Canadiens Defenseman Is Interesting Breakout Candidate
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Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kirk the hero as Blue Jays win comeback thriller to open series against Rangers
It took a while, but the Toronto Blue Jays eventually gave another sellout crowd something to get up and cheer for. Unable to get a sniff off resurgent Texas all-star Jacob deGrom, the Jays seemed destined to lose thanks to a shaky second inning from Chris Bassitt — but catcher Alejandro Kirk and other Jays had something to say about that. The Jays finally got to a Texas pitcher when Kirk belted a seventh inning two-run home run over the wall in right-centre off Robert Garcia, the third Rangers hurler of the night. And though ex-Jays all-star Marcus Semien rudely greeted Louis Varland's first pitch with a two-run shot of his own, the American League leaders dug deep for a gritty 6-5 comeback victory. Trailing 5-2, the Jays started the eighth inning with three consecutive singles, including one after a tremendous at-bat by Bo Bichette, who drove in a run after fouling off a number of pitches off Danny Coulombe, who like Varland had superb numbers coming in. The Rangers then made a pitching change, calling on Phil Maton to face Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But Toronto's superstar drew a full-count walk to load the bases, still with no outs. After Addison Barger struck out, Daulton Varsho walked to make it 5-4 and Kirk scored two more with a single. Closer Jeff Hoffman then got the crowd roaring again by striking out the first two Rangers in the ninth before erasing the last batter of the game on three pitches to cap the improbable comeback. 'There's zero quit in these guys,' said manager John Schneider after the game. 'They kind of look forward to the challenge at this point. It's fun to be a part of, it's fun to watch them operate. And, you know, it's, it's a really, really good atmosphere here. 'It's loud, man. It's definitely an advantage playing here and it gets louder every night.' It was a bit quieter earlier. Despite having baseball's best offence since early May, Toronto's hitters had been struggling so far in August — other than a laugher of a series in mile high Colorado. The Jays only managed two hits and did not draw a walk in five innings against deGrom. Bassitt had actually been a perfect 8-0 at home with a 2.56 ERA, far better than his road numbers, and other than the second inning, when he allowed three hard-hit balls, including the home run by No. 9 hitter Kyle Higashioka, was strong (he only allowed two walks and one hit in his other four innings of work). Bassitt echoed Schneider's thoughts about the depth and resolve of the team. 'It's just no panic, just because it's not really one guy ever doing the job,' Bassitt said. 'Give a lot of credit to a lot more than nine guys on our team that just don't quit.' Surging Blue Jays crushing ratings game too with huge Sportsnet numbers Blue Jays expecting Bieber, Springer soon, but don't hold breath on Santander Kirk added the first stolen base of his career for good measure, which had his teammates howling. Guerrero even picked up the base and presented it to Kirk who told us afterward he was going to put it 'definitely in my house.' Kirk added he looked at first base coach Mark Budzinski 'like, 'are you serious,'' when he saw the call to steal. The Jays definitely stole one Friday in more ways than one.
CBS News
20 minutes ago
- CBS News
Phillies closer Jhoan Duran's X-Rays come back negative after right ankle scare, team says
Jhoan Duran entered a game in a non-save situation for the first time since the Philadelphia Phillies acquired the star closer from Minnesota at the trade deadline. Four pitches later, Duran was limping and needed a ride off the field. Duran took a comebacker off the outer part of his right ankle in the ninth inning of Philly's 6-2 win at Washington on Friday night. After the game, the Phillies said X-rays on the burly right-hander were negative. He will be evaluated further on Saturday. "Obviously a bad spot to get hit," Phillies star Bryce Harper said. Pitching with a four-run lead after four days off, Duran began the ninth by facing Paul DeJong, who hit a sharp grounder to the mound. The ball deflected off Duran's ankle and into foul territory for a single. "He ran like a shot over there to retrieve the ball and then once he got there, I think the adrenaline wore off," manager Rob Thomson said. "The pain set in." Duran began limping as he approached the foul line and had trouble putting weight on his right foot. After a lengthy visit by team trainers, he took a seat in the Nationals' bullpen cart and was driven away. "He actually said, 'I feel better, I think I can walk over to the dugout,'" said Thomson, who described the cart as a precaution given the long staircase that leads to the visiting clubhouse at Nationals Park. "I mean, he's 240 pounds. I don't want to be carrying him up the stairs." Duran is 4-for-4 in save opportunities with the Phillies. David Robertson relieved him and gave up a double to Luis García Jr., then retired the next three batters to prevent Duran from being charged with a run for the first time since the trade. The 27-year-old Duran has a 1.86 ERA and 20 saves this season, and the National League East-leading Phillies need him if they want to make a deep October run. "You just kind keep your fingers crossed there," slugger Kyle Schwarber said, "and hope that it's nothing super serious."
New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
Coco Gauff tosses 16 double faults in quarterfinal loss to Jasmine Paolini at Cincinnati Open
The serving woes continued for Coco Gauff Friday night in Cincinnati. The world No. 2 fell in three sets 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 to world No. 9 Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open, lasting two hours and three minutes. Gauff, the current Roland Garros champion, has yet to advance to a semifinal in the North American hard court swing, after losing in the Round of 16 at the Canadian Open. Advertisement It was all looking positive for the American in the first set, racing out to a 6-2 win. She broke Paolini's serve three times, won 82.4 percent of her first serve points and tallied two aces. The second set was closer as both players exchanged service holds. It appeared that Gauff's relentless athleticism and defense would be too much for Paolini, as it was in her two previous victories over the Italian on hard court. But the American began to lose her serve as the set progressed. The first serve was at 53.6 percent, but the double faults increased to five. Paolini broke Gauff three consecutive times to take the set 6-4. Incredible from Paolini 🤩@JasminePaolini | #CincyTennis — wta (@WTA) August 16, 2025 To start the third set, Gauff was broken after tossing three double faults in her opening service game alone. Paolini had a slight left ankle roll but was able to progress in the match, not requiring a full medical timeout or tape. After being down a break 3-1, Gauff broke Paolini's serve to get back in the set. She finally held serve to break a streak of five consecutive breaks. But it wasn't enough, as Paolini broke Gauff at 4-3 for a sixth time in the match to take a 5-3 lead. The Italian completed the rally, yelling to her team in celebration after Gauff tossed a forehand in the net. Gauff tossed 16 double faults for the match, a troubling trend that was evident at the Canadian Open. In three matches played in Canada, the 21-year-old recorded 42 double faults, with her three-set victory against Danielle Collins reaching 23. Her serve was looking under control in Cincinnati until tonight. Paolini improves to 3-2 head-to-head against Gauff. She is into her third WTA 1000 semifinal of 2025, after winning her home Italian Open in May. Paolini will face Veronika Kudermetova in the semifinals on Sunday. For Gauff, she heads to the U.S. Open looking to win her second slam of 2025. She won in Flushing Meadows, her first slam, in 2023. Gauff lost in the Round of 16 at last year's U.S. Open to compatriot Emma Navarro, where she tallied 19 double faults. Her serve will need to be better if she wants to have a deep run in New York. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
