Yankees ace Gerrit Cole twice banged on the dugout roof, shouting in frustration and getting booed as scuffling New York lost for the 15th time in 19 games, beaten by the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 Saturday.
The AL East-leading Yankees fell to 9-20 since entering the all-star break with a 64-28 record. After holding a 15 1/2-game bulge on July 8, their margin over second-place Toronto is down to seven games.
The Yankees have lost six straight series for the first time since 1995, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Toronto will try for a four-game sweep on Sunday.
“We can ask all these questions in regards (to our slump) until we’re blue in the face,” Boone said. “We got to go out and do it. I got to quit answering questions about this date and this perplexion. We got to play better, period. And the great thing is right in front of us. It’s right here and we can fix it.”
“It’s there and we can run away with this thing and we got the dudes in there to do it and we got to do it,” he said.
Cole (9-6) hadn’t allowed a hit before the Blue Jays scored four times in the fifth. After he issued a walk and misplayed a grounder, Alejandro Kirk capped the burst with a two-run double that left fielder Andrew Benintendi couldn’t quite catch.
When the inning ended, fans booed Cole and television cameras picked up the right-hander, yelling, and punching the bottom of the dugout roof with both hands.
The reaction from portions of the crowd of 45, 538 were similar to Cole with boos increasing after Toronto went ahead and intensifying after the final out.
Jackie Bradley hit a two-run, go-ahead double down the left-field line, the ball bouncing off the wall and past Benintendi when he tried to field the carom. Bradley delivered after Santiago Espinal got Toronto’s first hit, a double two pitches after missing on a close two-strike pitch.
JBJ = Blue Jay!<br><br>His first RBI with the team ???? <a href=”https://twitter.com/JackieBradleyJr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JackieBradleyJr</a> <a href=”https://t.co/nAnE8ubSt5″>pic.twitter.com/nAnE8ubSt5</a>
Raimel Tapia reached on an infield hit by beating shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s throw and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached when Cole slightly slipped in front of the mound fielding the ball. Cole’s misstep allowed Guerrero to beat the throw and the original call was overturned when Toronto challenged.
Kirk then gave the Blue Jays a 4-1 lead when he lined a double to left-centre. Benintendi was playing slightly in, raced back, attempted a diving catch and the ball eluded his glove before centre fielder Estevan Florial fielded it and threw out Guerrero to prevent a third run from scoring.
Matt Chapman added a solo homer in the ninth as the Blue Jays won their fourth straight. Toronto is 13-6 in the Bronx since the start of last season.
If it’s fair, it’s GONE ???? <a href=”https://twitter.com/mattchap6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@mattchap6</a> <a href=”https://t.co/9BWRDCinf7″>pic.twitter.com/9BWRDCinf7</a>
Florial hit an RBI single in the second and Gleyber Torres homered in the eighth as the Yankees got nine hits but went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position. New York has managed just 21 runs in its last 11 games.
Before allowing four runs, Cole allowed two baserunners through the first four and was aided by defensive plays from Aaron Judge in right and rookie third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera.
Judge made a running catch to prevent a double by Bo Bichette in the second with his left shoulder crashing into the fence. Cabrera dove face first into the tarp in foul territory to snag Bradley’s popup and completed the play after his head hit the padding along the side wall.
Toronto starter Mitch White allowed one run and seven hits in four innings. Adam Cimber (9-4) was awarded the win and Yimi Garcia got his first save.
“He was dealing, no-hitter through four and then I think we were grinding him out good enough to get his pitch count up and kind of strung it together there,” Toronto interim manager John Schneider said.
The Blue Jays continue their series against the Yankees on Sunday in New York, with first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET.
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.
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.
