Latest news with #JeffHoffman
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Springer hits two homers as Blue Jays top Athletics but lose Varsho to leg injury
Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Athletics in third inning MLB action in Toronto on Saturday, May 31, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker TORONTO — George Springer hit two of Toronto's four home runs in an 8-7 victory over the Athletics on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre. The designated hitter had a solo shot in the third inning off right-hander Gunnar Hoglund and added another in the fifth. Addison Barger hit a two-run blast in Toronto's four-run first inning and Bo Bichette added a solo shot in the second to help the Blue Jays (30-28) win their fourth game in a row. Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman gave up a two-run homer to Brent Rooker in the ninth inning before nailing down his 13th save. With a runner in scoring position, second baseman Ernie Clement made a diving catch to preserve the win. Nathan Lukes had two RBIs for Toronto and Clement chipped in with two hits and a run. Blue Jays centre-fielder Daulton Varsho left the game in the third inning due to left hamstring discomfort. Tyler Soderstrom hit a three-run homer off Toronto opener Braydon Fisher in the first inning and Canadian Denzel Clarke added a two-run shot in the second. The Blue Jays extended their home winning streak to six games and have won eight of their last 12 games overall. Toronto has scored 31 runs over the first three games of the four-game series. The Athletics (23-36) have dropped five in a row, 16 of their last 17, and 10 straight road games. Clarke, a Toronto native, knocked Fisher out of the game with his first career homer. Easton Lucas came on in relief and threw 4 2/3 shutout innings. Announced attendance was 38,017 and the game took two hours 36 minutes to play. VLAD STREAK Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled in the first inning to extend his career-high on-base streak to 31 games. It's the longest active streak in the major leagues. ROSTER MOVES The Blue Jays recalled Lucas from Triple-A Buffalo before the game and designated right-hander Jose Urena for assignment. CRICKET DAY Members of the Canadian cricket team were on hand at Rogers Centre for the third annual Cricket Day at the Park. COMING UP Right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-4, 3.68) was scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Sunday. The Athletics will send left-hander JP Sears (4-5, 5.18) to the mound. Article by Gregory Strong.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Springer hits 2 HRs as Blue Jays beat Athletics 8-7
TORONTO (AP) — George Springer hit two of Toronto's four home runs and the Blue Jays held on to beat the Athletics 8-7 on Saturday for their fourth straight win. Springer had a solo shot in the third inning off right-hander Gunnar Hoglund and added another in the fifth. Addison Barger hit a two-run homer in Toronto's four-run first inning and Bo Bichette added a solo shot in the second. Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman gave up a two-run homer to Brent Rooker in the ninth inning before nailing down his 13th save. With a runner in scoring position, second baseman Ernie Clement made a diving catch on a line drive hit by Shea Langeliers with the tying run on second to preserve the win. Nathan Lukes had two RBIs for Toronto and Clement chipped in with two hits and a run scored. Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho left the game in the third inning due to left hamstring discomfort. Hoglund (1-3) gave up all eight runs and 10 hits with one strikeout and two walks in six innings. Tyler Soderstrom hit a three-run homer off Toronto opener Braydon Fisher in the first inning and rookie Denzel Clarke added a two-run shot for his first career home run in the second. The Blue Jays extended their home winning streak to six games and have won eight of their last 12 overall. Toronto has scored 31 runs over the first three games of the four-game series. The Athletics have lost five in a row, 16 of their last 17, and 10 straight road games. Easton Lucas (3-2) came on in relief of Fisher after Clarke's homer and threw 4 2/3 shutout innings to get the win. Key moment Clement doubled to left field leading off the sixth inning, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on Hoglund's wild pitch to push the Blue Jays' lead to 8-5. Key stat Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled in the first inning to extend his career-high on-base streak to 31 games. It's the longest active streak in the major leagues. Up next Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (5-4, 3.68 ERA) will start against Athletics LHP JP Sears (4-5, 5.18) in the series finale on Sunday. ___ AP MLB:
Reuters
6 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Bo Bichette's pinch homer in ninth propels Jays over Rangers
May 29 - Pinch hitter Bo Bichette clubbed a two-run, two-out home run in the ninth inning to lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 2-0 win over the anemic Texas Rangers on Wednesday in the rubber game of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas. Bichette's blast scored Ernie Clement, who opened the inning with a single off Jacob Webb (2-3), the fifth Texas pitcher. Clement advanced to second on a bunt by Nathan Lukes and was still there after a popout by pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk. Bichette's game-winning round-tripper snapped a 22-inning scoreless drought for Toronto and was just the visitors' second hit with a runner in scoring position in 31 opportunities during the series. The Blue Jays won twice in the three-game set despite scoring just four total runs. Brendon Little (3-0) was the beneficiary of Bichette's home run after striking out both batters he faced in the eighth inning. Jeff Hoffman struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to earn his 12th save of the year and the second in this series. Toronto outhit the Rangers 8-1, with Addison Barger, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nathan Lukes each collecting two hits. Texas' only hit was a leadoff single in the first by Josh Smith. The Rangers have dropped eight of their past 10 games, and they scored just three runs in the series against Toronto. Tyler Mahle returned to form for Texas, surrendering four hits and three walks over his six-inning stint while striking out five. Luke Jackson entered in the seventh and allowed a leadoff single to Lukes, who stole second but was stranded when Hoby Milner relieved for Texas and struck out Daulton Varsho. Robert Garcia handled the eighth for the Rangers and allowed one hit while striking out two. Rookie Paxton Schultz went the first 2 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays in his initial career start, allowing one hit and striking out four before being relieved by Eric Lauer. Lauer produced 3 1/3 scoreless innings, walking two and fanning four. Braydon Fisher allowed a walk while striking out two for the Blue Jays in a 1 1/3-inning appearance before Little entered in the eighth. Toronto managed just six runs over its six-game road trip after scoring only two in a three-game series in Tampa Bay last weekend. --Field Level Media
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Gausman pitches 8 innings and Varsho homers as Blue Jays beat Rangers 2-1
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman throws a pitch to the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, May 26, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kevin Gausman struck out six over eight strong innings, Daulton Varsho had a solo homer among his three hits and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers 2-1 on Monday. Gausman (5-4) threw 72 of his 96 pitches for strikes, including his first 14, and didn't walk a batter. He gave up one run and five hits. Jeff Hoffman worked a perfect ninth for his 11th save in 14 chances. Jacob deGrom (4-2) lost for the first time in his last seven starts, and didn't have a strikeout in 5 1/3 innings. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner allowed five hits and walked two. Varsho's eighth homer came in the first inning for the Blue Jays, who were coming off a 13-0 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday that wrapped up a three-game sweep in which they scored only two runs. Alejandro Kirk added a sacrifice fly in the fourth for a 2-0 lead before Varsho, who had doubled, was thrown out trying to score on Anthony Santander's grounder to first. Wyatt Langford homered in the Texas fourth, when Gausman had thrown 25 of 29 pitches for strikes and didn't yet have a punchout. The right-hander got through the first two innings on just 12 pitches, all strikes. Key moment The only time Texas had multiple runners on base was after consecutive singles to start the fifth by Jonah Heim and rookie Alejandro Osuna, the first hit of his big league career. Gausman got out of the inning with a strikeout, a flyball and another strikeout. Key stat Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s leadoff single in the fourth extended his on-base streak to 26 games, a new career high and the longest active streak in the majors. He had a 25-game streak in 2021. Up next RHP Nathan Eovaldi (4-3, 1.60 ERA), who has allowed only three earned runs over 36 2/3 innings in his last six starts, pitches Tuesday for Texas. RHP Bowden Francis (2-6, 5.54) goes for the Blue Jays. Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blue Jays place bullpen stalwart Yimi Garcia on injured list with shoulder impingement
The Blue Jays bullpen, for much of the season a strength for the team, was dealt a potentially significant blow in Tampa on Saturday. The team announced that Yimi Garcia, a hard-throwing, late-inning specialist for the Jays, has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right-shoulder impingement. Manager John Schneider told reporters at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, where the Jays were scheduled to face the Rays in the second game of a weekend series on Saturday night, that the issue had been building over a number of weeks. Garcia has had an excellent season to date, pitching to a 3.15 ERA over 20 innings. He has two saves in the 21 appearances thus far, striking out 24. If the injury is for any length time — or has lingering effects — it could be a devastating development for the Jays pitching staff, which already has been short-handed on the starter side, operating on a four-man rotation. That shortage in manpower has put added strain on the bullpen, among the most-worked units in the majors. Garcia saw two lengthy bullpen stints in 2024, both with elbow issues. The first was with the Jays and the second after he was dealt to the Seattle Mariners at the MLB trade deadline. The loss of Garcia, for however long it will be, plus the recent struggles of closer Jeff Hoffman, creates some uncertainty at the back end of the Jays bullpen. Hoffman has struggled to a 16.71 ERA in his nine appearances in May, allowing four home runs this month. Right hander Paxton Schultz was recalled from triple A Buffalo on Saturday and was active for the game against the Rays. The Jays, who are in the middle of a 13-games-in-13-days stretch, are hoping to get an influx of healthy bullpen arms soon with both Erik Swanson and Nick Sandlin working on minor league rehab assignments. Meanwhile, outfielder Anthony Santander, who has battled hip and shoulder injuries for much of the month, was back in the lineup and playing right field for Saturday's middle contest of the three-game weekend series against the Rays. The Blue Jays lost Friday's series opener 3-1. Blue Jays' offence reverts to its inoffensive ways in loss to host Tampa Bay Rays Navigating Max Scherzer's absence an ongoing challenge for Blue Jays Long Ball: How concerning is Anthony Santander's start to the season?
