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Toronto Sun
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Barger's three-run bash lifts Blue Jays to series sweep of Athletics
Davis Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a single against the Athletics in the second inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Toronto. Photo by Mark Blinch / Getty Images Through the first three games against an inferior A's team, the Blue Jays pushed across 31 runs, while launching 10 home runs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Suffice to say, three wins would be produced. In Sunday's series finale of the four-game set, the script flipped until the Jays found their hitting stroke by scoring two runs in the fifth inning, which featured the strangest of inning-ending outs when video review overturned a George Springer safe call at third base en route to an 8-4 victory. Springer appeared to be favouring his left ankle, prompting him to hop on the bag for some odd reason because the play was still alive. Nonetheless, it was game on with the A's leading 3-2. The Jays were fortunate to even be in the game, the beneficiaries of an opponent that left too many runners in scoring position. Another break was provided on a catcher's interference call that would set the stage for Addison Barger's late-game heroics. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The kid continues to emerge and excel, providing more evidence why he should be in the lineup every day. His latest burst, an eighth-inning three-run homer, would give the Jays the win. A four-game series sweep would be completed — Toronto's seventh straight home win and fifth overall — while the A's lost for the 18th time in their last 19 games. Here are three takeaways on an afternoon that highlighted how well Alejandro Kirk has been raking and a day when reliever Erik Swanson made his season debut, an appearance that would see the righty give up a hit, while hitting a batter in yielding one run after the A's executed a double steal. Kevin Gausman of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch during the third inning against the Athletics in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Toronto. Photo by Mark Blinch / Getty Images 1. D outing for Gausman In his previous four starts, Kevin Gausman allowed zero walks. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Right from the hop, it was obvious this start would feature its share of oddities. It began when Gausman issued a leadoff walk, which led to the Athletics getting on the scoreboard. Entering the day, Gausman had given up one run in his past two starts, which encompassed 15 solid innings of eight-hit ball, by far his best stretch of the season. Gausman escaped the second without giving up a run, but through two innings his pitch count had increased to 45. Yet another hit to begin an inning would play out in the third. When Gausman struck out Tyler Soderstrom looking, the A's lost their cleanup hitter after Soderstrom was ejected for questioning the call. It was a quick hook by Tom Hanahan, a bad look for the home-plate ump. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Gausman walked the next batter, the first time since that infamous outing in the Bronx that the right-hander had yielded two free passes in a game. In the fourth inning, Pickering's Denzel Clarke reached base on a hit and stole his first major-league base. By no means was this a vintage Gausman outing. In fact, the 4 2/3-inning outing was his shortest of the season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates a double against the Athletics in the first inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Toronto. Photo by Mark Blinch / Getty Images 2. Streaking Vlad For the record, Vlad Guerrero Jr. extended his career-high and MLB-best on-base streak to 32 games when he doubled in his first at-bat. But the precise significance of the feat is open to debate. Getting on base by any means is always preferred, whether a walk gets issued or a hit is recorded. In the case of Guerrero, who served as designated hitter Sunday, he has to provide that thump factor in the lineup, especially with Daulton Varsho joining Anthony Santander on the injured list. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Guerrero isn't going anywhere after signing a 14-year deal that kicks in next season. What he has to do is go yard more often. Six of his eight homers have been produced during this on-base streak, yet more is expected from someone whose expectations are high and will only get higher next season. His two-run double capped off a six-run eighth inning. Athletics centre-fielder Denzel Clarke, right, dives safely back into first base ahead of a tag by Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Ernie Clement (22) in fourth inning MLB baseball action in Toronto on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Photo by Jon Blacker / THE CANADIAN PRESS 3. Earnest Ernie Ernie Clement isn't exempt from criticism, but it's hard to knock him when he's willing to play any position and has often come through in clutch moments. One of the most understated moments from Saturday's win was the diving catch he made at second base. Clement has produced walk-off wins at the plate, but this was a first when he executed a walk-off out that saved Jeff Hoffman from potentially blowing another game. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sunday, Clement found himself starting at first. In the first inning, Gausman nearly overcame a no-out situation with runners on the corner when he induced a grounder. Clement fielded it, placed his fist on the bag and then made an off-balanced throw to second. A run would cross home plate. The options were many for Clement, whether the right play was to throw to second first to keep the force on, step on the bag at first and then try to get the runner at home plate. The whole sequence revealed how Toronto's depth will be tested in the wake of the injury bug that has hit the team. It will also test manager John Schneider's ability to juggle the lineup. Up next Once the Blue Jays dispense of Monday's off day, they'll be back at it Tuesday when the Phillies come to town for a three-game set; the series will mark the return of Markham's Jordan Romano, whose time with the Jays ended unceremoniously when the team did not tender the closer a contract; Tuesday may also see the return of Bryce Harper, who absorbed a 95-m.p.h. fastball from Atlanta's Spencer Strider in the first inning last week. Editorial Cartoons Sports Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA Canada
Toronto Star
a day ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
The A's have been good for what was ailing the Blue Jays offence, but it might take more to heal Daulton Varsho
Grazing on the A's. Regurgitating that cud. A performance-enhancing supplement for what had been, until this weekend, largely an anemic offence, especially mordant with runners in scoring position. But the Blue Jays have erupted — albeit off the sketchy moundsmen of the Vagabond Athletics — for 10 home runs over the last three days. Four of them came Saturday afternoon, half of those from George Springer. Take three A's games and call me in the morning was exactly the corrective the Jays needed. On this day, with an 8-7 win under the closed dome at Rogers Centre, the Jays are coming out of May with a 16-12 record after a flaccid 11-14 April. Although the final score was closer than it should have been, with another troubling close-out teeter by Jeff Hoffman, who gave up a two-run shot in the ninth and left the tying run on second when a brilliant stabbing catch by Ernie Clement preserved the win. Blue Jays Opinion Mike Wilner: Blue Jays lose sparkplug Dalton Varsho to hamstring injury Centre-fielder grabs his left leg as he tries to stretch a double into a triple. The (non-Oakland) A's had sent a couple of balls screeching out of the ballpark in the first and second innings on what was a spot-start day for the Jays. Braydon Fisher was punched up as the opener but it was Easton Lucas, resurrected from Triple-A, as the bulk guy who ultimately claimed the win. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Jays got bombs from Addison Barger and Bo Bichette — the 100th of his career — ahead of the brace of four-baggers from Springer, who is heating up again after cooling down after charging out of the gate altogether unexpectedly. Springer was handling the big bat business until Daulton Varsho was reactivated following shoulder surgery rehab and started blasting them into the seats. I'm backing into what was the most significant event in Saturday's encounter: Varsho clutching at his left hamstring as he rounded second trying to stretch a double into a triple. Out at third was the least of it as he lay curled on the ground, visibly and audibly in pain. 'Your heart hurts for him,'' said Springer, probably Varsho's closest buddy. 'He never really shows pain. The way he went down … it was tough.'' Blue Jays Opinion Gregor Chisholm: How the Blue Jays rotation plays with fire but rarely gets burned While the wait continues for Max Scherzer, the No. 5 spot hasn't been a black hole as feared. It was on everybody's mind post-game as Varsho was undergoing an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, which might be as bad as a torn hamstring and four to six weeks sidelined. But I'm not going to put the hearse before the horse and will wait for more definitive news Sunday. As I said, it was a bullpen day for the Jays as they continue to bob and weave their way through a season without a fifth starter. They dropped Fisher, who hadn't allowed a run through his first seven career appearances, into the opener blocks for his first MLB start. And before you could say Bob's-your-uncle, the A's had three runs on the board, two singles brought home on Tyler Soderstrom's long ball, then up 5-3 when Pickering's Denzel Clarke went yard. The A's don't actually lack for offence; it's everything else that's a mess. As planned, Fisher disappeared from the fray, replaced by Lucas with one out in the second Sorta planned. 'Pitching plans sometimes don't go to plan,'' observed manager John Schneider, Zen-like. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Summoned on Thursday from Buffalo, Lucas was once-upon-a-time perceived as that fifth starter — in lieu of Max Scherzer, a fleeting thumb-stricken spectre since the three innings he threw for Toronto on March 29. Lucas posted two fine starts in April, two crummy starts in April, and was dispatched to the Bisons to work particularly on the hard slider that Jays wanted to see more of. He brought along a more polished cutter as well. 'It's kind of a pitch that I can throw in or around the zone and get guys off the fastball. I used it up until the end of spring training and then kind of went away from it.'' Lucas got himself into immediate trouble by loading the bases on a trio of cheesy singles. But out of trouble too, with some nifty defensive work, including an inning-ending splay of limbs to deny Shea Langeliers. 'OK, it's three soft singles,'' Lucas told himself. 'Not my best locations. Had to calm down a little bit, get down in the zone. Yeah, it was a struggle. I had to make that crazy tough play off Langeliers to get him out. But after that I was able to settle down.'' Blue Jays Watch: Young Blue Jays fan gets rare double chance at home run catch It was an inning to remember at Thursday's game after Clement and Guerrero Jr. both homered to He limited the A's to no runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings before handing off to his bullpen brethren. Lucas assessed what has changed between his first stint with Toronto and this one. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'Just kind of regaining confidence. Knowing what I need to do to get guys out. Went down, working on getting the cutter back, figuring out the changeup. Being able to throw it to better locations. And then just throwing the fastball harder.'' Meanwhile, Toronto hitters were cooking, with Springer at full boil. He turned on the first pitch he saw in the third and fifth innings, fastball and slider respectively. 'I felt like I was in a good count. Well, obviously, 0 and 0. I don't know, just wanted to hit something hard. 'Just get ready to hit and hit it.''
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Blue Jay Anthony Santander hits IL, Alan Roden returns
Anthony Santander 's first season in a Blue Jays uniform went from bad to worse on Friday afternoon when he was placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. Santander initially sustained the injury crashing into the outfield wall to make a catch against the Los Angeles Angels on May 8. Later in that game, he also jumped into the stands trying to catch a foul ball. The 30-year-old outfielder sat out the next series, but returned May 13 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite the time off, the injury did not heal and Santander had been trying to play through it until now. 'There are still a few swings, both right-handed and left-handed, where he can feel it,' Jays manager John Schneider said. 'He was on board with (the IL), just wanting to be 100 per cent. I give him credit for grinding through it. It's not an easy thing to do, when you're struggling, too. I think giving him some time to get right and then attacking the work the way we want is the goal.' The first two months of Santander's season were a nightmare. After hitting 44 homers for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, the Jays rewarded him with a five-year contract worth $92.5 million (U.S.). He has been a shadow of his former self ever since. In 50 games, Santander is hitting just .179 with six homers and 18 RBIs. His .577 on-base plus slugging percentage is the seventh lowest in the majors among all qualified hitters. He has also been worth minus-0.7 wins above replacement per FanGraphs. He's under contract through the 2029 season, so the Jays have to hope his lack of offensive production was more tied to injuries than regression. He is not eligible to return from the injured list until June 3. 'He had an MRI last night,' Schneider said. 'We're still reading through it a little bit. I don't know the course of action, if it's going to be an injection or rehab. It just got to the point where it was bothering him and you can't put the work that you want to put in volume wise.' Rookie outfielder Alan Roden was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. After being demoted in early May, the 25-year-old hit .361 with three homers and 12 RBIs for the Bisons.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue Jays place big-ticket free-agent slugger Anthony Santander on 10-day IL
At least for the time being, Tony Taters is in tatters. Given the five-year deal worth a cool $92.5-million he signed this off-season in free agency, Anthony Santander isn't going anywhere any time soon. He is going on the 10-day injured list, a move the Blue Jays revealed in the hours leading up to Friday night's first pitch against the visiting Athletics. To date, the Jays have not received much from the investment they made into the switch-hitting slugger, whose struggles at the plate prompted the club to recently give Santander an off-day to reset, only to admit he was dealing with a sore shoulder and later a hip issue. For the record, Santander's activation to the injured list was necessitated because of left shoulder inflammation. He had an MRI on it done on Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays recalled outfielder Alan Roden from the triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Despite dealing with his various health woes, at no point, until now, Santander was never placed on the IL, even though voices outside of the club were growing louder as his productivity at the plate faltered. Earlier this month, when the Jays were on a West Coast trip, Santander suffered the shoulder injury in a series against the L.A. Angels. The injury occurred when he crashed into the stands down the line in right field in pursuit of a fly ball. When the Jays got their hands on Santander — a move many in baseball endorsed, by the way — the thinking was the franchise had finally found a slugging piece to hit in the middle of the order. In 50 games, Santander, who hit a career-high 44 homers last season with the Baltimore Orioles, has gone deep six times. He is batting just .179 and his 26.3 strikeout rate is the highest of his career. If he had double-digit homers, perhaps those team-leading 55 K's would be tolerated. On one side, credit goes to Santander for trying to play through the injury, even though he wasn't producing much in his at-bats. On the other, one is left to wonder why such a move to go on the IL wasn't made sooner. The team, meanwhile, continues to evaluate whether anything played out to make the shoulder worse in the wake of the initial setback, and if rest is the best course of action or resorting to a cortisone shot. In other IL-related developments, veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) completed a live bullpen session Friday at the Rogers Centre under the auspices of club GM Ross Atkins, manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker. Many of Scherzer's teammates were on hand as well. By all accounts, the experience went well. As Scherzer has constantly reminded anyone who would listen, the biggest hurdle involves how the thumb responds in the ensuing days. Scherzer's one and only start with the Blue Jays lasted all of three innings when Baltimore was in town in the Jays' season-series opener.
Edmonton Journal
3 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Blue Jays place big-ticket free-agent slugger Anthony Santander on 10-day IL
Article content At least for the time being, Tony Taters is in tatters. Article content Given the five-year deal worth a cool $92.5-million he signed this off-season in free agency, Anthony Santander isn't going anywhere any time soon. He is going on the 10-day injured list, a move the Blue Jays revealed in the hours leading up to Friday night's first pitch against the visiting Athletics. To date, the Jays have not received much from the investment they made into the switch-hitting slugger, whose struggles at the plate prompted the club to recently give Santander an off-day to reset, only to admit he was dealing with a sore shoulder and later a hip issue. Article content For the record, Santander's activation to the injured list was necessitated because of left shoulder inflammation. He had an MRI on it done on Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Blue Jays recalled outfielder Alan Roden from the triple-A Buffalo Bisons. Despite dealing with his various health woes, at no point, until now, Santander was never placed on the IL, even though voices outside of the club were growing louder as his productivity at the plate faltered. Earlier this month, when the Jays were on a West Coast trip, Santander suffered the shoulder injury in a series against the L.A. Angels. The injury occurred when he crashed into the stands down the line in right field in pursuit of a fly ball. When the Jays got their hands on Santander — a move many in baseball endorsed, by the way — the thinking was the franchise had finally found a slugging piece to hit in the middle of the order. Article content In 50 games, Santander, who hit a career-high 44 homers last season with the Baltimore Orioles, has gone deep six times. He is batting just .179 and his 26.3 strikeout rate is the highest of his career. If he had double-digit homers, perhaps those team-leading 55 K's would be tolerated. On one side, credit goes to Santander for trying to play through the injury, even though he wasn't producing much in his at-bats. On the other, one is left to wonder why such a move to go on the IL wasn't made sooner. The team, meanwhile, continues to evaluate whether anything played out to make the shoulder worse in the wake of the initial setback, and if rest is the best course of action or resorting to a cortisone shot. In other IL-related developments, veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) completed a live bullpen session Friday at the Rogers Centre under the auspices of club GM Ross Atkins, manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker. Many of Scherzer's teammates were on hand as well. By all accounts, the experience went well. As Scherzer has constantly reminded anyone who would listen, the biggest hurdle involves how the thumb responds in the ensuing days. Scherzer's one and only start with the Blue Jays lasted all of three innings when Baltimore was in town in the Jays' season-series opener. Latest National Stories
