Bo Bichette's pinch-hit blast in ninth lifts low-scoring Jays to improbable series win over host Texas
If a 0-0 tie were even permitted in baseball, the Blue Jays and Rangers were certainly more than qualified to produce such an outcome.
Article content
Article content
Neither team can hit, nor has shown any penchant for consistently putting up runs recently, and yet one team had to take Wednesday's series rubber match in Arlington because the rules dictate a winner must be established.
Article content
In a weird way, these two offensively challenged teams did create some drama the deeper the night went and the longer the game remained scoreless.
Article content
Article content
The dramatics only intensified when Bo Bichette — who was not in the Jays' starting lineup because of back tightness and was labelled day-to-day by manager John Schneider — came off the bench as a surprise pinch-hitter in the ninth inning with two out and Ernie Clement on second base.
Article content
Bichette looked at a called first strike, then launched right-hander Jacob Webb's changeup deep to left field to account for all of the scoring and helped the Jays salvage something from a 2-4 road trip that saw them produce all of six runs in six games, including two shutout losses.
Article content
The night's other compelling story involved the Jays' pitching, a combined bullpen effort that yielded only one hit — a single by Josh Smith leading off the first inning..
Article content
Three takeaways as the Jays took two of three in Texas:
Article content
Since he hit his most recent homer on May 11 in Seattle as the Jays capped off a series sweep of the Mariners, George Springer has recorded three extra-base hits, including one in Tuesday's loss at Globe Life Field.
Article content
No one was expecting the veteran to sustain his early-season revival, but something more needs to be extracted from Springer, who isn't the only player on the roster in need of an offensive bump.
Article content
In manager John Schneider's re-imagined lineup, Springer batted cleanup in the series finale, an order that had Daulton Varsho leading off in place of Bichette, Anthony Santander batting second followed by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the No. 3 hole.
Article content
Vladdy was the lone hitter in the Jays' top of the order to produce a hit, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
33 minutes ago
- National Post
TD Invests in the Growth of Cricket with New Grassroots Programs Across Canada
Article content Article content TORONTO — Cricket continues to gain momentum in Canada—from grassroots fields to the international stage—and this summer, TD is proud to celebrate the sport's growth with community-focused programs and events, developed in collaboration with Boundaries North and Cricket Canada, to inspire the next generation of players. The summer kicks off with the Toronto Blue Jays TM hosting Cricket Day at the Park presented by TD on Saturday, May 31 at Rogers Centre. As part of TD's sponsorship with the Blue Jays™, the event invites baseball fans to explore the connections between cricket and baseball while celebrating Canada's growing cricket culture. Article content Following Cricket Day at the Park, TD will officially launch TD Young Wickets. The national program offers free, in-person sessions in select communities across Canada, introducing young players to cricket through fun, inclusive, and skills-based instruction. Article content 'It is an honour to work alongside Cricket Canada to help bring cricket to more communities across Canada,' said Michael Armstrong, Vice President, North American Brand and Corporate Sponsorship. 'The Blue Jays Cricket Day at the Park and the TD Young Wickets are all about introducing the sport to more Canadians and we are proud to be a part of creating opportunities for young players to discover the game.' Article content In addition to the in-person clinics, TD Young Wickets will offer a series of free virtual coaching sessions, led by a team of internationally accredited coaches. These sessions will give players and coaches from coast-to-coast access to high-quality training and insights. Article content The launch of TD Young Wickets comes as Canada prepares to host the ICC T20 World Cup Americas Regional Qualifier on June 15 —a pivotal moment for the Canadian Men's National Team as they pursue a second-ever World Cup appearance. TD's summer celebration of cricket reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting sport as a platform for connection, confidence, and community. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
CBC
39 minutes ago
- CBC
Canadian cricket already benefiting from boost of impending Olympic return
Amid the excitement of flag football coming to the Olympics, another sport will also join the Los Angeles 2028 program. For the first time since 1900, cricket — in the forms of men's and women's T20 tournaments — will be contested in California. And Canadian women's national team player Achini Perera is hoping to be part of the action. "I remember in 2010, when Sidney Crosby [scored] in overtime, I was sitting there with my family and watching it — like that stage is insane. I almost wondered as a kid, like, 'Oh, why isn't cricket in there?'" Perera said. Now, of course, it is — not only in Los Angeles, but also in Brisbane 2032. However, Perera and Canada's women's team face an uphill climb to qualifying as the 31st-ranked squad for a tournament that will feature just six teams per gender. Still, the goal for Perera and Cricket Canada is for the sport's reintroduction to the Olympics to light a fuse that brings the game to more people across the country and eventually leads to greater success at the elite level. The process continues Saturday, when the first-ever Cricket to Conquer Cancer fundraiser will take place at Celebration Square in Mississauga, Ont. Meanwhile, in downtown Toronto, the Blue Jays partnered with Cricket Canada on a warm-up jacket giveaway for their game that day. "It won't be the sole thing that puts cricket on the map in Canada, but it's a very good starting point. And it isn't speaking only to the already growing ethnic population, it's also speaking to Canadians who will be loving the Blue Jays, who will be loving the Raptors and saying, well, hello, there's another sport here," said Carlos Brathwaite, the former captain of the West Indies men's T20 team. "It's the second biggest sport in the world. Come hold a bat, come hold a ball, try your luck at this. And if you can convert 10 per cent of the people who didn't know about cricket before the event and have them showing any interest, I think that'd be a win." Brathwaite and Perera will be joined by celebrities like Dwayne De Rosario, Jamaal Magloire and Jully Black at the fundraiser for cancer research hosted by the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. It's a cause close to Brathwaite's heart. The Barbadian's mom survived breast cancer, which was his impetus for getting involved. CAA Centre in Brampton, Ont. to stage new Canada Super 60 cricket league in July Through the planning process, which began with a media launch last May, he connected with fellow cricketer Kenroy Williams, who had survived his own bout with breast cancer. However, Williams' cancer returned last year and he died at 40 in November. Along with Brathwaite, Williams' uncle and other Barbadian cricketers will be present at the event in Mississauga. "Hopefully an emotional day is the start of a long-standing relationship between the people of Barbados and the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. And if Kenroy and his interest in participating in the event could be catalyst to that, then that would make me a very happy man," Brathwaite said. Brathwaite said he had one stipulation for joining the event as an ambassador a year ago — he refused to let the fundraiser become a "pity party." Which means that while the cause will be front and centre, the display of cricket will also be crucial. A cricket resurgence He noted that the first-ever cricket match in 1844 was contested between Canada and the U.S. "So there is a history there and there is kind of a modern renaissance, a resurgence of the sport. I think what Cricket to Conquer Cancer can do is kind of bridge that gap between who knows about it and who doesn't," Brathwaite said. Perera, 24, has known about the sport for her entire life. From a young age, she would follow her older brother to games, wearing the standard all-white uniform just in case she got the call. Then one day, when she was six, Perera's brother's team was down a player. Perera turned that one match into regular appearances, and even wore her brother's oversized equipment until she got her own gear — including an age- and weight-appropriate bat — when she was 10. "I was like, wow, there's such a huge difference," she said. When Perera was 12, she was recognized by Cricket Canada coach George Codrington and invited to try out for the national team. At 19, Perera made her Team Canada debut, and she's been a fixture ever since. "Growing up with [the team] along with my brother, they were so respectful. They were always like, 'OK, Achini, come and bowl. We'll back you up and everything.' And whenever I was batting, like, 'Oh, this is what you do,'" Perera said. Now, she's hoping to give back to the cricket community. Within the national team, she's already taken up coaching and campaigned for more intermingling of the U15, U19 and senior teams so the younger athletes can learn the sport just like she did nearly two decades ago. Cricket has come a long way since her start in the sport — Perera noted the dome coming to Brampton, Ont., that will let athletes practise year-round. Through her Instagram, Perera is hoping to show young girls that top-level cricket can be a reality in Canada. "I know a lot of our youth girls are watching that. So I try to post with other youth girls, like example from USA or they're from West Indies or even Argentina. I'm always trying to encourage them as well as encouraging the Canadian girls here so they know there actually are girls my age playing abroad," she said. The "absolute dream" for Perera would be to influence a Canadian appearance at the Olympics — whether through her play or her efforts with the next generation.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
U.S. CDC removes language that says healthy kids should get COVID shots
A sign marks the entrance to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, on Oct. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) NEW YORK — The United States' top public health agency posted new recommendations that say healthy children may get COVID-19 vaccinations, removing language that said kids should get the shots. The change comes days after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. But the updated guidance on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website does not appear to end recommendations for vaccination of pregnant women, a change that was heavily criticized by medical and public health experts. CDC and HHS officials did not immediately respond to questions about the new guidance. Kennedy announced the coming changes in a 58-second video posted on the social media site X on Tuesday. No one from the CDC was in the video, and CDC officials referred questions about the announcement to Kennedy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. On Thursday, the CDC updated its website. The agency said that shots may be given to children ages six months to 17 years who do not have moderate or severe problems with their immune systems. Instead of recommending the shots, the CDC page now says parents may decide to get their children vaccinated in consultation with a doctor. That kind of recommendation, known as shared decision-making, still means health insurers must pay for the vaccinations, according to the CDC. However, experts say vaccination rates tend to be lower when health authorities use that language and doctors are less emphatic with patients about getting shots. Childhood vaccination rates for COVID-19 are already low — just 13 per cent of children and 23 per cent of adults have received the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. Talk of changing the recommendations has been brewing. As the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, experts have discussed the possibility of focusing vaccination efforts on people 65 and older — who are among those most as risk for death and hospitalization. A CDC advisory panel is set to meet in June to make recommendations about the fall shots. Among its options are suggesting shots for high-risk groups but still giving lower-risk people the choice to get vaccinated. A committee work group has endorsed the idea. But Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine advocate before becoming health secretary, decided not to wait for the scientific panel's review. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press
