TORONTO — It may only be the second month of the season, but Kevin Gausman felt like he had to put in a playoff-calibre performance Sunday.
Gausman struck out 10 and allowed two runs over seven innings as the Toronto Blue Jays held off the Houston Astros 3-2 at Rogers Centre. The victory gave Toronto a 4-2 regular-season record over Houston, the defending American League champions.
“Almost felt like a post-season game,” said Gausman, who noted that the Astros’ roster is largely unchanged from last year’s World Series. “The amount of adrenaline that you have every pitch you know, you’ve got to be really fine.”
Gausman has been more than fine this year.
Sunday’s win made Gausman the only pitcher since Cy Young (1906) to begin a season with five straight starts and a minimum of 20 innings pitched without allowing a walk or home run. No other pitcher has accomplished the feat since the World Series era began in 1903.
“It’s not like I’m trying not to walk guys, I’m just throwing competitive pitches,” said Gausman (2-1). “Obviously, it’s cool. But I’ve got another start in five days, you know?
“This game wasn’t the last game of the season. We’re not the last one standing yet. So, on to the next one.”
Bo Bichette‘s two-run homer in the sixth was the first hit of the game for Toronto (15-8), breaking up a no-hit bid by Astros starter Framber Valdez. Gausman said his teammates were trying to jinx Valdez in the dugout but Bichette insisted he was focused on scoring a run with the Blue Jays down 1-0.
“I just care about winning or losing so, for me, it had nothing really to do with breaking up a no-no,” said Bichette. “Just going out there, trying to have a good at bat to win the game for my team.”
Toronto has won six series and tied another to start the 2022 season. The Blue Jays have won two series apiece against Houston and Boston, taken sets from Texas and Oakland, and split one in New York against the Yankees.
“Not only that, but we’re playing the best teams in baseball and we have won them,” said Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo. “That’s a great credit to our pitching, great work by our defence and, of course, our timely hitting.”
Santiago Espinal’s RBI single in the seventh brought home the winning run for Toronto. Tim Mayza pitched a scoreless eighth for the Blue Jays before Jordan Romano earned his Major League-leading 11th save of the season.
Valdez (1-2) allowed three runs on just two hits and two walks for Houston, striking out two over 6 1/3 innings. Phil Maton and Héctor Neris pitched two innings of relief.
Niko Goodrum and Aledmys Diaz drove in runs for Houston (11-11) with a double and a single, respectively.
Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Espinal came to the plate with one out and runners on first and second.
Espinal hit a single to deep left field with Alvarez coming up firing as Matt Chapman rounded third. The Blue Jays third baseman slid cleats-first into home, beating the throw for a 3-2 Toronto lead.
Romano induced a pop fly to shallow right to start the ninth before Kyle Tucker doubled. The Blue Jays closer then got pinch-hitter Alex Bregman to line out to a diving George Springer in right field.
The 31,802 in attendance at Rogers Centre were already on their feet as Romano struck out Goodrum to end the game.
ON DECK — Ross Stripling (0-0) will take the mound for the Blue Jays on Monday as Toronto hosts the New York Yankees in a critical American League East matchup. Jordan Montgomery (0-1) will get the start for the Yankees. New York sits atop the AL East standings after one month, with Toronto second.
BOUNCE BACK — The Blue Jays have not lost back-to-back games since Sept. 24. Their current stretch of 30 games without consecutive losses is the longest active streak in Major League Baseball. Toronto’s longest such streak in team history is 45 games, stretching from Aug. 30, 1992-April 20, 1993.
OPTIONED — After the game the Blue Jays optioned infielder Gosuke Katoh and right-handed pitcher Bowden Francis to triple-A Buffalo. The Bisons have Monday off but the moves could be to create space on Toronto’s roster if left-handed pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu (forearm), outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (oblique), or catcher Danny Jansen (oblique) are ready to come off the injured list.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2022.
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.
