Once again, we got to witness a terrific start from a Jays starter.
Jose Berrios, off a couple of poor starts in a row, was back to being the guy we wanted in the trade. 7 innings, 6 hits, 1 run against (unearned, a Kevin Smith error helped the Tigers score), no walks, and 11 strikeouts. I’m going to have to go look to see how many times we’ve had a pitcher go 5+ innings without a walk this season. It seems to be happening every day lately.
I was royally pissed off when, at the start sixth inning, the umpires called a rain delay and had the tarp come out, for a 2 to 3-minute rainstorm. It didn’t look like it was raining hard. It seemed that the delay was just to ‘ice’ Berrios. Apparently, it was a 27-minute delay for maybe 3 minutes of, not all that heavy, rain. Phil Cuzzi isn’t the best of umpires, he says as politely as he can.
Pete Walker and Charlie Montoyo had a, rather heated, conversation with the umpires. I’m slightly surprised that Walker didn’t get thrown out.
It didn’t seem to affect Berrios too much, though Buck mentioned that he threw more balls in the fifth inning than he had in the first four innings. I should check that, but, he did throw a lot of pitches in the fifth. And, he likely would have been able to go deeper into the game (not that 7 innings is anything to complain about).
As well as the Smith error (a pretty tough error, considering some of the plays not called an error), contributing to the one run against for Berrios, Robbie Grossman hit a line drive down the first baseline that Vlad got a glove on but couldn’t catch. I watched the play several times, and I’m convinced that it hit Vlad’s glove in foul ground. To be fair, the umpire was trying to get out of the way and make the ball. But I’m sure Vlad’s glove was on the foul side of the line. Grossman thought so too, he didn’t run from the plate until seeing it was called fair. Vlad thought it was foul too.
Foul calls before the bags aren’t reviewable.
Jose threw 97 pitches, 74 strikes (10 of the 23 balls came in the sixth). Having to throw to keep warm during the ‘delay’ likely cost him an inning.
Adam Cimber got the first two batters of the eighth, before giving up a single, and Tim Mayza got the third out.
Mayza stayed in for the ninth, getting his first save of the season.
Offensively? Oh just cut and paste from the recaps of any game of the last two weeks.
We got a few hits, 10. But then 0 for 10 with RISP.
We scored on two solo home runs. Bo Bichette, in the first inning. And Kevin Smith (his first MLB home run) in the sixth.
As always should have scored more:
After the home run in the first, we got two out but didn’t score them.
The first two batters got on in the third but d.s.t. (yes, let’s go with shorthand).
Two walks in the fourth but d.s.t.
Bases loaded, no outs in the seventh but…you know. Almost impossible to believe.
Eighth? Two singles….
Ninth, once again two reached. Bo led off with a walk, got to second on Vlad’s ground out. Then Teoscar had what must have been his hardest-hit ball in 2 weeks, right at the third baseman, Bo started off from second figuring it would make it through. Out in a run down. Alejandro Kirk followed with a single, that would have scored Bo.
Bo had 3 hits. Vlad 2. Teoscar (0 for 5, 1 k) and Randal (0 for 4, 1 k) were held hitless.
At some point we are bound to get a hit with RISP, right? A broken-bat single? A swinging bunt?
Jays of the Day: Berrios (.369 WPA), Mayza (.285), Bichette (.214), and Smith (.111).
Suckage: Teoscar (-.209) and Kirk (-.149). Kirk’s is hardly fair, 1 for 3 with 2 walks? But he hit into a double with the bases loaded in the seventh. It was a very big moment.
Tomorrow the Jays head home to start a series with the Orioles.
We had 364 comments in the GameThread. I led us to victory.
When we didn’t score with the bases loaded in the seventh, watching the Blue Jays reminded me of this Bugs Bunny bit. Shoot me again:
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.
