The Blue Jays are young and hungry to prove their worth. But in the end, it was the Yankees’ unwavering discipline that was the difference-maker.
TORONTO — This is the time when experience becomes pivotal.
With over 28,000 fans in the stands and their season on the line, the Toronto Blue Jays didn’t need anyone to tell them Tuesday’s game against the New York Yankees was a big one.
A young team, hungry to prove itself, walked onto the field at Rogers Centre two games back of a wild-card spot with a chance to make up for it against a direct rival in the Yankees. But it was New York’s cold-blooded discipline that prevailed in the end.
“It wasn’t so much us,” said Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo after his team’s 7-2 loss on Tuesday. “Their bullpen did a good job. Those arms are coming out of there and they’re good pitchers.”
The Yankees acted like they’d been here before from the very first pitch. They didn’t budge when Bo Bichette drove in George Springer to give the Jays an early lead in the first, or when their starter, Jameson Taillon, was forced to exit the game with an aggravated ankle injury just 2.1 innings in.
New York’s pitchers — six of them in total — allowed just three hits, while its offence combined for 11, twice coming back from one-run deficits and keeping their cool until the right opportunity presented itself.
“All these games are going to be very important,” said left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu after his start on Tuesday. “I’m going to prepare for my last start of the season and I hope that our players are going to compete and do their best until the very end.”
In a game that looked like a nail-biter until the seventh frame, it seemed like luck just wasn’t on the Toronto pitcher’s side after dealing with neck issues last week. Ryu was solid, though far from spectacular. His velocity was up, but Ryu struggled to find his command, much to the benefit of Aaron Judge, who took advantage of a hanging sinker and crushed a solo shot in the third inning.
“I was able to execute my pitches tonight better than I was in previous outings,” Ryu said after the game. “Overall I felt pretty good. … Today, I came in and I wasn’t really thinking about how many innings I was going to throw or how many pitches I was going to throw. I just wanted to focus hitter by hitter, and that’s what I tried to do today.”
Ryu’s second earned run was the definition of a blip. With Gio Urshela at third, Anthony Rizzo sliced up a good pitch to right field for a single. Corey Dickerson had Urshela beat on the throw to home plate, but the ball hit the Yankees baserunner and deflected away, allowing him to score easily.
That ended Ryu’s night, as he left with 4.2 innings pitched, six hits allowed, three earned runs, a walk and three strikeouts.
“It’s not really something that pitchers can control,” Ryu said of that strange RBI single to Rizzo. “It was a very frustrating hit, especially since it led to runs and gave up the lead. I think I can speak for all pitchers when I say that it was a very frustrating hit.”
Bo Bichette’s night may serve as a micro illustration of the entire Blue Jays season: Flashes of genius sprinkled by youthful yet costly mistakes. Bichette finished the game with two singles and an RBI, but a bad out at third base as he tried to advance on a wild pitch stained his otherwise great performance.
After a heads-up jump that allowed him to advance from first to second on a wild pitch by Clay Holmes, Bichette thought he had enough to go from second to third when Holmes had yet another errant throw. But Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez was faster, quickly recovering and sending the ball over to DJ LeMahieu, who tagged Bichette just in time to get an out call on the field.
After a lengthy review, as the Rogers Centre crowd pleaded for an overturn, umpire Brian Knight announced the call was upheld. Instead of a man in scoring position with the game very much within reach, the Blue Jays suddenly had nobody on and two out.
That New York made it 6-2 the very next inning didn’t help at all.
Giancarlo Stanton, an 11-year MLB veteran and former National League MVP, was the one who blew it wide open for New York. Stanton kept his cool through a two-out, 2-2 count until he found a pitch to hit, sending it 421 feet off Trevor Richards for a three-run homer and a 6-2 Yankees lead in the seventh.
Richards certainly wasn’t to blame for it, as Stanton’s homer came off a well-placed, down-and-away changeup. The Yankees slugger is simply that good.
“I don’t know how you can hit a ball like that,” said Montoyo. “Richards has been good. You gotta give Stanton credit for that.”
Urshela added a solo shot of his own off Anthony Castro in the ninth to seal the Yankees win when several of the available seats had already been emptied by disappointed Jays fans.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returned to Toronto’s lineup after suffering a hand injury against the Minnesota Twins on Sep. 24. Still unable to play defence, Gurriel Jr. took the DH spot, with George Springer at centerfield and newly reinstated Cavan Biggio emerging as a bench option for Toronto’s outfield.
The gut-wrenching loss severely diminishes the Blue Jays’ chances of reaching a wild-card spot, even with the Red Sox’s 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Toronto now sits one game back of Boston, while the Yankees — now three up on the Blue Jays — assume the top position in the American League wild-card race with five games left in the season.
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.
