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Toronto GM Anthopoulos feels Jays slugger Bautista… |
TORONTO – Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista was under a lot of pressure after signing a long-term contract extension and becoming the face of the franchise after his breakout 2010 campaign. He responded with one of the best individual seasons in team history. On Monday, he just might be rewarded for his efforts. Bautista is a contender for the American League MVP award after hitting .302 with 43 home runs, 103 RBIs and a .447 on-base percentage. “He’s as good as it gets,” Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said in a recent interview. “I’m certainly hopeful for him and he certainly deserves it.” There is no clear favourite for the AL honour this year. Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox are also in the mix along with New York’s Curtis Granderson. Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers could also be a factor. The results of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote will be announced at 2 p.m. ET Monday. “I realize that I had a good year on the individual side,” Bautista said. “But I do realize that there are other guys around the league who had great years as well. “All I can do right now is be hopeful.” Anthopoulos said Bautista is a well-rounded player who can do it all. “I think with what Jose means to the team and the organization — playing Gold Glove defence both in right field and at third — and the offensive numbers speak for themselves,” Anthopoulos said. “With everything he’s done, he’s by far for me the MVP.” Bautista recently won his second straight Hank Aaron Award as the most outstanding offensive performer in the AL after a vote by fans and a panel of Hall of Famers. The 31-year-old slugger led the major leagues in home runs, walks (132), slugging percentage (.608) and on-base plus slugging (1.056) to become the first player since Barry Bonds in 2001 to lead in four offensive categories. However, unlike the other contenders, Bautista was not playing meaningful baseball in September. Whether the baseball writers take that into consideration remains to be seen. “Obviously from a biased standpoint, I think it’s the best player in the league,” Anthopoulos said. “It’s not the best player on a playoff team.” Former Toronto outfielder George Bell was named league MVP in 1987. He is the only Blue Jay to have won the award. The six-foot-one 192-pound Bautista smiled when asked who he would select if he had a vote. “Obviously myself if I was allowed to,” Bautista said with a laugh. “Who wouldn’t?” His No. 2 pick would be Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera. “He’s the one guy that some people are overlooking,” Bautista said. “He was on the field for 160 games for the Detroit Tigers and they made the playoffs. “I think I would vote for him.” Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers won the AL MVP award last year. The 2011 National League MVP award winner will be named Tuesday. Jays infielder Brett Lawrie said Bautista posts big numbers and does the little things too. “He’s a tremendous player,” Lawrie said. “He’s worked hard to get where he’s at right now. “I’m glad he’s on my team, I can tell you that.” That’s all the news for today. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Toronto Blue Jays’ Stars Use Twitter to Weigh in… |
According to an MLB.com report, the Toronto Blue Jays dipped into their past when looking for inspiration for the club’s new logo that was revealed at Rogers Centre on Nov. 18. The new look is a modernized version of the franchise’s first logo that was used from 1977-97. It features a sleeker-looking Blue Jay bird head with a prominent red maple leaf to showcase Toronto’s standing as the only Major League Baseball team in Canada. Here’s what players on Toronto’s roster had to say about the new uniforms: 
Toronto Blue Jay Jose Bautista is off to a strong start in 2011. Brett Lawrie(notes) Blue Jays infielder Brett Lawrie let fans know he fully supports the modernized version of the old team logo. On Nov. 18, Lawrie tweeted “Boys got some nice new units !! Fired up bout new logo!!” Follow Lawrie on Twitter @blawrie13. Joey Bautista Joey Bautista seemed to be pretty pumped up about the Jays’ new look. On Nov. 18, he tweeted “What do you think of our #newjayslogo? #beastmode? Later in the day, he retweeted a post by Franklin Sports that read “Check out the unveiling of the @bluejays new threads! Great job, Toronto!” Follow Bautista on Twitter @joeybats19. Carlos Delgado(notes) Carlos Delgado hasn’t played for the Blue Jays in quite some time, but he appears to be a big fan of the modernized design of the old logo. On Nov. 19, he tweeted “i’m out of the country, what is the deal with the #jays new logo/name??” Later in the day, he tweeted “new #bluejays logo is bringing back some good memories.” Follow Delgado on Twitter @carlosdelgado21. Ricky Romero(notes) On Nov. 19, Romero tweeted “So what did u guys think? They came out awesome!!! #newjayslogo http://pic.twitter.com/dxKkBO9w.” Follow Ricky Romero on Twitter @rickyro24. J.P. Arencibia(notes) Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia appeared to be extremely pumped up for the new uniforms. On Nov. 18, he tweeted “Finally it’s out!!! Wish I could’ve told u tweeps sooner! We are all psyched about the new uni’s! #newera #teamunit.” Follow Arencibia on Twitter @jparencibia. Eric Holden, a lifelong New York Mets fan, is a big supporter of the new Blue Jays logo. Follow the author on Twitter @ericholden. Sources www.twitter.com, Twitter, player pages Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. There is the quick update of the day. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Bautista’s value is greater than most |
TORONTO — “Only so much that I can control, my man,” Jose Bautista said. He did not sound bitter; he was just a man resigned to the world, and how it works. He had gone 1-for-3 with a single and an intentional walk in a nice little 3-0 win over the New York Yankees. He wasn’t the reason the Toronto Blue Jays won, and would not have been the reason they lost. Not a bad day. Not a great one. It was OK. Afterwards, in a nearly empty clubhouse, Bautista pulled on the gold-and-red high-tops he had chosen that morning. Since the conversation in the American League has been reduced to a nostalgia-fuelling collapse by the Boston Red Sox and the race for the Most Valuable Player, that was what he talked about. Bautista leads the AL in home runs (42), on-base percentage (.448), slugging percentage (.623), and — you could probably see this coming — on-base plus slugging percentage, or OPS (1.071). His advanced metrics are similarly powerful. On the balance, he has been the best hitter in baseball. He probably won’t win, though, and if he doesn’t, it will be because he plays for the Toronto Blue Jays. “If you paint that scenario, the only thing I can do is be disappointed,” Bautista said. “I mean, it’s out of my control anyway, so there’s not much of another type of reaction that I can have. Last year it was batting average; this year they’re talking about the team not making it to the playoffs. I don’t know.” The dismissal of Bautista’s candidacy rests largely on Toronto’s record. The Jays are locked into fourth place in the AL East, as per tradition, at 77-75. The other candidates, though, all play for winners. Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander is 24-5 after allowing three hits over eight innings in a 1-0 win over Oakland on Sunday, and momentum seems to favour his candidacy for the division-leading Tigers. Verlander’s teammate Miguel Cabrera is the league’s second-most productive hitter after Bautista. In Boston, you have leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, even second baseman Dustin Pedroia, though Boston’s ongoing spiral could hurt their respective candidacies. This year’s obligatory Yankee, meanwhile, is centre-fielder Curtis Granderson, who entered Sunday’s games second in home runs with 40, was tied for the league lead in RBIs with 111, and first in runs scored by a wide margin with 131. Those numbers didn’t change, though, because the Yankees chose to rest him. The first-place Yankees will be in the playoffs; the Jays will not. Sunday, there was nothing much was at stake except the game. Now, that’s not Bautista’s fault. It’s not his fault the team’s second-best hitter has been, by OPS, Edwin Encarnacion. It’s not his fault Toronto has some of the worst pitching in baseball, Brandon Morrow’s gem Sunday notwithstanding. It’s not his fault the bullpen has been flammable. But it will all be held against him, which turns this season into an exercise in Zen. “You can assume if I had hitters that would have been hotter at times, or more than one strong hitter behind me, that I would be pitched to in some situations that I don’t,” Bautista said. matter-of-factly. “The one thing I can look at is I’ve come up to the plate probably 170 times with runners in scoring position, but I got walked maybe 60 times. It’s out of my control. I don’t get pitched to. I look at other people that might have 50 or 60 more at-bats. If I had 50 more at-bats with runners in scoring position, would I have more RBIs? I can assume that I would. “It’s been my biggest challenge this year, swinging at strikes, laying off balls, realizing when people are trying to pitch around me, and most of the time it is when there are runners on base.” Bautista does his homework, clearly. In 162 plate appearances with runners in scoring position he has been walked 57 times. He gets on base more than half the time with runners at second or third, numbers only Cabrera can match. He has been intentionally walked 23 times this season. He was intentionally walked twice all of last year when he launched 54 homers. The other big-time hitters have far more at-bats with runners in scoring position. How much more is he being pitched around? “A lot more,” Bautista said. “(And after the all-star break) I lost my patience at times, and I found myself swinging at a lot of pitches out of the zone, because I want to — after some time, coming up to the plate and you see ball, ball, ball, ball, and maybe not even balls, but strikes in the part of the strike zone where it’s not my preference — I was going after a lot of pitches that usually I don’t go after, because that might be the only at-bat that I get.” The Yankees did walk him four times Saturday, by the way. He singled in his lone official at-bat. He has simply wanted to do something, and it has cost him some of the cold control that fuelled his past two seasons. That, he said, is the main reason he was almost Ruthian in the first half of the season, with a 1.170 OPS and 31 home runs, and merely mortal since, with a .908 and 11 homers. That split will be used against him, too, despite the fact that for a team like the Blue Jays the first half of this season was arguably the more important of the two. But adjust his OPS for era and ballpark and situation, and the number the formula spits out was a 187, before Sunday. Albert Pujols’ best season, for the record, was a 190. Oh, well. Maybe Jose Bautista will win the MVP. Maybe he won’t. There is, however, only so much that he can do about it. National Post barthur@nationalpost.com Twitter.com/bruce—arthur © Copyright (c) National Post That’s all the news for today. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Blue Jays might pursue slugger Ortiz: report |
With the John Farrell-to-Red Sox rumours behind the Blue Jays — management amended a policy Tuesday that prohibits employees in baseball operations from making lateral moves — there’s another rumour for general manager Alex Anthopoulos to quash. Again, like the Farrell talk which originated in Boston last weekend, the Herald newspaper is reporting Toronto might pursue Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, who is eligible to become a free agent five days after the World Series ends. The Herald, citing a major league source, said the Blue Jays “will not rule out” making a serious push for the 36-year-old Ortiz. For the record, “Big Papi” said earlier this week he would like to stay in Boston — he’s played there nine seasons — but how many players have said the same about any team and then taken the big free-agent money and ran? Ortiz, coming off a season in which he posted his highest batting average (.309) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.953) since 2007, would be the big power threat in the middle of the lineup Anthopoulos no doubt will be seeking in the off-season. His 29 home runs and 96 runs batted in would be welcomed in the clean-up position behind 40-home run man Jose Bautista, whom Ortiz has come to respect over the past few seasons. It was Ortiz, the American League captain for this year’s Home Run Derby, who made sure Bautista was one of the participants after getting snubbed in 2010 while on his way to a major league-best 54 homers. “I wanted to see Bautista hitting,” Ortiz said after naming the Jays right-fielder to the 2011 Derby. “I wanted everybody to know what he’s all about.” Bautista followed up last year’s 54-homer campaign with 43 long balls this past season to go with a .302 batting average — 42 points higher than his previous high set a year ago – and 103 RBIs. Ortiz hit .328 versus the Jays this past season with five home runs, all at Rogers Centre in Toronto. What do you guys think about this. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Future looks bright for Toronto Blue Jays despite… |
The Canadian Press – ONLINE EDITION By: Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
28/09/2011 7:59 AM 
Enlarge Image Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista hits a RBI single during fifth inning AL action against the Los Angeles Angels in Toronto on Thursday September 22, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn TORONTO – It has become a familiar end-of-season routine for the Toronto Blue Jays. Mediocre record. Some cause for optimism. Another fourth-place finish. However, there appears to be something different about the 2011 edition of the team. Fuelled by franchise player Jose Bautista and an exciting young core, there is an energy in the clubhouse and among baseball fans in a city starved for a contender. “We have a bunch of guys that really have nothing to lose and just want to go out there and win,” said outfielder Eric Thames. “This fanbase deserves it, this city deserves it, this country deserves it. “That’s what we’re out here every day working hard for and hopefully next year we’ll come a lot closer to that ring, if not win the ring.” That might be a tad optimistic given that the Blue Jays are a .500 club saddled with teams like New York, Boston and Tampa Bay in the stacked American League East. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has stocked the farm system and young players like ace Ricky Romero, catcher J.P. Arencibia and Canadian third baseman Brett Lawrie appear to be the real deal. Whether the holes in the team’s roster can be filled for next year is the big question heading into the off-season. “I think we’ve got a ton of talent here that’s very young and definitely the future is bright,” said Jays reliever Casey Janssen. “I think the young guys are still learning, they’ve got a lot to learn but the ability is there. “The more reps they get either on the field or at-bats behind the plate or pitchers get innings, it’s just going to help us move forward for the future.” There were some success stories for the Jays and a few failures too. One of the biggest disappointments was Brett Cecil, who led the team with 15 wins last season but spent a chunk of the season at triple-A Las Vegas. Fellow pitcher Kyle Drabek — the key player coming back in the Roy Halladay deal — looked lost at times on the mound. Travis Snider was given a shot in the outfield but didn’t take advantage. The Jays’ bullpen was mediocre at best and the closer position was a weak point for most of the season. Anthopoulos will likely shed some light on his off-season plans when he holds a season-ending media availability after Toronto closes out its campaign in Chicago on Wednesday night. Farrell predicts the 34-year-old GM will be a busy man. “Every area is going to be looked at,” Farrell said. “The one great thing about Alex is there’s no stone left unturned. Whether that’s domestically, internationally, free agents, trades, everything will be explored. “I’m looking forward to what I think is going to be a very active off-season.” That’s all the news for today. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Tampa Bay Rays up next: Toronto Blue Jays |
By Marc Topkin ,Times Staff Writer .up next vs. Blue Jays Tonight-Sunday What’s new: The Jays have been .500 since the Rays saw them at the end of August and lost one of their top players when rookie 3B Brett Lawrie broke a finger. Jose Bautista went into Thursday leading the majors in homers (42), walks (125) and OPS (1.056). Their pitching staff has power arms. Key stat: Bautista is the only player with 40 HRs, 100 runs, 100 RBIs and 100 walks. Connections: Jays RHP Jesse Litsch is a Dixie Hollins High grad and former Rays bat boy, Bautista and RHP Shawn Camp ex-Rays, third-base coach Brian Butterfield an ex-Eckerd assistant. Series history: Rays lead season series 10-5, overall 120-116 and 67-48 at the Trop. Marc Topkin, Times staff writer [Last modified: Sep 22, 2011 10:51 PM]
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Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Blue Jays outslug Red Sox, deny Wakefield 200th… |
CBSSports.com wire reports TORONTO — Edwin Encarnacion hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to deny Tim Wakefield his milestone win, beating the Boston Red Sox 11-10 on Wednesday night. Wakefield has not won since July 24 against Seattle, a span of seven appearances. The victory looked to finally be in hand before slipping away late, but the knuckleballer wasn’t sweating it. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t change what I’ve done,” he said. “I’d like it to happen but more important is for us to get into the postseason. That’s our ultimate goal.” Toronto trailed 8-6 heading into the eighth against Bard (2-6), who opened the inning by hitting Brett Lawrie and giving up a single to Adam Loewen, the former pitcher’s first career hit. J.P. Arencibia walked before Bard struck out Dewayne Wise and caught Yunel Escobar looking. But the Blue Jays tied it when Bard issued consecutive walks to Eric Thames and Jose Bautista. Matt Albers came on and gave up a three-run double to Encarnacion. Bard said he was battling with his control throughout the eighth. “It kind of came and went as the inning progressed,” he said. “I just didn’t have very good timing with my delivery.” Bard said Wakefield made sure he didn’t hang his head after coughing up the lead. “When I got in the clubhouse, he was the first guy to come up and shake my hand, pat me on the back,” Bard said. “He knows how hard I’m trying. To be that close to getting out of it with the lead intact makes it even tougher. We’re trying for him. He did his job today and I didn’t do mine.” Bard, who allowed five earned runs, saw his ERA rise from 2.10 to 2.76. He came in having allowed just one earned run in his previous 10 outings. “I guess it proves he’s human,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “Once you get to him you feel pretty good. It was a battle the whole inning. He just couldn’t get the last out.” Encarnacion went 2 for 4 with a sacrifice fly and matched a career-high with five RBI. Shawn Camp (4-3) pitched one inning for the win and Frank Francisco survived a two-run ninth to record his 13th save in 17 chances. Adrian Gonzalez led off the ninth with his 24th home run, snapping Francisco’s streak of 16 scoreless innings. David Ortiz followed with a single, took second on a grounder and scored on a two-out hit by Marco Scutaro before pinch-runner Mike Aviles was thrown out trying to steal second on an 0-2 pitch to Josh Reddick. “It’s probably the best pitch to get thrown out on,” Aviles said. “It wasn’t a pitchout but it was up and out. It just didn’t work out well.” Blue Jays manager John Farrell called it “a fitting ending to an otherwise crazy game.” Jacoby Ellsbury homered and finished with four hits and Ortiz also went deep, but it wasn’t enough for the Red Sox, who missed a chance to gain ground on the first-place Yankees, who lost to Baltimore on Wednesday afternoon. “It’s tough on our team,” Francona said. “The whole idea is to win and in the course of winning games, things like what Wake’s doing is very special, or will be. It’s hard for everybody and I’m sure it’s hard for him.” Wakefield allowed five runs, four earned, and three hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out three. “I struggled the first three innings throwing strikes and put a lot of pressure on those guys from the sixth on through the ninth,” Wakefield said. “I take the blame for not getting deeper in the game.” The Red Sox gave Wakefield an early lead by scoring three times in the first against Brandon Morrow. Kevin Youkilis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Scutaro hit a two-run single to center. Toronto answered with a run in the bottom half on Encarnacion’s sacrifice fly, then tied it on J.P. Arencibia’s two-run drive to center in the second. The homer was Arencibia’s 21st of the season, the most in a season by a Blue Jays catcher. John Buck hit 20 homers for Toronto in 2010. The Blue Jays took a 5-3 lead by scoring twice in the third. Thames was hit by a pitch, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Bautista’s double. Two outs later, Lawrie walked and Bautista stole third. Then, when Lawrie stole second, Bautista broke for home on catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s throw to second, sliding in ahead of a wide return throw from shortstop Scutaro. Bautista is the first player to steal home and hit at least 40 homers in the same season since Adam Dunn did it with Cincinnati in 2004. Boston reclaimed the lead with a four-run fourth. Reddick hit an RBI double and Ellsbury drilled a three-run blast to right, his 25th. Ortiz made it 8-5 with a solo shot to right in the fifth, his 29th. Morrow (9-11) left after Youkilis followed with a single. The right-hander allowed eight runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Toronto cut it to 8-6 against Dan Wheeler in the seventh when Escobar hit a leadoff double and scored on a two-out base hit by Encarnacion. Notes
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Blue Jays 11, Red Sox 10: Bullpen blows 200th for… |
Edwin Encarnacion hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to deny Tim Wakefield his 200th career win, beating the Boston Red Sox 11-10 last night. Toronto trailed 8-6 heading into the eighth against Daniel Bard (2-6), who opened the inning by hitting Brett Lawrie and giving up a single to Adam Loewen, the former pitcher’s first career hit. J.P. Arencibia walked before Bard struck out Dewayne Wise and caught Yunel Escobar looking. But the Blue Jays tied it when Bard issued back-to-back walks to Eric Thames and Jose Bautista. Matt Albers came on and gave up a three-run double to Encarnacion. Encarnacion went 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and matched a career-high with five RBIs. Shawn Camp (4-3) pitched one inning for the win and Frank Francisco survived a two-run ninth to record his 13th save in 17 chances. Adrian Gonzalez led off the ninth with his 24th home run and David Ortiz singled, took second on a grounder and scored on a two-out hit by Marco Scutaro before pinch runner Mike Aviles was thrown out trying to steal second. Jacoby Ellsbury homered and finished with four hits and Ortiz also went deep, but the Red Sox couldn’t give Wakefield his first win since July 24 against Seattle. Wakefield allowed five runs, four earned, and three hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out three. The Red Sox gave Wakefield an early lead by scoring three times in the first against Brandon Morrow. Kevin Youkilis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Scutaro hit a two-run single to center. Toronto answered with a run in the bottom half on Encarnacion’s sacrifice fly, then tied it on J.P. Arencibia’s two-run drive to center in the second. The homer was Arencibia’s 21st of the season, the most in a single season by a Blue Jays catcher. John Buck hit 20 homers for Toronto in 2010. The Blue Jays took a 5-3 lead by scoring twice in the third. Thames was hit by a pitch, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Bautista’s double. Two outs later, Brett Lawrie walked and Bautista stole third. Then, when Lawrie stole second, Bautista broke for home on catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s throw to second, sliding in ahead of a wide return throw from shortstop Scutaro. Bautista is the first player to steal home and hit at least 40 homers in the same season since Adam Dunn did it with Cincinnati in 2004. Boston reclaimed the lead with a four-run fourth. Josh Reddick hit an RBI double and Ellsbury drilled a three-run blast to right, his 25th. Ortiz made it 8-5 with a solo shot to right in the fifth, his 29th. Morrow (9-11) left after Youkilis followed with a single. The right-hander allowed eight runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Toronto cut it to 8-6 against Dan Wheeler in the seventh when Escobar hit a leadoff double and scored on a two-out base hit by Encarnacion. Notes: Boston RHP Josh Beckett (right ankle) was scheduled to rejoin the team yesterday after traveling back to Boston Tuesday to visit doctors. … Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz (back) made 60 throws at over 100 feet Wednesday. He’ll take Thursday off, then throw from 120 feet Friday. … Loewen made his major league debut as a position player. A former pitcher with Baltimore, elbow injuries forced Loewen off the mound in July, 2008. He’s been playing in Toronto’s minor league system since 2009. What are your opinions. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Jays rally, deny Wakefield 200th win (AP) |
TORONTO (AP)—Tim Wakefield(notes) didn’t begrudge Daniel Bard(notes) for keeping him Edwin Encarnacion(notes) hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Wakefield has not won since July 24 against Seattle, a span of seven “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t change what I’ve Toronto trailed 8-6 heading into the eighth against Bard (2-6), who opened Matt Albers(notes) came on and gave up a three-run double to Encarnacion. Bard said he was battling with his control throughout the eighth. “It kind of came and went as the inning progressed,” he said. “I just Bard said Wakefield made sure he didn’t hang his head after coughing up the “When I got in the clubhouse, he was the first guy to come up and shake my Bard, who allowed five earned runs, saw his ERA rise from 2.10 to 2.76. He “I guess it proves he’s human,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. Encarnacion went 2 for 4 with a sacrifice fly and matched a career-high with Shawn Camp(notes) (4-3) pitched one inning for the win and Frank Francisco(notes) survived Adrian Gonzalez(notes) led off the ninth with his 24th home run, snapping “It’s probably the best pitch to get thrown out on,” Aviles said. “It Blue Jays manager John Farrell called it “a fitting ending to an otherwise Jacoby Ellsbury(notes) homered and finished with four hits and Ortiz also went “It’s tough on our team,” Francona said. “The whole idea is to win and in Wakefield allowed five runs, four earned, and three hits in five innings. He “I struggled the first three innings throwing strikes and put a lot of The Red Sox gave Wakefield an early lead by scoring three times in the first Toronto answered with a run in the bottom half on Encarnacion’s sacrifice The homer was Arencibia’s 21st of the season, the most in a season by a Blue The Blue Jays took a 5-3 lead by scoring twice in the third. Thames was hit Bautista is the first player to steal home and hit at least 40 homers in the Boston reclaimed the lead with a four-run fourth. Reddick hit an RBI double Ortiz made it 8-5 with a solo shot to right in the fifth, his 29th. Morrow left after Youkilis followed with a single. The right-hander allowed Toronto cut it to 8-6 against Dan Wheeler(notes) in the seventh when Escobar hit a Notes: The Red Sox are 73-3 when leading after seven innings. … Ellsbury There is the quick update of the day. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Encarnacion 5 RBIs lifts Blue Jays over Red Sox |
TORONTO (AP)—Tim Wakefield(notes) didn’t begrudge Daniel Bard(notes) for keeping him Edwin Encarnacion(notes) hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning and the Wakefield has not won since July 24 against Seattle, a span of seven “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t change what I’ve Toronto trailed 8-6 heading into the eighth against Bard (2-6), who opened Matt Albers(notes) came on and gave up a three-run double to Encarnacion. Bard said he was battling with his control throughout the eighth. “It kind of came and went as the inning progressed,” he said. “I just Bard said Wakefield made sure he didn’t hang his head after coughing up the “When I got in the clubhouse, he was the first guy to come up and shake my Bard, who allowed five earned runs, saw his ERA rise from 2.10 to 2.76. He “I guess it proves he’s human,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. Encarnacion went 2 for 4 with a sacrifice fly and matched a career-high with Shawn Camp(notes) (4-3) pitched one inning for the win and Frank Francisco(notes) survived Adrian Gonzalez(notes) led off the ninth with his 24th home run, snapping “It’s probably the best pitch to get thrown out on,” Aviles said. “It Blue Jays manager John Farrell called it “a fitting ending to an otherwise Jacoby Ellsbury(notes) homered and finished with four hits and Ortiz also went “It’s tough on our team,” Francona said. “The whole idea is to win and in Wakefield allowed five runs, four earned, and three hits in five innings. He “I struggled the first three innings throwing strikes and put a lot of The Red Sox gave Wakefield an early lead by scoring three times in the first Toronto answered with a run in the bottom half on Encarnacion’s sacrifice The homer was Arencibia’s 21st of the season, the most in a season by a Blue The Blue Jays took a 5-3 lead by scoring twice in the third. Thames was hit Bautista is the first player to steal home and hit at least 40 homers in the Boston reclaimed the lead with a four-run fourth. Reddick hit an RBI double Ortiz made it 8-5 with a solo shot to right in the fifth, his 29th. Morrow left after Youkilis followed with a single. The right-hander allowed Toronto cut it to 8-6 against Dan Wheeler(notes) in the seventh when Escobar hit a Notes: The Red Sox are 73-3 when leading after seven innings. … Ellsbury What do you guys think about this. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Bautista, Lind a worry as Jays face A’s |
Toronto sluggers injured on Saturday nightThe Associated Press Posted:Aug 21, 2011 9:37 AM ET Last Updated:Aug 21, 2011 9:53 AM ET
Jose Bautista’s absence from the Toronto Blue Jays lineup could be a brief one. It’s not immediately known if the same can be said for Adam Lind. Looking to settle for a split of a four-game set, the Blue Jays will meet the Oakland Athletics on Sunday for the final time this year. Toronto (64-62) scratched Bautista, the major leagues’ home run leader, with tightness in his neck just minutes before Saturday’s 5-1 loss. Lind, batting cleanup, was hit by a pitch near the right wrist in the first inning and came out of the game for pinch-hitter Mark Teahen in the third. “Having gone through it earlier in the year I don’t want it to get that bad again,” said Bautista who missed five games in May with the same neck injury. “Playing with it would have been a risk.” Bautista (35) and Lind (22) have combined for 57 of the Blue Jays’ 145 homers this year. “When we have to remove [Bautista] before the game and then Lind goes down in his first at-bat [it] is a blow,” said Toronto manager John Farrell. Brandon Allen, a power-hitting first baseman acquired from Arizona at last month’s trading deadline, had two more hits Saturday and is batting .407 (11 for 27) in eight games with the A’s. Allen has managed just two RBIs over that span. Josh Willingham had the first pinch homer of the season for Oakland (57-69), which has won four of five after an 0-4 start to its 10-game homestand. Before heading out on a 10-game stretch against playoff hopefuls in New York, Boston and Cleveland, the A’s will go with Guillermo Moscoso (6-6, 3.48 ERA) as he tries to win his third straight start. The right-hander’s streak began Aug. 11 at Toronto, where he allowed two runs and three hits in six innings in Oakland’s 10-3 win. Moscoso also went six innings against Baltimore on Tuesday, yielding three runs and five hits in the 8-4 victory. “I just have to be aggressive and get ahead in the count,” Moscoso said. “I want to throw first-pitch strikes.” Moscoso is 4-1 with a 3.15 ERA in seven starts at O.co Coliseum. He’s allowed three runs or less in five of those games. He will be opposed by rookie Luis Perez (2-2, 3.71), who will make his first major league start for Toronto. The left-hander fills the rotation spot that opened when Brad Mills was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday. Two days earlier, Perez replaced an ineffective Mills in the Blue Jays’ 13-7 win over Seattle, yielding a run and three hits in a career high-tying four innings. In 29 appearances, Perez has struck out 37 and walked 15 in 43 2/3 innings. “Just felt like the way Luis has thrown, this is a chance to see him in (a starting) role,” Farrell told the Blue Jays’ official website. “We bounced that idea back and forth throughout the course of this year.” In two appearances against the A’s earlier this month in Toronto, Perez was tagged for five runs, two earned, and three walks in 2 1-3 innings. Toronto is 4-5 against Oakland this year. The Blue Jays had taken the season series in each of the last three years. What are your opinions. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Toronto Blue Jays Still Stealing Signs |
“It’s not too [f------] easy to hit home runs when you don’t know what’s coming!” The enraged player and his teammates could hardly believe what they had seen in the previous inning. As they sat on the perch above the right-field bullpen at Rogers, they caught sight of a man dressed in white about 25 yards to their right, out among the blue center-field seats. And while the players watched, the man in white seemingly signaled the pitches the visiting pitcher was throwing against the Jays, according to four sources in the bullpen that day. The story goes on to recount the multiple complaints by visiting teams about a man in white who signals to batters that there will either be a fastball or breaking ball. The Jays’ home/road splits look pretty damning and it could finally explain why Jose Bautista is hitting so many home runs. (Though… dude, did jack 21 homers on the road last year. That’s not bad.) This comes just a couple weeks after the Yankees publicly accused the Blue Jays of stealing signs, though they didn’t provide any specifics. [ESPN] If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Jays seeking first win against Rays’ Price |
The Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays would be contenders in either of the AL’s other two divisions, but instead they’re looking up at a pair of teams that appear to be untouchable. That’s exactly what the Blue Jays have found David Price to be. With an 8-0 record against Toronto – including six wins and a sub-1.00 ERA at home – Price tries to continue his dominance of the Blue Jays when the AL East rivals open a three-game set at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night. The Red Sox and Yankees have pulled away from the pack in the AL East, leaving the postseason as a long shot for the Rays (56-51) and Blue Jays (55-53). The Blue Jays’ deal Wednesday for outfielder Colby Rasmus – one designed to help more in 2012 and beyond – was the only significant move either club made leading up to the trade deadline. The big news for the Rays following Sunday’s 8-1 win at Seattle concerned the players who didn’t go anywhere. After much speculation, outfielder B.J. Upton and starter James Shields – among others – stayed put. “I’m happy with the guys we have,” manager Joe Maddon told the Rays’ official website. “I like the guys we have a lot. … There’s still something to be derived from several people. And if we get that out of them for the last month or two, it can be like an acquisition. And it can really give us a little bit of a booster into August and September.” One of those underperformers has been Price (9-9, 3.76 ERA), who has disappointed in 2011 after finishing second in the AL Cy Young award voting last season. The left-hander fell to 2-4 with a 4.42 ERA over his last nine starts after giving up four runs over six innings in a 6-1 loss to Oakland last Tuesday, but he’s ready for an August turnaround. “I still have tons of pride, so I’m going to try and throw a perfect game every time I step out there,” Price said. “There might be a little more pressure with how many games we’re out with however many to go.” He’s been awfully close to perfect versus Toronto. Price is 8-0 with a 1.99 ERA in nine starts against the Blue Jays, going 6-0 with a 0.81 ERA at home. As good as Price has been, Jose Bautista has still found a way to do some damage. Bautista is 8 for 19 against Price, taking him deep three times. Perhaps facing Price will get Bautista out of his recent power funk. Despite leading the majors with 31 homers, Bautista hasn’t gone deep in 14 straight games – his longest drought since a 24-game gap in 2009. Bautista is just a .220 hitter at Tropicana Field since arriving in Toronto, however, and his team’s struggles in St. Petersburg precede his 2008 arrival. The Rays have won 12 consecutive series when the Blue Jays visit, going 27-9. Toronto comes in with some momentum after taking two of three from Texas, winning Sunday’s series finale 7-3 behind a strong start from Brandon Morrow and Rasmus’ first two hits in the AL. Ricky Romero (8-9, 3.08) tries to sustain that while replicating his performance Wednesday against Baltimore. After posting a 5.87 ERA in his first four July starts, the left-hander held the Orioles to four hits over 8 1-3 innings in a 3-0 victory. Romero is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in two home starts versus Tampa Bay this season. He has a 4.43 ERA in three career visits to Tropicana Field. Ben Zobrist and Johnny Damon are a combined 14 for 31 in their careers versus Romero. That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Jays’ Bautista leaves game after being hit by… |
The Associated Press Posted:Jul 26, 2011 8:45 PM ET Last Updated:Jul 26, 2011 9:17 PM ET
Star slugger Jose Bautista has left the Toronto Blue Jays’ game against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday after being hit by a pitch. Bautista was hit in the head by an errant pitch from Orioles starter Jake Arrieta. He collapsed to the ground and was attended to by medical staff, but seemed alert when he left the field on his own power. The team later said Bautista was taken out for precautionary reasons and is listed as day to day. John McDonald came on to pinch run for Bautista at first base. Adam Lind followed Bautista’s at-bat with a three-run homer. Bautista leads the majors with 31 home runs and entered the game batting .330 with 70 RBIs. Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Mariners at Toronto Blue Jays: July 21, 2011 game… |
Seems my report of Seattle’s demise was a tad premature. Miguel Olivo just brought his team back from the dead with the first M’s grand slam of the season to tie the game 5-5 in the eighth inning. The rally seemed to come out of nowhere. With one out, Ichiro and Brendan Ryan both reached on infield singles and Adam Kennedy walked to end the day for Ricky Romero. But Romero’s day turned real ugly two pitches later when reliever Casey Janssen served one up to Olivo, who drilled it over the center field wall. Josh Bard talked last night about the M’s needing somebody to do something special. Don’t think he wanted it to come this late in a game, but Olivo’s slam certainly qualifies as a special feat. 11:14 a.m.: Chris Ray did a great pitching job in allowing just one run after coming in with the bases loaded a none out in the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, the apple cart was already wheeless by that point, courtesy of Doug Fister bobbling a bunt attempt in which he had a clear shot at the lead runner at third base. There were two on and none out at the time and Fister’s gaffe loaded the bases. Yunel Escobar then singled to bring one run home, Eric Thames walked to score another and Fister was yanked. Ray gave up a sacrifice fly to Jose Bautista, then retired the side with no further damage. But too little, too late. It’s 5-1 for the Blue Jays and the M’s are about to lose their 12th in a row. Brandon League warming for the Mariners here on Showcase Day. 11:14 p.m.: Toronto went ahead 2-1 in the sixth after Eric Thames reached first base on a wild pitch by Doug Fister during a strikeout. Jose Bautista then doubled over the head of Chone Figgins in left. Figgins needed to be at least a foot taller to have a shot at the ball. Fister did a good job of getting out of the inning with Bautista at third and only one out, but his team just went 1-2-3 in the seventh on three strikeouts as I was typing this, so things aren’t looking too hot when it comes to preventing No. 12. 10:55 a.m.: Toronto came back and tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Doug Fister issued a leadoff walk in the inning but then got two quick outs without the runner advancing. The turning point came when he drilled J.P. Arencibia with a pitch to put two on and move the lead runner into scoring position. Mike McCoy is the only guy to really hit a ball hard off Fister today and of course, he came up next and lined one past the bag at third for the RBI double. I thought things might come undone there with runners at second and third and the top of the order due up. But Fister got a huge out on a Yunel Escobar grounder to end the inning. 10:44 p.m.: Seattle just took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning after Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia could not hold on to a two-strike foul tip by Ichiro with two out. Toronto starter Ricky Romero began walking off the mound, thinking his catcher had held the ball. A sheepish Arencibia had to inform his pitcher that no, he did not squeeze it. Ichiro promptly lined one up the middle for an RBI single. Travis Snider of Mill Creek foolishly threw home — he wasn’t going to nab the speedy Chone Figgins — instead of trying to nail Jack Wilson going from first to third. Ichiro took second on the throw, giving the M’s a great chance to break things open. But Brendan Ryan went down swinging. Ryan is having an awful game at the plate, with a double play grounder and two key strikeouts with RISP. Doug Fister has allowed one hit — a single that dropped in front of Ichiro — in four innings. 10:20 p.m.: Doug Fister has retired all nine batters he’s faced so far in a scoreless game now headed to the fourth. The only guy to hit a ball to the outfield was Mike McCoy, who lined out to center to end the third inning. Otherwise, Fister has three strikeouts, two popouts and three groundouts. 10:01 p.m.: We’re through two innings already and both pitchers have faced the minimum amount of hitters. Ichiro led the game off with a single, but was erased on a double-play grounder by Brendan Ryan. Doug Fister looks sharp, with a pair of strikeouts, a popout and a bunch of weakly-hit grounders. 9:35 p.m.: That’s a veteran lineup thrown out there today by manager Eric Wedge. For those wondering why Dustin Ackley isn’t in it, I’d say his poor throw on the back-end of that double-play last night had something to do with it. Cost the team three runs and pretty much ended a game the M’s showed signs of coming back in. You can’t bench veterans and let rookies get away with mistakes like that. Everybody has been made to earn playing time this season and today — good start at the plate or not — Ackley is sitting. Even if it contributes to loss No. 12 in a row. Mariners (43-54)
There is the quick update of the day. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Bautista could return for Blue Jays vs. Mariners |
The Associated Press Posted:Jul 19, 2011 9:18 AM ET Last Updated:Jul 19, 2011 9:24 AM ET
The Toronto Blue Jays’ offence is scuffling a bit, but the return of Jose Bautista would likely help it return to form. The Seattle Mariners’ offence has been in shambles for weeks, with no returning slugger on the horizon. The Blue Jays hope to have Bautista back in the line-up Tuesday night when they open a three-game series against the visiting Mariners, who seek to avoid losing their 10th straight game. Bautista, the major-league leader with 31 homers, has missed the last three games with a twisted right ankle. He hit off a tee before Sunday’s 7-2 loss to the New York Yankees, and Toronto (47-49) targeted Tuesday as a possible return date. The Blue Jays beat the Yankees 7-1 on Friday without baseball’s reigning home run king, but combined for three runs and nine hits while losing the last two games of the series. “His absence in the line-up is a hole to fill,” manager John Farrell said. “He’s our leader, he’s our most productive offensive player. That’s a substantial loss when he’s not in there.” Bautista should be itching to get back in the line-up to face the Mariners, considering he is batting .375 with four homers and 10 RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak against them. The Blue Jays dropped two of three in Seattle in April, but have won five of the last six meetings with the Mariners in Toronto. Seattle ranks last in the majors in both runs per game (3.19) and batting average (.221). No team has posted such a low average over a full season since 1972, when the Texas Rangers batted .217 during a 100-loss campaign. The Mariners (43-52) have been even worse during their nine-game skid, plating 11 runs while batting .179 and failing to homer. They’ve hit two home runs in 14 games this month. Bautista alone has seven homers in the 11 July games he has played. Ichiro Suzuki is in the middle of the Mariners’ slump, batting .114 in his last nine games, while cleanup hitter Miguel Olivo is hitting .182 with two RBIs in his last eight. Seattle’s nine-game losing streak — its longest since dropping 12 in a row Sept. 11-22, 2008 — has caused the club to fall 11 1/2 games behind AL West-leading Texas after being 2 ½ games back July 5. “It’s been a tough stretch,” manager Eric Wedge said after Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Rangers. “What has changed drastically is in the standings. That is a tough pill to swallow, no doubt about it.” Wedge gives the ball to All-Star rookie Michael Pineda (8-6, 3.03 earned-run average), who threw a perfect inning in last Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic. Pineda’s last regular-season appearance was the worst of his career, as he permitted a career-high seven runs and six hits in five innings of a 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on July 5. Pineda’s first career victory came against the Blue Jays on April 12, when he allowed two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings of a 3-2 win. Toronto counters with Brett Cecil (2-4, 5.66), who entered the All-Star break on a high note after yielding one run in six innings of a7-1 victory over Cleveland on July 10. It was the left-hander’s first win in three starts since a two-month demotion to the minors. Cecil limited the Mariners to two runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 3-2 victory May 19, 2010, his only previous start against them. There is the quick update of the day. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Bautista injured as Blue Jays pound Yankees 16-7 |
TORONTO (AP) — Even after losing their best hitter to an injured ankle, the Toronto Blue Jays still had an offensive night to remember. Edwin Encarnacion and Eric Thames had three hits and three RBIs each and the Blue Jays used an eight-run first inning to beat the New York Yankees 16-7 on Thursday. The Blue Jays set season highs in runs and hits (20) to win their fourth straight game. Toronto lost slugger Jose Bautista to a twisted right ankle in the fourth inning. Bautista, who leads the majors with 31 home runs, limped off after an awkward slide into third base. He is day-to-day. Bautista was getting treatment after the game and did not speak to the media, but Blue Jays manager John Farrell said his All-Star slugger caught a spike in the dirt. “Hopefully this isn’t a prolonged situation where he’s going to miss any length of time,” Farrell said. Farrell said X-rays were negative, adding that Bautista could undergo an MRI on Friday. “You never want to see anybody get hurt, especially our leader in Jose,” catcher J.P. Arencibia said. “I didn’t get to see what happened, I just saw him in pain on the (turf). He’s a fighter and he’ll be back as soon as possible.” Andruw Jones hit two home runs for the Yankees, the 42nd multihomer game of his career, but the Yankees couldn’t extend a nine-year streak of winning their first game following the All-Star break. “We just couldn’t hold them down,” Jones said. “They just kept getting key hits and they blew the game open.” Starting for the third time since missing 18 games with a sore left hamstring, Yankees right-hander Bartolo Colon (6-5) lost consecutive starts for the first time this season, allowing eight runs, three earned, and six hits in 2-3 of an inning, his shortest start of the year. He walked two and struck out none. The Yankees made three errors, including a first-inning miscue by third baseman Eduardo Nunez that led to five unearned runs. The sloppy defense, and some bad luck, had Yankees manager Joe Girardi calling Colon’s performance “hard to figure out.” “I really don’t know what to make of this start because he could have been out of the first inning without giving up a run and only faced four hitters,” Girardi said. Colon acknowledged his leg injury is still on his mind when he pitches and when he has to play defense or cover a base. “There’s no pain at all but every time I try to cover the base or have to react quickly, I’m thinking about it,” he said through a translator. “I don’t want to get hurt again.” Colon said the injury means his sinker “is not sinking the way it’s supposed to, because I’ve been thinking about my leg too much.” Girardi said he would speak to Colon on Friday to find out just how much the injury is still bothering him. “You don’t make too much of one game but it was not a good game on our part,” Girardi said. “Offensively we swung the bats good. Defensively and pitching, we did not necessarily play that well.” Left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes (5-7) allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out two. The Blue Jays knocked Colon out of the game before the first inning was finished, doing all their damage with two outs. Yunel Escobar led off with a grounder but Thames doubled, Bautista walked and both runners moved up on Adam Lind’s grounder to first before Aaron Hill drove in both runners with a single to center. Encarnacion walked and Travis Snider hit an RBI single before Arencibia reached on Nunez’s error. Rajai Davis and Escobar followed with infield singles, making it 4-0, before Thames chased Colon with a two-run double to center. Luis Ayala came on and balked in an eighth run before getting Bautista to pop out. The eight first-inning runs matched a franchise-high for the Blue Jays, who also scored eight in the first inning on Sept. 26, 2007, at Baltimore. Thames became the first Blue Jay to get two hits in an inning since Snider doubled twice in the fifth inning of an 8-6 win at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 2, 2010. Toronto made it 9-0 on Encarnacion’s RBI single in the second before the Yankees rallied with a four-run third against Reyes. Jones led off with a homer to left, Curtis Granderson hit a two-run triple that bounced over Thames’ head in right and Mark Teixeira followed with an RBI grounder. The Yankees cut it to 9-7 and chased Reyes with a three-run sixth. Nick Swisher and Russell Martin led off with singles before Jones clubbed a three-run drive into the second deck in left, his sixth. Reyes left two batters later after Brett Gardner singled. Encarnacion gave the Blue Jays some breathing room with a two-run, two-out single off Boone Logan in the bottom half, and Toronto added two more against Logan and Sergio Mitre in the seventh. Snider singled, stole second and went to third on Martin’s throwing error before scoring on Arencibia’s double, and Thames capped it with an RBI single to center. The Blue Jays tacked on three more in the eighth against Mitre. Snider hit an RBI double, Encarnacion scored on shortstop Derek Jeter’s fielding error and Davis drove in a run with a fielder’s choice grounder. NOTES: The Yankees put 3B Alex Rodriguez (right knee) on the 15-day DL and called up OF Greg Golson from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rodriguez, who had surgery Monday, is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks. … New York signed LHP J.C. Romero to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A. Washington released Romero earlier Thursday. … The 16 runs and 20 hits allowed were both season-highs for the Yankees. … Two pitchers from Toronto’s team in the Dominican Summer League have been suspended 50 games each for drug violations. RHP Aderly De La Cruz and LHP Luillyn Guillen were penalized Thursday by the commissioner’s office. … John McDonald took over at third base for Bautista. Thanks for visiting my blog =). Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Blue Jays hammer Yankees, 16-7 |
Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista had to be helped off the field in the fourth inning after injuring his ankle. He is listed as day-to-day. FRED THORNHILL/REUTERS If there was a regular-season win that could be described as Pyrhhic, the Blue Jays’ 16-7 defeat of the Yankees on Thursday at the Rogers Centre might be the one. While laying the wood to the powerful New York Yankees, they lost their best player, Jose Bautista, for an indefinite period. The initial diagnosis is a twisted right ankle. Bautista led off the fourth inning hustling down the line on a groundball to deep short. He lunged at the bag as Derek Jeter’s throw arrived and was ruled safe, but he limped past the bag and flexed his ankle tentatively while returning to the base. Later, when Edwin Encarnacion grounded to third, Bautista, who had been on second, slid in hard as Eduardo Nunez started the double play. He got up but immediately went to his knees and had to be helped off the field. It should be noted it was the same ankle he used to brace himself sliding into the wall making the catch at the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Bautista was not available after the game. “If you look at the replay, he caught his spike when he slid into the dirt pit at first base,” manager John Farrell said, denying any relation to earlier incidents. “And that’s where it really all stemmed from. We’ll re-evaluate him in the morning.” The Yankees were wondering about the pummeling the Jays issued to starter Bartolo Colon in the first inning. The big, rebuilt righthander allowed eight-runs in the first before being yanked by manager Joe Girardi. The 38-year-old entered with a 3.20 ERA and had pitched fewer than five innings just one time in his 12 starts, posting his second-lowest career ERA prior to an all-star break. But the Jays were full marks for the win. Other than a first-inning error by Eduardo Nunez, Alex Rodriguez’s replacement at third base, on a high top-spin chopper, the Jays were relentless. The highlight of the early eight-run outburst was right-fielder Eric Thames, with two doubles, the second of them driving in a pair. It was the first time a Jay had two hits in an inning since Aug. 2, 2010, when Travis Snider had two doubles against the Yankees. “I was just happy that I was able to cash in on that bases-loaded opportunity,” Thames said. “I was excited about that. The whole lineup went off today. I think the all-star break kind of refreshed everybody. A lot of us went home to our families and got a second wind, were able to rest and get the energy back.” The at-bat that broke the ice with two outs and runners on second and third was a two-run single by Aaron Hill. An Encarnacion walk was followed by a trio of strange at-bats that broke Colon’s back. First was the error by Nunez off the bat of J.P. Arencibia, followed by consecutive and exact replica infield singles dribbling down the third base line by Rajai Davis and Yunel Escobar. A two-run Thames double ended Colon’s day and a balk by reliever Luis Ayala ended the first-frame scoring. “That was crazy,” Arencibia said. “How many times do you get two straight bases loaded swinging bunts for singles?” But the Yankees are the Yankees, rich and powerful, and until you can drive the stake through their heart they will continue battle. The Jays took a nine-run lead on an Encarnacion RBI in the second, before the Yankees bounced back against Jo-Jo Reyes. Andruw Jones started the comeback in the third with his second homer in as many career at-bats against Reyes. With two outs, Curtis Granderson laced a base hit to right that Thames misplayed, hesitating then leaping and allowing it to bounce over his head for a two-run triple. Snider saved further damage with a leaping catch against the fence off Nick Swisher crashing into Davis. “Especially against this team, you can’t relax,” Reyes said. The Yankees made it a two-run game in the sixth as Jones crushed his second homer of the night, a three-run blast off Reyes. The Blue Jays built the lead back to four in the same inning on a two-run single by Encarnacion. Reyes (5-7) picked up the victory despite allowing seven runs in 5.1 innings. Thanks for reading! . Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Jays jump on Colon in first inning, thump Yankees |
CBSSports.com wire reports TORONTO — Joe Girardi was left scratching his head at Bartolo Colon’s latest bad start. Edwin Encarnacion and Eric Thames had three hits and three RBI each and the Toronto Blue Jays used an eight-run first inning to beat Colon and the New York Yankees 16-7 on Thursday night. Toronto lost slugger Jose Bautista to a twisted right ankle in the fourth inning. Bautista, who leads the majors with 31 home runs, limped off after an awkward slide into third base. He is day to day. The Yankees made three errors, including a first-inning miscue by third baseman Eduardo Nunez that led to five unearned runs. The sloppy defense, and some bad luck, had Yankees manager Girardi calling Colon’s performance “hard to figure out.” “I really don’t know what to make of this start because he could have been out of the first inning without giving up a run and only faced four hitters,” Girardi said. Starting for the third time since missing 18 games with a sore left hamstring, Colon (6-5) lost consecutive starts for the first time this season, allowing eight runs, three earned, and six hits in 2/3 of an inning, his shortest start of the year. He walked two and struck out none. “I don’t blame anybody,” he said through a translator. “That was my fault. I didn’t pitch good and they hit me and I lost the game.” Colon acknowledged his leg injury is still on his mind when he pitches and when he has to play defense or cover a base. “There’s no pain at all but every time I try to cover the base or have to react quickly, I’m thinking about it,” he said. “I don’t want to get hurt again.” Colon said the injury means his sinker “is not sinking the way it’s supposed to, because I’ve been thinking about my leg too much.” Girardi said he would speak to Colon on Friday to find out just how much the injury is still bothering him. “You don’t make too much of one game but it was not a good game on our part,” Girardi said. “Offensively we swung the bats good. Defensively and pitching, we did not necessarily play that well.” Bautista was getting treatment after the game and did not speak to the media, but Blue Jays manager John Farrell said his All-Star slugger caught a spike in the dirt. “Hopefully this isn’t a prolonged situation where he’s going to miss any length of time,” Farrell said. The Blue Jays set season highs in runs and hits (20) to win their fourth straight game. Andruw Jones hit two home runs for the Yankees, the 42nd multihomer game of his career, but the Yankees couldn’t extend a nine-year streak of winning their first game following the All-Star break. “We just couldn’t hold them down,” Jones said. “They just kept getting key hits and they blew the game open.” Left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes (5-7) allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out two. The Blue Jays knocked Colon out of the game before the first inning was finished, doing all their damage with two outs. Yunel Escobar led off with a grounder but Thames doubled, Bautista walked and both runners moved up on Adam Lind’s grounder to first before Aaron Hill drove in both runners with a single to center. Encarnacion walked and Travis Snider hit an RBI single before J.P. Arencibia reached on Nunez’s error. Rajai Davis and Escobar followed with infield singles, making it 4-0, before Thames chased Colon with a two-run double to center. Girardi said Thames’ second double was the only hard-hit ball Colon surrendered. “You look at the ground balls, you look at the swinging bunts,” Girardi said. “That tells you the ball is moving. They’re putting it in play but they’re not really squaring it up.” Luis Ayala came on and balked in an eighth run before getting Bautista to pop out. The eight first-inning runs matched a franchise-high for the Blue Jays, who also scored eight in the first inning on Sept. 26, 2007, at Baltimore. Thames became the first Blue Jay to get two hits in an inning since Snider doubled twice in the fifth inning of an 8-6 win at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 2, 2010. Toronto made it 9-0 on Encarnacion’s RBI single in the second before the Yankees rallied with a four-run third against Reyes. Jones led off with a homer to left, Curtis Granderson hit a two-run triple that bounced over Thames’ head in right and Mark Teixeira followed with an RBI grounder. The Yankees cut it to 9-7 and chased Reyes with a three-run sixth. Nick Swisher and Russell Martin led off with singles before Jones clubbed a three-run drive into the second deck in left, his sixth. Reyes left two batters later after Brett Gardner singled. Encarnacion gave the Blue Jays some breathing room with a two-run, two-out single off Boone Logan in the bottom half, and Toronto added two more against Logan and Sergio Mitre in the seventh. Snider singled, stole second and went to third on Martin’s throwing error before scoring on Arencibia’s double, and Thames capped it with an RBI single to center. The Blue Jays tacked on three more in the eighth against Mitre. Snider hit an RBI double, Encarnacion scored on shortstop Derek Jeter’s fielding error and Davis drove in a run with a fielder’s choice grounder. Notes
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Blue Jays pound Yankees 16-7 |
TORONTO (AP) — Edwin Encarnacion and Eric Thames had three hits and three RBIs each and the Toronto Blue Jays used an eight-run first inning to beat the New York Yankees 16-7 on Thursday night. The Blue Jays set season highs in runs and hits (20) to win their fourth straight game. Toronto lost slugger Jose Bautista to a twisted right ankle in the fourth inning. Bautista, who leads the majors with 31 home runs, limped off after an awkward slide into third base. He is day-to-day. Andruw Jones hit two home runs for the Yankees, the 42nd multihomer game of his career, but the Yankees couldn’t extend a nine-year streak of winning their first game following the All-Star break. Left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes (5-7) allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out two. The Blue Jays knocked Yankees right-hander Bartolo Colon out of the game before the first inning was finished, doing all their damage with two outs. Yunel Escobar led off with a grounder but Thames doubled, Bautista walked and both runners moved up on Adam Lind’s grounder to first before Aaron Hill drove in both runners with a single to center. Encarnacion walked and Travis Snider hit an RBI single before J.P. Arencibia reached on a fielding error by third baseman Eduardo Nunez. Rajai Davis and Escobar followed with infield singles, making it 4-0, before Thames chased Colon with a two-run double to center. Colon (6-5) lost consecutive starts for the first time this season, allowing eight runs, three earned, and six hits in 2-3 of an inning, his shortest start of the year. Colon walked two and struck out none. Luis Ayala came on and balked in an eighth run before getting Bautista to pop out. The eight first-inning runs matched a franchise-high for the Blue Jays, who also scored eight in the first inning on Sept. 26, 2007, at Baltimore. Thames became the first Blue Jay to get two hits in an inning since Snider doubled twice in the fifth inning of an 8-6 win at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 2, 2010. Toronto made it 9-0 on Encarnacion’s RBI single in the second before the Yankees rallied with a four-run third against Reyes. Jones led off with a homer to left, Curtis Granderson hit a two-run triple that bounced over Thames’ head in right and Mark Teixeira followed with an RBI grounder. The Yankees cut it to 9-7 and chased Reyes with a three-run sixth. Nick Swisher and Russell Martin led off with singles before Jones clubbed a three-run drive into the second deck in left, his sixth. Reyes left two batters later after Brett Gardner singled. Encarnacion gave the Blue Jays some breathing room with a two-run, two-out single off Boone Logan in the bottom half, and Toronto added two more against Logan and Sergio Mitre in the seventh. Snider singled, stole second and went to third on Martin’s throwing error before scoring on Arencibia’s double, and Thames capped it with an RBI single to center. The Blue Jays tacked on three more in the eighth against Mitre. Snider hit an RBI double, Encarnacion scored on shortstop Derek Jeter’s fielding error and Davis drove in a run with a fielder’s choice grounder. NOTES: The Yankees put 3B Alex Rodriguez (right knee) on the 15-day DL and called up OF Greg Golson from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rodriguez, who had surgery Monday, is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks. … New York signed LHP J.C. Romero to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A. Washington released Romero earlier Thursday. … Two pitchers from Toronto’s team in the Dominican Summer League have been suspended 50 games each for drug violations. RHP Aderly De La Cruz and LHP Luillyn Guillen were penalized Thursday by the commissioner’s office. … John McDonald took over at third base for Bautista. If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it. Posted in blue-jays-news | Comments Off
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Adam Lind yelps in pain after being hit on the wrist by a pitch in the first inning on Saturday in Oakland. He stayed in the game to run but left shortly after. There has been no word of his status. (George Nikitin/Associated Press) 
Oh, those pesky Toronto Blue Jays and their sign-stealing. When will they ever learn? The Blue Jays and slugger Jose Bautista have been accused of stealing signs for about a year now. Today, ESPN dropped the literary hammer on the Jays.
Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista is looked at by trainers George Poulis (left), Hap Hudson, manager John Farrell and home plate umpire Gary Darling (right) after getting hit in the head by a pitch from Baltimore Orioles starter Jake Arrieta in Toronto on Tuesday. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)
Toronto’s Jose Bautista injured his right ankle on Friday night while running the bases. (Tony Dejak/Associated Press file)
