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Kikuchi helps Blue Jays rebound from frustrating loss with convincing win over Dodgers

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LOS ANGELES – For the Blue Jays, Tuesday night’s game was about as pleasant as sitting in L.A. traffic for three-plus hours only to realize you’ve been going the wrong way the whole time. Wednesday afternoon, on the other hand, was more like a day at the beach: a little too hot, maybe, but still a pleasant reprieve from stress.

And for a Blue Jays team that’s lost more than its share of heartbreakers in recent weeks, a nice easy win over the Dodgers was the perfect way to wrap up their west coast road trip. With Wednesday’s 8-1 win at Dodger Stadium, the Blue Jays keep pressure on the teams chasing them in the Wild Card race and return home for a series against Shohei Ohtani and the Angels with a 57-46 record.

Granted, many more challenges await this team even after a 3-3 trip through Seattle and Los Angeles. Ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, they must augment their position player core and pitching staff while also competing against a hot Angels team and the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles.

But thanks to Yusei Kikuchi and some powerful swings from Whit Merrifield and Danny Jansen, the Blue Jays rebounded nicely from a frustrating Tuesday night loss in which they blew a four-run lead with suspect pitching and defence.

“What happened yesterday can only affect us negatively today,” said Merrifield. “We did a great job of showing up today ready to play and salvaged the road trip.”

Making his 21st start of the season on a day that temperatures sat around 33° Celsius, Kikuchi pitched six innings of one-run ball, walking two while striking out eight. He lowered his season ERA to 3.79 – and remember, he was facing the National League’s most prolific offence

“We’re in a good spot,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “We still have a few games to catch up if we want to win the East, but the clubhouse atmosphere is fine right now and we have the goal of winning a championship.”

As the afternoon wore on, Kikuchi displayed progressively more emotion on the mound, finishing his follow through with a high leg kick at times and entering a celebratory crouch of sorts after getting Miguel Rojas to end the sixth.

“His year as a whole, he’s been really consistent,” said manager John Schneider. “Without him, we wouldn’t be here.”

After watching Erik Swanson and Mitch White let a four-run lead disappear late Tuesday night, the Blue Jays turned to a new set of relievers. On Wednesday, Jay JacksonTim Mayza and Trevor Richards combined to pitch the final three innings without incident.

With the trade deadline just days away, the Blue Jays are at a point in the season where players on the edges of the roster could soon be shuffled off of it. Case in point, Trent Thornton, who was dealt to the Mariners for minor-league infielder Mason McCoy before the game.

For every player the Blue Jays add in the next week, someone will have to come off of the big-league roster, too. With a 7.11 ERA and seven walks in just 12.2 innings, White hasn’t pitched well enough to earn much job security beyond the deadline.

Why Blue Jays’ performance against Dodgers’ Gonsolin was indicative of improved approach

On the position player side, Jordan Luplow’s grasp on a roster spot might be considered weakest, but Santiago Espinal’s name could also surface in trade talks as the Blue Jays seek upgrades. As GM Ross Atkins said last week, at a certain point the Blue Jays would have to consider moving players off their active roster.

Regardless of who they add at the deadline, most of the improvement the Blue Jays seek will have to come from within and in that respect Wednesday’s eight run outburst was encouraging. Merrifield continued his power barrage with his 5th home run in his last 17 games, a three-run shot in the fifth.

Merrifield belts towering three-run bomb to extend Blue Jays’ lead over Dodgers

The following inning it was Jansen who connected for his 13th homer, a drive he sent over the left field wall in characteristic fashion. Considering he left Sunday’s game after taking a 95 m.p.h. fastball to his forearm, it was a welcome development for the Blue Jays.

That power’s especially important at a time that Daulton Varsho, George Springer and Alejandro Kirk aren’t clearing many fences, though some help could be on the way. Ideally, a right-handed hitter would give the Blue Jays a legitimate threat against left-handed pitching while deepening their overall position player core.

While many with the Blue Jays will spend the next few days obsessing over potential moves, Merrifield is not among them. In fact, he’s relieved not to have to worry about being dealt after rumours surrounded him leading up to his trade to Toronto a year ago.

“That’s not my job,” he said. “I spent too many years being involved around trade talks at the trade deadline. I’m excited about not having any sort of thought when it comes to the trades this year. Whatever Ross and those guys do, they’ll do it for the best of the club. Whoever comes, if anybody comes, we’ll welcome them and try to make them feel at home as quickly as we can so they help us win.”

In the coming days, those discussions will reach a conclusion and the Blue Jays will know what their roster looks like for the stretch run. In the meantime, a convincing series win over one of the NL’s best team is a good place to start.

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

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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.

___

AP cricket:

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

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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

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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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