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Alek Manoah exits Blue Jays game against Tigers – MLB.com

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TORONTO — It should come as no surprise that Alek Manoah lobbied to stay in the game even after getting hit in the throwing elbow by a 93 mph comebacker.

The Blue Jays’ All-Star right-hander came close to a nightmare scenario on Friday, when he was forced to leave his team’s 4-2 loss to the Tigers with a right-elbow contusion 87 pitches into his outing. But Manoah’s precautionary X-rays came back negative, and it’s unlikely he will have to miss a start.

In fact, as he told Blue Jays trainer Jose Ministral, the 24-year-old was ready to keep pitching the sixth inning at Rogers Centre.

“He said, ‘Are you crazy?’” Manoah said, after the game, of his interaction with Ministral. “ … Honestly, I didn’t even think I needed the X-ray, but they wanted to do it [as a precaution]. Everything was negative, everything is clean, so I’ll get back on the horse and get back out there in five days.”

Manoah told reporters that his immediate reaction after taking Jonathan Schoop’s liner to the arm was born of shock more so than actual pain.

He brought his left hand to his elbow and winced, crouching beside the mound as the defense recorded the putout at first. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gestured for Ministral and interim manager John Schneider, who decided to bring in Tim Mayza, ending Manoah’s night at 5 1/3 innings.

“[Mayza] was up anyway and we were kind of headed in that direction,” Schneider said of his decision to pull Manoah. “He’s competitive as hell and he wanted to stay in, but it was a pretty easy decision to get him out just to be safe.”

The Blue Jays’ trademark move is to exercise caution with their stars.

Manoah’s early exit came on an evening when Toronto took the field without two of its biggest stars in George Springer and Bo Bichette, both dealing with discomfort after a high-impact series opener against the Tigers. Bichette did pinch-hit with two outs in the ninth, lining out sharply to center field to end the game, but his absence — and that of Springer — was costly through the game.

The Blue Jays’ offense mustered just four hits off Tigers pitchers in an outing that may as well have been a showcase of a parade of relievers on the trade block — many of whom, such as Michael Fulmer and Will Vest, would fit like a glove for the home team.

Though Manoah didn’t have his “sharpest outing,” as Schneider put it afterwards, he kept his team in the game despite the lukewarm offensive night. He struck out four Tigers batters and allowed four earned runs, including a solo shot to Willi Castro.

“We hold him to a pretty high standard,” said Schneider. “I don’t think his stuff was quite as crisp as it has been, and that happens over the course of a long season. But he was good. I’m not going to put anything more than that. He was good. I think we expect him to dominate a lot of the time, but it was kind of just one of those nights for him.”

Like several other teams this year, the Tigers loaded up on left-handed batters against Manoah, whose splits show this is an area to improve upon. The tough matchups paired with inconsistent command of the two-seam and four-seam fastballs made it a rare off night for Manoah.

He wanted to keep going, but respected the coaching staff’s decision to pull him.

“Someone has to be the smart one, you know,” Manoah joked. “It was the right time to get me out, and the bullpen did a great job.”

While the organization let out a collective sigh of relief at the negative X-rays, Manoah’s injury scare came at an intriguing moment.

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi made a solid return from the 15-day IL on Thursday, which ostensibly gave the Blue Jays some clarity around their rotation ahead of Tuesday’s Trade Deadline. But Friday’s scene brought back the memory of Kevin Gausman missing time after being hit in the ankle by a comebacker, and came just moments before coveted starter Luis Castillo reportedly packed his bags for Seattle.

There’s no need to panic. But every loss, injury scare and rival transaction should intensify the Blue Jays’ urgency to make moves.

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PWHL MVP Spooner set to miss start of season for Toronto Sceptres due to knee injury

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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.

The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.

She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.

Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.

Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.

The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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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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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.

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

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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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