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Blue Jays spoil opportunity for great series as Rays rally to avoid sweep – Sportsnet.ca

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3 years ago

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TORONTO – More often than not it takes a clean, crisp game to beat the Tampa Bay Rays. And after a couple of days with relative breathing room against their longtime nemesis, the Toronto Blue Jays once again found an all-too-familiar frustration when things got tight in the margins.

The chance to make a good series a great one with a sweep disappeared in the sixth inning of a 5-1 loss, when Teoscar Hernandez misjudged an Austin Meadows line drive that allowed the go-ahead run to score. That came two batters after wunderkind Wander Franco got just enough of a down-and-away slider to send it over the right-centre-field wall and tie things up, marring yet another brilliant-but-hard-luck outing for Robbie Ray against the Rays.

In three starts against Tampa Bay, the left-hander has allowed just six runs in 20 innings with 22 strikeouts, but the Blue Jays have lost all three times. Sunday, he gave up just the two runs over seven dominant innings in which he erased a pair of early jams to position his team for a sweep.

“Against any team you have to play clean and we didn’t do that today,” lamented manager Charlie Montoyo. “Robbie Ray was outstanding, of course, he gave us a chance. It’s been fun to watch because even after 100 pitches he’s still throwing 96-97. That’s not easy to do. It seems like he gets stronger the longer he’s in the game. But you have to play clean games against good teams and we didn’t do that.”

Instead, the Blue Jays couldn’t overcome their costly hiccup as Collin McHugh took over from the always crafty Ryan Yarbrough in the sixth and retired eight straight after a Bo Bichette leadoff single, promptly erased on a pickoff by the right-hander.

He kept the game at 2-1 until the ninth, when Bichette threw the ball away after ranging left to scoop up Yandy Diaz’s infield single and Meadows followed with a run-scoring double off Rafael Dolis. The right-hander, just activated off the injured list, couldn’t keep the inning from unravelling after that, as Taylor Walls added an RBI double to end his afternoon and Tayler Saucedo gave up a Mike Brousseau sacrifice fly before escaping the frame.

The close-‘til-end finale came after the Blue Jays took the opener 11-1 on Friday and clinched the series with a 6-3 victory on Saturday, a solid rebound after the Rays swept four games in Dunedin, Fla., during their last meeting from May 21-24. Three of those games were decided in the last at-bat and the Blue Jays blew leads in two of them.

A win Sunday would have pushed them back to a season-high six games for the first time since May 18, before a series of bullpen implosions sent them all the way down to 33-35. They’ve still won 10 of 14 since to undo that damage, and have three games at Baltimore starting Tuesday and then three more at Tampa Bay to gain further ground before the all-star break.

“We’ve done what we’ve done this year and we haven’t clicked on the same cylinder all at once yet,” Bichette said. “We had some moments this series and this homestand, but we can definitely be better. We’re really confident. We know we’re better and we’ll just continue to work hard and play hard and see what happens.”

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Yarbrough gave them precious little to work with on Sunday, as aside from Randal Grichuk’s solo shot in the second inning, only one batter reached second base in his five innings – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., on a two-out double.

George Springer then struck out to end the inning and Yarbrough allowed just two singles after the Grichuk homer — the Blue Jays never got the chance to build a big inning.

In 11 career starts against the Blue Jays, Yarbrough has a 2.25 ERA over 52 innings.

“He not only does it to us, he does it to a lot of teams,” Montoyo said. “And you would say, ‘Well, you’ve got pretty good hitters, you should make an adjustment.’ But he deserves credit because… he keeps you off-balance and you don’t know what’s coming. He deserves credit for that.”

Ray, on the other hand, just keeps shoving the ball down opponents’ throats, feeding steady 95 m.p.h. fastballs to Rays hitters. Of his 104 pitches, 81 were heaters and it was just the one slider to Franco that was really costly.

Home runs have been his bane this season, as Franco’s drive was the 20th he’s surrendered thus far. Of those, nine have been when he’s facing an order for the third time through, and his stats coming in before the game in that realm stood at .349/.360/.723.

Ray described the homers as “baffling,” apt given how consistently well he’s pitched all year.

“I feel like I made a decent pitch, I could probably execute it a little bit better than I did,” Ray said of the slider to Franco. “But other than that, I feel like I was in the zone, keeping them off-balance, able to go into the seventh inning, finish the seventh inning strong and give the team a chance to win. I mean, that’s all I can really do. Go out every time and try to put up zeros and keep us in it.”

He certainly deserved a better fate in this one and any chances of a late game comeback disappeared when Dolis couldn’t hold the deficit at one. His return is important and Montoyo intends to give him more run because they need him to be a leverage option, but his command needs to be reined in first.

That left the Blue Jays happy for a series win, greedily wishing for more.

“Coming into this series I was thinking, the whole team was thinking we have to take at least two or three. And we did, so I’m really pleased because that’s one of the best teams in baseball,” Montoyo said. “For us to get to where we want to get, we’ve got to beat them. Today wasn’t our best game but I’m pleased with the two out of three we took from the Rays, for sure.”

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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4 days ago

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November 8, 2024

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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4 days ago

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November 8, 2024

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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November 8, 2024

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

—

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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