It wasn’t a very fun game until it was an incredibly fun game. The Jays never seem to hit Rays pitching, and tonight was typical in that respect. The offence only got eight guys on all night. Luckily, Bo is in a mode right now where he can carry the whole team on his back, and the Rays made him angry tonight. I’m sure Javy Guerra didn’t mean to hit him on the brim of the helmet. It was the sixth inning of a one run game and Bo represented the go ahead run. When you nearly take 99 to the face, though, I imagine intent only matters but so much. Bo came back up in the eighth and took his revenge, hitting a go ahead two run homer that would end up being the winner.
The pitchers more than held up their end of the bargain, allowing only nine base runners themselves and only one earned run. A Danny Jansen throwing error at an inopportune time aside, the defence also came up big.
Winning this series feels almost mandatory if the Jays want a shot a the top wildcard spot, and grabbing a win with a guy who has been one of their shakier starters is a great start towards that goal. Wit their win tonight, they match Seattle’s record at 79-61, and jump half a game ahead of the rays, one up in the win column. The Yankees, like the Mariners off tonight, are now 5.5 games away.
We got the good Jose Berrios tonight. He gave up two runs, one earned, over six and a third, giving up six hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out four. The earned run came in the second. David Peralta, Manuel Margot and Jonathan Aranda strung together back to back to back singles, none hit very hard. The unearned run came in the sixth. Randy Arozarena reached on a ground ball single and stole second on ball four to David Peralta. It was a borderline pitch and Danny Jansen couldn’t wait for the call, but he airmailed his throw to second, allowing Arozarena to go to third. He came in to score on a Manuel Margot fielder’s choice grounder.
The Jays lineup had a bad night. Minor league call up Cooper Criswell was perfect through three innings, striking out four of the nine batters. They finally got to him in the fourth. George Springer worked a leadoff walk, and Vladimir Guerrero jr. followed by breaking up the no hitter with a ground ball single through the left side. Bo Bichete lined a single to centre to cash Springer in. Criswell got one more batter, popping Alejandro Kirk up, before being pulled for JT Chargois, who got Teoscar Hernandez to ground into a double play to end the inning. Chargeois would stay in the game to work a clean fifth inning.
There was some drama in the bottom of the sixth. Javy Guerra gave up a ringing double to Guerrero, then lost control of a 99mph fastball that bounced off the brim of Bichette’s helmet. Bo was a bit shaken up but not hurt, and was able to stay in the game. After Kirk grounded out to end the inning, Berrios hit Francisco Mejia in the glute to open the seventh. It’s unclear whether it was intentional. Would have been a dumb thing to do, but then again the timing is suspicious and while I’m certain Guerra wasn’t trying to put the go ahead run on it was a pretty scary moment when Bo went down and the Jays were mad. Anyway, Berrios got one more batter, a foul fly out from Taylor Walls, and was lifted for Yimi Garcia. Yandy Diaz promptly grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Colin Poche worked the bottom of the seventh for Tampa Bay, protecting a 2-1 lead. He allowed a bloop single to Matt Chapman but the Jays were otherwise unable to do anything agains him.
Garcia stayed in to handle the eighth. After getting two routine ground outs, he hit Arozarena in the hand. This one definitely wasn’t intentional, it was an 0-2 pitch that just leaked a bit up and in, but it was the end of Garcia’s night anyway as John Schneider called for Tim Mayza to play the lefty Peralta. Kevin Cash countered by subbing in Wander Franco, who’s just working his way back into the lineup after a lengthy IL stint. He chopped an easy ball to Santiago Espinal at second for the third out.
In the bottom of the inning, the Rays called on setup man Jason Adam and made six defensive substitutions, trying to hold onto their one run lead. Raimel Tapia lined a single and stole second, but Springer grounded out and Vlad struck out flailing, putting it all on Bichette’s shoulders. Bo looked over the Rays’ leveled up defence and decided to simply hit it right over them, launching a two run homer over a leaping Arozarena’s glove to put Toronto in the lead 3-2.
With the lead secured, Jordan Romano came in to close it out. Manuel Margot lead off with a fly ball crushed to the track in centre, but defensive sub Jackie Bradely jr made a phenomenal running catch just as he bounced off the wall to turn what seemed like sure extra bases into an out. Romano tipped his cap to his centre fielder and took it from there, striking out Isaac Paredes (hitting for Aranda) and getting Mejia to ground out to first.
Jays of the Day: Romano (), Bichette (0.728), and Tapia (0.123) had the number. Berrios didn’t, but I’m giving him the nod anyway since the go ahead run wasn’t his fault and he kept a sleepy offence in it just enough for Bo’s heroics to matter. Jackie Bradley jr. doesn’t have a WPA at all since he never came to the plate, but that catch also deserves a hat tip.
Not so Much: Springer (-0.117), Kirk (-0.170), and Hernandez (-0.169)
We’ve got a double header coming tomorrow. Game one will feature Alek Manoah (14-7, 2.42) facing off against Jeffrey Springs (7-4, 2.54), with first pitch scheduled for 1:07pm ET. Game two will follow at 7:07pm. The Jays are likely to start Mitch White, although that’s not confirmed. The Rays’ starter hasn’t been announced.
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.
