Unsung heroes, batting depth step up for Blue Jays in 6-3 win over Giants
TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays may have star power, but they've had contributions from unsung heroes this season.
That happened Saturday afternoon when Toronto's 7-8-9 hitters accounted for all six runs and went a collective 5-for-10 in the team's 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Rogers Centre.
Second baseman Ernie Clement finished with an RBI. Third baseman Will Wagner hit a two-run double. And catcher Tyler Heineman had one of the best games of his career, hitting a two-run homer in the sixth inning to finish 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider credits his club's hitting coaches for this lower-lineup success.
'It starts with Pop, and Lou and Hunter,' said Schneider of Toronto's hitting staff.
'And really diving into what these guys are good at and how they are going to get pitched and having a plan. And then it's the guys buying into that plan and sticking with it. It's not easy to do when you don't play every day and you're hitting 7-8-9.
'The tendency is to chase results and the guys aren't doing that.'
The Blue Jays got contributions from more than their batting depth Saturday.
Starter Eric Lauer picked up his fifth win of the season while allowing two runs and no walks in six innings of work. Lauer also struck out seven batters.
Signed to a minor-league deal Dec. 13, 2024, after he was cut by the KBO's Kia Tigers, Lauer has been a strong addition to the Blue Jays' rotation in 2025.
The left-hander has a 2.80 earned-run average and a 1.04 walks plus hits per inning pitched in eight starts for the Blue Jays this season.
'One, probably,' said Clement of where Lauer would rank among Toronto's unsung heroes.
'What he's been able to do and come in and just give us a chance to win every game. It's invaluable. So, tip of the cap to him. He's probably been our unsung MVP so far.'
Schneider says Lauer's demeanour hasn't changed as his quality starts increased.
'That's one of the things I love about him,' Scheider said of Lauer post-game.
'He's kind of a flat-liner…Not getting too high or too low, and kind of doing what everyone's doing, where you go out and do what we ask of you and you move on to the next time you go out there.'
Accustomed to a long relief role as well as a starter this season, Lauer believes the latter is where has earned the right to be.
'I'm just trying to make sure that I stick in the rotation, honestly' Lauer said. 'That's what I want to do, and that's where I think I can help the team best.'
With Bowden Francis still on the injured list with a shoulder impingement, the Blue Jays need Lauer in the rotation moving forward.
Toronto will attempt to sweep the three-game homestand against the Giants on Sunday before hosting the New York Yankees in a three-game set starting Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2025.
Mike Stephens, The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
21 minutes ago
- CBC
Canada's Shapovalov claims 1st career outdoor ATP title
Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., captured the men's singles title at the Mifel Tennis Open 6-4, 6-2 over American Aleksandar Kovacevic in Los Cabos, Mexico.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Cricket is growing in popularity in Waterloo region, especially among women
Cricket has been growing throughout Canada in recent years, and in Waterloo region, this growth is quite tangible – especially among women and children. "You can take Indians out of India, but not cricket out [of] them," said Priyadharshini Anandhan, captain of the Tamil Cultural Association's women's cricket club. "Wherever you see a group [from the] Indian community, you can see cricket there." Anandhan, who loves the sport for instilling discipline in her, is one of many female cricket players in Waterloo region who is seeing the sport's growth as a win. Cricket's growth Cricket in general has been growing over the years. In Toronto for example, cricket has grown so much that in 2024, the city's executive committee had to push forward plans to develop a formal cricket strategy. In Calgary, the demand for cricket fields has grown so much that cricket groups started setting caps on registration to ensure as many players as possible get field time. Khrisna Bhure, captain of the Golden Triangle Marathi Mandal's men's cricket team in Waterloo region, said he's excited to see the growth of the sport he grew up playing. "Coming to men's cricket [around 2017-2018], I would say there were about 15 to 20 season ball clubs," he said. "Now I see more than 70 to 80 full-time teams." Rajanikanth Ruthiran, captain of the Tamil Cultural Association men's cricket club, said he's watched cricket in Canada grow significantly since moving to the country in his 20s. Now in his 40s, it still excites him to see more people showing interest in the sport. Ruthiran said cricket has become like a "religion" in a lot of South Asian countries. "It's not only in India," he said. "Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh – anywhere in the South Asian countries, cricket [has become] a very dominant sport." More women, children picking up the bat Bhure sees all this growth as good news, but it's the recent boost in popularity for women and children that excites him even more. Anandhan said she's seeing so many women – even those without previous sports experience – picking up the bat. "I have two players on my team who are new moms," she said. "They never played any sport, but they wanted to play, so we told them to come and practice and we are practicing. We are participating in two tournaments right now and they play extremely well." Krishna also noted how cricket is attracting younger players. He said his 11-year-old daughter has started playing cricket after watching her mom play, and Bhure describes it as being part of their culture. "It's a transition in culture," he said. Pallavi Bhure, Krishna's wife and the captain of Team Marathi's women's cricket team, shares her husband's insight on the growing interest among younger people. "We come with that cricket culture, and we want to make it, you know, take it forward to our next generation." The Golden Triangle Marathi Mandal and the Tamil Cultural Association's cricket clubs are among the many sports teams who will be playing at the South Asian Family Sports day later this month. "We wait for it every year," said Khrisna, "Eight communities come together with their families and kids, and it's like a mini South Asia on the Waterloo [Park] grounds." The event will take place on July 26 and 27 at Waterloo Park. Attendees will also have the chance to play other sports including volleyball, soccer and throwball. There will be activities for kids, as well as yoga and zumba.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Join CBC K-W at South Asian Family Sports Day in Waterloo Park
Get ready to cheer and celebrate community at the Kitchener-Waterloo South Asian Family Sports Day. Watch cricket, volleyball, soccer and throwball as teams from several local organizations play at Waterloo Park on Saturday, July 26 and Sunday July 27. Join the CBC K-W team on Sunday, July 27 for this family-friendly event open to all spectators. Stop by our booth from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and take your shot on goal against a CBC personality for a chance to win some fun prizes! About the event This event brings together members several local organizations, including: The Tamil Cultural Association. Grand River Malayalee Association. India Canada Association. Grand River Kannada Association. Bengali Sports Group. KWC Rajasthani Association. The Golden Triangle Marathi Association. The event focuses on playing friendly, yet competitive games including cricket, football, volleyball and throwball. There will be kids activities and yoga and zumba as well.
