TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning, Bo Bichette had two hits and two RBIs in his return from injury and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Friday night.
Guerrero’s two-run double off right-hander Carlos Hernández (1-10) helped the Blue Jays (78-63) hold onto the final AL wild-card berth with their fourth win in five games.
Toronto matched a season best by moving 15 games above .500. The Blue Jays are 23-19 in one-run games. Kansas City, at 44-98, fell behind Oakland for the worst record in major leagues.
Bichette went 2 for 5 and scored once after being activated off the 10-day injured list before the game.
“When he has runners on base, he does anything to bring them in,” Guerrero said of his fellow All-Star through a translator. “It’s great to have him back.”
Bichette, the two-time AL hits leader, returned after missing nine games because of a strained right quadriceps.
“Just having him back in the lineup is definitely huge,” Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi said through a translator. “It puts a lot of pressure on the other teams. He’s a big presence in our lineup and also a leader. It’s really good to have a leader like him back.”
Blue Jays manager John Schneider called Bichette “an instant shot of energy to our offense.”
“He hasn’t seen live pitching in 10 or 12 days and he’s taking tough pitches,” Schneider said. “It’s impressive what he can do in the box.”
Royals manager Matt Quatraro wasn’t as pleased to see Bichette back.
“I would have been a lot happier if he had a few more days off,” Quatraro joked.
Blue Jays rookie Davis Schneider reached base four times. He doubled in the second and fourth, and walked in the sixth and seventh.
Chad Green (2-0) got two outs for the win and left-hander Tim Mayza got one out in the eighth. Closer Jordan Romano recorded the final four outs for his 33rd save in 36 chances despite giving up an RBI single to Salvador Perez in the ninth. Edward Olivares flied out to end it, stranding runners at first and second.
Kansas City left-hander Austin Cox had to be helped off the field in the seventh after injuring his left knee while covering first base.
“He’s in some pain,” Quatraro said. “We’re going to get more diagnostic testing and see exactly what it is.”
Cox struck out pinch hitter Santiago Espinal to begin the inning, but went down while trying to get to the base on Alejandro Kirk’s infield single.
“It’s really tough,” Royals infielder Nick Loftin said. “Saying a lot of prayers for him.”
Hernández came on to replace Cox.
Tyler Heineman pinch ran for Kirk and advanced on a wild pitch before Kevin Kiermaier flied out. George Springer walked and Bichette tied it with a first-pitch single.
Guerrero followed with a two-run double. He has 16 RBIs in 24 career games against Kansas City.
Pinch-hitter Ernie Clement capped the four-run rally with a two-out RBI single off left-hander Tucker Davidson.
Bobby Witt Jr. cut it to 5-3 in the eighth when he doubled and scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by pinch-hitter Olivares.
Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco hit a two-out solo homer off Kikuchi in the third, his second.
It was the second homer off Kikuchi in 10 starts since the All-Star break. Kikuchi allowed one run and three hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
Toronto tied it against right-hander Alec Marsh in the sixth when Kiermaier led off with a triple and scored on Bichette’s one-out double.
Kansas City reclaimed the lead with a two-out rally against right-hander Trevor Richards in the seventh. Freddy Fermin singled and scored on Loftin’s first career triple. Richards left after walking Kyle Isbel and Green came on to strike out Blanco.
Right-hander Collin Snider opened for the Royals and allowed one hit in two scoreless innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: Kansas City activated 1B Nick Pratto (left groin) off the IL and optioned INF Matt Beaty to Triple-A Omaha.
Blue Jays: John Schneider said C Danny Jansen will miss the rest of the regular season after having surgery Thursday on his fractured right middle finger. Jansen’s status for the playoffs will be evaluated if Toronto advances to the postseason. … 3B Matt Chapman resumed hitting and fielding drills Friday after having a splint removed from his sprained right middle finger.
ROSTER MOVES
To make room for Bichette, Toronto optioned INF Mason McCoy to Triple-A Buffalo.
ROYAL PAIN
Toronto has won eight of its past nine home meetings with Kansas City.
ROCKY ROAD
The Royals are a major league-worst 18-52 on the road.
UP NEXT
RHP Kevin Gausman (10-8, 3.39 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Saturday. Kansas City hasn’t announced a starter.
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.
