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Blue Jays deliver uplifting victory in charged-up Rogers Centre homecoming – Sportsnet.ca

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3 years ago

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TORONTO — As he got ready to hit the sheets around 4:30 a.m. ET Friday morning, Ross Stripling looked out the window of his Rogers Centre hotel room at the field he’d be pitching on in about 15 hours’ time. He saw the big eggshell roof, the blue stands, the freshly laid turf. And then he saw the figure of a dreadlocked man miming his pitching motion up on the mound. Who is that? Is that Rafael Dolis?

“I’m like, ‘What is he doing?’ He’s just up there standing on the mound,” Stripling remembered. “Guys were just full of energy, really excited, pumped to be back. I mean, this has been a long time coming.”

And so began Opening Day in July. Flash forward to 3:30 p.m., only 12 hours after they’d arrived on Canadian soil from the longest road trip of their lives, and Blue Jays pitchers and catchers began trickling out of the club’s dugout for pre-game stretch. There was a buzz about them. An anticipation. An energy that sustained over a night none of them will forget.

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Brad Hand, acquired in a trade with the Washington Nationals Thursday, introduced himself to new teammates. Alek Manoah, only eight starts into his major-league career, looked up at the clouds rolling overhead while the bass from a recently souped-up sound system reverberated around him. Danny Jansen, one of only five current Blue Jays to play more than sixty games in Toronto, caught long toss.

There was work to get done. A fresh playing surface meant a fresh round of fielding practice for the club’s pitchers, who worked on throwing comebackers to second base and covering first from a mound many of them have never competed on. All of Toronto’s infielders took an extended groundball session, as well, reacquainting themselves with big-league infield dirt. Outfielders shagged flyballs throughout batting practice, testing their sight lines, judging the open-roof carry, reading the flight of each ball into their gloves.

About a quarter after five, the stadium’s gates opened for the first time in 22 months, as fans in home whites, road greys, and alternate blues streamed down the aisles toward their seats, where they found masks and dark blue t-shirts bearing the date and the word “Home” beneath Toronto’s skyline. Meanwhile, the Cardboard cut-outs that stood in for them at Buffalo’s Sahlen Field during 2020’s abbreviated season lined the first several rows of 500 level bleachers behind home plate. Out in centre field, the flight deck began filling up with excited patrons, cans in hand.

“Just instantly, the second I was out of the dugout, people were cheering, screaming my name. The signs — it seemed like everyone had a sign: “Welcome Home.” I was playing catch — I play catch real long before I pitch. So, I got all the way almost to right field. And people started screaming while I’m over there,” Stripling said. “The energy, I could feel it from the second I walked out of the dugout. And it only built as more people piled in and as the opening ceremonies got going.”

A little after 7:00pm, Blue Jays players, coaches, and staff jogged out onto the turf from an opening in the centre field wall, flanked by health care workers from Toronto General Hospital’s Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Pyrotechnic smoke machines erupted and a video tribute featuring thankful fans was played as a booming “Let’s go, Blue Jays!” chant broke out amongst the 13,446 in attendance around the 100 and 200 levels.

“I was looking at Vladdy, looking at Teo — everybody’s looking at each other like, ‘Man, I’ve got the chills. I’m holding back tears,’” said Bo Bichette, who was standing at second base, right in the middle of it. “It’s hard to explain the feeling. We’ve just kind of been trying to pretend like we had a home. And it’s difficult to do for two years. So, when we finally come back here, it feels like definitely a big weight off our shoulders.”

Salutes to the crowd; anthems sung with grace by Forte — Toronto Gay Men’s Chorus; first pitches thrown to the four Blue Jays all-stars by community members such as a TTC employee and a member of the East York Baseball Association; a gigantic Canadian flag unfurled across the outfield, as it always is on marquee days at Rogers Centre, held at its edges by 250 members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

And then it was time to play ball. It’s what they all came out for, after all. What we’ve all been waiting 670 days to see. And the Blue Jays delivered in front of a lively, charged-up crowd for the first time in a long time, overcoming the Kansas City Royals, 6-3. Not a bad way to come home.

“It gave me goosebumps, it gave me chills,” said Stripling, who gave the Blue Jays 5.1 innings of two-run ball. “I mean, that’ll be something that I talk about forever.”

All that anticipation, all that pre-game pageantry, all the zaniness of a chaotic trade deadline bled away as Stripling reached back and delivered a first-pitch strike, 90.4-m.p.h. up and over the plate. And then another — a slider that Royals leadoff hitter Whit Merrifield swung through down-and-away. The crowd came alive, not that it had ever really died down. And if Stripling had landed the next one, he would’ve felt them through his cleats.

But baseball isn’t played to a script. So, it took Stripling a few more pitches to get his first out in a three-up, three-down inning that ended with him walking back to the dugout as the place went nuts. And they really dialled it up when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stepped to the plate in the bottom half, chants of “MVP! MVP!” ringing around the dome as everyone rose to their feet. A pitch later, the 22-year-old ripped a 107-m.p.h. liner into right to give the Blue Jays their first hit at Rogers Centre since Luke Maile’s ninth-inning single on the final day of the 2019 season.

The first run since that day came an inning later, when Teoscar Hernandez saw a fastball in his inner-half happy zone and took it off the facing of the third deck. And, oh, did he pimp it. Flicked the bat away like a used chopstick. He’s felt the sensation of a no-doubter in this place before.

That was a moment. Another was George Springer’s two-out double later in the inning, which cashed Randal Grichuk from second base. And an even bigger one came in the third as Bichette, who’d stolen second a pitch earlier, shot around third base on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. single to left and flew headfirst into home plate ahead of the tag. Maybe through home plate is more accurate.

At that instant, it felt like they couldn’t lose. Not on this night. Not before this crowd. But it’ss never easy at this level, and Toronto’s bats went cold through middle innings as the Royals picked away at their lead. A run crossed with two out in the fifth, and Salvador Perez got another in the sixth with a solo shot off Stripling’s final pitch of the game. A crowd that’s waited nearly two years to cheer for something — anything — still gave him an ovation as he left the mound.

And Stripling did what the Blue Jays ask of him — take two trips through the lineup, finish five. He got 16 outs with 76 pitches, mixing fastballs with sliders and curveballs, while sneaking in a few surprise changeups that earned him three of his 10 swinging strikes. It was the kind of clean, effective start that’s he’s made time and again this season as an under-appreciated pillar at the back-end of Toronto’s rotation.

“He finds a way to get people out,” said Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo. “And, honestly, he’s been pitching with kind of a dead arm a little bit. He’s not throwing 93-94. He’s throwing 89-90. But he knows how to pitch, man. He knows how to keep you in the game. And that’s what he did today.”

And while the building’s energy waned over middle-innings, it came surging back in the seventh as Alejandro Kirk led off with a single, Springer came up with his second double of the night, and Guerrero — back to his Juan Soto ways in the box, twirling his bat between pitches, tapping his foot and wagging his hips as he takes balls off the plate — walked to load the bases.

A run crossed quietly as Marcus Semien grounded into a double play. But then two crossed rather loudly as Bichette shot a line drive the opposite way that never came down, sneaking a two-run shot over the right field wall.

“Yeah, that was a good feeling,” Bichette said. “I think everybody in the lineup probably thought about hitting a home run today. So, to be able to do it was special. I’m sure I’ll remember it for a long time.”

And of course it was Jordan Romano — Markham’s own — jogging out of the left field bullpen to close things out in the ninth. Sitting 97 and touching 100, Romano had to earn it as the Royals scratched across a run. But he had a defence behind him. Namely, Santiago Espinal, who bare-handed the final out of the game over his left shoulder, ending the night as memorably as it began.

“We could’ve had a seven-run lead,” Montoyo said. “Jordan Romano was going to pitch”

What a day. The pre-game pageantry; an emotional and long-awaited homecoming in a city slowly emerging from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic; one of the splashiest MLB trade deadlines in recent memory; an overhauled bullpen; a transformational deal for a frontline starter; the departure of two top prospects, one whom the club selected No. 5 overall only a year ago and signed to a franchise-record $7-million signing bonus; Hernandez’s no-doubter; Bichette doing a little bit of everything; Espinal’s ridiculous play; Opening Day in July.

“You know, today, honestly, was one of my best days in baseball. And I’ve been around for a long time. I was so happy to be here,” Montoyo said. “I was actually nervous for this game because I wanted us to win so bad. And for the fans back in Toronto, and that energy that we felt there at the end with that play that [Espinal] made — I was just so happy. I just for sure wanted to win today. Of course, I want to win every game. But today was awesome. What a day. I’m never going to forget this day.”

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Need to Know: Bruins at Maple Leafs | Game 3 | Boston Bruins – NHL.com

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4 hours ago

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April 24, 2024

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Familiar Territory

James van Riemsdyk has played his fair share of playoff contests here in Toronto – but all of them have come in blue and white. On Wednesday night, he would be on the other side for the first time if he indeed makes his Bruins postseason debut, which appeared to be a strong possibility based on the Black & Gold’s morning skate.

“It’s always special to play in this building,” said van Riemsdyk, who played in 20 postseason games with Toronto, including nine at Scotiabank Arena. “In this rivalry, it’s always a lot of fun. This time of year is always amazing, no matter where you’re at – if you’re at a 500-seat arena or a rink with all the tradition and history like this. It’s always fun and always a great opportunity to get in there.”

van Riemsdyk was a healthy scratch for the first two games of this series, following a trend across the second half of the regular season, during which he sat out several games.

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“Playoff time of year is always the best time of year,” said van Riemsdyk, who has 20 goals and 31 points in 71 career playoff games between Philadelphia and Toronto. “Obviously, in this rivalry, it’s always a lot of fun – two fun buildings to play in. You cherish every opportunity you get.

“This time of year, you learn that along the way, it’s all about the team. Whatever the team’s asking you to do, that’s always got to be your mindset and approach…you stay at it every day and just take it one day at a time.”

Montgomery said that if van Riemsdyk does re-enter the lineup, he’ll be looking for the veteran winger to help the Bruins’ offensive game. He also complimented van Riemsdyk’s professionalism throughout a trying second half.

“I guess getting his stick on more pucks,” Montgomery said on what he wants to see from van Riemsdyk. “We’ve talked about it a lot of times internally. Him and [Kevin] Shattenkirk have been great. They’re true pros. Every day come to work, come to get better. It’s not an easy situation, but he’s been great.”

van Riemsdyk concurred with his coach’s sentiments about helping Boston’s offensive attack, saying that he’ll be aiming to be around the net as much as possible.

“I think you’ve got to stay true to who you are as a player and play with good details and manage the game well and play to your strengths as a player,” he said. “This time of year, being around the net is always an important trait. You see all the goals being scored, it’s all within 5-10 feet of the net. That’s an area that I pride myself on, so going to be doing my best to get there and have an impact there.”

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NHL teams, take note: Alexandar Georgiev is proof that anything can happen in the playoffs

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16 hours ago

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April 24, 2024

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It’s hard to say when, exactly, Alexandar Georgiev truly began to win some hearts and change some minds on Tuesday night.

Maybe it was in the back half of the second period; that was when the Colorado Avalanche, for the first time in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets, actually managed to hold a lead for more than, oh, two minutes or thereabouts. Maybe it was when the Avs walked into the locker room up 4-2 with 20 minutes to play.

Maybe it was midway through the third, when a series of saves by the Avalanche’s beleaguered starting goaltender helped preserve their two-goal buffer. Maybe it was when the buzzer sounded after their 5-2 win. Maybe it didn’t happen until the Avs made it into their locker room at Canada Life Centre, tied 1-1 with the Jets and headed for Denver.

At some point, though, it should’ve happened. If you were watching, you should’ve realized that Colorado — after a 7-6 Game 1 loss that had us all talking not just about all those goals, but at least one of the guys who’d allowed them — had squared things up, thanks in part to … well, that same guy.

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Georgiev, indeed, was the story of Game 2, stopping 28 of 30 shots, improving as the game progressed and providing a lesson on how quickly things can change in the playoffs — series to series, game to game, period to period, moment to moment. The narrative doesn’t always hold. Facts don’t always cooperate. Alexandar Georgiev, for one night and counting, was not a problem for the Colorado Avalanche. He was, in direct opposition to the way he played in Game 1, a solution. How could we view him as anything else?

He had a few big-moment saves, and most of them came midway through the third period with his team up 4-2. There he was with 12:44 remaining, stopping a puck that had awkwardly rolled off Nino Niederreiter’s stick; two missed posts by the Avs at the other end had helped spring Niederreiter for a breakaway. Game 1 Georgiev doesn’t make that save.

There he was, stopping Nikolaj Ehlers from the circle a few minutes later. There wasn’t an Avs defender within five feet, and there was nothing awkward about the puck Ehlers fired at his shoulder. Game 1 Georgiev gets scored on twice.

(That one might’ve been poetic justice. It was Ehlers who’d put the first puck of the night on Georgiev — a chip from center ice that he stopped, and that the crowd in Winnipeg greeted with the ol’ mock cheer. Whoops.)

By the end of it all, Georgiev had stared down Connor Hellebuyck and won, saving nearly 0.5 goals more than expected according to Natural Stat Trick, giving the Avalanche precisely what they needed and looking almost nothing like the guy we’d seen a couple days before. Conventional wisdom coming into this series was twofold: That the Avs have firepower, high-end talent and an overall edge — slight as it may be — on Winnipeg, and that Georgiev is shaky enough to nuke the whole thing.

That wasn’t without merit, either. Georgiev’s .897 save percentage in the regular season was six percentage points below the league average, and he hadn’t broken even in expected goals allowed (minus-0.21). He’d been even worse down the stretch, putting up an .856 save percentage in his final eight appearances, and worse still in Game 1, allowing seven goals on 23 shots and more than five goals more than expected. That’s not bad; that’s an oil spill. Writing him off would’ve been understandable. Writing off Jared Bednar for rolling him out there in Game 2 would’ve been understandable. Writing the Avs off — for all of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar’s greatness — would’ve been understandable.

It just wouldn’t have been correct.

The fact that this all went down now, four days into a two-month ordeal, is a gift — because the postseason thus far has been short on surprises, almost as a rule. The Rangers and Oilers are overwhelming the Capitals and Kings. The Hurricanes are halfway done with the Islanders. The Canucks are struggling with the Predators. Panthers–Lightning is tight, but one team is clearly better than the other. Bruins–Maple Leafs is a close matchup featuring psychic baggage that we don’t have time to unpack. In Golden Knights–Stars, Mark Stone came back and scored a huge goal.

None of that should shock you. None of that should make you blink.

Georgiev being good enough for Colorado, though? After what we saw in Game 1? Strange, surprising and completely true. For now.

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"Laugh it off": Evander Kane says Oilers won’t take the bait against Kings | Offside

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1 day ago

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April 23, 2024

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The LA Kings tried every trick in the book to get the Edmonton Oilers off their game last night.

Hacks after the whistle, punches to the face, and interference with line changes were just some of the things that the Oilers had to endure, and throughout it all, there was not an ounce of retaliation.

All that badgering by the Kings resulted in at least two penalties against them and fuelled a red-hot Oilers power play that made them pay with three goals on four chances. That was by design for Edmonton, who knew that LA was going to try to pester them as much as they could.

That may have worked on past Oilers teams, but not this one.

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“We’ve been in a series now for the third year in a row with these guys,” Kane said after practice this morning. “We know them, they know us… it’s one of those things where maybe it makes it a little easier to kind of laugh it off, walk away, or take a shot.

“That type of stuff isn’t gonna affect us.”

Once upon a time, this type of play would get under the Oilers’ skin and result in retaliatory penalties. Yet, with a few hard-knock lessons handed down to them in the past few seasons, it seems like the team is as determined as ever to cut the extracurriculars and focus on getting revenge on the scoreboard.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest-tenured player on this Oilers team, had to keep his emotions in check with Kings defender Vladislav Gavrikov, who punched him in the face early in the game. The easy reaction would be to punch back, but the veteran Nugen-Hopkins took his licks and wound up scoring later in the game.

“It’s going to be physical, the emotions are high, and there’s probably going to be some stuff after the whistle,” Nugent-Hopkins told reporters this morning. “I think it’s important to stay poised out there and not retaliate and just play through the whistles and let the other stuff just kind of happen.”

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch also noticed his team’s discipline. Playoff hockey is full of emotion, and keeping those in check to focus on the larger goal is difficult. He was happy with how his team set the tone.

“It’s not necessarily easy to do,” Knoblauch said. “You get punched in the face and sometimes the referees feel it’s enough to call a penalty, sometimes it’s not… You just have to take them, and sometimes, you get rewarded with the power play.

“I liked our guy’s response and we want to be sticking up for each other, we want to have that pack mentality, but it’s really important that we’re not the ones taking that extra penalty.”

There is no doubt that the Kings will continue to poke and prod at the Oilers as the series continues. Keeping those retaliations in check will only get more difficult, but if the team can continue to succeed on the scoreboard, it could get easier.

 

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