A series win over the Baltimore Orioles this week gave the Toronto Blue Jays some much-needed breathing room in the American League playoff race.
Canada’s lone Major League Baseball team is in control of its own destiny with four weeks left in the regular season.
Securing one of the three wild-card spots remains a likely outcome for Toronto. Home-field advantage in a first-round series is a possibility and there’s a slim chance of a first-place finish in the East Division standings.
Toronto kicks off a three-game set against the Texas Rangers on Friday night before returning to Rogers Centre for a key eight-game homestand against divisional opponents.
With a 76-60 record and some momentum thanks to a strong road trip, the Blue Jays appear well-positioned for the stretch drive.
EAST FEAST
Six of Toronto’s eight remaining series will be against East Division opponents. A critical five-game series against Tampa Bay is on tap next week ahead of a three-game set against the Orioles.
Entering Thursday’s games, idle Toronto was a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners (77-60) and 1 1/2 games behind the Rays (77-58). The division-leading New York Yankees (83-54) were five games up on Tampa Bay and 6 1/2 games ahead of the Blue Jays.
In the wild-card race, Toronto was 4 1/2 games up on Baltimore and 7 1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox.
Under the new playoff format, a pair of AL wild-card series will be played with the two higher-ranked division winners securing byes to the division series. The other division winner (No. 3 seed) will host the third wild-card team (No. 6 seed) in a best-of-three series while the first wild-card club (No. 4 seed) will host the second wild-card team (No. 5 seed) in the other.
The Blue Jays have a 5.7-per cent chance of winning the East and a 92.1-per cent chance of securing a wild-card spot, per the FanGraphs website.
ACES HIGH
The one-two punch of Alek Manoah (14-7, 2.42 ERA) and Kevin Gausman (11-9, 3.12) at the front of the rotation has helped Toronto remain in the playoff picture.
Ross Stripling (7-4, 3.03) has been a reliable presence since replacing Hyun-Jin Ryu in the rotation, but he’s only worked into the seventh inning in two of his 19 starts.
Inconsistency has plagued Jose Berrios (10-5, 5.23) all year and Toronto’s No. 5 spot — previously held by reliever Yusei Kikuchi and most recently by the demoted Mitch White — may be filled by openers out of the bullpen depending on the opponent.
SWEET RELIEF
The return of left-hander Tim Mayza from a two-week stint on the injured list last month has helped stabilize a bullpen anchored by all-star closer Jordan Romano.
Yimi Garcia and trade-deadline acquisition Anthony Bass have been solid high-leverage options while sidearmer Adam Cimber has been a workhorse with a team-leading 63 appearances.
A high-velocity option like Julian Merryweather could be used more often over the next few weeks. And fireballer Nate Pearson remains an intriguing possibility as he continues to progress on a minor-league rehab assignment.
OFF THE SCHNEID
John Schneider hasn’t been afraid to put his stamp on the team since being named interim manager after the midseason firing of Charlie Montoyo.
The Blue Jays have been more aggressive on the basepaths under the new skipper, who has regularly tinkered with the batting order. Schneider has also extended Romano’s appearances more often than his predecessor.
Romano, who shares the AL lead with 31 saves, worked more than one inning just once under Montoyo this year. Under Schneider, the closer has recorded four-out saves on four occasions and made a pair of two-inning appearances.
Schneider is 30-18 in his new role (.625 winning percentage) while Montoyo departed when the team was 46-42 (.523).
SWEET SPOT
Pre-season expectations were high for the Blue Jays, who were initially pegged as one of the favourites to reach the World Series.
A strong 14-8 April record was followed by four months of middling results. Victories in eight of their last 10 games and a more balanced showing on the mound and at the plate have renewed post-season optimism.
Toronto has 26 games left to play, including nine matchups with Tampa Bay, six against Baltimore and three each against New York and Boston. The Blue Jays’ season concludes in early October with a three-game road series against the Orioles.
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.
