BALTIMORE – To this point in 2023, the Orioles have been enjoying an incredible season filled with breakout performances and more wins than most would have predicted. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have been a little underwhelming all year. Not bad – far from it, in fact – but just good enough that you see the potential and wonder why it’s not on display more often.
Maybe that’ll be the story of the season. Baltimore’s still the team that’s on track for a division title and a first-round playoff bye, after all. But for at least one night, the Blue Jays were the ones who turned a tense night of baseball into a memorable win.
Brandon Belt made sure of that when he led off the top of the 10th inning with his third home run in the last two games, a two-run shot that set in motion a 6-3 Blue Jays win on Tuesday.
“When you get to this time of year and you’re on the cusp of being in the playoffs, you’ve got to have urgency,” Belt said. “You can’t put pressure on yourself because that can make you do things you don’t normally do. But you’ve got to have a sense of urgency to get out there and win ballgames now.”
Thanks in large part to Belt, the Blue Jays won the opener of this three game series at Camden Yards, improving to 70-56 on the season and gaining on the Orioles, who now are 7.5 games ahead of third-place Toronto in the AL East. But even if the Orioles take the division, these wins are still critically important since the Blue Jays are chasing the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros for wild-card position.
Belt’s recent power outburst a timely boost for Blue Jays’ lineup
“Total team effort,” said manager John Schneider. “Hopefully we get on a nice little run.”
Late Tuesday, both Seattle and Houston won, meaning the Blue Jays remain one game behind the Mariners for a playoff spot.
While the Blue Jays have elite pitching with an MLB-best 3.65 ERA entering play Tuesday, their power game has been middling this season. They entered play ranked 15th in baseball in home runs, and were one of four teams without a 20-homer hitter along with the Guardians, Reds and Giants.
Yet because of Belt’s 14th home run, they were able to take advantage of some more strong relief pitching and win their third in a row. Considering that many of the Blue Jays’ established bats are hitting for less power than anticipated, this production from the veteran designated hitter/first baseman has been even more important.
“I feel pretty good right now,” Belt acknowledged. “I think that’s a pretty obvious to say.”
Blue Jays’ simplified, aggressive approach leads to clutch 10th inning vs. Orioles
Starter Yusei Kikuchi was effective through four innings, but he ran into trouble in the fifth after allowing singles by Jorge Mateo and Adley Rutschman to open the inning. Mateo would score when a double steal forced an errant throw by catcher Danny Jansen and the next batter, Austin Hays, walked.
That prompted a call to the bullpen for Yimi Garcia, who promptly allowed a Jordan Westburg RBI double that was charged to Kikuchi. All told, the left-hander pitched 4.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one.
“I wasn’t at my best,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “I think I was nibbling a little bit too much. But I was able to still like go into the (game) with the mentality of attacking hitters (and) I’m just glad that we won.”
To his credit, he handled Blue Jays nemesis Ryan Mountcastle effectively, striking him out twice and later inducing a fly-ball out. Considering Mountcastle’s previous numbers against Kikuchi – seven-for-12 with four home runs – that represents a significant step.
“I was able to attack inside with the fastball and then set him up for breaking stuff that went from strike to ball,” Kikuchi said.
Later, relievers Trevor Richards, Jordan Hicks, Erik Swanson, Tim Mayza and Jordan Romano would each pitch scoreless innings against a potent Baltimore offence.
As Schneider said, “They’ve been on a mission.”
On the injury front, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returned to the lineup after exiting Sunday’s game with left middle finger discomfort. Before the game Guerrero Jr. said he felt fine, and he’d later collect three hits, including an extra-innings double that led to a valuable insurance run.
Elsewhere in the lineup, Daulton Varsho homered while Kevin Kiermaier and Matt Chapman contributed two-hit games.
“That’s what it’s going to take for us to win this thing,” said Belt. “Everybody’s got to be contributing. And we’ve seen that from us the past couple days. I think it has a lot to do with us just getting our guys back. (After) a lot of injuries, we’ve got them back in the lineup and we’re seeing the fruits of that.”
Blue Jays’ Bichette makes terrific sliding stop, cannon throw to make key out vs. Orioles
Speaking of returning players, the game might have ended differently were it not for Bo Bichette, who robbed Rutschman of a hit with a spectacular defensive effort with the go-ahead runner on second in the ninth inning. It was an impressive play under any circumstances but especially given that it’s Bichette’s third game back from a knee injury.
“Hell of a play,” Schneider said “That’s a game saver right there.”
In that sense, this win was a total team effort, with strong defence, dominant relief pitching and timely power. If only it were always so simple.
LONDON – Canada will meet three-time champion Germany in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Malaga, Spain this November.
Canada secured a berth in the quarterfinals — also called The Final 8 Knockout Stage — with a 2-1 win over Britain last weekend in Manchester, England.
World No. 21 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal anchored a five-player squad that included Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., Gabriel Diallo of Montreal, Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., and Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C.
The eight-team draw for the quarterfinals was completed Thursday at International Tennis Federation headquarters.
Defending champion Italy will play Argentina, the United States will meet Australia and Spain will take on the Netherlands. Schedule specifics have yet to be released but the Final 8 will be played Nov. 19-24.
Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz were unbeaten in doubles play last week to help Germany reach the quarterfinals. The country’s top singles player — second-ranked Alex Zverev — did not play.
The Canadians defeated Germany in the quarterfinals en route to their lone Davis Cup title in 2022. Germany won titles in 1988, ’89 and ’93.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canada, fuelled by a 2-1 win over the U.S. and scoreless draw with Mexico, has jumped two places to No. 38 in the FIFA men’s world rankings released Thursday.
Of the top six CONCACAF teams, Canada was the only one to move up. Mexico was unchanged at No. 17 while the U.S. and Panama each fell two rungs to No. 18 and 37, respectively
Costa Rica slipped one spot to No. 50 and Jamaica two places to No. 61.
It marks Canada’s highest ranking under coach Jesse Marsch, who was hired in mid-May when the Canadians were ranked 50th. Since then, the team has climbed to No. 49, 48, 40 and now 38.
Canada has been as high as No. 33 in the men’s ranking, achieved in February 2022 under John Herdman with Canada, named the “Most Improved Side” in 2021 by FIFA, turning heads with an unbeaten run in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
The new rankings encompass 184 internationals involving teams from all six confederations including 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia, Oceania and South America.
The top 10 was unchanged with Argentina ahead of France, Spain, England, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Colombia and Italy. But the gap at the top is closing with Argentina losing 2-1 away to Colombia and 3-1 at home to Italy.
Teams 10 through 15 were also unchanged. But there was movement after that in the form of Japan (, up two), Iran (No. 19, up one) and Denmark (No. 20, up one). Egypt (No. 31), Ivory Coast (No. 33), Tunisia (No. 36) and Algeria (No. 41) all jumped five places while Greece (No. 48) climbed six spots.
The biggest movers were Brunei Darussalam (No. 183) and Samoa (No. 185), who vaulted seven spots on the back of two wins apiece.
Qatar suffered the biggest drop, tumbling 10 places to No. 44.
San Marino remains at the bottom of the rankings in 210th place despite recording its first victory in more than 20 years, San Marino defeated Liechtenstein 1-0 on Sept. 5, ending a 140-game winless run since a 1-0 decision over the same opponent in April 2004.
Liechtenstein fell four places to No. 203.
Canada’s next match is an Oct. 15 friendly against Panama at Toronto’s BMO Field. The next men’s ranking will be released Oct. 24.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024
HOUSTON (AP) — Brian White scored in the second half to rally the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night.
Houston (12-9-8) took a 1-0 lead into halftime after Ezequiel Ponce scored on a penalty kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time. Ponce’s third goal this season came after Amine Bassi drew a foul on Whitecaps midfielder Pedro Vite following a video review. It was Ponce’s sixth career appearance, all starts.
Vancouver (13-8-7) scored the equalizer in the 73rd minute when White, who entered in the 60th, used assists from Fafá Picault and Ryan Gauld to find the net for the 13th time this season. Picault’s assist was his fifth, matching his career high for a single season. Gauld’s assist gives him a career-best 13 on the season.
Yohei Takaoka, who had clean sheets in his last three starts, finished with one save in goal for the Whitecaps.
Steve Clark saved three shots for the Dynamo, who remain one point behind Vancouver in the Western Conference standings.
Houston, which was coming off a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake, has allowed just 33 goals this season.
Vancouver — 6-2-2 in its last 10 matches overall — leads the all-time series 10-9-6.
The Whitecaps remain on the road to play the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. The Dynamo travel to play Austin FC on Saturday.
