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Rival Watch: New York media says Yankees 'in peril' after loss to Blue Jays – Sportsnet.ca

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3 years ago

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The Toronto Blue Jays entered a must-win game at Rogers Centre on Wednesday with guns blazing, starting off with a 4-0 lead over the New York Yankees and looking like a victory should have never been in doubt.

Though the Yankees crawled back to even the score at 5-5, that only set up more dramatics as Bo Bichette hit the go-ahead solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to push the Blue Jays to victory.

North of the border the story is clear: The Blue Jays kept their post-season hopes alive largely thanks to Bichette’s heroics.

Head a little south, into the Eastern part of the United States, and the narrative changes. Instead of a Blue Jays triumph, it’s a Yankees failure, and Gerrit Cole is to blame.

We’ve rounded up some takes to give you a taste of how things look south of the border. Here’s a closer look at what both national U.S. media and Yankees beat reporters are saying about the Blue Jays.

Yankees’ Gerrit Cole comes up short again in Blue Jays loss: Is it time to worry about the $324 million ace? — NJ.com

This article by NJ.com’s Bob Klapisch takes us straight to the point. Not only does he lament Cole’s so-so performance where he allowed five runs in six innings, he questions the entirety of the four-time All-Star’s contract.

Why does this nagging doubt keep hovering over Gerrit Cole, the fastball machine who was supposed to be immune to slumps? Cole is the Yankees’ best pitcher – of that there is no debate – but with the playoffs just around the corner he’s less reliable now than any point since signing that $324 million contract. If you’re a Yankees’ fan freaking out, imagine how the front office is feeling.

Cole didn’t have a terrible game against the Blue Jays Wednesday night. He wasn’t involved in the decision as the Yankees dropped a 6-5 heartbreaker. It tightened the wild card race all over again, so if you’re into late-September drama, there’s that.

But here’s the thing: Cole again failed to deliver a quality start, allowing five earned runs in six innings. The Yankees are trying suppress any outward sign of concern, but they need better from him. They need swing-and-miss dominance and the statement it makes in the opposing dugout. They need Cole to be invincible, not pitch like a No. 5 starter, not now. Not this late in September.

—

He did give credit where it’s due to the Blue Jays, though.

(Cole is) rushing to the plate, over-accelerating his arm, hence the regression of what really makes Cole special. It’s not just control, it’s control within the strike zone. But that shouldn’t matter to a heat merchant, right? Cole typically throws hard enough to generate whiffs whenever, wherever. Except the Blue Jays aren’t your typical adversary. They feast on pitchers who think they can conquer with fastballs only.

Come at us, bro was the essence of Toronto’s challenge to Cole. And he fell right into the trap. Four of his first six pitches were fastballs 97 mph and up. Result? The Jays took an immediate 2-0 lead, thanks to George Springer’s leadoff double and Marcus Semien’s two-run HR.

RECAP: Yankees fall to Blue Jays 6-5 — YES Network’s Yankees Postgame

In YES Network’s post-game show, analyst John Flaherty mentions the various storylines coming out of the game, including Bichette’s two home runs, but quickly jumps to what he felt stood out most. Of course, it was Cole.

“You have to win the games that he starts. He’s got to be an ace. And when you’re down 4-0 after three innings, you’re down 2-0 after two batters in this game. And I can’t quite figure out Garrett Cole tonight. I mean, he was challenging the Blue Jays with his fastball. We always praise him for making adjustments during the game, I don’t know what he was thinking, Jackie. It took him three or four innings to go to the changeup a little bit more on off-speed. He was getting beat up with the fastball.”

Watch it for yourself:

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The Blue Jays sure would be fun to watch in October — ESPN.com

ESPN’s Senior MLB Writer David Schoenfield gave the Blue Jays their due, highlighting Bichette’s performance and the high-flying offence that could thrill in the postseason, instead of focusing on Cole and the Yankees’ shortcomings.

Bichette is one of the rising young stars for the Blue Jays, but has played in the shadow of MVP candidates Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien. He had already homered off Cole in the third inning, and after taking a 96-mph sinker low for ball one, he drove a 94-mph sinker on the insider corner to right-center, just clearing the scoreboard for the 6-5 lead — an incredible display of bat speed to drive that pitch to the opposite field. Bichette exploded around the basepaths, slapping his chest and raising his arm as he rounded third base and eventually received a curtain call from the Blue Jays’ fans.

—

I think most hardcore baseball fans who don’t root for the Yankees or Red Sox would prefer to see the Blue Jays in the playoffs. TV executives, not so much. It’s not just that we’ve seen the Yankees and Red Sox in the postseason so much over the decades — and the Red Sox just won it all three years ago. It’s simply that the Blue Jays are fun, imposing and, frankly, would be the more entertaining team to watch in October.

They have Guerrero. They have Semien, who notched his 44th home run with a first-inning blast off Cole, to set the single-season record for home runs by a primary second baseman, breaking Davey Johnson’s record of 43 for the 1973 Braves. They have Bichette, who is hitting .295 with 28 home runs and 101 RBIs, meaning he and Semien became the first second base/shortstop combination with 100 RBIs in the same season since Bobby Doerr and Vern Stephens of the 1950 Red Sox. They have George Springer and the joyful Teoscar Hernandez. They have the likely Cy Young winner now in Robbie Ray (Cole’s second bad start in three outings all but wraps it up for Ray). They have the home run jacket, adorned on the back with logos of all the countries represented on the team’s multicultural roster and awarded in the dugout after each home run. They have Romano, the closer who is straight out of the 1980s with his moustache. They have those baby blue uniforms they wore on Wednesday, another relic of the ’80s.

Yankees’ rally falls short as wild-card race tightens — New York Post

The New York Post‘s front page cover is all about Bichette, but ultimately Dan Martin’s game column is about the Yankees missing an opportunity with Cole pitching.

Just when it seemed like the Yankees were about to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the AL wild-card pack, they took a step back with their ace on the mound.

They came all the way back from an early deficit, shaking off a rough start by Gerrit Cole, before their reliable bullpen finally faltered against Toronto’s tough lineup Wednesday in a 6-5 loss at Rogers Centre.

Bo Bichette took Clay Holmes deep to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning of a tie game and the Yankees couldn’t rally in the ninth.

The defeat snapped the Yankees’ seven-game winning streak, and with the Red Sox’s win over Baltimore, the Yankees’ lead for the top wild-card spot was cut to one game with four to play.

The Blue Jays’ plan was to attack Gerrit Cole’s fastball — and it worked. How will the Yankees respond? — The Athletic

The Athletic’s Yankees writer Lindsey Adler started her piece with a subtle shot at the trigger-happy Blue Jays, and also focused on Cole’s struggles.

In an important battle of the Blue Jays versus Gerrit Cole’s fastball on Wednesday night, Toronto’s swing-happy tendencies won out.

The Blue Jays badly needed to beat Cole and the Yankees to keep their wild-card contention alive, and they took a first inning 2-0 lead while showing their game plan for the evening was to lean on their signature aggressiveness, which is what makes them such a dangerous offensive team. The Blue Jays swing often, they swing early, and they swing at fastballs. Their approach worked: They didn’t give Cole any time to settle into his outing or fastball command before attacking his fastball, the foundation of his arsenal.

—

Much like Schoenfield, she gave Robbie Ray the nod for AL Cy Young after Cole’s lacklustre performance.

The Yankees face a daunting challenge in their final game against the Blue Jays this season in facing left-hander Robbie Ray, who is likely to edge out Cole in the AL Cy Young race after Wednesday night’s outing.

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What to stream this weekend: ‘Civil War,’ Snow Patrol, ‘How to Die Alone,’ ‘Tulsa King’ and ‘Uglies’

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2 days ago

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September 13, 2024

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Hallmark launching a streaming service with two new original series, and Bill Skarsgård out for revenge in “Boy Kills World” are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Alex Garland’s “Civil War” starring Kirsten Dunst, Natasha Rothwell’s heartfelt comedy for Hulu called “How to Die Alone” and Sylvester Stallone’s second season of “Tulsa King” debuts.

NEW MOVIES TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15

— Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is finally making its debut on MAX on Friday. The film stars Kirsten Dunst as a veteran photojournalist covering a violent war that’s divided America; She reluctantly allows an aspiring photographer, played by Cailee Spaeny, to tag along as she, an editor (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and a reporter (Wagner Moura) make the dangerous journey to Washington, D.C., to interview the president (Nick Offerman), a blustery, rising despot who has given himself a third term, taken to attacking his citizens and shut himself off from the press. In my review, I called it a bellowing and haunting experience; Smart and thought-provoking with great performances. It’s well worth a watch.

— Joey King stars in Netflix’s adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s “Uglies,” about a future society in which everyone is required to have beautifying cosmetic surgery at age 16. Streaming on Friday, McG directed the film, in which King’s character inadvertently finds herself in the midst of an uprising against the status quo. “Outer Banks” star Chase Stokes plays King’s best friend.

— Bill Skarsgård is out for revenge against the woman (Famke Janssen) who killed his family in “Boy Kills World,” coming to Hulu on Friday. Moritz Mohr directed the ultra-violent film, of which Variety critic Owen Gleiberman wrote: “It’s a depraved vision, yet I got caught up in its kick-ass revenge-horror pizzazz, its disreputable commitment to what it was doing.”

— AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15

— The year was 2006. Snow Patrol, the Northern Irish-Scottish alternative rock band, released an album, “Eyes Open,” producing the biggest hit of their career: “Chasing Cars.” A lot has happened in the time since — three, soon to be four quality full-length albums, to be exact. On Friday, the band will release “The Forest Is the Path,” their first new album in seven years. Anthemic pop-rock is the name of the game across songs of love and loss, like “All,”“The Beginning” and “This Is the Sound Of Your Voice.”

— For fans of raucous guitar music, Jordan Peele’s 2022 sci-fi thriller, “NOPE,” provided a surprising, if tiny, thrill. One of the leads, Emerald “Em” Haywood portrayed by Keke Palmer, rocks a Jesus Lizard shirt. (Also featured through the film: Rage Against the Machine, Wipers, Mr Bungle, Butthole Surfers and Earth band shirts.) The Austin noise rock band are a less than obvious pick, having been signed to the legendary Touch and Go Records and having stopped releasing new albums in 1998. That changes on Friday the 13th, when “Rack” arrives. And for those curious: The Jesus Lizard’s intensity never went away.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

NEW SHOWS TO STREAM SEPT. 9-15

— Hallmark launched a streaming service called Hallmark+ on Tuesday with two new original series, the scripted drama “The Chicken Sisters” and unscripted series “Celebrations with Lacey Chabert.” If you’re a Hallmark holiday movies fan, you know Chabert. She’s starred in more than 30 of their films and many are holiday themed. Off camera, Chabert has a passion for throwing parties and entertaining. In “Celebrations,” deserving people are surprised with a bash in their honor — planned with Chabert’s help. “The Chicken Sisters” stars Schuyler Fisk, Wendie Malick and Lea Thompson in a show about employees at rival chicken restaurants in a small town. The eight-episode series is based on a novel of the same name.

— Natasha Rothwell of “Insecure” and “The White Lotus” fame created and stars in a new heartfelt comedy for Hulu called “How to Die Alone.” She plays Mel, a broke, go-along-to-get-along, single, airport employee who, after a near-death experience, makes the conscious decision to take risks and pursue her dreams. Rothwell has been working on the series for the past eight years and described it to The AP as “the most vulnerable piece of art I’ve ever put into the world.” Like Mel, Rothwell had to learn to bet on herself to make the show she wanted to make. “In the Venn diagram of me and Mel, there’s significant overlap,” said Rothwell. It premieres Friday on Hulu.

— Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise and Betty Gilpin star in a new drama for Starz called “Three Women,” about entrepreneur Sloane, homemaker Lina and student Maggie who are each stepping into their power and making life-changing decisions. They’re interviewed by a writer named Gia (Woodley.) The series is based on a 2019 best-selling book of the same name by Lisa Taddeo. “Three Women” premieres Friday on Starz.

— Sylvester Stallone’s second season of “Tulsa King” debuts Sunday on Paramount+. Stallone plays Dwight Manfredi, a mafia boss who was recently released from prison after serving 25 years. He’s sent to Tulsa to set up a new crime syndicate. The series is created by Taylor Sheridan of “Yellowstone” fame.

— Alicia Rancilio

NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

— One thing about the title of Focus Entertainment’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 — you know exactly what you’re in for. You are Demetrian Titus, a genetically enhanced brute sent into battle against the Tyranids, an insectoid species with an insatiable craving for human flesh. You have a rocket-powered suit of armor and an arsenal of ridiculous weapons like the “Chainsword,” the “Thunderhammer” and the “Melta Rifle,” so what could go wrong? Besides the squishy single-player mode, there are cooperative missions and six-vs.-six free-for-alls. You can suit up now on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.

— Likewise, Wild Bastards isn’t exactly the kind of title that’s going to attract fans of, say, Animal Crossing. It’s another sci-fi shooter, but the protagonists are a gang of 13 varmints — aliens and androids included — who are on the run from the law. Each outlaw has a distinctive set of weapons and special powers: Sarge, for example, is a robot with horse genes, while Billy the Squid is … well, you get the idea. Australian studio Blue Manchu developed the 2019 cult hit Void Bastards, and this Wild-West-in-space spinoff has the same snarky humor and vibrant, neon-drenched cartoon look. Saddle up on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch or PC.

— Lou Kesten

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Trump could cash out his DJT stock within weeks. Here’s what happens if he sells

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August 23, 2024

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Former President Donald Trump is on the brink of a significant financial decision that could have far-reaching implications for both his personal wealth and the future of his fledgling social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). As the lockup period on his shares in TMTG, which owns Truth Social, nears its end, Trump could soon be free to sell his substantial stake in the company. However, the potential payday, which makes up a large portion of his net worth, comes with considerable risks for Trump and his supporters.

Trump’s stake in TMTG comprises nearly 59% of the company, amounting to 114,750,000 shares. As of now, this holding is valued at approximately $2.6 billion. These shares are currently under a lockup agreement, a common feature of initial public offerings (IPOs), designed to prevent company insiders from immediately selling their shares and potentially destabilizing the stock. The lockup, which began after TMTG’s merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), is set to expire on September 25, though it could end earlier if certain conditions are met.

Should Trump decide to sell his shares after the lockup expires, the market could respond in unpredictable ways. The sale of a substantial number of shares by a major stakeholder like Trump could flood the market, potentially driving down the stock price. Daniel Bradley, a finance professor at the University of South Florida, suggests that the market might react negatively to such a large sale, particularly if there aren’t enough buyers to absorb the supply. This could lead to a sharp decline in the stock’s value, impacting both Trump’s personal wealth and the company’s market standing.

Moreover, Trump’s involvement in Truth Social has been a key driver of investor interest. The platform, marketed as a free speech alternative to mainstream social media, has attracted a loyal user base largely due to Trump’s presence. If Trump were to sell his stake, it might signal a lack of confidence in the company, potentially shaking investor confidence and further depressing the stock price.

Trump’s decision is also influenced by his ongoing legal battles, which have already cost him over $100 million in legal fees. Selling his shares could provide a significant financial boost, helping him cover these mounting expenses. However, this move could also have political ramifications, especially as he continues his bid for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race.

Trump Media’s success is closely tied to Trump’s political fortunes. The company’s stock has shown volatility in response to developments in the presidential race, with Trump’s chances of winning having a direct impact on the stock’s value. If Trump sells his stake, it could be interpreted as a lack of confidence in his own political future, potentially undermining both his campaign and the company’s prospects.

Truth Social, the flagship product of TMTG, has faced challenges in generating traffic and advertising revenue, especially compared to established social media giants like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Despite this, the company’s valuation has remained high, fueled by investor speculation on Trump’s political future. If Trump remains in the race and manages to secure the presidency, the value of his shares could increase. Conversely, any missteps on the campaign trail could have the opposite effect, further destabilizing the stock.

As the lockup period comes to an end, Trump faces a critical decision that could shape the future of both his personal finances and Truth Social. Whether he chooses to hold onto his shares or cash out, the outcome will likely have significant consequences for the company, its investors, and Trump’s political aspirations.

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Arizona man accused of social media threats to Trump is arrested

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August 23, 2024

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Cochise County, AZ — Law enforcement officials in Arizona have apprehended Ronald Lee Syvrud, a 66-year-old resident of Cochise County, after a manhunt was launched following alleged death threats he made against former President Donald Trump. The threats reportedly surfaced in social media posts over the past two weeks, as Trump visited the US-Mexico border in Cochise County on Thursday.

Syvrud, who hails from Benson, Arizona, located about 50 miles southeast of Tucson, was captured by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday afternoon. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed his arrest, stating, “This subject has been taken into custody without incident.”

In addition to the alleged threats against Trump, Syvrud is wanted for multiple offences, including failure to register as a sex offender. He also faces several warrants in both Wisconsin and Arizona, including charges for driving under the influence and a felony hit-and-run.

The timing of the arrest coincided with Trump’s visit to Cochise County, where he toured the US-Mexico border. During his visit, Trump addressed the ongoing border issues and criticized his political rival, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, for what he described as lax immigration policies. When asked by reporters about the ongoing manhunt for Syvrud, Trump responded, “No, I have not heard that, but I am not that surprised and the reason is because I want to do things that are very bad for the bad guys.”

This incident marks the latest in a series of threats against political figures during the current election cycle. Just earlier this month, a 66-year-old Virginia man was arrested on suspicion of making death threats against Vice President Kamala Harris and other public officials.

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