Toronto Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho celebrates after driving in two-runs with a bases-loaded double during the 11th inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday, July 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)Marcio Jose Sanchez/The Associated Press
Daulton Varsho hit a tiebreaking two-run double in Toronto’s three-run 11th inning, sending the Blue Jays to a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.
Matt Chapman homered in the eighth for the Blue Jays, who earned their 11th win in 16 games.
Toronto loaded the bases in the 11th on third baseman Chris Taylor’s throwing error and Whit Merrifield’s single before Varsho’s low line drive to right was misplayed by Jason Heyward, who wasn’t charged with an error. Bo Bichette drew a bases-loaded walk from Phil Bickford (2-3) to make it 6-3.
Jay Jackson (3-0) pitched two hitless innings of relief, retiring all of the Dodgers’ top hitters. All-Star closer Jordan Romano finished for his 28th save, tying Baltimore’s Félix Bautista for the AL lead.
Max Muncy homered in his third consecutive game for Los Angeles, hitting a 435-foot tying shot in the eighth inning. Heyward also homered for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who took their first back-to-back losses since July 2.
After Chapman put the Blue Jays ahead 3-2 with his first homer since July 6, Muncy tied it with a drive off Trevor Richards for his 25th homer of the season. The slugger, who also had an early RBI single, has eight hits, four homers and 13 RBIs in his last five games.
The Dodgers loaded the bases later in the eighth, but pinch-hitter Miguel Rojas flied out.
Michael Grove yielded eight hits with six strikeouts while pitching into the fifth inning for the Dodgers. Grove is one of three rookies currently in L.A.’s injury-plagued rotation with the trade deadline looming.
Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged his team urgently needs starting pitching, even with Clayton Kershaw likely returning in August. Los Angeles’ starters entered Monday ranked 29th in the majors with a 6.12 ERA since Kershaw’s last start in late June.
“Given the experience and the health of the starters, this is probably as forefront of mind, just kind of the (overall) pitching in general, as it’s been in my tenure here,” Roberts said.
José Berríos yielded five hits and four walks over five innings for Toronto.
Heyward connected in the fourth for his 10th homer with Los Angeles after hitting only nine for the Cubs in the previous two seasons combined.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. delivered a tying RBI single in Toronto’s two-run fifth.
CONFLICTED DEWEY
Drew Doughty threw out the first pitch on L.A. Kings Night in a particularly appropriate matchup for the star defenceman. The Ontario native is a long-time fan of the Blue Jays, whose cap he wears frequently around town, but he also regularly attends Dodgers games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: LHP Hyun Jin Ryu is joining the Jays in Los Angeles as his return nears, manager John Schneider said. Ryu spent seven years with the Dodgers before joining Toronto on a four-year, $80 million contract that ends this season. Ryu might throw a simulated game before he returns to the major league mound.
Dodgers: All-Star slugger J.D. Martinez missed his second straight game with hamstring tightness. Roberts said Martinez will start Tuesday. … Noah Syndergaard threw at Dodger Stadium between starts in his rehab assignment. He has been out since June 7, ostensibly with a blister, after a series of terrible starts. Roberts said that after Syndergaard makes his third appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, “that’s when the rubber meets the road and we’ll have to make a decision.”
UP NEXT
Julio Urías (7-6, 5.02 ERA) makes his first start for the Dodgers since yielding a career-high eight runs in Baltimore last week. He faces Toronto’s Chris Bassitt (10-5, 3.92), who is 3-0 with a 3.68 ERA in his last seven starts.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.
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.
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