Bichette's two-run shot caps wild Blue Jays' win
The victory tied the Blue Jays with the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League.
Myles Straw's double drove in Ernie Clement for the go-ahead run in the sixth inning as Toronto (60-42) won the best-of-three series and locked up the tiebreaker between the two AL East rivals.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had an RBI double in the fourth, then drove in two more runs in the fifth on a fielder's choice, as the Blue Jays and Yankees traded leads. Clement's basehit in the fourth also scored a runner and pinch-hitter Will Wagner plated Straw in the sixth.
Chris Bassitt (11-4) was solid for 7 1/3 innings, striking out eight and allowing four runs — three earned — on three hits and no walks. Relievers Justin Bruihl and Yariel Rodriguez preserved the win.
Story continues below advertisement
Aaron Judge's two-run homer in the sixth tied the game 4-4 for New York (56-46), but that lead disappeared in the bottom of the inning thanks to Straw and Wagner's RBIs. Jasson Dominguez had a home run in the second and Anthony Volpe added a solo shot in the fifth.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Ace Max Fried (11-4) struggled, giving up five runs — four earned — on six hits and three walks, striking out three over 5 1/3 innings.
Jonathan Loaisiga, Scott Effross and JT Brubaker all came out of the visitor's bullpen, with Effross giving up two runs.
Takeaways
Yankees: The long ball remains the key to success for New York, with all four of its runs coming from homers. The Yankees entered the game with a Major League Baseball-best 162 home runs, five more than the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shohei Ohtani had L.A.'s one homer in its 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins earlier Wednesday.
Story continues below advertisement
Blue Jays: Toronto benefited greatly from New York's four errors and other fielding miscues, eking out runs on walks, dropped balls, wild pitches, and overthrows. Bichette's two-run blast — his 13th home run of the year — was the Blue Jays' cleanest score of the game as Guerrero had led off the inning with a double.
Key moment
Davis Schneider was caught stealing by Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra with one out in the fifth inning. A video replay overturned the call on the field, however. George Springer drew a walk in the next at bat and Guerrero drove them both home when Escarra dropped the ball trying to tag Schneider at the plate.
Key stat
The Blue Jays expanded their lead in the AL East to four games over New York with the victory. Toronto and the Yankees will play three more times this year but the Blue Jays now have the tiebreaker should they wind up with identical records by the end of the regular season.
Up next
Eric Lauer (5-2) will take the mound as the Blue Jays begin a four-game series in Detroit.
Reese Olson (4-3) gets the start for the AL Central-leading Tigers (60-43).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025.
Story continues below advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
22 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The Kansas City Royals and pitcher Seth Lugo agree to 2-year extension, AP source says
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals and right-hander Seth Lugo have agreed to a two-year extension that includes a vesting option for the 2028 season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Sunday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal, which presumably takes one of the most talked-about names on the trade market off the table ahead of this week's deadline, had not been officially announced. The 35-year-old Lugo made his first All-Star Game and won his first Gold Glove last season, when he went 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA in the first year of a two-year, $30 million deal that included a player option for next season. Lugo has followed that up with an even better start to this season, going 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA through 19 outings for Kansas City. Rumors surfaced of several contenders interested in trading for Lugo ahead of Thursday's deadline, and the fact that the Royals have been hanging on the fringe of contention themselves left many wondering whether they would be buyers or sellers. It appears that they are going to make a push for a second consecutive playoff appearance. The Royals acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Diamondbacks for reliever Andrew Hoffmann late Saturday, shoring up a weakness in the lineup by adding a right-handed bat. Now, they have indicated that Lugo remains big a part of their future with his extension — an especially timely one given it came the same day that All-Star pitcher Kris Bubic went on the injured list. Kansas City also is missing starters Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen due to injuries. Both are expected back at some point in August, and the Royals are hopeful that their return to the rotation will propel them down the stretch run. After beating the Guardians on Sunday, the Royals were four games back of the final American League wild-card spot. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP MLB:
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Ichiro Suzuki's humorous speech highlights Hall of Fame induction ceremonies
If you want someone for your next celebrity roast, Ichiro Suzuki could be your guy. Mixing sneaky humour with heartfelt messages, the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame stole the show Sunday in Cooperstown. Morning showers and gloomy skies delayed the ceremonies by an hour, but the moisture gave way to bright skies and warm temperatures. The sun seemed its brightest during Suzuki's acceptance speech. The outfielder was joined by pitcher CC Sabathia, also elected in his first year of eligibility, and closer Billy Wagner, who made it in his final try on the writers' ballot. Suzuki fell one vote shy of being a unanimous selection and he took a jab at the unidentified sports writer who didn't vote for him. 'Three thousand hits or 262 hits in one season are two achievements recognized by the writers. Well, all but one,' Suzuki said to roaring laughter. 'By the way, the offer for the writer to have dinner at my home has now expired,' he added, with emphasis on 'expired' for good measure. A pair of Era Committee selections rounded out the Class of 2025: Dave Parker, who earned the nickname Cobra during 20 big league seasons, and slugger Dick Allen. Parker died June 28, just a month before he was to be inducted. An estimated 30,000 fans crowded onto the field adjacent to the Clark Sports Center, sun umbrellas and Japanese flags sprinkled around. Suzuki's No. 51 was seemingly everywhere as fans, thousands of them Seattle Mariners boosters who made the trek from the Pacific Northwest, chanted 'Ichiro' several times throughout the day. A sign that read 'Thank You Ichiro! Forever a Legend' in English and Japanese summed up the admiration for Suzuki on his special day. With 52 returning Hall of Famers on hand, Suzuki paid homage to his new baseball home in Cooperstown and his adoring fans by delivering his 18-minute speech in English. His humour, a surprise to many, delighted the crowd. He threw shade at the Miami Marlins, the last stop of his professional career. 'Honestly, when you guys offered me a contract in 2015, I had never heard of your team,' Suzuki joked. He kidded that he showed up at spring training every year with his arm 'already in shape' just to hear Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs scream, ''Holy smokes! Another laser-beam throw from Ichiro!'' He even took a moment for some tongue-in-cheek modesty. 'People often measure me by my records. Three thousand hits. Ten Gold Gloves. Ten seasons of 200 hits. 'Not bad, huh?' Suzuki said to more laughs. He thanked his late agent Tony Anastasio for 'getting me to America and for teaching me to love wine.' But he also took time to get to the root of what made him extraordinary. 'Baseball is much more than just hitting, throwing and running. Baseball taught me to make valued decisions about what is important. It helped shape my view of life and the world. … The older I got, I realized the only way I could get to play the game I loved to the age of 45 at the highest level was to dedicate myself to it completely,' he said. 'When fans use their precious time to see you play, you have a responsibility to perform for them whether you are winning by 10 or losing by 10. 'Baseball taught me what it means to be a professional and I believe that is the main reason I am here today. I could not have achieved the numbers without paying attention to the small details every single day consistently for all 19 seasons.' Now he's reached the pinnacle, overcoming doubters, one of whom said to him: ''Don't embarrass the nation.'' He's made his homeland proud. 'Going into America's Baseball Hall of Fame was never my goal. I didn't even know there was one. I visited Cooperstown for the first time in 2001, but being here today sure feels like a fantastic dream.' Sabathia thanked 'the great players sitting behind me, even Ichiro who stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001).' He paid homage to Parker and spoke about Black culture in today's game. 'It's an extra honour to be a part of Dave's Hall of Fame class. He was a father figure for a generation of Black stars. In the '80s and early '90s when I first started watching baseball and Dave Parker was crushing homers, the number of Black players in the major leagues was at its highest, about 18 per cent. Me and my friends played the game because we saw those guys on TV and there was always somebody who looked like me in a baseball uniform. 'Baseball has always been a great game for Black athletes, but baseball culture has not always been great to Black people. I hope we're starting to turn that around. I don't want to be the final member of the Black aces, a Black pitcher to win 20 games. And I don't want to be the final Black pitcher giving a Hall of Fame speech.' Wagner urged young players to treat obstacles not as 'roadblocks, but steppingstones.' 'I wasn't the biggest player. I wasn't supposed to be here. There were only seven full-time relievers in the Hall of Fame. Now, there are eight because I refused to give up or give in,' he said. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7 per cent) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was picked on 342 ballots (86.8 per cent) and Wagner on 325 (82.5 per cent), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75 per cent. After arriving in the majors in 2001, Suzuki joined Fred Lynn (1975) as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami. He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose's major league record of 4,256. Sabathia, second to Suzuki in 2001 AL Rookie of the Year voting, was a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and a World Series title in 2009. He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the New York Yankees. A seven-time All-Star, Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves for Houston, Philadelphia, the New York Mets, Boston and Atlanta. Tom Hamilton and Tom Boswell were also honoured during Hall of Fame weekend. Hamilton has been the primary radio broadcaster for the Cleveland Guardians franchise for 35 seasons and received the Ford C. Frick Award. Boswell, a retired sports columnist who spent his entire career with The Washington Post, was honoured with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award
Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Blue Jays stumble against Tigers despite a Max Scherzer gem, but the week still had its rewards
By Baseball Columnist Mike Wilner is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star and host of the baseball podcast 'Deep Left Field.' Follow him on Bluesky: @wilnerness DETROIT—It was a crappy way to end a great week as the Blue Jays fell 10-4 to the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Sunday, wasting a near-perfect outing from Max Scherzer and failing to secure what would have been the first four-game sweep of Detroit in franchise history. Pitching on his 41st birthday, Scherzer had six three-up, three-down innings with 11 strikeouts, equalling his best strikeout total since he fanned 13 St. Louis Cardinals for the Los Angeles Dodgers in September 2021. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
