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Gausman’s gem, Guerrero’s homer go wasted as Blue Jays fall to Phillies – Sportsnet.ca

Published

2 years ago

September 22, 2022

PHILADELPHIA — With a three-run lead and six outs to go, the Blue Jays were positioned well entering the bottom of the eighth inning on Wednesday night.

Tim Mayza had just struck out Bryce Harper with the bases loaded to escape a seventh-inning jam and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had responded with a no-doubt, three-run homer. With their best relievers rested and two innings to go, the Blue Jays were in a good spot.

But Yimi Garcia immediately allowed three runs and Matt Vierling would later walk off Adam Cimber with his fifth hit of the night as the Phillies beat the Blue Jays 4-3 in a 10-inning game that took four hours and eight minutes to complete. A strong start from Kevin Gausman went to waste and a wild series at Citizens Bank Park ended in disappointment for the Blue Jays.

“Just a tough night,” interim Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “You always feel good with a three-run lead and the back-end of our bullpen. It didn’t work out tonight.”

Granted, the Blue Jays’ bullpen has been better over the last couple of months, with closer Jordan Romano in particular offering remarkable consistency. But he has now blown two straight saves dating back to Sunday’s series finale against Baltimore. And while Cimber entered with a ghost runner already on second, he was unable to escape.

Anthony Bass, meanwhile, did not pitch at all, but Schneider said the right-hander was available. The Blue Jays simply preferred other relievers to Bass, who last pitched Friday against the Orioles. If nothing else, the timing of this bullpen slump is coming at an inopportune moment, given the importance of the games ahead.

“We rely on those guys a lot,” Gausman said. “It’s going to happen. It’s baseball. This time of year, you don’t want to think about it too much … flush it and move on.”

Earlier, Guerrero Jr. looked to have given the Blue Jays all the offence they’d need. With runners on the corners and none out in the top of the eighth inning of a scoreless game, Guerrero Jr. crushed a 99 m.p.h. pitch from Seranthony Dominguez 429 feet into the left field seats for his 30^th homer of the season.

Those power numbers are perhaps easier to overlook than they should be. By hitting 48 homers last year, Guerrero Jr. showed he’s capable of more. This year, that potential hasn’t been fulfilled.

At the same time, he entered play Wednesday with a 134 OPS+, which means he’s 34 per cent better than league average at the plate when taking into account era and ballpark. Among the hitters with a lifetime OPS+ of 134: Mookie Betts, Prince Fielder and Fred McGriff. This performance doesn’t match what Guerrero Jr. accomplished last year, but it still puts him among the game’s top offensive players.

As Schneider said: “Big at-bat for Vladdy.”

Meanwhile, Gausman allowed just five singles while walking two and striking out eight against a tough Phillies lineup. His stuff was lively, with a fastball that topped out at 98.4 m.p.h. and a splitter that generated 11 swings and misses. Plus, he worked smoothly with Alejandro Kirk, who returned to his position behind the plate after left hip soreness led to an eight-day break from catching.

Thanks to a Rays loss, the Blue Jays stayed even with Tampa Bay, but the Yankees swept the Pirates, meaning the Blue Jays fall to 6.5 games back in the AL East. At this point every Yankees win pushes the division title further out of reach and increases the likelihood of a three-game wild-card series.

“Everybody’s checking the scoreboard and paying attention,” third baseman Matt Chapman said Wednesday afternoon. “For us, every single game is a must-win … That’s the mentality right now is win every day.”

Of course it doesn’t help when the Yankees pull off unlikely comebacks the way they did Tuesday, when Aaron Judge hit home run No. 60 and Giancarlo Stanton followed up with a walk-off grand slam.

“We’re paying attention,” Chapman said. “Watching what Aaron Judge is doing day-in and day-out is impressive. He’s a great player. He’s fun to watch. Unfortunately he’s driving that team that’s ahead of us right now … that’s how tough this division is.”

Meanwhile, two players experienced left-side issues Wednesday. Santiago Espinal exited the game with left-side discomfort, while Gausman stretched his left arm in an attempt to corral a second-inning feed from Guerrero Jr., only to overstretch his glove side. Afterwards, he said he felt fine physically despite the awkward play.

From here, the challenge only intensifies as the Blue Jays head to St. Petersburg, Fla., for four games against the Tampa Bay Rays, the team chasing the Blue Jays in the wild-card race. Since Tampa Bay holds an 8-7 advantage in the season series, the Blue Jays will need to win at least three of four against the Rays to secure the tiebreaker advantage should the teams finish the season with identical records.

And while there’s a case to be made that finishing third and locking in a first-round matchup against the AL Central winners, that’s not how Chapman views it. The Blue Jays are 43-32 at Rogers Centre this year, and there’s more comfort at home, too. Even if the Blue Jays are now overwhelmingly likely to reach the playoffs, they care about how they get there.

“Regardless of where we end up we want to host,” Chapman said. “We want to play in front of our home fans. We know how well we play at home and how fun it is to have our fans behind us. I’ve played on the road in the playoffs before and it’s tough. It’s always nice to have the home crowd, so we really want that.”

Ideally, the Blue Jays would make sure these four games at the Trop are their last.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

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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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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