach in September but has seen little to no improvement under replacement coach Bert van Marwijk. The Dutchmans job has been complicated by a host of injuries hitting a small squad. Standout striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga (nine goals) has been ruled out for two weeks, while defender Lam Zhi Gin is also ruled out against Hoffenheim. Defender Marcell Jansen is doubtful but goalkeeper Rene Adler could return. Last Sundays defeat to Schalke was the sixth loss in nine home games this season for Hamburg, which has conceded 41 goals. Only Hoffenheims record of 42 goals conceded is worse. A goalless draw is not expected on Sunday. LEVERKUSEN RUFFLING FEATHERSIn an effort to get more fans at games, Bayer Leverkusen has taken out advertising on public transport services in the area, but this has riled football fans in nearby Wuppertal. Since Monday, the Wuppertal suspension railway has been carrying the slogan: "Top class football: only 30 kilometres further." Wuppertaler SV chairman Achim Weber, whose side was relegated to the fifth tier because of insolvency, was not amused. "This Bayer-train goes right by our stadium all the time. Bayer are fishing in foreign waters," Weber told the Cologne-based Express newspaper. "We need every supporter. You dont do something like that." Leverkusen hosts Stuttgart on Saturday, when all fans, including Wuppertals, are welcome. Byron Scott Jersey . 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After both men had disastrous outings in Tuesdays 18-4 mauling at the hands of the Tigers, its clear that neither is the best option to begin the season in Toronto.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Blue Jays eye a sixth straight win on Thursday when they open a four-game series with the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Toronto won for the eighth time in nine games on Wednesday, as Dioner Navarro had three RBI singles and the Blue Jays wrapped up a three-game sweep at Fenway Park with a 6-1 win over the Boston Red Sox. Juan Francisco knocked in two runs for the Blue Jays, who are just 2 1/2 games back of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. Mark Buehrle (11-7) bounced back from a bad outing against the New York Yankees in the Bronx last week to break a nine-start winless streak. Buehrle, 0-6 since a win over Kansas City on June 1, gave up just one run on six hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings. Hoping to keep the Jays rolling on Thursday will be righty Drew Hutchison, who is 7-9 with a 4.44 ERA. Hutchison snapped a three-start losing streak on Saturday in New York, as he allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. "Things that have happened previously, theres nothing you can do about them once they happen," Hutchison said. "Its a fresh game, go out there and do everything you can do to give your team a chance to win." Houston, meanwhile, had inteended to throw righty Jarred Cosart in the opener, but he was dealt to Miami earlier in the day as part of a six-player deal at the non-waiver trade deadline.dddddddddddd So instead it will be righty Jake Buchanan, who is 1-1 this season with a 5.56 ERA. Buchanan has pitched primarily out of the bullpen this season, but did start a game against Tampa Bay back on June 21. However, he surrendered five runs in 4 1/3 innings of that one. Houston picked up a series win against Oakland on Wednesday, as Robbie Grossmans two-run homer capped the six-run first inning that propelled the Astros to an 8-1 win. Houston starter Dallas Keuchel (10-7) was superb en route to his AL-leading fourth complete game of the season. The left-hander yielded just a run on four hits over nine dominant innings and earned his first career win against Oakland in five starts. Keuchel said he was lucky to get early swings from the As batters. He threw 111 pitches, including 70 strikes. "I looked up and it was the eighth inning," Keuchel said. Jon Singleton also homered for the Astros and Jose Altuve extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the sixth. Toronto took two of three from the Astros earlier in the year. ' ' '