The mystery behind Blue Jays starter Eric Lauer's fat lip. Was it actually a teammate?
The 30-year-old left-hander, the junior member of the Toronto Blue Jays' veteran pitching rotation, threw eight innings of walk-free five-hitter, allowing only one run, in a series-opening 11-4 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park that propelled the Jays into sole possession of first place overall in the American League. But after the game, the first question was about the fat lip.
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Winnipeg Free Press
21 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
A year after they were (to a degree) deadline sellers, the Blue Jays are soaring
Even when they traded away a handful of established players at last year's deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays clearly believed a rebound was possible. A year later, they have a comfortable lead atop the AL East. It's hard to say that last year's deadline jump-started Toronto's turnaround, but the important thing is the Blue Jays didn't give up on their core despite being on their way to a last-place finish in 2024. They dealt players like Yusei Kikuchi and Justin Turner — but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette remained with Toronto. Keeping those two was something of a risk given that both could become free agents after this season. Bichette still can, but the Blue Jays were able to sign Guerrero to a $500-million, 14-year contract in April. Guerrero, Bichette and George Springer are part of a Toronto team that ranks third in the American League in OPS while leading the majors in batting average and on-base percentage. Even after a lopsided loss to Detroit on Sunday, the Blue Jays have a 5 1/2-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees — although Toronto also has the second-worst run differential in the division. The Blue Jays have the best record in baseball by a half-game over the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers. Toronto has won 21 of its last 27 games, and included in that stretch is a 6-1 record against the Yankees. The Blue Jays are 7-3 against New York, meaning they have clinched that season series should it become a tiebreaker. New York is just 11-18 against the AL East. Trivia time The Blue Jays last made the World Series in 1993. Who are the only other American League teams with longer droughts since their most recent pennants? Tumbling Tigers Detroit's 10-4 win over Toronto on Sunday snapped a six-game skid for the Tigers — and that does not do justice to how poorly they were playing. Detroit had lost 12 of 13, being outscored 89-33 in the process. Ace Tarik Skubal can only do so much. The lone win during that stretch came in one of his starts — a 2-1 victory over Texas on July 20. When he took the mound six days later against Toronto, he threw six scoreless innings, only to have the Tigers go on to lose 6-1. Before Detroit fans panic too much, the Tigers had built up such a big lead that they still have an eight-game advantage over second-place Cleveland in the AL Central after Sunday's victory. FanGraphs gives them a 95.9% chance to make the playoffs. But their chances of earning a first-round bye — by having one of the top two records among AL division winners — is down to 52.6%. Line of the week More like line of the decade. Or perhaps the century. A's rookie Nick Kurtz went 6 for 6 with four home runs, eight RBIs and six runs in a 15-3 rout of Houston on Friday night. Kurtz became the 20th player in major league history — and first rookie — with a four-homer game. He also doubled and singled, so he tied the single-game record for total bases with 19. Comeback of the week Minnesota had a one-run lead at Los Angeles in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday — and Griffin Jax retired the first two batters for the Dodgers. Then it all unraveled for the Twins. Mookie Betts singled, Shohei Ohtani was walked intentionally, Esteury Ruiz drew another walk and then Freddie Freeman singled home two runs for a 4-3 win. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Twins had a win probability of 95.6% after the second out, according to Baseball Savant. Trivia answer The Orioles (1983), Athletics (1990), Twins (1991) and Mariners (never). ___ AP MLB:
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Blue Jays play the Orioles after Bichette's 5-hit game
Toronto Blue Jays (63-43, first in the AL East) vs. Baltimore Orioles (47-58, fifth in the AL East) Baltimore; Monday, 6:35 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Blue Jays: Chris Bassitt (11-4, 3.88 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 117 strikeouts); Orioles: Zach Eflin (6-5, 5.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 47 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Blue Jays -125, Orioles +105; over/under is 9 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Toronto Blue Jays take on the Baltimore Orioles after Bo Bichette's five-hit game on Sunday. Baltimore is 47-58 overall and 24-26 in home games. The Orioles have gone 31-11 in games when they scored at least five runs. Toronto has a 63-43 record overall and a 26-26 record in road games. The Blue Jays have a 49-18 record in games when they record at least eight hits. The teams match up Monday for the seventh time this season. The season series is tied 3-3. TOP PERFORMERS: Gunnar Henderson has 24 doubles, four triples and 11 home runs for the Orioles. Alex Jackson is 7 for 26 with four doubles, three home runs and four RBIs over the last 10 games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has 14 home runs, 62 walks and 54 RBIs while hitting .292 for the Blue Jays. George Springer is 19 for 41 with two doubles, two home runs and four RBIs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Orioles: 4-6, .251 batting average, 4.66 ERA, outscored opponents by four runs Blue Jays: 8-2, .307 batting average, 3.44 ERA, outscored opponents by 25 runs INJURIES: Orioles: Felix Bautista: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Maverick Handley: 10-Day IL (head), Scott Blewett: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jorge Mateo: 60-Day IL (elbow), Gary Sanchez: 10-Day IL (knee), Keegan Akin: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Ryan Mountcastle: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Adley Rutschman: 10-Day IL (oblique), Cade Povich: 15-Day IL (hip), Cody Poteet: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Grayson Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Albert Suarez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler Wells: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Bradish: 60-Day IL (elbow) Blue Jays: Alejandro Kirk: 7-Day IL (concussion), Ryan Burr: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Nick Sandlin: 15-Day IL (elbow), Andres Gimenez: 10-Day IL (ankle), Yimi Garcia: 15-Day IL (ankle), Anthony Santander: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Paxton Schultz: 15-Day IL (middle finger), Bowden Francis: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Daulton Varsho: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Alek Manoah: 60-Day IL (elbow), Angel Bastardo: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Canada News.Net
8 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
After facing lowly Rockies, Orioles draw Jays for four
(Photo credit: Lexi Thompson-Imagn Images) The Baltimore Orioles finally got things going in the right direction against the worst team in baseball. Now the challenge rises considerably when the Toronto Blue Jays visit for the opener of a four-game series on Monday. The Orioles have won two in a row after Sunday afternoon's 5-1 victory against the visiting Colorado Rockies. It's Baltimore's first winning streak since July 10-11. But now the Orioles go from facing the team with the worst record in the majors to facing the team with the best. What's more, despite the wins over the Rockies, the Orioles are 4-6 since the All-Star break and enter Monday trailing the Blue Jays by 15 1/2 games in the American League East. Toronto had a four-game winning streak snapped with Sunday's 10-4 loss at Detroit. The Blue Jays are 8-2 since the break. Despite their success, the Blue Jays need to improve away from home. They're 26-26 in road games. The series will be played over three days as a doubleheader is scheduled for Tuesday. The teams have split six meetings so far this season but have not played each other since April 13. Back then, the Orioles were considered one of the American League favorites and the Blue Jays weren't among the favorites entering the season. That has changed dramatically as Toronto has emerged as a front-runner. But the Blue Jays are not without their issues. Catcher Alejandro Kirk suffered a concussion Saturday when a foul ball struck his mask, so manager John Schneider said Tyler Heineman will handle a bulk of the catching in Kirk's absence. The team also called up Ali Sanchez from Triple-A Buffalo. 'He'll stay with us and rest up,' Schneider said of Kirk, who was placed on the seven-day injured list. 'You never really know with a concussion, and we don't want to take any chances.' Baltimore is expected to make some roster adjustments, as well, but that has more to do with Thursday's trade deadline. 'There will be some adversity throughout the week, without a doubt,' said interim manager Tony Mansolino. Yet catcher Adley Rutschman is expected back after an injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Norfolk. Orioles designated hitter Tyler O'Neill is on a tear with a home run in each of his past three games. He hadn't done that since 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. 'We knew it was only a matter of time, just getting on the field and getting reps,' infielder Gunnar Henderson said. 'That was, I feel like, the biggest thing, was just getting out there.' Right-hander Zach Eflin (6-5. 5.78 ERA) heads to the mound for the Orioles in the opener. He opened the season with a win over the host Blue Jays on March 27, giving up two runs on two hits over six innings in a 12-2 win. The Jays' runs came on a two-run homer from Andres Gimenez, who has been out with an injury since July 4. More recently, Eflin's only appearance this month came with Wednesday's 3-2 loss at Cleveland, where he gave up two runs on five hits over five innings. Eflin is 4-3 with a 5.40 ERA in 10 career games -- nine starts -- vs. the Blue Jays. Toronto's starter will be right-hander Chris Bassitt (11-4, 3.88), who is 4-0 across four starts this month. Along with an inning of relief pitched the day before the All-Star break, Bassitt has a 2.39 ERA in July. Bassitt picked up a March 30 victory at home against Baltimore by logging six innings and holding the Orioles to one run on eight hits with seven strikeouts. Bassitt has made nine career starts against Baltimore, notching a 5-3 record and 4.61 ERA in those games.
