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Refusing to quit, Blue Jays deliver unlikely comeback win over Athletics – Sportsnet.ca

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TORONTO – Maybe this was a springboard performance to better times, or maybe it was just a memorable ending to a really wild night amid the grind of 162. What the Toronto Blue Jays do next will ultimately decide that.

But a nearly impossible comeback in a game that went from lost to stirring to gutting to exhilarating after Marcus Semien’s walk-off three-run homer capped an unfathomable 11-10 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night sure felt like a moment.

At the beginning of a crucial seven-game stretch that may not make them, but certainly can break them, the Blue Jays emerged from their recent offensive cold spell to deliver their biggest rally of the season despite their win probability dropping all the way to 0.5 per cent.

Baseball is too unrelenting and the season too long to build up a single game. But given the stakes, the circumstances and the way things played out and this one definitely carried a little more weight.

“Yeah, I think so,” said Semien, whose second career walk-off homer gave him a career-best 34 for the year. “I mean, just being down 8-2 in the eighth inning, of course, you never think you’re out of it, but we did exactly what we needed to do to win that game. We needed a grand slam. We needed to get those guys in at the end and we actually got a homer. Baseball is a crazy game. For me, I feel like I wasn’t swinging the bat well the whole time. And sometimes you just find a little adjustment that works.”

That he did, working Sergio Romo through five pitches before turning on a centre-cut sinker at 84.8 m.p.h. that he launched high and deep to left field, triggering pandemonium at Rogers Centre. A crowd of 14,843 that had spent much of the night casting Josh Harrison as a heel before going berserk when Lourdes Gurriel Jr., hit a game-tying grand slam in the eighth inning, wet nuts again, while the Blue Jays mobbed him at home.

Semien had been 0-for-4 to that point and hadn’t looked particularly comfortable in getting there, but like his team flashed the resilience needed to ensure a night headed into moral victory territory ended in an actual victory. At 71-62, the Blue Jays can ill afford to continue their middling ways of the past month in this three-game set against the Athletics (74-61) before the four-game series at the New York Yankees that follows.

“It’s great to see the offence coming back and the way they did it, it was awesome,” said manager Charlie Montoyo. “It was a great game and it’s a boost, for sure, to come back from that far down to tie the game and then after they came back and took the lead, we did it again, it was awesome. Awesome game.”

That it finished that way came as a shock given the way things started.

The Athletics jumped Manoah out of the gate with a two-spot in the first, and after a Teoscar Hernandez two-run shot tied it in the fourth – his first homer since Aug. 18 – the game unravelled on the rookie righty in a dramatic fifth that nearly bubbled over.

Harrison half-swung at the first 2-2 fastball Manoah threw up and in, grimacing as his bat handle flicked the ball towards the A’s dugout. Manoah threw his next pitch to almost the exact same spot, this time just grazing the veteran utilityman’s left hand.

Super mad, Harrison flipped his bat, flung off his hand guard and chirped Manoah as he made his way up the line. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., tried to diffuse the situation at first base, greeting his opponent with a smile and a swipe of his hat in a don’t-be-silly-you-can’t-be-super-mad way.

Harrison wasn’t having it and kept venting, and he got even angrier when on the very next pitch, Manoah unleashed a fastball at 92.1 m.p.h. that sailed into Starling Marte’s helmet.

As the centre-fielder crumpled to the ground, several players emerged from the Athletics dugout. Manoah immediately put his hands up in a my-bad way and the umpires alertly created a barrier between the clubs, even as A’s first base coach Mike Aldrete barked at Montoyo.

“The reason I went out there is just to make sure, ‘Hey man, we’re not hitting anybody on purpose, it’s a tight game,’ and to make sure that nothing happened,” explained Montoyo. “They said a few words but I get it, people get upset when one of your players gets hit in the head. That’s fine. … The one thing about Manoah, he’s going to hit guys because he pitches inside. It’s not on purpose. We all know it’s not on purpose. But he will hit guys once in a while just because he’s not afraid to go inside. And that’s one of the reasons he’s effective because he’s not afraid.”

Once frayed emotions settled and Marte recovered to take his base, Matt Olson made Manoah pay the right way by bringing in both hit batsmen with a two-run double that broke a 2-2 tie.

Tony Kemp knocked the starter out with a two-run shot the next frame and the A’s put up another pair against Nate Pearson in a messy seventh. The game seemed to be over at that point, with Manoah surrendering a career-high six runs for the second time.

“Whenever you hit somebody in the head, it’s pretty scary, it’s very dangerous and I felt really bad the moment it left my hand,” said Manoah, who has hit 11 batters in 15 starts. “I had some troubles with the mound early on where they came out there and tried to fix it. I was just trying to run that sinker in there and I’ve had this problem for a while now, and I felt really bad that I hit him in the earhole. I’m praying that he’s going to feel a lot better.”

Marte left the game after scoring on the Olson double.

Given the Blue Jays’ offensive struggles of late, the A’s seemed to be home and cooled, as Sean Manaea cruised through seven, allowing only the Hernandez homer while striking out nine.

Then Breyvic Valera opened the eighth inning with a walk and two outs later, Guerrero singled him home. A Lou Trivino breaking ball hit Bo Bichette in the back. Hernandez walked to load the bases and after Yusmeiro Petit took over, Alejandro Kirk worked another base on balls to make it 8-4. Up came Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who ambushed a lazy middle-in cutter and sent it 421 feet out to left-centre at 107.5 m.p.h. off the bat.

In the top of the ninth, closer Jordan Romano’s 11-game run without allowing a run came to an untimely end on Mark Canha’s two-run shot. But the Blue Jays didn’t let up against Romo, as Valera opened the bottom half with a bloop single, George Springer followed with a double and Semien delivered the dagger against his former team.

“Every win is so important right now and just to be able to swing the bat there and give us the win is huge,” said Semien. “Biggest at-bat of the year for me, obviously, and I hope that we can just build off this, score some more runs (Saturday) and see what happens.”

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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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November 8, 2024

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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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November 8, 2024

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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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November 8, 2024

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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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