Latest news with #AmericanLeagueCyYoungAward
Canada News.Net
4 days ago
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Jays go for record-tying 10th straight home win vs. Giants
(Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images) The Toronto Blue Jays will be out to extend their nine-game home winning streak Sunday afternoon and complete a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants. The Blue Jays clinched the series win with a 6-3 victory on Saturday and have won seven of their past eight series at home. The last time Toronto won nine games in a row at home was in 2015. The longest home winning streak in franchise history is 10 in 1985. The Blue Jays are 34-16 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto this season. The Giants hope former Blue Jays pitcher Robbie Ray (9-3, 2.65 ERA) can salvage the series finale on Sunday and end their four-game losing streak. The left-hander is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays. Ray won the American League Cy Young Award when he was with Toronto in 2021. Right-hander Jose Berrios (5-4, 3.75) is Toronto's scheduled starter for Sunday. He gave up two runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings and got the win in his only start against the Giants, in 2017. The Blue Jays continued to get contributions from the bottom of the lineup on Saturday. Ernie Clement had an RBI single, Will Wagner had a two-run double for the second game in a row and Tyler Heineman had an RBI double and a two-run home run. 'That's huge when the bottom of the order can get it done,' Clement said. 'It takes a lot of pressure off the top. That's our job.' 'When you know you're hitting 7-8-9, whatever it is, the tendency is to kind of chase results,' Toronto manager John Schneider said. 'And the guys aren't doing that. You have to have nine players trying to be the starter. ... We've stressed that from the get-go this year, and they have embraced it.' The Giants scored for the first time in the series -- they were shut out 4-0 in the series opener -- when Willy Adames homered with one out in the fifth against left-hander Eric Lauer, who had been perfect until that point. Adames also homered in the seventh against Chad Green. The first homer by Adames was the first run of the game. San Francisco added a run in the top of the sixth before Toronto answered with four in the bottom of the inning against Logan Webb. 'At the moment it felt great, like maybe it could start something going for the team,' Adames said. 'But, unfortunately, we couldn't back (Webb) up. It's been a little tough, obviously, to start after the break 0-2. Not the greatest, but we have a really good group here and I know we're going to click sooner than later and play better baseball.' Webb was not pleased. 'It's the second time in a row I've given up four runs in the sixth inning, so I have to figure something out,' he said. The Blue Jays outhit the Giants 14-4 on Saturday. San Francisco had two hits against Lauer and two more against right-handed relievers. Left-hander Brendon Little pitched a perfect eighth. 'We've struggled with lefties all year,' Giants manager Bob Melvin said. 'It has been a little better the last month or so, but it's been a sore spot for us.' The Giants are 10-17 against left-handed starters. 'We have not done enough against lefties,' Melvin said. In the series against the Blue Jays, the Giants have not done enough against anyone. Giants' hitters have struck out 21 times and have not walked.
Hamilton Spectator
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Blue Jays' Alek Manoah shows positive signs despite rocky debut in first game since Tommy John surgery
Approximately 13 months removed from Tommy John surgery, Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah has made his official return to the mound. Manoah, who underwent the invasive procedure last June to repair a torn ligament in his elbow, began a rehab assignment with the Florida Coast League Blue Jays on Monday morning. The rust was apparent as the Jays' former ace allowed four runs — three earned — on a hit and two walks across one-third of an inning. He threw 10 of his 22 pitches for strikes in the debut outing. Man felt so great to be back out there, hear the National Anthems and toe that rubber. 392 days! Thank you Jesus! Been a long journey, look forward to continuing to get better, have fun and COMPETE everyday!! The pitching line doesn't matter much to the Jays at this point. Instead, it's the quality of his stuff that they will be monitoring closely and there were positives signs on that front. Manoah averaged 94.2 m.p.h. on his fastball, which was an increase from the 93.3 he averaged in 2024 prior to the injury. 'Just want to see him get out there, get hot, and go through his normal routine,' Jays manager John Schneider told reporters prior to the all-star break. '(I) have no care whatsoever about results.' Once pitchers begin a rehab assignment, they have 30 days to recover from injury. Once the clock expires, the club must decide on the next steps. For most pitchers that would involve being added to the 26-man active roster, but in Manoah's case he has two options remaining on his contract, which means he could be kept in the minor leagues instead. The clock can also be reset in the event of a setback. Manoah is expected to use all of those 30 days to get back into pitching shape. He has been throwing off a mound since March , but only with a limited number of pitches. That means he's essentially starting his own personal spring training and will use the next four weeks to continue building up endurance and working on his overall effectiveness. It's not immediately clear what the Jays will do once Manoah is up to speed. Their rotation is currently full with Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer. They are also expected to try to add another starter prior to the July 31 trade deadline. At the very least, Manoah would give the Jays additional depth down the stretch. It's also possible that if he looks good enough, he could supplant Lauer as a member of the starting five, especially if the Jays don't add at the deadline. That decision won't have to be made until mid-August. Manoah's signature season came in 2022 when he went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA. During that same year, he was named to the all-star team and finished top three in voting for the American League Cy Young Award. The now 27-year-old faltered the following season with a 5.87 ERA and he made just five appearances in 2024 before going down with the elbow injury.
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal named 2025 MLB All-Star Game starting pitchers
ATLANTA — As Major League Baseball's All-Star Game loses just a shimmer of star power, the league made sure to let the world know Tuesday night's pitching matchup will be top-notch. For the second consecutive season, fireballing Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes will start for the National League, opposed by Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner and the undisputed best pitcher in baseball at the moment. Pitting Skenes against the Detroit Tigers ace takes some sting out of losing a minivan's worth of stars declining to participate in the game, led perhaps most notably by Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia's 35-year-old ace who opted to rest instead of take part in his fourth Midsummer Classic. Had Wheeler, who pitched Saturday night against the San Diego Padres, opted to participate, it would have created a tough decision for MLB and NL manager Dave Roberts. Wheeler has likely had the objectively superior first half - though not by much - leaving the league to decide between Wheeler and the buzzier, if you will, Skenes. The call to National League Starting Pitcher, Paul Skenes 🥲 That won't be a problem come Tuesday, as Skenes, who has a 4-8 record despite 4.8 WAR and a 2.01 ERA, will throw the first pitch at Truist Park against the AL All-Stars. Skenes will be first out the chute for the AL, thanks to his 2.23 ERA and a staggering 153 strikeouts in 121 innings. Other stars who have opted out or been replaced due to the timing of their final first-half starts include Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez and Texas right-hander Jacob de Grom. Others, like Atlanta lefty Chris Sale and Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman, are either injured or returned very recently from injury and won't play. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Canada Standard
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada Standard
Tigers' Tarik Skubal looks to hand Guardians 10th straight loss
(Photo credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images) Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal's quest for a second straight American League Cy Young Award continues Sunday, when Detroit wraps up a three-game series at the Cleveland Guardians. Skubal (10-2, 2.15 ERA) takes on Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (5-4, 3.86) in what is forecast to be one of the hottest days of the year in Northeast Ohio with temperatures at the ballpark in the mid-90s. The Tigers won the opener 2-1 on homers from Wenceel Perez and Zach McKinstry, then squeaked out a 1-0 victory Saturday, thanks to a solo shot from Spencer Torkelson. American League-leading Detroit managed just two hits in the second win -- both by Torkelson -- while sending Cleveland to its season-high ninth consecutive loss. 'We won the series, so we don't care how explosive we are or how we do it, especially within the division,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. 'Tork is going to try to do damage every time he takes a swing, and he's doing it. It's hard to argue with his approach.' Skubal has made nine regular-season starts against Cleveland, compiling a 3-2 record and 2.84 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings. He also went 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two road appearances against the Guardians during the 2024 AL Division Series. Detroit starter Reese Olson gave up a home run to Jose Ramirez in his 4 1/3 innings pitched Friday, while fellow righty Casey Mize didn't permit a baserunner past second base Saturday in arguably his best performance in the majors. Mize tossed seven scoreless innings for the initial time in his career, scattering four hits over a season-high 102 pitches. He stands a strong chance at being named to the All-Star Game when reserves and pitchers are announced following the series finale. 'In a tight game like this, you feel like you really need to buckle down,' said Mize, who is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA against Cleveland this season. 'It's not the best situation to be in, but I kind of like them, to be honest. 'I know if the matchup is there, A.J. is going to give me the chance to stay in and succeed.' Williams will face the Tigers for the fifth time in his three seasons, posting a 1-2 record and 2.53 ERA over his first four starts against the Central Division rival. Nothing has gone right for the Guardians since June 25, when they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 10 innings. They've been outscored 41-13 and have been blanked five times in their nine consecutive defeats. Even a combined two-hitter Saturday by Logan Allen, Cade Smith, Paul Sewald and Tim Herrin wasn't enough to end the skid. 'It's going to pay off and we're going to see ourselves in a great spot at the end of the season,' Cleveland pitcher Slade Cecconi said. 'I fully believe that.' The best news for the Guardians came before the game Saturday, when former AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber threw batting practice. The right-hander could rejoin the rotation in late July following Tommy John surgery. 'In regards to how my arm felt, I'm really happy with how it went,' Bieber said. 'But as a competitor, I just kind of got tired and threw a few more balls than I would have liked. Now, I can focus on how I can get better for my next live BP.' --Field Level Media
Canada News.Net
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Canada News.Net
Tigers' Tarik Skubal looks to hand Guardians 10th straight loss
(Photo credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images) Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal's quest for a second straight American League Cy Young Award continues Sunday, when Detroit wraps up a three-game series at the Cleveland Guardians. Skubal (10-2, 2.15 ERA) takes on Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (5-4, 3.86) in what is forecast to be one of the hottest days of the year in Northeast Ohio with temperatures at the ballpark in the mid-90s. The Tigers won the opener 2-1 on homers from Wenceel Perez and Zach McKinstry, then squeaked out a 1-0 victory Saturday, thanks to a solo shot from Spencer Torkelson. American League-leading Detroit managed just two hits in the second win -- both by Torkelson -- while sending Cleveland to its season-high ninth consecutive loss. 'We won the series, so we don't care how explosive we are or how we do it, especially within the division,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. 'Tork is going to try to do damage every time he takes a swing, and he's doing it. It's hard to argue with his approach.' Skubal has made nine regular-season starts against Cleveland, compiling a 3-2 record and 2.84 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings. He also went 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two road appearances against the Guardians during the 2024 AL Division Series. Detroit starter Reese Olson gave up a home run to Jose Ramirez in his 4 1/3 innings pitched Friday, while fellow righty Casey Mize didn't permit a baserunner past second base Saturday in arguably his best performance in the majors. Mize tossed seven scoreless innings for the initial time in his career, scattering four hits over a season-high 102 pitches. He stands a strong chance at being named to the All-Star Game when reserves and pitchers are announced following the series finale. 'In a tight game like this, you feel like you really need to buckle down,' said Mize, who is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA against Cleveland this season. 'It's not the best situation to be in, but I kind of like them, to be honest. 'I know if the matchup is there, A.J. is going to give me the chance to stay in and succeed.' Williams will face the Tigers for the fifth time in his three seasons, posting a 1-2 record and 2.53 ERA over his first four starts against the Central Division rival. Nothing has gone right for the Guardians since June 25, when they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 10 innings. They've been outscored 41-13 and have been blanked five times in their nine consecutive defeats. Even a combined two-hitter Saturday by Logan Allen, Cade Smith, Paul Sewald and Tim Herrin wasn't enough to end the skid. 'It's going to pay off and we're going to see ourselves in a great spot at the end of the season,' Cleveland pitcher Slade Cecconi said. 'I fully believe that.' The best news for the Guardians came before the game Saturday, when former AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber threw batting practice. The right-hander could rejoin the rotation in late July following Tommy John surgery. 'In regards to how my arm felt, I'm really happy with how it went,' Bieber said. 'But as a competitor, I just kind of got tired and threw a few more balls than I would have liked. Now, I can focus on how I can get better for my next live BP.'
