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CTV News
3 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Flying High: Toronto Blue Jays on upswing entering home series against Phillies
Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement reacts after Gatorade is poured over him following his walkoff RBI single during the ninth inning of a Major League Baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Toronto on May 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young TORONTO — A visit by the woeful Athletics came at an ideal time for the Toronto Blue Jays. Canada's lone big-league team was in a tailspin before finding its form last week. Toronto has won five in a row and sat a half-game out of an American League wild-card spot entering Monday's games. The Blue Jays, who were idle Monday, will continue their homestand Tuesday night against the 36-23 Philadelphia Phillies, a team they will play six times over the next fortnight. Offence clicking After managing just six runs over a six-game road trip, the Blue Jays kicked off their current homestand by scoring a whopping 39 runs over a four-game sweep of the A's. Addison Barger homered in three straight games over the weekend as Toronto went deep 11 times over the series. The Blue Jays have been getting contributions up and down the lineup of late. Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Alejandro Kirk have anchored the top half of the batting order. Barger, Ernie Clement, Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw and Jonatan Clase -- all hitting at least .267 -- have helped turn the lineup over with timely hitting. However, two of Toronto's big-ticket acquisitions have struggled this season. Andres Gimenez and Anthony Santander, both on the injured list, have sub-.200 averages with OPS marks under .600. Bullish bullpen One of Toronto's most-improved areas is the bullpen, which is ranked ninth in the major leagues with a 3.47 earned-run average. That's down significantly from the bullpen's 4.82 ERA in 2024, the second-worst mark among the 30 teams. With setup man Yimi Garcia on the injured list, Brendon Little (3-0, 1.37), Mason Fluharty (3-1, 3.33), Chad Green (1-1, 3.91) and Yariel Rodriguez (0-0, 2.73) have stepped up in his absence. Closer Jeff Hoffman has earned 13 saves in 16 opportunities. His three blown saves have boosted his ERA to a rather bloated 5.81. So-so starters Injuries and middling performances have led to a starting rotation that has been serviceable but capable of much more. Veterans Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt have been steady with the three right-handers posting remarkably similar numbers (all between 3.80-3.90 ERA, 66-70 IP and 65-70 strikeouts). Bowden Francis (2-6, 5.04) has been unable to duplicate his strong second half from 2024, and Max Scherzer has pitched only three innings due to a thumb issue. Scherzer's absence has forced manager John Schneider to turn to spot starters and openers, often for so-called bullpen games. The good news for the Blue Jays is Scherzer is throwing live bullpen sessions now, and Alek Manoah (elbow surgery) could make his season debut this summer. Injured Varsho After missing the first few weeks of the season as he built up after shoulder surgery, Daulton Varsho delivered an immediate spark to the lineup when he returned. The Gold Glove centre-fielder provided stellar defence and hit eight homers with 20 RBIs over 24 games before landing back on the injured list. Varsho strained his left hamstring over the weekend while trying to stretch a double into a triple. He's out on a week-to-week basis. Utilityman Davis Schneider was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to fill in. Numbers game It's early days with almost two-thirds of the season still to go, but the 31-28 Blue Jays appear to be a coin flip to make the post-season. Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA standings peg Toronto's playoff chances at 48.6 per cent, slightly ahead of FanGraphs' projections at 43.1 per cent. Cleveland started the day in the American League's first wild-card spot at 32-26. Toronto was one of five teams within 2 1/2 games of the Guardians. The Blue Jays made the playoffs in three of four years before finishing last in the East Division standings in 2024. Toronto hasn't won a playoff game since 2016. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025. Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue Jays Make Move After Andres Gimenez News
Blue Jays Make Move After Andres Gimenez News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Blue Jays have been in hot form offensively in their series against the Athletics. On Thursday, they dominated with a 12-0 shutout, followed up on Friday with an 11-7 win. Ernie Clement and Addison Barger each contributed solo home runs, while Myles Straw went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, helping the team move above the .500 mark for the first time since April 21. Advertisement Staying hot, the Blue Jays added a 8-7 victory on Saturday to make it four straight wins overall. These victories have been achieved without the presence of second baseman Andres Gimenez, who has been sidelined since May 7 due to a right quadriceps strain. Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andres Gimenez (0)© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images His absence has been felt, particularly in the infield defense and base running departments. While players like Ernie Clement have stepped up admirably, the team has missed Gimenez's Gold Glove defense and other contributions. On Saturday, Keegan Matheson reported that Gimenez is set to play in rehab games this weekend with Single-A Dunedin, indicating a likely activation for Tuesday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. While this is good news for the Blue Jays, it means Gimenez is still not yet ready to join the big league club, which is why a separate move was made on Sunday. After placing Daulton Varsho on the injured list and optioning Easton Lucas, Toronto recalled Davis Schneider who is starting in Gimenez's usual spot at second base in the series finale against the A's. Advertisement Had Gimenez been able to return, perhaps Toronto would have gone a different direction with this move, but for now it is Schneider rejoining the club. Before his injury, Giménez was batting .195 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. His defense and base running skills have been crucial to the Blue Jays' this year, contributing to a 0.9 bWAR. Gimenez's return is expected to improve the team's infield stability and add depth to the lineup as they continue their push in the AL East standings. With the offense clicking and the looming return of Gimenez, Toronto appears to be on the right path as it approaches a challenging series against the 36-win Phillies, one of the league's best teams. Advertisement Related: Blue Jays Announce Bad News After Historic Win Over Athletics Related: Blue Jays Make MLB History in Win Over Athletics This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue Jays' John Schneider Sends Unexpected Message
Blue Jays' John Schneider Sends Unexpected Message originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Blue Jays have taken the first three games of their four-game series. Saturday's win marked the Blue Jays' sixth consecutive home victory, improving their overall record to 30-28. On Friday, Ernie Clement led the offensive charge, going 4-for-5 with a solo home run and scoring twice. He stayed hot on Saturday with two more hits. Advertisement So far this series, the Blue Jays' offense has been relentless. Their 18 hits in the series opener were followed by 15 hits on Friday and 10 more on Saturday. Another notable aspect of the series has been the Blue Jays' aggressive and intelligent base running, which consistently put pressure on the Athletics' defense. Toronto Blue Jays players on the mound with manager John Schneider.© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images This strategic approach has been orchestrated by third base coach Carlos Febles, whose decisions to send runners at opportune moments has contributed significantly to the team's offensive success. Following Friday's game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider had a message that Keegan Matheson of noted was unexpected. Advertisement "I thought we ran the bases really well tonight, and the things that go unnoticed, I thought Carlos Febles put on a clinic coaching at third tonight," he said. "You've got to give credit where credit's due." Febles, who joined the Blue Jays' coaching staff in 2024 after a tenure with the Boston Red Sox, has been a pivotal figure in refining the team's base running strategies. His experience as a former MLB infielder and coach has translated into a nuanced understanding of in-game dynamics, which could allow him to make split-second decisions that enhance the team's performance on the base paths. Related: Blue Jays Announce Bad News After Historic Win Over Athletics Related: Blue Jays Make MLB History in Win Over Athletics This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Bats deliver again as Blue Jays use 15-hit attack in 11-7 win over Athletics
Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement (22) hits a single against the Athletics in the seventh inning of a Major League Baseball game in Toronto on Friday, May 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays' offence was in desperate need of a kick-start at the start of the team's seven-game homestand. A visit by the reeling Athletics appears to be just what the squad was looking for. Toronto reached a double-digit run total for a second straight night in an 11-7 victory on Friday night. 'Right now is the time to try to put your best foot forward and get a little bit better at the things we need to get a bit better at,' said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. 'And I think they're doing that.' Addison Barger and Ernie Clement hit solo homers for the Blue Jays, who outhit the Athletics 15-10. Barger and Myles Straw scored three runs apiece as Toronto won its fifth straight home game in front of an announced crowd of 36,951. 'Contributions from everyone tonight,' Schneider said. 'It was nice the way we responded (almost) every time they scored. Big hits, and I think we ran the bases really well.' A night after pounding the visitors 12-0 in the series opener, the 29-28 Blue Jays picked up where they left off to move over the .500 mark for the first time since April 21. Toronto scored 10-plus runs while recording 10-plus hits and 10-plus walks in a single game for the first time in almost nine years. The bottom four hitters in the order — Clement, Barger, Straw and Nathan Lukes — combined for nine hits and nine runs. After scoring six total runs over their recent six-game road trip, the Blue Jays have been scoring in bunches. Toronto took a 3-1 lead in the second inning and Clement, who had four hits, led off the Blue Jays' three-run third with a homer. Toronto put up three more runs in the fifth and Barger went deep in the two-run sixth inning to help Toronto pull away. 'I think we're just being aggressive and swinging a lot,' Barger said. 'In Tampa and Texas we put a lot of good swings on balls that just got (hit) to guys. So balls are starting to drop and go over the wall. 'I think that's really the big thing.' Chris Bassitt (5-3) worked five innings for the victory. He had six strikeouts and allowed five earned runs, seven hits and two walks. The veteran right-hander was left frustrated with his performance. 'It's been too, way too inconsistent of a year,' Bassitt said. 'When I'm on, I'm really good, but half the time I'm off. I'm not eating any innings and not having quality starts.' Jeffrey Springs (5-4) lasted two frames for the Athletics, who have lost 15 of their last 16 games. He gave up six earned runs, six hits and six walks. Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers hit solo homers for the Athletics (23-35). After the game, Schneider confirmed that Braydon Fisher would serve as Toronto's opener on Saturday afternoon. The Athletics will counter with Gunnar Hoglund. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025. Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Clement and Barger homer as Blue Jays beat Athletics 11-7
TORONTO — Ernie Clement and Addison Barger hit home runs and the Toronto Blue Jays moved over the .500 mark for the first time since April 21 with an 11-7 victory over the Athletics on Friday night. Clement, who led off the third inning with a homer, had four hits and scored twice. Barger went deep in the sixth inning to help Toronto pull away for its fifth straight home win to improve to 29-28. Chris Bassitt (5-3) worked five innings, striking out six and allowing five runs, seven hits and two walks. Jeffrey Springs (5-4) lasted two innings for the Athletics, who have lost 15 of their last 16 games. He gave up six earned runs, six hits and six walks. Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers hit solo homers for the Athletics. Key moment Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke, a Toronto native, made the defensive play of the night when he planted his foot on the wall and elevated to rob Alejandro Kirk of what appeared to be a sure home run in the fourth inning. Key stat The Blue Jays scored double-digit runs for the second game in a row after routing the Athletics 12-0 on Thursday. Up next RHP Gunnar Hoglund (1-2, 5.13 ERA) was scheduled to start for the Athletics on Saturday. The Blue Jays' starter was listed as TBA.
