TORONTO -- Amid the Toronto Blue Jays' nightmare season, the bullpen has been one of very few sources of satisfaction.

"Defensively, offensively we can be better," general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Wednesday. "I really can't say anything about the bullpen overall. They've thrown the most innings in the league, and for the most part they've been outstanding."

Even after two losses that featured bullpen implosions, don't expect big changes before a four-game series against the Houston Astros that begins Thursday. Toronto's bullpen has thrown a major-league-leading 356 1/3 innings, including 13 1/3 in the past three games, but reinforcements won't be coming right away, according to manager John Gibbons.

Instead, the onus is on starter Mark Buehrle to give a taxed group some rest.

"We'll be fine (Thursday)," Gibbons said. "We'll be in good shape there. We need a good (outing) -- Buehrle's going. He normally gives you a lot of innings anyway. Hopefully with a good one out of him and we'll catch up."

Four Blue Jays relievers combined to blow a five-run lead Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Anthopoulos said prior to Wednesday night's game that "knock on wood" the Blue Jays would get a good start out of Esmil Rogers.

They did. Rogers teetered on the edge but pulled what Gibbons called some "Houdini" magic in getting out of jams and lasting seven innings.

"They were all tough innings, and he hung in there and pitched late in the game," Gibbons said.

Two innings -- one from all-star Steve Delabar and another from closer Casey Janssen -- would have made for a light night. Centre fielder Colby Rasmus' error with two outs in the ninth helped the Dodgers tie the score and also forced Juan Perez to pitch for the second straight night.

Perez had a 0.00 ERA through his first 14 appearances this season, leading to praise from Anthopoulos Wednesday afternoon when asked about the veteran lefty potentially getting bumped from the roster as other pitchers get healthy.

"Juan Perez right now, he's not going anywhere," Anthopoulos said. "I mean he's just been too good for us. In fairness to him, we know he's not going to put up a zero forever, but he's been great."

He wasn't great in the series finale against the Dodgers. Perez got rocked to the tune of five earned runs on four hits, including two home runs, and two walks.

Perez's ERA shot up to 1.96 in the process, and the 34-year-old likely won't be available for Thursday's opener against the Astros. But Gibbons split up the rest of bullpen in the past two games so that the Blue Jays could be OK without making an immediate move.

Six of seven relievers had to make an appearance in Monday night's 14-5 loss to the Dodgers. Brett Cecil, Darren Oliver and Dustin McGowan got the night off Wednesday after Tuesday night's debacle, and Aaron Loup hasn't pitched since Monday.

Toronto is employing a seven-man bullpen after having eight earlier in the year, but for now Anthopoulos thinks everything will be fine without a substantial shakeup.

"We did talk about it," he said. "Early in the season we had multiple two-inning, three-inning outings. It was pretty severe at that point. We're just coming off the (all-star) break, which has helped."

The mental fatigue of seven straight losses might be just as much of an issue, but Janssen said a feeling of dread isn't seeping in.

"I think we can play loose because it's not going our way," he said. "Kind of almost the, 'What you got to lose?' mentality. I think the last two nights, although they haven't turned out positive for us, there was a lot of things to take out of them that were OK."