
After historic shutout, Giants look to cash in vs. Blue Jays
The San Francisco Giants will try to convert more hits into runs on Saturday afternoon when they continue their series with the host Toronto Blue Jays.
San Francisco outhit Toronto 11-10 on Friday night but lost the opener of the three-game set 4-0 as the teams returned to action after the All-Star break.
The primary culprit? The Giants went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position while the Blue Jays, who scored all their runs in the second inning against Justin Verlander, were 3-for-9.
'They got three big hits, we didn't get any,' Giants manager Bob Melvin said. 'We've got to move on from it.'
It was the first time the Giants had 11 or more hits and scored zero runs in a game since Aug. 24, 1959, against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Giants had two hits each from Heliot Ramos, Rafael Devers and Patrick Bailey. Toronto starter Chris Bassitt allowed two singles in the first and two more in the second, but he worked out of the jams with a double-play grounder in each inning.
The victory gave the Blue Jays a three-game lead in the American League East over the New York Yankees, who lost 7-3 to the Atlanta Braves. The Yankees visit the Blue Jays for a three-game series starting on Monday.
The Giants are scheduled to send out right-hander Logan Webb (9-6, 2.94 ERA) when they try to square the series on Saturday. They hope Webb reverses the results of his previous two career starts against the Blue Jays. He is 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA against them.
Toronto is slated to go with left-hander Eric Lauer (4-2, 2.78), who was one of Toronto's pleasant surprises in the first half. Lauer is 3-0 with a 3.28 ERA against San Francisco in nine career outings (eight starts). He has not faced the Giants since 2022.
All but one of Toronto's hits on Friday came in 2 2/3 innings against Verlander, who dropped to 0-8 on the season -- and many were somewhat soft. The other hit came against Tristan Beck, who helped save the rest of the bullpen with 4 1/3 innings. Matt Gage, promoted from Triple-A Sacramento on Friday, pitched the final inning.
The Blue Jays continue to get contributions from a variety of sources. Will Wagner had a two-run double, his first RBIs since he was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on June 28.
'It's always good to help the team out,' Wagner said. 'It's been a long time coming.'
George Springer had three hits and a stolen base to end a 0-for-12 drought.
The Blue Jays did receive some bad news. Yimi Garica, who is on the injured list with a sprained ankle, is now dealing with an ulnar nerve issue in his right elbow, making his return date uncertain.
Getting some help before the trade deadline is a real possibility, of course, and Garcia's problems might be the impetus for a possible acquisition.
'We've got to continue to do our part the next couple of weeks to hopefully make that push,' Toronto manager John Schneider said. 'I don't want to say rely on it, but you can kind of factor that into the equation as long as we're continuing to play the way we're playing, that there will be some additions from outside.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
14 minutes ago
- CTV News
Bo Bichette's two-run homer caps Blue Jays' wild 8-4 win over rival Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays' Ernie Clement, right, hits an RBI single off New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) in fourth inning MLB baseball game action in Toronto on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker TORONTO — Bo Bichette's two-run homer capped off a wild victory as the Toronto Blue Jays held off the New York Yankees 8-4 on Wednesday. The victory tied the Blue Jays with the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League. Myles Straw's double drove in Ernie Clement for the go-ahead run in the sixth inning as Toronto (60-42) won the three-game series and locked up the tiebreaker between the two AL East rivals. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had an RBI double in the fourth, then drove in two more runs in the fifth on a fielder's choice, as the Blue Jays and Yankees traded leads. Clement's basehit in the fourth also scored a runner and pinch-hitter Will Wagner plated Straw in the sixth. Chris Bassitt (11-4) was solid for 7 1/3 innings, striking out eight and allowing four runs — three earned — on three hits and no walks. Relievers Justin Bruihl and Yariel Rodriguez preserved the win. Aaron Judge's two-run homer in the sixth tied the game 4-4 for New York (56-46), but that lead disappeared in the bottom of the inning thanks to Straw and Wagner's RBIs. Jasson Dominguez had a home run in the second and Anthony Volpe added a solo shot in the fifth. Ace Max Fried (11-4) struggled, giving up five runs — four earned — on six hits and three walks, striking out three over 5 1/3 innings. Jonathan Loaisiga, Scott Effross and JT Brubaker all came out of the visitor's bullpen, with Effross giving up two runs. Takeaways Yankees: The long ball remains the key to success for New York, with all four of its runs coming from homers. The Yankees entered the game with a Major League Baseball-best 162 home runs, five more than the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shohei Ohtani had L.A.'s one homer in its 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins earlier Wednesday. Blue Jays: Toronto benefited greatly from New York's four errors and other fielding miscues, eking out runs on walks, dropped balls, wild pitches, and overthrows. Bichette's two-run blast — his 13th home run of the year — was the Blue Jays' cleanest score of the game as Guerrero had led off the inning with a double. Key moment Davis Schneider was caught stealing by Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra with one out in the fifth inning. A video replay overturned the call on the field, however. George Springer drew a walk in the next at bat and Guerrero drove them both home when Escarra dropped the ball trying to tag Schneider at the plate. Key stat The Blue Jays expanded their lead in the AL East to four games over New York with the victory. Toronto and the Yankees will play three more times this year but the Blue Jays now have the tiebreaker should they wind up with identical records by the end of the regular season. Up next Eric Lauer (5-2) will take the mound as the Blue Jays begin a four-game series in Detroit. Reese Olson (4-3) gets the start for the AL Central-leading Tigers (60-43). This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press


Toronto Star
37 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
MLS, playing without Messi, beats Liga MX 3-1 in All-Star Game
MLS All-Stars' Sam Surridge (98) and Sergio Ramos compete for a pass during the MLS All-Star soccer match in Austin, Texas, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) EG flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :


Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
MLS, playing without Messi, beats Liga MX 3-1 in All-Star Game
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Sam Surridge, Tai Baribo and Brian White scored goals and Major League Soccer defeated Liga MX of Mexico 3-1 in the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday night. Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammate, Jordi Alba, both face possible league suspensions for their team's next match against Cincinnati on Saturday for missing the All-Star game. Liga MX's James Rodríguez also chose not to play in the game played in front of more than 20,000 fans at Q2 Stadium. MLS has defeated Liga MX three times in four tries. Last year Liga MX won 4-1 in Columbus, Ohio. The MLS All-Stars won in 2022 and beat Liga MX on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw a year prior. Messi has yet to appear in an MLS All-Star Game. He missed the game last year with an injury. Messi is tied with Nashville's Surridge for the MLS lead in goals with 18. Surridge scored another goal on Wednesday, from the middle of the box, heading in to the lower right corner a ball directed by LAFC's Denis Bouanga in the 28th minute. The opportunity developed after Bouanga had a point-blank attempt stopped by Liga MX goalkeeper Luis Malagon (Club America). Bouanga hustled to retrieve the long rebound and sent it to Surridge. Before the goal, both teams had attempts rejected with diving stops by Luis Malagón and Austin FC's Brad Stuver in the 13th and 18th minutes. MLS went ahead 2-0 in the 51st minute when Diego Rossi (Columbus) passed ahead to Baribo (Philadelphia), whose right footed shot from the center of the box made it to the lower left corner of the goal. Liga MX closed the gap to 2-1 just 13 minutes later when Gilberto Mora (Club Tijuana) converted a pass from Elias Montiel (Pachuca) from the middle of the box. Liga MX's bid to tie the match was snubbed when a shot by Diber Cambindo (Necaxa) was stopped by Yohei Takaoka (Vancouver) in the 75th minute. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. White (Vancouver) finished the scoring in the 80th minute. Up next MLS and Liga MX continue their rivalry with the Leagues Cup that begins on July 29 and concludes Aug. 31. The competition features a new format, with all 18 clubs from Liga MX and the top 18 from MLS competing. Last year all 47 clubs from the two leagues were included. ___ AP soccer: