MIAMI — As wild as it would’ve been to suggest only 12 weeks ago as spring training broke, Jose Berrios entered Monday’s start against the Miami Marlins as the Toronto Blue Jays’ most reliable source of length from its rotation.
He’d pitched into the sixth inning in each of his last 11 outings. He’d gone at least five innings in 13 of his 14 starts. Kevin Gausman’s done that 12 of his 15 times out; Chris Bassitt in 11 of 15.
But facing a plucky, contact-oriented Marlins team that’s been quietly piling up wins while playing one of MLB’s softest schedules, Berrios couldn’t make it 14 of 15. He bled base hits from the jump, got dragged deep into counts, and threw 30 pitches in two of his four innings as the Marlins wore on Berrios throughout his worst start in over two months and blitzed the Blue Jays 11-0.
“They made him work. Threw a lot of pitches. Ran deep counts. I think the execution just wasn’t quite there with either fastball or breaking ball,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “Good lineup, they’re playing well right now. And I think pitch count just got him today.”
Blue Jays’ Schneider on inconsistent pitching of late: ‘It puts you in a bind’
After back-to-back games that saw Toronto’s starter depart in the fourth inning — one by design in Saturday’s bullpen game; the other by necessity as Bassitt struggled to contain hard contact Sunday — this was the last thing the Blue Jays needed. They’ve now essentially thrown three consecutive bullpen days, asking relievers and a position player to record 40 of 72 outs over that span.
Here’s a sentence: Good thing the Blue Jays recalled Trent Thornton Monday as an insurance policy, optioning Bowden Francis to open a roster spot. He followed Berrios and threw 24 pitches over two clean innings, buying Schneider some much-needed breathing room in the middle of Monday’s debacle.
But Schneider was still forced to use Nate Pearson on back-to-back days for only the third time this season — he threw 22 pitches while giving up three runs on Sunday — which did not go well. The Marlins shortened up and put wood on the big right-hander’s big velocity, fouling off seven upper-90’s-to-low-100’s fastballs while putting two others in play.
After allowing five of the six batters he faced to reach, Pearson gave way to Mitch White, who also worked the day prior, throwing 31 pitches. He surrendered Luis Arraez’s fifth single of the night — the contact king’s third five-hit performance of the season and second in three days raised his batting average to .400 — before allowing the rest of the runners Pearson left behind to score as the snowball barrelled downhill.
Marlins’ Arraez dominates Blue Jays, rockets back to .400 with five-hit night
Utility infielder Ernie Clement took the mound in the eighth, chucking an inning of batting practice at 50-80 mph, and earned three outs on 18 pitches.
“You hate having a position player out there at any point in time,” Schneider said. “Unfortunately, that’s where we landed today.”
Yusei Kikuchi — effectively wild at the best of times — starts Tuesday, which is no given for a deep outing. The Blue Jays have been reticent to allow Kikuchi, who began the season as the club’s fifth starter, to journey too far into a third trip through the order, routinely pulling him after five innings even with pitch counts in the 80’s.
Berrios not surprised with Arraez’s absurd batting average: ‘I’m happy for him’
But given how things have gone lately — plus the looming reality of a 12:10 p.m. ET start Wednesday — Schneider may not enjoy that luxury if Kikuchi is anything close to pitch efficient.
Rolling a four-man rotation and routinely sending pitching coach Pete Walker to the bullpen phone early in games, Schneider’s in-game decision-making over the last week has been less about putting pitchers in optimal matchups and more about deciphering who can get his team its requisite 27 — often 24 on this losing road trip — outs.
Blue Jays crushing loss to Marlins displays how team hasn’t connected on all fronts
“It puts you in a bind,” Schneider said. “You get guys over-worked a little bit and I think you see the results, too.”
Berrios was able to contain the Marlins attack early Monday, casually working his way out of a two-on, none-out jam in the first and stranding a one-out double in the second. But after Arraez led off the third with a single, as he does, Jorge Soler punished a 2-0 Berrios breaking ball 411-feet over the left-centre field wall for a two-run shot.
“We threw him a sinker and then a curveball for a ball,” Berrios said. “And then when I tried to make that curveball for a strike, I left it right in the middle and he got me.”
And the loud contact didn’t end there, as it took a tremendous diving effort by Kevin Kiermaier to rob Bryan De La Cruz of a hit in right-centre before Jesus Sanchez rocketed a full-count slurve to the base of the left field wall for a double. Sanchez ultimately scored on a Garrett Cooper single to shallow left-centre.
Blue Jays’ Kiermaier adds to his highlight reel with another diving snag
After a mound visit from Walker, Berrios got himself out of it with a pair of strikeouts. But not before throwing 34 pitches in the inning. Considering his ballooning pitch count, Berrios beginning the fourth by loading the bases with a walk, hit batter, and Arraez’s third single of the night — also his 100th hit of the season in only his 67th game — was less than ideal.
And so, Thornton began to warm in the Blue Jays bullpen as the runs began to cross home plate. The first on a sacrifice fly; the next on a groundout to first. By the time he got out of it, Berrios had thrown 100 pitches and allowed five runs on eight hits. Which is where his night ended as the Blue Jays got less than five innings from a starter for the fourth time in five games.
“They were taking good pitches. In and off. Pitches that looked like a strike but were off. They were taking it — they weren’t swinging at that pitch. So, I think that’s why they got better results against me,” Berrios said. “I was trying to be aggressive, attack them. I was trying to throw quality pitches. But they were taking them. So, I was getting behind them. They made me work. I threw 100 pitches in just four innings. But I’m just trying to compete. And they did better than me.”
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays offence couldn’t sustain any of the momentum it generated Sunday during a mini, six-run breakout in Texas. Toronto hitters went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and squandered what few opportunities they generated, scoring fewer than four runs for the fifth time in six games. It was Toronto’s first shutout of the season, snapping a 91-game streak of scoring at least one run — the third-longest stretch in franchise history.
Danny Jansen led off the third with an opposite field double off the end of his bat and advanced on a Cavan Biggio grounder to the right side. But neither Kiermaier (soft groundout) nor George Springer (strikeout chasing a slider) could cash him.
Similar refrain in the fourth, as Daulton Varsho and Bo Bichette singles put runners on first and second with none out for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who promptly grounded into a double play on the first pitch he saw. Guerrero swung at a good pitch to hit and the ball came off his bat at 113.7-m.p.h., his seventh-hardest hit ball in play of the season and the fourth-hardest hit double play ball across MLB this season.
“It’s been the theme for us a little bit. Looking at Vladdy’s double play — he hits it, whatever he did, 114. That’s kind of where we’re at,” Schneider said. “We’ve been talking about it for a little bit. And hopefully the numbers neutralize and things start going our way.”
Spencer Horwitz — elevated to the five hole in only his second MLB game as the club sought to space out its left-handed hitters and optimize matchups on a Marlins bullpen day — worked a long plate appearance with Varsho on third, but went down looking at a called third strike at the letters.
Base hits by Kiermaier, Horwitz, Springer, and Bichette were stranded in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively.
“You need to string together a couple of hits with guys on,” Schneider said. “Whether it’s getting a guy in from third with less than two or getting a couple of hits in a row like we did yesterday in Texas. And, sooner or later, you’ve got to hit a home run with a couple guys on base, too.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
