TORONTO — Miguel Cabrera’s historic 500th career homer was an unwanted incident on a long list of distressing developments for the Blue Jays on Sunday.
Among the contributing factors in Toronto’s 5-3 loss in 11 innings to Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers were a ninth-inning throwing error with two-out from Marcus Semien, an offence that continues to struggle and the Blues Jays ninth loss in 11 extra-inning games this season.
Cabrera became the 28th player to join the 500-homer club. In the sixth inning, the 38-year-old Venezuelan launched an opposite-field homer to right-centre on a 1-1 changeup from Toronto starter Steven Matz to tie the game at 1-1.
“It was a 1-0 game, and you’re just trying to keep runs off the board,” Matz said. “It was a changeup that was outside. It wasn’t even a strike.”
The milestone solo shot with one out put a massive smile on Cabrera’s face as he trotted around the bases. There were hugs all around in the Tigers dugout, and Cabrera obliged the standing ovation from the crowd of 14,685 at Rogers Centre with a curtain call.
“There were a lot of things going on in my mind because I wanted to do it in Detroit, but it’s tough to hit home runs over there,” Cabrera said.
“When I hit it, I said, ‘come on, get up, get up.’ I’m glad I hit that fly ball here because if I hit it in Comerica, it’s going to be two outs.
“It’s something special for my country, for my family, to be able to do this. I’m really happy.”
“I’ve seen him play for a long, long time, going back to the minors,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. “He’s one of the best players ever. But it was tough to see in a 1-0 game.”
Cabrera went eight games without a round-tripper after hitting No. 499 on Aug. 11. It appeared Cabrera, and the Tigers would celebrate the milestone in bittersweet fashion because they were down 2-1 with two outs in the ninth.
But Semien, a gold-glove finalist in 2018 and 2019, cleanly fielded a grounder from Detroit’s Harold Castro. But the Blue Jays second baseman then wildly threw the ball in the dirt that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could not handle.
After Jonathan Schoop’s sacrifice fly in the 10th was countered with a sacrifice fly from Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk, rookie third baseman Kevin Smith struck out with the bases loaded, also in the 10th.
“Our offence is struggling right now,” said Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo, whose team scored seven runs in the three-game set against Detroit, while his starting pitching allowed only two runs in 21 combined innings.
Toronto was 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and left 14 runners on base.
RBI singles from Daz Cameron and Willi Castro off Toronto reliever Kirby Snead in the 11th provided Detroit with its two-run victory. The bookend extra-inning losses against the Tigers meant the Blue Jays dropped their third series in a row for the first time this season.
“We have a good team coming in here in the Chicago White Sox [on Monday],” Matz said. “It’s just one game, and we have plenty of games left.”
The Blue Jays actually are down to their final 40 regular-season games. They began the day 4.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the final American League wild-card spot.
Matz went six innings, allowing five hits and one strikeout.
Former Blue Jays pitcher Drew Hutchison celebrated his 31st birthday with his second start for the Tigers. He made 63 starts for the Blue Jays between 2012 and 2018. Until his promotion last week, Hutchison had not pitched for a Major League Baseball team since an outing for the Texas Rangers on Aug. 21, 2018.
On Sunday, he gave up an unearned run in the third inning because of an error from third baseman Jeimer Candelario on a grounder from Teoscar Hernandez. Hutchison lasted 4.1 innings, allowed four hits, walked Guerrero in the first inning and struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the fourth.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 22, 2021
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.
