TORONTO — The regularity with which Alek Manoah delivers quality starts makes it almost too easy to take what he’s doing for granted. Really, it’s not this easy, especially for a sophomore pitcher driving up a career-high innings haul every five days, yet there’s the Toronto Blue Jays‘ right-hander never missing a turn, battling his ass off, carrying his team along the way.
Key to his remarkable season is that, even on the rare occasions when he isn’t straight shoving, he still finds a way to be really good, just as he was on Sunday while grinding out six gutsy innings of one-run ball in an eventual 5-4 Toronto Blue Jays loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Only a rare Jordan Romano blip in the ninth — he allowed the first four batters to reach, the last being an Adley Rutschman two-run single, and later a Jesus Aguilar RBI single in his fifth blown save of the season — prevented Manoah’s effort from securing a three-game sweep.
The Blue Jays nearly rallied back in the bottom half, as George Springer missed a game-tying homer by inches and was forced to settle for an RBI double instead that made it a one-run game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with a walk, but Felix Bautista, who hit triple digits with his fastball eight times during the outing, induced a sharp Bo Bichette groundout to end it.
“Entire series was awesome,” said interim manager John Schneider. “We played great. I think it speaks volumes of what we did in the ninth inning against a really good reliever. And it just shows the mentality of this team.”
At 83-64, and after just their fifth loss this month, the Blue Jays’ recent surge ensures that they’ll head into the next week a half-game up on the Tampa Bay Rays (82-64) and two ahead of the Seattle Mariners (80-65) for the top wild-card spot. They’re also six games clear of the fourth-placed Orioles (76-69).
The Blue Jays appeared to be set for better after Guerrero Jr.’s solo shot in the seventh opened a 3-1 lead before a Rogers Centre crowd of 41,301, but instead settled for a 5-3 finish to a gruelling eight-games-in-seven-days homestand that included Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Rays.
An off-day on Monday comes at a good time for a bullpen that’s started three games in the absence of a fifth starter over the past couple of weeks, for Springer, who suffered an elbow contusion after getting hit by Dean Kremer in the third inning, and for catcher Alejandro Kirk, who’s been out with hip soreness and is expected to be ready Tuesday at the Philadelphia Phillies.
“If there wasn’t an off day to try to make sure he’s really, really good, Kirky would have been in there (Sunday),” said Schneider. “I love the way we’re playing, I love the way the guys are competing, we’re playing really good baseball right now. You enjoy the off day and you pick up a new series on Tuesday.”
Perhaps the toll of the busy stretch showed as Adam Cimber allowed an Aguilar solo shot in the eighth before Romano, absent his usual command and plus slider, got burned for a three-spot in his first blown save since Aug. 7 at Minnesota. He got 12 swings, six each on his fastball and slider, and not a single whiff, which was unusual and made the Blue Jays wonder if the Orioles plan was to sit on his slider.
“The first pitch was a slider and it was a base hit, so that could be an indicator right there,” said Danny Jansen, who extended his recent run at the plate with a go-ahead homer in the fourth and two walks. “It’s easy to go hindsight now, but slider is obviously one of his best pitches. It’s that and the heater. If we’re going to lose it with the slider, then there are times we’re going to lose it with the slider.”
Manoah, who returned from a stomach bug to beat the Rays in his last time out, allowed only four hits but also walked a season-high-tying four, which left him time and again dodging traffic in the early innings to avoid significant damage.
Some strong defence, first and foremost Teoscar Hernandez’s leaping catch against the right-field wall to rob Anthony Santander in the first, certainly helped. But he also pitched himself out of trouble in two key spots, inducing a Santander pop up and striking out Gunnar Henderson with two on and one out in the second, and popping up Robinson Chirinos and getting Cedric Mullins to fly out after Jorge Mateo’s RBI double left runners at second and third in the fourth.
“Don’t let these guys score, that was the biggest thing,” Manoah said of his thought process in those spots. “Just every pitch matters. Focus on every pitch, breathe and make sure you execute every pitch. I was able to get some big outs.”
Those outs helped leverage what little the Blue Jays managed off Kremer. A rally in the third was snuffed out after Bichette’s RBI single when Matt Chapman hit into the 10th triple play in franchise history, while Jansen’s solo shot in the fourth restored a 2-1 advantage.
Manoah’s performance has been a constant throughout a season of wild swings for the Blue Jays, with Sunday’s outing marking hi 23rd quality start of the year. While by no means a perfect stat, that 23 of his 29 outings hit that benchmark is indicative of the 24-year-old’s steadiness.
Consider that across all those starts, he hasn’t allowed more than four earned runs, and that’s only happened four times. Just six times has he gone less than six innings, never throwing fewer than five frames, and at 183.2 innings and counting, he’s currently second in the American League, pushing his career best total further and further.
“The biggest thing down this stretch is to stay keen on what I’ve been doing that’s made me so good right now,” said Manoah. “We have a really good routine in place. Shortening a long toss day here and there, little things like that. But all in all, just keeping the foundation that I have and continue to attack that.”
As the Blue Jays ran out three bullpen games to cover the vacant fifth spot in the rotation over the past couple of weeks, it’s his dependability that’s helped underpin the success of those outings.
In Kirk’s absence, Manoah threw to Jansen for the first time all season and their pairing went off without a hitch. Jansen and Manoah often discuss approaches to pitching and game-plans, so working together was far from new and building some on-field familiarity is helpful should Kirk ever end up missing significant time.
Jansen, fighting through a stop-and-start season, is tearing things up at the plate of late, batting .377/.468/.679 with four homers, nine RBIs and eight walks over his last 18 games dating back to Aug. 25, a nice complement to his strong game-handling and blocking skills.
“Every time I felt like I was doing really well I’d get hurt and all that, but knock on wood, we’re past that stuff so it’s just continuing to enhance my approach,” Jansen said of his run at the plate. “I feel like that’s enhanced for me what I’m going up there trying to do and looking for. Continue to learn. That’s what I’m trying to do, but also trying to just pass the baton on to the next guy and have a good at-bat.”
Manoah is doing the same thing on the mound, delivering a quality start and saving the bullpen for the next man up in the rotation. No matter if a bug fells him the night before he’s due to start or he struggles syncing up his legs and his arms, he finds a way.
“That’s baseball,” he said. “You’re going to get a lot of starts in the year and there are going to be some where you’re in cruise control and everything’s firing on all cylinders. And there are going to be some where you’re not firing on all cylinders and you’ve got to compete. Today was one of those and I feel like I did a good job of just keeping the team in the game.”
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins will bring in another quarterback while starter Tua Tagovailoa deals with his latest concussion, coach Mike McDaniel said Friday.
For now, Skylar Thompson will be considered the Dolphins’ starter while Tagovailoa is sidelined. Tagovailoa left Thursday night’s 31-10 loss to Buffalo in the third quarter with the third known concussion of his NFL career, all of them coming in the last 24 months.
“The team and the organization are very confident in Skylar,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said the team has not made any decision about whether to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve. Tagovailoa was expected at the team facility on Friday to start the process of being evaluated in earnest.
“We just have to operate in the unknown and be prepared for every situation,” McDaniel said, noting that the only opinions that will matter to the team will be the ones from Tagovailoa and the medical staff.
McDaniel added that he doesn’t see Tagovailoa playing in Miami’s next game at Seattle on Sept. 22.
“I have no idea and I’m not going to all of a sudden start making decisions that I don’t even see myself involved in the most important parts of,” McDaniel added. “All I’m telling Tua is everyone is counting on you to be a dad and be a dad this weekend. And then we’ll move from there. There won’t be any talk about where we’re going in that regard … none of that will happen without doctors’ expertise and the actual player.”
Tagovailoa was 17 for 25 passing for 145 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions — one of which was returned for a Buffalo score — when he got hurt. Thompson completed eight of 14 passes for 80 yards.
Thompson said he feels “fully equipped” to run the Dolphins’ offense.
“What’s going to lie ahead, who knows, but man, I’m confident, though,” Thompson said after Thursday’s game. “I feel like I’m ready for whatever’s to come. I’m going to prepare and work hard and do everything I can to lead this team and do my job.”
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.
Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room.
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.
“The furthest thing from my mind is, ‘What is the timeline?’ We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are,” McDaniel said. “We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from here.”
Some players saw Tagovailoa in the locker room after the game and said they were encouraged. Tagovailoa spoke with some players and then went home after the game, McDaniel said.
“I have a lot of love for Tua, built a great relationship with him,” said quarterback Skylar Thompson, who replaced Tagovailoa after the injury. “You care about the person more than the player and everybody in the organization would say the same thing. Just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season — a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL — and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, and that was the final score.
“If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Amazon following the game. “He’s a great football player but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best humans on the planet. I’ve got a lot of love for him and I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything’s OK. But it’s tough, man. This game of football that we play, it’s got its highs and it’s got its lows — and this is one of the lows.”
Tagovailoa’s college years and first three NFL seasons were marred by injury, though he positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023 as he led the Dolphins into the playoffs. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards last year.
When, or if, he can come back this season is anyone’s guess. Tagovailoa said in April 2023 that the concussions he had in the 2022 season left him contemplating his playing future. “I think I considered it for a time,” he said then, when asked if he considered stepping away from the game to protect himself.
McDaniel said it’s not his place to say if Tagovailoa should return to football. “He’ll be evaluated and we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate,” McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at him as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa appeared to be making a fist with his right hand as he lay on the ground. It was movement consistent with something that is referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.
“I love Tua on and off the football field,” Bills edge Von Miller said. “I’m a huge fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.
He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.
Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season. After that, Tagovailoa began studying ways where he may be able to fall more safely and protect himself against further injury — including studying jiu-jitsu.
“I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands,” McDaniel said. “I’m just worried about the human being.”
TORSBY, Sweden (AP) — David Beckham and former England coach Roy Hodgson were among the soccer dignitaries who attended the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson on Friday in the Swedish manager’s small hometown of Torsby.
Eriksson’s wooden coffin was covered in white flowers and surrounded by six tall candles and other floral wreaths as the ceremony began inside the 600-seat Fryksande church.
“It is a day of grief but also a day of thankfulness,” the priest, Ingela Älvskog, told those in attendance.
Beckham, who arrived by private jet on Thursday, greeted Eriksson’s 95-year-old father Sven and other family members with hugs inside the church before the funeral started.
Eriksson became England’s first foreign-born coach when he led the national team from 2001-06, and made Beckham his captain.
Eriksson, who also won trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on Aug. 26 at the age of 76, eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.
Some 200 seats in the neo-Gothic church from 1898 were reserved for his family, friends and players from his career in the football world, according to his agent. The remaining seats were open for the public, according to Eriksson’s wish, with a big screen set up outside the church where hundreds more gathered to watch the ceremony. The funeral was also broadcast live on some Swedish media websites.
The wooden coffin was wheeled in by pallbearers at the church Friday morning as fog wrapped Torsby — a town of about 4,000 people located about 310 kilometers (193 miles) west of Stockholm. Next to the casket was a photo of Eriksson on a small table. The floral wreaths included ones sent by FIFA and Lazio, the Italian team that Eriksson led to the Serie A title in 2000.
The ceremony began with somber piano and organ music, but later took on a more upbeat note with Swedish singer Charlotta Birgersson performing Elton John’s song “Candle In The Wind” and then “My Way” in a duet with Johan Birgersson, who later intoned the popular Italian song “Volare” after the family had gathered around the casket to lay flowers.
Beckham also visited Eriksson in Sweden in June to say goodbye. Others attending the funeral included the Swedish coach’s longtime partner Nancy Dell’Olio. Eriksson’s agent had said that guests from England, Italy and Spain were expected.
After the funeral, the casket was carried out of the church by eight men to the hearse. The guests then walked in a procession accompanying the coffin to a nearby museum where speeches and eulogies to the coach fondly known as “Svennis” were planned on an outdoor stage. A brass band played during the procession through Torsby, including the tune “You never walk alone” from the musical “Carousel” which has become the anthem of Liverpool, the club Eriksson supported since childhood.
The local soccer club Torsby IF, where Eriksson started his career in the 1960s, wrote on its webpage that “you also showed your greatness by always being yourself, the caring Svennis who talked to everyone and took the time, for big and small, asking how things were and how the football was going. We will miss you.”
