Latest news with #JoseBerrios
National Post
4 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Ernie Clement drives in a career-high five runs in Blue Jays' rout of Athletics
The Blue Jays didn't get in from their stay in the Lone Star State until 4:30 a.m., on Thursday. Article content Article content Perhaps future early-morning arrivals are in order. Trying to make any sense of this baseball team amounts to an exercise in the absurd, knowing one has no clue what will play out from one series to the next. Article content The randomness of the sport might explain how a team can score a combined 24 runs in a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres and then push across a total of six runs during a six-game road trip. Article content Article content Go figure. Article content Against a struggling visiting Athletics team, the Blue Jays were presented with the ideal panacea. Article content Offence was not an issue in Thursday night's 12-0 series-opening rout as the Jays scored eight runs in the second inning — two more than they managed on the six-game road trip — with Ernie Clement piling up a career-high five RBIs. Article content Toronto recorded 18 hits on the night. Article content The following are three takeaways on a night the Blue Jays went deep four times in posting their second consecutive shutout win, improving their record to 28-28, and sending the Athletics to their 14th loss in their past 15 games. Article content 1. Berrios buries A's Article content Hard to believe a pitcher would set the tone on a night when the Jays' bats came to life as it did on Thursday night. Credit Jose Berrios for showing his teammates the way. Article content His night began by striking out A's leadoff hitter Lawrence Butler on three pitches. Article content And when his offence provided Berrios with an 8-0 lead through two innings, his second win of the season — and first since early April — became a certainty. Article content Article content Despite the comfortable lead, Berrios kept attacking the strike zone. The right-hander finished with six shutout innings, allowing just two hits — a season-low — and two walks while striking out nine, a season-high. No numbers, however, can do justice to how locked in Berrios was in making his 12th start. Article content 2. Bo-dacious Article content One swing helped salvage a road tip that was teetering on disaster. Article content The swing was provided by Bo Bichette, who came into the ninth inning as a pinch-hitter and promptly stroked a two-run homer in a 2-0 win over the host Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, a victory that gave the Blue Jays their series win and a 2-4 record on a trip that began in Tampa.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Athletics at Blue Jay Series Preview
After taking two of two from the Houston Astros down in Texas the A's continue their road trip, this time going north of the border to take on the Toronto Blue Jays in a four-game series. The club is struggling right now so a couple wins in Canada would mean the world to a team falling further behind in the playoff race. Blue Jays W/L record : 27-28 (3rd in AL East) Run differential : -26 Team OPS : .689 (19th of 30) Team ERA: 4.00 (20th of 30) The Blue Jays have been treading water this season which is never a small feat in the ultra-competitive AL East. With a near-.500 mark that's only good enough for third place in the AL East. But that doesn't take them out of the playoff picture altogether. They're currently looking up at three teams for that final wild card spot and at just 3 games back they're within striking distance if they string together a couple of good series. Advertisement Long known for their power the Blue Jays have seen a drop in their homers this year as they've hit just 47 long balls all year, ahead of only four other teams in the entire league. And a lot of that has come in the past few weeks. Outfielder Daulton Varsho currently leads the team with eight home runs, and that's in just 22 games! Slugging first baseman Vladimir Guerro Jr. comparatively only have seven home runs in more than twice as many games. Offseason addition Anthony Santander was brought in to provide power and while he's third on the team with six homers he's also hitting below the Mendoza Line with a .181 batting average. The club has generally received decent results from the likes of George Springer (.796 OPS) and Bo Bichette (.273 batting average) but much of the rest of their lineup has posted below-average production. Their pitching has managed to keep them afloat as old friend Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman have led the starting rotation admirably. Neither pitcher will win any Cy Young votes but both have ERA's in the mid-3's while constantly facing elite lineups. Right-hander Jose Berrios has underwhelmed in his fifth season with the team by delivering uneven results en route to a 4.22 ERA through 11 starts. Righty Bowden Francis has been a sub-par backend starter but is providing innings, which is better than the fifth starters spot for Toronto which has been a revolving door for them all season. Tonight's matchup will see Jose Berrios take on Jacob Lopez to start the series. Tonight will be Lopez's third start of the season and only his fifth career starting assignment. The young lefty was on his best game last time out, firing seven innings of one-run ball against the Phillies. That was enough to earn him another start and it's an encouraging sign, but he'll need to show it's sustainable if he wants to hold onto that spot in the rotation. Friday night's contest will see Jeffrey Springs take on Chris Bassitt. As stated above, Bassitt is leading the Jays' starters and looks like the toughest test for the offense over the weekend. He has continued to be a durable and reliable arm ever since departing the team and it's continued into the latter half of his career. Springs on the other hand is on a roll of his own. In the month of May the lefty has allowed just 7 runs over 30 innings, finally rewarding the A's for their faith in him. It was a rough stretch to start the season and murmurs were getting louder about a potential shift to the bullpen but he's quieted those voices since the calendar flipped. He'll get one more start in May before June arrives so he'll hope to finish the month with his sixth win of the season. Advertisement Saturday's matchup is still TBD. The A's know who they're going with in Gunnar Hoglund, who will take a 5.13 ERA into what will be his sixth career start. After a quick start to his career he's gotten rough up a couple times so the hope is he make the adjustments to get back on track soon. Toronto has yet to announce his opposite so stay tuned for an update there. Wrapping the series up, JP Sears will take the ball for the 12th time and he'll be opposed by Kevin Gausman. Sears has been struggling lately and is coming off the worst start of his season so getting back on track will be critical for him on Sunday. Gausman on the other hand is in the midst of yet another above-average season as he's formed half of the 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. Another tough draw for the Athletics. The bats will be ready. More from
Associated Press
5 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Athletics aim to stop road losing streak, play the Blue Jays
Athletics (23-33, fifth in the AL West) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (27-28, third in the AL East) Toronto; Thursday, 7:07 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Athletics: Jacob Lopez (0-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 17 strikeouts); Blue Jays: Jose Berrios (1-2, 4.22 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 56 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Blue Jays -148, Athletics +124; over/under is 8 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Athletics travel to the Toronto Blue Jays looking to end a seven-game road skid. Toronto has a 27-28 record overall and a 16-12 record at home. The Blue Jays are 20-6 in games when they out-hit their opponents. The Athletics have a 23-33 record overall and a 14-14 record on the road. The Athletics have hit 69 total home runs to rank fifth in the AL. Thursday's game is the first meeting between these teams this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has eight doubles and seven home runs for the Blue Jays. Addison Barger is 10 for 37 with four doubles over the last 10 games. Brent Rooker is second on the Athletics with 22 extra base hits (nine doubles, a triple and 12 home runs). Nick Kurtz is 7 for 34 with four home runs and nine RBIs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Blue Jays: 5-5, .215 batting average, 2.45 ERA, outscored opponents by one run Athletics: 1-9, .259 batting average, 6.47 ERA, outscored by 29 runs INJURIES: Blue Jays: Bo Bichette: day-to-day (back), Andres Gimenez: 10-Day IL (quadricep), Tyler Heineman: 7-Day IL (concussion), Yimi Garcia: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Max Scherzer: 60-Day IL (thumb), Erik Swanson: 60-Day IL (hand), Ryan Burr: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Nick Sandlin: 15-Day IL (back), Alek Manoah: 60-Day IL (elbow), Angel Bastardo: 60-Day IL (elbow) Athletics: Nick Kurtz: 10-Day IL (hip), Zack Gelof: 60-Day IL (hand), Gio Urshela: 10-Day IL (hamstring), J.T. Ginn: 15-Day IL (quadricep), T.J. McFarland: 15-Day IL (groin), Jose Leclerc: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Brady Basso: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Ken Waldichuk: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Medina: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Athletics odds, tips and betting trends
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Athletics odds, tips and betting trends | May 29 On Thursday, a series opener is on the schedule, with the Toronto Blue Jays (26-28) hosting the Athletics (23-33) at 7:07 p.m. ET. The favored Blue Jays (-141 moneyline odds to win) play at home against the Athletics (+119). The Blue Jays will start Jose Berrios (1-2) against the Athletics and Jeffrey Springs (5-3). The Blue Jays' matchup Tuesday versus the Rangers finished in a 2-0 loss. George Springer went 1 for 2 with a double in the defeat, while Chad Green threw one inning, giving up one earned run on two hits while striking out one en route to taking the loss. The Athletics suffered a 5-3 loss to the Astros yesterday. Jacob Wilson (2 for 3 with a double, a home run and two RBIs) led the way offensively, while Justin Sterner got the loss on the mound after going 2/3 of an inning, giving up three earned runs on four hits. Get ready for the Blue Jays vs. Athletics with everything you need to know ahead of Thursday's baseball action, including viewing options. Toronto Blue Jays vs. Athletics odds, line and spread MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Wednesday at 9:17 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Favorite: Blue Jays (-141, bet $141 to win $100) Blue Jays (-141, bet $141 to win $100) Underdog: Athletics (+119, bet $100 to win $119) Athletics (+119, bet $100 to win $119) Over/under: 8.5 Blue Jays vs. Athletics: Game time and live stream info Game day: Thursday, May 29, 2025 Thursday, May 29, 2025 Game time: 7:07 p.m. ET 7:07 p.m. ET Location: Toronto, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Stadium: Rogers Centre Rogers Centre TV channel: MLB Network, SN1, and NBCS-CA MLB Network, SN1, and NBCS-CA Live stream: Watch LIVE with Fubo! (Regional restrictions may apply) Watch Blue Jays vs. Athletics on Fubo! Blue Jays stats and trends Blue Jays betting records The Blue Jays have won nine, or 47.4%, of the 19 games they've played as favorites this season. This season, the Blue Jays have won five of their seven games when favored by at least -141 on the moneyline. Sportsbooks have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that the Blue Jays have a 58.5% chance to win. The Blue Jays and their opponents have hit the over in 25 of their 53 games with a total this season. The Blue Jays are 32-21-0 against the spread this season. José Berrios (Blue Jays probable starter) Berrios (1-2) takes the mound for the Blue Jays in his 12th start of the season. He's put together a 4.22 ERA in 64 2/3 innings pitched, with 56 strikeouts. The right-hander last appeared on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays, when he went six innings, allowing three earned runs while giving up three hits. In 11 games this season, the 31-year-old has put up a 4.22 ERA and 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings, while allowing a batting average of .253 to opposing batters. Berrios is aiming for his third quality start in a row. Berrios will look to last five or more innings for his 12th straight start. He's averaging 5.8 innings per outing. In one of his appearances this season he did not surrender an earned run. The opposing Athletics offense has a collective .255 batting average, and is fourth in the league with 490 total hits and 14th in MLB play with 235 runs scored. It has the sixth-ranked slugging percentage (.417) and ranks eighth in home runs (69) in all of MLB. Among qualifying pitchers in MLB play this season, the 31-year-old's 4.22 ERA ranks 68th, 1.359 WHIP ranks 71st, and 7.9 K/9 ranks 42nd. Blue Jays batting stats The Blue Jays rank 26th in Major League Baseball with just 46 home runs as a team. Hitters for the Blue Jays combine for a team rank 24th of in the majors with a .372 team slugging percentage. The Blue Jays have a team batting average of .244 this season, which ranks 18th among MLB teams. The Blue Jays have scored 207 runs (3.8 per game) this season, which ranks 25th in MLB. The Blue Jays have an on-base percentage of .318 this season, which ranks 15th in the league. The Blue Jays rank second in MLB in strikeouts per game with an average of 7.2 whiffs per contest. Athletics stats and trends Athletics betting records The Athletics have been underdogs in 38 games this season and have come away with the win 14 times (36.8%) in those contests. This season, the Athletics have come away with a win five times in 23 chances when named as an underdog of at least +119 or worse on the moneyline. The Athletics have an implied victory probability of 45.7% according to the moneyline set by sportsbooks for this matchup. The Athletics and their opponents have hit the over in 29 of their 56 games with a total this season. The Athletics have posted a record of 26-30-0 against the spread this season. Jeffrey Springs (Athletics probable starter) Springs (5-3) takes the mound first for the Athletics in his 12th start of the season. He has a 3.97 ERA in 59 2/3 innings pitched, with 47 strikeouts. The left-hander last appeared on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies, when he went six innings, allowing three earned runs while giving up four hits. The 32-year-old has put up a 3.97 ERA and 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings during 11 games this season, while allowing a batting average of .220 to his opponents. Springs is looking to continue a third-game quality start streak in this game. Springs is seeking his seventh straight outing lasting five or more innings. He averages 5.4 innings per start. In two of his 11 total appearances this season he has not given up an earned run. He will face off against a Blue Jays squad that is hitting .244 as a unit (18th in the MLB). They are also slugging a collective .372 (24th in the league) with 46 total home runs (26th in MLB play). This season, the 32-year-old ranks 64th in ERA (3.97), 44th in WHIP (1.220), and 54th in K/9 (7.2) among pitchers who qualify. Athletics batting stats The Athletics are eighth in baseball with 69 total home runs. So far this year, the Athletics are sixth in baseball with a .417 slugging percentage. The Athletics are sixth in MLB with a .255 batting average. The Athletics score the 14th-most runs in baseball (235 total, 4.2 per game). The Athletics' .319 on-base percentage is 13th in the majors. Watch the MLB on Fubo!
Toronto Sun
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Offensively challenged Blue Jays in danger of getting swept by Tampa Bay Rays
Following a rough start, Jose Berrios pitched five scoreless innings Get the latest from Frank Zicarelli straight to your inbox Blue Jays pitcher Jose Berríos delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during first inning MLB action in Tampa, Fla., Saturday, May 24, 2025. Photo by Chris O'Meara / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Amid the Florida heat, the Blue Jays' bats have gone ice cold. 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 And unless some defrosting is experienced in the ensuing hours leading up to Sunday's first pitch, the Jays are in danger of getting swept by the host Tampa Bay Rays, who took two of three when they recently visited Toronto for a three-game series. Lack of offence has been the prevailing theme in Tampa. Just when it appeared the Jays had turned the corner following a winning homestand, they've taken a step back, the latest misstep unfolding Saturday night in a 3-1 loss. In the series opener, the Rays also won, 3-1, on a night the Jays drew eight walks. The lone run came on a double-play ball. Saturday's lone run came on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. solo home run. Not exactly deja vu all over again, but a three-peat is possible if the Jays don't find a way to unpack their hitting shoes. 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 following are three takeaways on a night when the Blue Jays' record dropped to 25-26, while the host Rays improved to 25-26 — the Rays hold the tiebreaker having beaten the Jays four out of six games so far this season. 1. OK, Jose There's no beating around the bush when it comes to the Jays' starting pitching, absolute no reason to mince words, no use in sugar-coating to what amounts as a three-man staff. No one can say with certainty what Bowden Francis is capable of producing given his penchant for yielding home runs. And there's no legitimate fifth starter. The pressure, in other words, falls squarely on the shoulders of the team's Big 3 of Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt. Berrios started Saturday and he began the night looking quite shaky. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He caught a break on a ground-rule double that would have easily scored a run in the first inning. There was no break, unless it involved his heart, when Berrios gave up a no-doubt homer, a three-run blast no less into left field, to Junior Caminero, who went deep for the ninth time this season. Only the free-falling Baltimore Orioles (82) have surrendered more deep balls than the Blue Jays (73). A couple of balls hit to either side of the ballpark were caught at the wall, which kept the score at 3-0. After he gave up the Caminero homer, Berrios retired the next 13 hitters in a row before he gave up a two-out single in the fifth inning. His outing featured one bad inning, more specifically three successive batters, followed by five very solid innings. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Still, Berrios was the pitcher of record. Berrios has had eight no-decisions this season with his one and only win playing out in Boston on April 7. 2. Not-so bad Vlad Somehow, more had to be summoned from Vlad Jr. While his lucrative contract extension doesn't kick in until next season, the franchise face needs to pick up the pace. Granted, an eighth-inning walk in Friday's loss extended his on-base streak to an MLB-high 23 games. No one is suggesting he's been a slug because he hasn't, but it would help the team's cause if Vlad Jr. resorted to his slugging ways. In his past nine games entering Saturday, Vlad Jr. had recorded one extra-base hit, a home run on May 15 in an 8-3 loss to visiting Tampa. The narrative did change when he led off the sixth inning with a line-drive homer into left field, an Statcast-measured 423-foot rocket. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It was Vlad Jr.'s seventh homer, which tied him with Daulton Varsho for the club lead. It also extended Vlad Jr.'s on-base streak to 24 games. Read More 3. Pen-manship The Jays' bullpen was dealt a blow with Saturday's news that Yimi Garcia (right shoulder impingement) had been placed on the 15-day IL. Exit the team's set-up man, enter some moving pieces in a bullpen by committee knowing Jeff Hoffman hasn't been as reliable in recent appearances as he was when he first joined the Blue Jays as their incumbent closer to begin the season. LHP Mason Fluharty began warming up in the bullpen in the sixth inning before entering the seventh inning on the mound in relief of Berrios. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Following a two-out walk, Fluharty struck out Danny Jansen on three pitches. RHP Paxson Schultz, who was called up when Garcia went on the IL, saw action in the eighth inning. He retired the side in order as Toronto's pitching kept Tampa scoreless for the seventh straight inning. UP NEXT The 1:40 p.m. series finale promises to be a hot and humid affair. There's no roof at the spring training home of the New York Yankees, while the host Rays have justifiably played most of their games at night when the weather isn't as stifling. Speaking of hot, Bassitt (4-2, 2.83 ERA) is coming off arguably his best outing when he earned the win in pitching six scoreless innings against the visiting San Diego Padres this past Tuesday; he'll make his 11th start of the season Sunday. Toronto & GTA Ontario Editorial Cartoons Toronto & GTA Other Sports
