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Benches clear in Baltimore as Orioles get back at Blue Jays – Toronto Sun

Published

2 years ago

September 7, 2022

Harry Miller

Publishing date:

Sep 07, 2022 • 5 hours ago • 5 minute read • 8 Comments

Players for both the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays clear their benches at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Photo by Brent Skeen /USA TODAY Sports

BALTIMORE — Normally Vlad Guerrero Jr. reserves his most savage of blows for his bat, which can assault a baseball like no other in the major leagues.

But on a night when tempers boiled over at Camden Yards, the Jays first baseman made his best shot a verbal one directed at a former teammate who clearly wasn’t beloved in the Toronto clubhouse.

“When you stare at the person (after getting him out), it’s kind of disrespectful,” Guerrero said after the Jays fell 9-6 to the Orioles in a testy affair in which emotions were running high for both teams. “Does he think he’s a superhero or something?

“We believe that if you look at the dugout you want problems. You want us to react. It crosses the line a bit.”

Or a lot, as Guerrero’s teammates were willing to say on and off the record following the third game of a four-game series following a doubleheader sweep by the Jays the previous day.

Rewind to the dustup that took place as the three hour and 53 minute game was headed to the seventh-inning stretch. Orioles pitcher Bryan Baker, who had induced a double play earlier in the inning had words for Teoscar Hernandez, who had slugged a homer off of him the night before.

The two continued the exchange as Hernandez returned to the Jays dugout, but when Baker struck out Matt Chapman, the lit fuse ignited.

Baker glared into the Jays dugout, pointing repeatedly and Toronto players had seen enough.

Best chirp I heard about Bryan Baker in the Blue Jays clubhouse tonight (and remember, he was with the organization from 2018 to 2021 and promoted to the big league team last season): “The best thing that guy ever did was win the March Madness pool.”

That’s pretty strong. https://t.co/zIRGt4NtJm

— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) September 7, 2022

Led by Hernandez and Guerrero, the charge from the dugout was swift and spirited

“It was Baker looking into our dugout like he has every time he pitches against us since he wasn’t part or our team and our team reacted,” said Jays manager John Schneider, who was ejected in the bottom of the inning after seeing one too many marginal ball calls from incompetent home plate ump, Jeff Nelson. “It wasn’t the first time he’s done it, so our guys were fed up with it.”

If you missed the Schneider zinger there, Baker appeared in one game for the Jays in 2021 after spending parts of four seasons in the Toronto farm system.

It’ was clear post-game that the Jays had little use for Baker as a teammate, but the disdain for him as an opponent is next level.

‘I feel like when you’re out there performing, it gets pretty intense,” Jays closer Jordan Romano said. “The way I do it and other guys on this team do it, there’s a certain element of respect for the batter, especially when you’re giving up runs.

“Myself, personally, I wouldn’t be chirping the guys who are scoring on me.”

Ouch.

There was more of the same from Hernandez, who like Guerrero had to be physically restrained from going after Baker and had his Jays jersey torn off in the process. The normally mild-mannered infielder was infuriated in the moment.

Afterwards, he chuckled.

“I guess Baker was mad because (on Monday) I hit a homer off of him,” Hernandez said. “Every time he pitches against us, he’s just trying to make it a show.”

And now the show goes on, in a rivalry that continues to intensify as the resurgent Orioles moved back to within 3.5 games of the Jays for the final American League wildcard spot.

O’s manager Brandon Hyde has had his issues with the Jays in the past and Schneider is well aware of the implications of the remaining seven games between the two teams.

Next up on that slate is a Wednesday evening contest that promises to keep the intensity given the Jays will send their bulldog starter Alek Manoah to the mound looking to take a 3-1 series win over the O’s.

The fiery right hander spent the moments after Tuesday’s final out looking across the diamond at the Orioles he will face on Wednesday, game seven of a 10-game, three-city road trip for the Jays.

“We’re all playing for something right now,” Schneider said post game, having had an opportunity to cool down. “We’re playing really well. We’re confident with what we’re going and we have one of our best dudes (Manoah, on Wednesday.)

“Win a series and move on.”

TURD OF A THIRD

By the time the shenanigans had wrapped up, the struggles of Jays starter Mitch White were all but forgotten, though they will resurface when the fifth spot in the rotation returns.

Trouble began when White walked the No. 8 and 9 hitters in the O’s lineup, Rougned Odor and Jorge Mateo. Next up was a pitch to the hand of Cedric Mullins and that free pass loaded the bases.

By the time the inning was over, the Orioles had put up five runs, all of them charged to White, who only lasted 2.1 innings.

It was the third consecutive poor outing for White, who was acquired at the trade deadline as a replacement for struggling Yusei Kikuchi at the fifth spot in the Jays rotation.

It hasn’t been pretty, either, as White has allowed 16 runs over his three starts, while only pitching a combined 12 innings.

BO SHOW

Jays shortstop Bo Bichette picked up where left off on his sizzling Labour Day, launching his fourth homer in two games, a third-inning shot that hit the top of the wall in right field.

It continued the torrid pace for Bichette, who followed Tuesday’s homer with a double in his next at-bat and a single after that.

“He’s about as locked in as I’ve seen him in terms of being task-task-oriented and executing a plan,” Schneider said of Bichette. “It’s a very locked-in player on a lot of different levels.”

GAME ON

The Jays looked like they were headed for another strong start scoring a run in the second on an RBI single from Matt Chapman that brought Alejandro Kirk home … the Jays added two more in the third on Bichette’s 22nd homer of the season and pulled to within a run again in the fifth when a Chapman double brought home Bichette … The eventual winning run came after Kikuchi came in with one out in the sixth allowing a Cedric Mullins single to score Mateo. There will be some serious second guessing on the move to Kikuchi in a one-run game, especially after the reliever that preceded him, Anthony Bass, retired the four batters he faced on seven pitches .. Any serious chances of a late Jays rally were squelched when the Orioles added three run-in the eighth, though Alejandro Kirk, with his fourth hit off the night, drove in Bichette for a ninth-inning score … The Jays offence continued to bang out hits, counting 13 on the night and 38 combined in the first three games of the series.

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Sports

Canada’s Marina Stakusic falls in Guadalajara Open quarterfinals

Published

5 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.

The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.

Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.

In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.

The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Kirk’s walk-off single in 11th inning lifts Blue Jays past Cardinals 4-3

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5 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.

Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.

Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.

He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.

The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.

Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.

He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.

George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.

Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.

In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.

St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

ON DECK

Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.

The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Stampeders return to Maier at QB eyeing chance to get on track against Alouettes

Published

5 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Anne Joseph

CALGARY – Mired in their first four-game losing skid in 20 years, the Calgary Stampeders are going back to Jake Maier at quarterback on Saturday after he was benched for a game.

It won’t be an easy assignment.

Visiting McMahon Stadium are the Eastern Conference-leading Montreal Alouettes (10-2) who own the CFL’s best record. The Stampeders (4-8) have fallen to last in the Western Conference.

“Six games is plenty of time, but also it is just six games,” said Maier. “We’ve got to be able to get on the right track.”

Calgary is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

“I do still believe in this team,” said Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson. “I want to see improvement, though. I want to see guys on a weekly basis elevating their game, and we haven’t been doing that.”

Maier is one of the guys under the microscope. Two weeks ago, the second-year starter threw four interceptions in a 35-20 home loss to the Edmonton Elks.

After his replacement, rookie Logan Bonner, threw five picks in last week’s 37-16 loss to the Elks in Edmonton, the football is back in Maier’s hands.

“Any time you fail or something doesn’t go your way in life, does it stink in the moment? Yeah. But then the days go on and you learn things about yourself and you learn how to prepare a little bit better,” said Maier. “It makes you mentally tougher.”

Dickenson wants to see his quarterback making better decisions with the football.

“Things are going to happen, interceptions will happen, but try to take calculated risks, rather than just putting the ball up there and hoping that we catch it,” said Dickenson.

A former quarterback himself, he knows the importance of that vital position.

“You cannot win without good quarterback play,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to be able to make some plays — off-schedule plays, move-around plays, plays that break down, plays that aren’t designed perfectly, but somehow you found the right guy, and then those big throws where you’re taking that hit.”

But it’s going to take a team effort, and that includes the club’s receiving corp.

“We always have to band together because we need everything to go right for our receivers to get the ball,” said Nik Lewis, the Stampeders’ receivers coach. “The running back has to pick up the blitz, the o-line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, and then give us a catchable ball.”

Lewis brings a unique perspective to this season’s frustrations as he was a 22-year-old rookie in Calgary in 2004 when the Stamps went 4-14 under coach Matt Dunigan. They turned it around the next season and haven’t missed the playoffs since.”

“Thinking back and just looking at it, there’s just got to be an ultimate belief that you can get it done. Look at Montreal, they were 6-7 last year and they’ve gone 18-2 since then,” said Lewis.

Montreal is also looking to rebound from a 37-23 loss to the B.C. Lions last week. But for head coach Jason Maas, he says his team’s mindset doesn’t change, regardless of what happened the previous week.

“Last year when we went through a four-game losing streak, you couldn’t tell if we were on a four-game winning streak or a four-game losing streak by the way the guys were in the building, the way we prepared, the type of work ethic we have,” said Maas. “All our standards are set, so that’s all we focus on.”

While they may have already clinched a playoff spot, Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo says this closing stretch remains critical because they want to finish the season strong, just like last year when they won their final five regular-season games before ultimately winning the Grey Cup.

“It doesn’t matter about what you do at the beginning of the year,” said Fajardo. “All that matters is how you end the year and how well you’re playing going into the playoffs so that’s what these games are about.”

The Alouettes’ are kicking off a three-game road stretch, one Fajardo looks forward to.

“You understand what kind of team you have when you play on the road because it’s us versus the world mentality and you can feel everybody against you,” said Fajardo. “Plus, I always tend to find more joy in silencing thousands of people than bringing thousands of people to their feet.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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