Latest news with #Jays
Hamilton Spectator
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s surprise appearance gets the ball rolling in Boston
The Blue Jays went into Boston and put a beating on the Red Sox, rolling to a 9-0 win — their second straight shutout — at Fenway Park on Friday night. Here's what you need to know: Lost in the offensive outburst was a brilliant outing by José Berríos. The right-hander threw seven innings of four-hit shutout, while striking out eight against only one walk in picking up his fourth win of the season. He allowed only two runners as far as second base. The Jays built an early picket fence with single runs in each of the first three innings, then tacked on a bunch late. George Springer and Andrés Giménez had three hits each, and Ernie Clement reached base five times with two singles and three walks. Last-minute Vladdy Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was not in the original starting lineup after exiting Thursday's game in Cleveland with a right forearm contusion , the result of being hit by a pitch in that spot for the second time in four plate appearances. But about an hour before the game, Guerrero was inserted into the lineup and contributed immediately with a two-out single in the first inning. He quickly stole second and scored the game's first run on a Springer single. Clement's impact Clement also made a big early impact, going into the third-base camera bay to haul in a foul pop-up by Jarren Duran to begin the bottom of the first. He led off the second with a walk and eventually scored on a Bo Bichette single, blowing through third-base coach Carlos Febles' stop sign, then singled in a run in the third. The 29-year-old is hitting .406 over his past 26 games. No relief The Red Sox turned to Brennan Bernardino with two on in the seventh inning and trailing 4-0, but he didn't provide much relief. The left-hander issued an intentional walk to Clement to load the bases, then walked Giménez to force in a run. In the eighth, Bernardino gave up two singles and issued two more walks. All four runners wound up scoring, the last two on a Giménez single off Jorge Alcala. JanetInYYC found me @wilnerness on Bluesky to ask: 'Is Bo the best leadoff hitter? He swings at the first pitch so often which seems antithetical to the leadoff role.' It's true, Janet, he does, but not as much as you think, I'll bet. This season, Bichette has swung at the first pitch in 33.8 per cent of his plate appearances. We think of the first batter as someone who takes a lot of pitches, works an at-bat and walks a ton. Bo doesn't do two of those things. But while Bichette doesn't walk much, he is often a very tough out. He tends to extend his at-bats by fouling off a bucket of balls, some of which are off the plate, rather than taking close pitches and staying disciplined. Going into Friday's game, Bichette was seeing an average of 3.58 pitchers per plate appearance, slightly below the major-league average of 3.87. Springer is the only Blue Jay above average at 3.97, but he has settled beautifully into the middle of the order. It should be noted, though, that when Bichette puts the first pitch in play he is a career .363 hitter, so it seems to be working pretty well for him.
Edmonton Journal
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Blue Jays smell blood in the water, trounce Red Sox 9-0 to reach halfway point in style
Article content If there has been a flaw in the Blue Jays' impressive climb to post-season contention while leaving the .500 mark in the dust, it has been their sometimes inability to go for the jugular. Losing two of three against the Chicago White Sox at the Rogers Centre a week ago was the most recent example. Article content How about one of their more complete games of the season in a dominating 9-0 trouncing to kick off the first of a three-game weekend set in Beantown. Yes, what a resounding way to officially reach the midway point of the season for manager John Schneider's soaring squad. There was starting pitcher Jose Berrios going seven full innings, striking out eight and allowing just four Red Sox hits to lower his ERA to 3.26. By the time Nick Sandlin came on in relief, the Jays were already up 9-0. Berrios has now recorded wins in four of his past five starts, giving the team the reliable type of outings that have been his calling card. There were three-hit nights from George Springer (who might well be the Jays MVP of the first half of the season) and Andres Gimenez, the latter driving in three runs as his batting average inched above .200. In all, six different Jays batsmen recorded at least a pair of hits as the team pounded out 16 in total. Article content And before the game, there was good news in the form of first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr., who was a late addition to the starting lineup. There was concern over the $500-million man from the previous day in Cleveland when he was hit by a pitch, but Guerrero's love for hitting at Fenway prevailed and he responded with a pair of hits, a walk and three runs scored. With the win, the Jays improved to 44-37 and shut out an opponent for a second consecutive contest after blanking the Guardians 6-0 on Thursday. Getting seven games above .500 matches a season-high for the Jays this season, the fourth time they've done so. With two weekend games remaining, the Jays now have the opportunity to inflict some serious damage on the reeling Red Sox — a divisional foe threatening to play themselves out of the American League wild-card race. The Jays arrived in Boston with an opportunity to make a large statement and certainly landed blow after blow in Round 1, as they improved to 4-1 at Fenway so far this season. There is something clearly rotten in Red Sox Nation and good teams thrive on the opportunity presented by blood in the water. Article content It's certainly starting to feel as if there is some momentum with a team that has gone 28-17 since May 9, the third best record in the majors since then. There have been ups and downs, sure, and inconsistencies. But on the other side, the Jays completed the first half of the season without meaningful contributions from their two biggest off-season acquisitions — Max Scherzer and Anthony Santander, the latter still on the injured list with shoulder issues. But the resilience they've shown along the way has set them up for success. And winning three of the first four contests on this six-game road trip is not only a terrific launching point to the second half of the season, but a nice setup for a rather large four-game series against the division-leading New York Yankees beginning Monday at the Rogers Centre. Latest National Stories
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Tempers flare as Vlad Guerrero Jr. exits Blue Jays win over Guardians after getting drilled
Get the latest from Rob Longley straight to your inbox Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reacts after being hit by a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians. AP Photo A three-game midweek series in Cleveland was supposed to be all about the return to the mound of Blue Jays would-be ace starter Max Scherzer and the feel-good element of getting a star player back in the lineup. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Instead, there was at least some concern about the status of their highest-paid player as all-star first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. was drilled in the right forearm by a pitch from Guardians starter Tanner Bibee in the third inning of a matinee in Cleveland. And, as a bonus, a pitcher who had been struggling came up big with his best outing this month. First, to Guerrero. After staying in briefly after getting hit, the Jays $500-million man was removed from the game after camera shots showed him wincing while attempting to hold a bat. The Jays later announced that X-Rays on Guerrero's arm were negative for any fracture and diagnosed with a right-arm contusion as initially, anyway, the team appeared to dodge a serious injury to their superstar on their way to a decisive 6-0 win in the rubber-match of the series. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Front and centre in the contest was Jays starter Kevin Gausman, who most importantly finished off what had been a terrible June with a terrific outing in which he blanked the Guardians over eight innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six. The veteran right-hander endeared himself to his own dugout in another way when he plunked the first batter he faced in the fourth inning, nailing Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez with a fastball to the forearm — an emphatic volley of retaliation. If there was hope that the tit-for-tat retribution would end matters, they didn't. After learning that Ramirez would be leaving the game after the hit, Guardians manager Steven Vogt was incensed as the inning ended and stormed toward the Jays dugout where he was yelling at Toronto manager John Schneider. The diagnosis for Ramirez after an X-Ray was the same as Guerrero's. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Jays clearly had seen enough, given that Guerrero was plunked with a pitch for the second time in as many games against the Guardians. Though the initial diagnosis obviously is encouraging, Toronto can ill afford to lose their most dynamic hitter for any period of time. Guerrero had been heeting up at the plate of late, including belting his 11th homer of the season in a loss on Wednesday. With Gausman dealing, the Jays were able to navigate a lineup light on regulars. Outfielder George Springer and catcher Alejandro Kirk were given scheduled off days while regular shortstop Bo Bichette was the DH. Add the loss of Guerrero and prevailing over the Guardians was even more impressive. With the win, the Jays improved to 43-37 and have now won 17-of-26 as they were to take a charter flight to Boston for a three-game weekend series against their division rival. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Jays needed a deep outing and effective outing from Gausman for a couple of reasons. First off, the bullpen had weathered a heavy workload in the first two games of the series and, second, it had been a mostly miserable month for the right-hander. But the veteran dug in on Thursday. After allowing a double to Steven Kwan, the first Guardians hitter he faced, Gausman only allowed one more hit the rest of the way. It was the third time this season Gausman has given his team eight innings and it couldn't have happened at a better time as the righty needed 104 pitches to secure the win. Read More This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Other than the throwing-pitches-at-dudes shenanigans in the fourth inning, there was more ugliness — in particular how the Jays managed to score the three runs that decided the game in the third inning. Not only did Guerrero get hit, first baseman Kyle Manzardo had no less than three errors in the inning and Bibee delivered a wild pitch. To their credit, the Jays took advantage, the biggest blow a Nathan Lukes single that drove in a pair of runs to open the scoring. The Jays added on in the ninth to take all the stress out of the outcome, scoring three runs on a bases-loaded single by Kirk, who came in as a pinch-hitter. Toronto Raptors Canada Celebrity Canada CFL
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Max-imum effort from veteran Scherzer spoiled in Blue Jays' extra-innings loss to Cleveland Guardians
Article content At Cleveland's Progressive Field, veteran Max Scherzer made progress. As long as his troublesome right thumb holds up, the Jays' starting rotation can only get better and definitely deeper. Article content In his second appearance with the Blue Jays, the veteran Scherzer gave up a nine-pitch walk to Guardians leadoff hitter Steven Kwan, who saw a four-seam fastball, changeup, cutter and sinker. Article content When Scherzer faced No. 2 hitter Kyle Manzardo, he began the at-bat with a curveball. His competitive juices were palpable, but his near three-month injury absence was also evident. Scherzer's 25-pitch first inning featured three strikeouts and one run yielded. His fastball touched 95.2 m.p.h. In the second inning, Daniel Schneeman hit a sharply hit ball into centre field on the first pitch, but it would be erased on a double play. Six pitches were required to retire the side in the second inning for Scherzer. One pitch to Mississauga's Bo Naylor would usher in the third inning. In his second time through the order, Scherzer needed two pitches to retire Kwan. Scherzer began to feel more at ease, even when issuing his second free pass on the evening. Through three innings, Scherzer looked much better than the three innings he managed to produce in his debut. Article content His sharpness wasn't where it needed to be, but it was to be expected. His trademark fire was unmistakable. Admittedly, Scherzer isn't certain how his hand will respond, which is why the term day to day truly applies to his availability. If he can stay healthy, a big if it must be noted, coupled with the emergence of Eric Lauer, the Blue Jays may finally have a legitimate five-man rotation. Scherzer, not surprisingly, attacked hitters. He was called for a pitch count violation that resulted in a walk as Scherzer had runners on the corner with two outs in the fourth inning. It proved costly as Scherzer gave up a two-run double to Gabriel Arias off a fastball that caught far too much of the plate to give Cleveland a 3-1 lead. Scherzer came out for the fifth inning, which must be viewed as a promising sign. Keep in mind the best of Scherzer is in the rear view, but he battles on every pitch and his sheer presence on the mound provides the Jays with a lift. Article content The man is a perfectionist and the epitome of professionalism. His 81st pitch on the night touched 95 m.p.h. On pitch No. 83, Scherzer recorded his fourth strikeout. All things considered, Scherzer was better than expected. The reality is one pitch cost him two runs, triggered by that violation when he came set too soon. A shaky start capped off by a strong finish, the Jays will gladly take this type of outing from Scherzer. The following are three takeaways from a 5-4 loss by the Blue Jays, a game decided in extra innings, as Toronto's record dropped to 42-37. 1. No Scherzer thing The 40-year-old Scherzer signed a one-year US $15.5 million deal in February. In his debut with the Blue Jays, Scherzer left the game against Baltimore on March 29 after three innings because of soreness in his right lat muscle. The next day, Toronto put Scherzer on the injured list because of inflammation in his thumb Article content Coming off an injury-plagued season for the Texas Rangers in 2024, Scherzer is a three-time Cy Young winner, a two-time World Series champ and a slam dunk future hall of famer. The biggest issues that have plagued Scherzer are is health and durability. In fact, he hasn't managed a qualifying number of innings in a season since 2021. He turns 41 on July 27. To make room for Scherzer on the roster, the Jays DFAed RHP Spencer Turnbull, whose one and only start was an unmitigated disaster, a two-inning outing against the lowly Chicago White Sox on a night Turnbull gave up four runs, including a home run in an eventual 7-1 loss. 2. Vlad Show A night after George Springer tied Bo Bichette for the club lead in homers, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined the party. When he goes deep, Vlad Jr.'s longballs are of the no-doubt variety. His 11th belt was the latest example when he turned on a pitch in the fourth inning for a solo blast that tied the game. Article content 3. Agent Zero Andres Gimenez wears jersey No. 0, which seems fitting because he's providing the Jays with virtually zero offence. Defensively, his gold glove speaks for itself. Thursday, his throwing error allowed Jose Ramirez to take second base after the Guardians star knocked in the game's first run in the first inning. Gimenez hit a two-out double to the opposite field in the third as the Jays had their first base runner. Up next The Scherzer curiosity was expected given his pedigree and potential significance to the rotation, but equally consequential is the state of Kevin Gausman, who hasn't been good. He'll start Thursday afternoon's series finale following two bad outings, the first in Philly when the right-hander gave up seven runs, including two homers, in 4.1 innings, the most recent against Arizona at Rogers Centre where Gausman gave up four runs in 5.0 innings. In his past two starts, both losses, Gausman has walked a combined seven hitters. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Article content Latest National Stories
Edmonton Journal
3 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Solid Eric Lauer start and George Springer grand slam helps Blue Jays launch critical 10-game stretch
Article content Another week, another mountain to climb in a Blue Jays season that always seems to feel that what awaits is mostly uphill. The Jays certainly had plenty happening as a six-game road trip began on the right foot on Tuesday night with the first of three in Cleveland, a 10-6 win over the Guardians. Article content Celebration was in order before the trip started when the probable pitcher assignments were released revealing Eric Lauer slotted for Tuesday and the long, long, long awaited return of Max Scherzer scheduled for Wednesday. Article content Why the big deal? For the first time since the opening week of the season, it meant the Jays had an honest-to-goodness five-man rotation. Then there was the fact that the Guardians series began the latest stretch of 10 critical games, a ride that will take the Jays through the midway point of the season. But the first order of business was the latest effort from Lauer, who seemingly out of nowhere has been a saviour for a Jays rotation with its share of issues. The well-travelled lefty gave manager John Schneider 5.1 scoreless innings before allowing a solo homer to the Guardians' Carlos Santana to end his night. But going as deep as he did — Lauer's longest outing of the season — helped him to lower his ERA to 2.21 while improving his won-loss record to 4-1. Where the Jays would be without him is a worthy discussion, but credit to Lauer, who has made the best of the opportunity presented to him by Scherzer's injury and the struggles of Bowden Francis. Article content Speaking of Scherzer, all eyes not just with the Blue Jays but around baseball will be on the 40-year-old right-hander when he makes just his second start with the Jays and first since March 29. Scherzer himself has admitted to being nervous wondering how his wonky thumb will hold up under the stress of a game situation. But the mere prospect of having the two-time Cy Young Award winner back in the rotation is hugely enticing for the Jays. As for the heavy-lifting ahead, the next three opponents are noteworthy. The Guardians and the Boston Red Sox, who the Jays visit on the weekend, are both on the Jays tail in the wild-card race. Then comes a rather large feeling four-game home set against the division leading New York Yankees that begins on Monday and includes the annual Canada Day extravaganza the following day. Winning the first of those not only wipes away the bad taste of losing two-of-three to the lowly Chicago White Sox and boosts the Jays back to six games above .500 with a record of 42-36. Article content BULLPEN WOES Given the current form and health in the bullpen, you get the feeling that nothing will come easy for the Jays going forward. And Tuesday was just the latest example. Once again, the visitors turned what for most of the evening seemed like a walk-in-the-park win into what was briefly an unnecessarily high stress affair from the seventh inning on. It started when Mason Fluharty walked two of the three batters he faced, a lack of control that promptly got him replaced by Chad Green, who promptly surrendered a three-run homer to light-hitting Lane Thomas to cut the Toronto lead to 6-4. Alas, the Jays would get it all back in more in the eighth when George Springer launched a two-out grand slam, the eighth of his career. Back to the bullpen: The Jays needed five relievers to get through 4.2 innings after Lauer's exit, a less than ideal development. Latest National Stories
