NEW YORK – Whatever Alek Manoah and Gerrit Cole really think about each other, regardless of the Audi sign in foul territory at Yankee Stadium or anything Manoah said on Serge Ibaka’s cooking show last winter, what counts the most is what happens between the lines.
That doesn’t mean Manoah’s comments are meaningless. The Yankees, obviously, are aware that he invited Cole to walk past the painted-on Audi sign last summer then called him MLB’s biggest cheater a few months later. But it’s results that count most in the end, not verbal jabs.
On a cool afternoon in the Bronx Saturday, both starters pitched near the peak of their abilities. Cole held the Blue Jays scoreless for 5.2 innings. Manoah kept the Yankees off the board for seven. But after a drama-free afternoon from the starters, Anthony Volpe and Danny Jansen exchanged late-game two-run home runs to set up a DJ LeMahieu walk-off single against closer Jordan Romano as the Yankees won 3-2.
Yankees’ LeMahieu walks off Blue Jays with bases-loaded RBI-single against Romano
“Old-school baseball, right?” manager John Schneider said. “It was like, who’s going to blink first and neither one of (the starters) did. A pitching duel from top to bottom. They made big pitches in big spots, both of them, and we just came up with the short end of it.”
From a distance the Cole-Manoah matchup seemed primed for tension – especially after Yankees reliever Greg Weissert hit Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a fastball late in Friday’s game. Yet as first pitch approached Saturday, and the two managers were asked about the possibility of bad blood, they seemed to be reading from the same playbook.
“No,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “It’s two good teams going at it.”
“Not at all,” Schneider echoed. “It’s just two good teams that play hard against one another.”
As it turns out, the managers were right. Cole was effective limiting the visitors to just two walks and four hits. His fastball touched 99 m.p.h. on his way to four strikeouts, and at one point he retired nine consecutive Blue Jays.
“He’s been doing it for a long time,” Schneider said afterwards. “You tip your cap, but you’ve got to take advantage when you do have him on the ropes.”
While Cole did hit one batter, there was no suggestion it was anything other than an accident. With two outs and one on in the top of the second inning, the right-hander hit Santiago Espinal on the right wrist with a 98 m.p.h. fastball, forcing the second baseman from the game. The team’s describing the injury as a contusion, with further tests to come.
Blue Jays’ Espinal leaves game after taking fastball to the hand
But there was no retaliation from the Blue Jays, who fall to 12-9 with the loss. On a day Manoah had far better command than he has for much of the season, he stayed around the strike zone with only one walk and two hits allowed. Wearing short sleeves and high socks, he struck out five and needed only 85 pitches to work through seven innings.
“Much better command,” Schneider said. “Slider was good. He got a lot of quick outs with the sinker against a pretty aggressive team. Change-up was on against the lefties, too. More of what we’re used to seeing from him.”
Afterwards, Manoah attributed the strong start to early strikes that kept the Yankees behind in the count.
Blue Jays’ Manoah says feud with Yankees’ Cole didn’t spur strong outing
“Come in here and attack,” he said. “Get ahead early in the count and throw some of my nasty stuff. I think that’s what we’ve got to keep doing – getting ahead in the counts and making them put the ball in play or having some wiggle room to throw some put-away pitches.”
Defensively, it was a tough game for Alejandro Kirk, who dropped a pop-up for an error while allowing the Yankees to steal a pair of bases. Thankfully for the Blue Jays, though, Manoah escaped the second inning unscathed despite the misplay.
Even if it was soon overshadowed, Jansen’s home run was a significant development for the Blue Jays. The catcher started slowly at the plate but – like Brandon Belt, who hit his first homer Friday – has been swinging better of late.
Blue Jays’ Jansen delivers with ninth-inning game-tying pinch-hit homer
“Jano’s been coming quietly with the quality of at-bats,” Schneider said. “Great at-bat. I liked his first swing on the foul ball and it’s obviously a big spot. Great swing by him.”
Aside from Jansen’s home run, the Blue Jays were quiet at the plate, combining for just seven hits as a team. Without much offence, they were unable to take full advantage of Manoah’s strong start. Maybe he out-duelled Cole, but as the final score reflects, the Yankees outplayed the Blue Jays as a collective.
“It’s just really good and exciting baseball,” Manoah said. “We’re excited to compete against them and go out there and battle. Every game in the AL East is a battle. We’re looking for a series win tomorrow.”
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.
