The Cincinnati Reds (16-21) were able to match the St. Louis Cardinals (14-14) every time the visiting team got on the board. Cincinnati never trailed at the end of an inning, but they never held the lead until the game was over, as Joey Votto’s walk-off single broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of…
Joey Votto’s walk-off hit leads the Reds over the Cardinals — Redleg Nation
Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section. Entering the season, only eight teams had worse odds to win the World Series than the Toronto Blue Jays (+10000). They were mere afterthoughts after three consecutive losing seasons. Fast forward six weeks and Toronto is among the hottest teams […]
World Series odds update: Blue Jays surging after recent acquisitions — Portal4News
Entering the season, only eight teams had worse odds to win the World Series than the Toronto Blue Jays (+10000). They were mere afterthoughts after three consecutive losing seasons.
Fast forward six weeks and Toronto is among the hottest teams in baseball – and bettors are taking notice.
Since Aug. 17, no team has won more games than the Blue Jays (11), who boast three wins by five runs or more and five losses by a combined six runs over that span. After seeing odds as high as 75-1 earlier this month, their price has shortened to 60-1 and could continue to shrink after a busy trade deadline.
Toronto acquired versatile infielder Jonathan Villar, who will likely be the everyday shortstop until young star Bo Bichette returns from the IL. They also bolstered the rotation by adding Taijuan Walker – who threw six scoreless innings in his Saturday debut – and former All-Stars Robbie Ray and Ross Stripling ahead of the deadline.
Those additions should bring upside and stability to a staff that used 21 different starters a season ago. This year the rotation has been one of the most effective in the majors. Toronto leads the league in opposing xwOBAcon (.364) – which is an expected measure of the quality of contact allowed – and it’s among the best at avoiding zone contact and hard-hit balls.
The Blue Jays hitters aren’t having trouble producing this season. They rank fourth in MLB in hard-hit rate (41.1%) and have cut down on their swings and misses, a major problem for this young lineup last year. Playing in Buffalo’s minor-league park certainly helps – they own MLB’s second-best OPS (.878) at home – but Toronto’s lineup seems to have turned things around after a disappointing 2019.
Will it last? Advanced stats seem to think so. The Blue Jays have a 65.2% chance of making the playoffs, per Fangraphs, and Toronto’s 1.2% chance to win it all is much closer to their 75-1 price in early August than their current charge. For that reason, it’s probably wiser to stay away for now and buy back up when their bats cool off.
If you bought at 100-1 this summer, though, you should feel encouraged about owning one of the highest upside tickets in the field. With a deep rotation and a stable of powerful young bats, Toronto has a legitimate chance to make some noise in what promises to be a wild postseason.
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +350 |
| New York Yankees | +350 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +800 |
| Minnesota Twins | +1000 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1200 |
| Oakland Athletics | +1200 |
| Chicago Cubs | +1400 |
| Chicago White Sox | +1400 |
| Houston Astros | +1400 |
| San Diego Padres | +1800 |
| Cleveland Indians | +2000 |
| New York Mets | +2200 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +2500 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +2800 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +3500 |
| Colorado Rockies | +4000 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +4000 |
| Washington Nationals | +4500 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +6000 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +6000 |
| Miami Marlins | +6500 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +10000 |
| San Francisco Giants | +10000 |
| Texas Rangers | +10000 |
| Boston Red Sox | +15000 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +15000 |
| Detroit Tigers | +20000 |
| Seattle Mariners | +25000 |
| Kansas City Royals | +30000 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +40000 |
LOS ANGELES >> The Dodgers shopped for starting pitching at the trade deadline — but wound up trading one instead. Right-hander Ross Stripling was traded — for the second time in seven months — to the Toronto Blue Jays this time for two players to be named later. Teams are prohibited from trading players not…
Dodgers deal Ross Stripling to Toronto at deadline — Press Telegram
The New York Yankees pursuit for pitching has gotten their wheels spinning on a top-notch starter. While the Yankees have been unable to acquire a starter so far, they still have some time to get this deal done. They’ve eyed guys like Lance Lynn, Kevin Gausman, Taijuan Walker, and Marco Gonzales. This time their attention […]
Trade Rumor: Yankees Potentially in on Star Indians Pitcher — Empire Sports Media
This time their attention shifts to Mike Clevinger, who is a 29-year-old hard-throwing righty from the Indians. He has been an elite starter since 2018 and the Yankees are looking for another money arm.
The report from MLB insider Robert Murray says that the Yankees and Padres are in the talks as (according to Murray) “The initial asking price was believed to be four quality prospects”. While the deal would be a lot for the Yankees, Cashman might be willing to do so. Clevinger would warrant MLB ready talent, so maybe the use of Deivi Garcia against the Mets is a way to showcase him to Cleveland. This deal would involve a lot of key prospects, and it seems like the price is steep.
Yankees, Padres among teams that have talked to Indians about Mike Clevinger, according to sources. The initial asking price was believed to be four quality prospects.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) August 30, 2020
Clevinger since 2018 ranks 15th in SIERA, 15th in xFIP, 13th in K-BB%, 8th in FIP, and 6th in ERA. He’s been a top-flight starter in Cleveland, and while his peripherals have looked poor this season, he’s going to be good. His 95+ MPH fastball and renown slider have made for a devastating combination. His hair is long but the list of teams who want to be a suitor for his trade is even longer. He’s an elite caliber pitcher and would fit nicely in the rotation:
In the postseason you’d probably see Tanaka in a game 3 and Paxton in game 4, but in these shortened postseasons this could be deadly.
Will Cash pay the steep price for an elite starter or will another team get him? The deadline’s been wonky, but only time will tell.
BUFFALO — Soon enough, Taijuan Walker likely will ditch the aqua blue glove he brought with him from the Seattle Mariners. Read More
Walker cruises through six shutout innings for win in his Blue Jays debut — Toronto Sun
BUFFALO — Soon enough, Taijuan Walker likely will ditch the aqua blue glove he brought with him from the Seattle Mariners.
He’s a Toronto Blue Jay now and after six innings of stellar work in his debut with his new team, the big starting pitcher already feels right at home.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder made a strong first impression with his young and improving teammates, shutting out the Orioles and allowing just four hits on the way o a 5-0 Toronto win.
And more than that, Walker was a formidable figure on the Sahlen Field mound that will be his home for the remainder of the 2020 season.
“He’s a big man and he throws all his pitches for strikes,” Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said in his thumbs-up review. “There’s a presence there.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/q4lJqB7Ogo8?embed_config={%27relatedChannels%27:%20[],%27autonav%27:true}&autoplay=0&playsinline=1
The 92-pitch effort earned Walker the ‘W’ to improve to 3-2 as the Jays extended their winning streak to three games and moved to three games above .500 for the first time since May of 2018.
Though he lamented that his curveball was off, Walker was better than efficient in allowing three walks while striking out four. It didn’t hurt that his new teammates extended the welcome mat in the form of a nice early lead with a pair of runs in the first and three more in the fourth.
While pleased with being able to contribute in his first outing, Walker didn’t overthink the significance of making a strong first impression. He felt welcome when he showed up at the park here on Friday and figured the best way to fit in would be to deal from the mound.
“That’s just unwanted pressure It’s still baseball, still the same game. I just wanted to keep my same game plan and go out there and attack,” Walker said in a Zoom call afterwards. “I just wanted to come in here and pitch and keep the momentum going.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ge6maZxFE-g?embed_config={%27relatedChannels%27:%20[],%27autonav%27:true}&autoplay=0&playsinline=1
The hope when general manager Ross Atkins acquired Walker was to add stability to the rotation and that the righty would continue to round into the form that made him a steady starter before missing most of 2018 and 2019 due to injury.
Over the half-dozen starts he’s expected to get, the Jays would gladly take much more of what Walker flashed on Saturday.
While still young, the 28-year-old used his injury downtime to recalibrate, with the hope that he could once again become a valued piece to a big-league rotation.
“It gave me a chance to step back from baseball,” Walker said prior to what was his 100th career start and led to the Jays first shutout win of 2020. “I’ve got a young son and I got to spend time with him and really reflect on how I want my career to go moving forward, what kind of player I want to be and what kind of person I want to be in the game.”
Walker didn’t completely abstain from baseball, however. He used the time to focus on some of the best arms in the game.
“I got to watch some of the best pitchers in Gerrit Cole and (Max) Scherzer and all those guys, watch how they attacked and how they went about their business on the mound,” Walker said. “I was able to learn a lot from them.”
The Jays didn’t acquire Walker to be MVP-calibre, like the two pitchers he referenced. But they certainly hope he’ll provide lengthy, efficient starts similar to what he displayed on a cool Buffalo Saturday night.
With the game well in hand and the emotional, week Walker had endured, there was no need to send him out for the seventh. But by not doing so, Montoyo extended his team’s dubious MLB record of not having a starting pitcher make it to the seventh inning to 63 games.
Walker was on board with ending his night when it did. Not only was he traded two days earlier, on Wednesday, Walker was influential in the Mariners postponing of a game in protest of racial injustice and early Friday his father and other relatives get wiped out by Hurricane Laura in Louisiana.
“With nine days off and everything that has unfolded the last nine days, I think it was smart going out there and getting the six innings in and feeling good out there,” said Walker, who received a rousing welcome when he returned to the dugout after the sixth.
CLOSER LOOK
It remains to be seen how much damage will result from the uncomfortable image of red-hot reliever Jordan Romano leaving the mound in the eighth inning on Friday due to an injured middle finger in his throwing hand.
The Markham, Ont. native underwent an MRI on Saturday and though the full extent of his injury is not known, the club placed him on the 10-day disabled list.
“When I went to the mound, his finger was numb,” Montoyo said. “He had no feel to it. He couldn’t grip the ball so we had to take him out.”
The grim news on Romano, which MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported could be a two-four week absence, was countered by the fact that injured closer Ken Giles (forearm) continues to progress. Montoyo said that Giles will throw a live batting practice session on Tuesday.
SEEN AND HEARD
An interesting development on the infield here prior to Jays batting practice on Saturday. In a lengthy defensive drill session, the first-base reps were handled by Rowdy Tellez and recently acquired Daniel Vogelbach. Over at third, it was Guerrero and Travis Shaw splitting the workload … Montoyo has hinted that Guerrero would be ready for third-base action on a “just in case” basis, but this felt like more … Also in the pre-game activity, Bo Bichette was spotted in the outfield doing some light running. The injured shortstop (knee sprain) isn’t rushing back to the lineup, but certainly seems on target for a mid September return … The Jays got some early run support for Walker with a two-run single from Vlad Guerrero Jr., a line drive rocket off the wall in left. The blast extended Guerrero’s consecutive games hitting streak to a career best 11 games … With Romano on the injury list, reliever Sean-Reid Foley was added prior to Saturday’s contest.
By BETH HARRIS LOS ANGELES (AP) — Vin Scully sat outside watching two sets of his golf clubs being loaded into a truck. He thought of afternoons teeing off at Bel-Air Country Club or with President George H.W. Bush. Those left-handed clubs had produced a lot of shots over many rounds, some good, some bad.…
Vin Scully auctions items from 67-year career — Press Telegram
BUFFALO — Arriving back here for a seven-game homestand and his team in a playoff spot is new territory for Ross Atkins, and the Blue Jays general manager plans to make the best of it. Atkins made it clear he intends to be a buyer in advance of next Monday’s trade deadline, a shopping urgency […]
Blue Jays pitching collapses in loss to Sox as GM Atkins prepares to be trade deadline buyer — Toronto Sun
BUFFALO — Arriving back here for a seven-game homestand and his team in a playoff spot is new territory for Ross Atkins, and the Blue Jays general manager plans to make the best of it.
Atkins made it clear he intends to be a buyer in advance of next Monday’s trade deadline, a shopping urgency that may have heightened some on Tuesday due to a miserable six-run, sixth inning at Sahlen Field by the visiting Boston Red Sox.
The 9-7 loss — after opening with a 4-0 lead in the first and having the bases loaded with one out in the second — took some of the steam out of a series split in Tampa Bay on the weekend.
But it won’t dull Atkins’ desire to make a deal, given that his young team remains the front runner for the eighth post-season spot in the AL.
“It’s nice to be in this category where we’re thinking about adding at the highest level,” Atkins told the Toronto Sun. “It’s much more fun.”
On Tuesday, the Jays began a stretch of 13 in a row vs. Boston, Baltimore and Miami, a schedule that in theory would be conducive to solidifying a playoff spot. As they found out in their latest loss, however, there won’t be any gimmes when you counter with weak pitching.
As for his shopping plans, Atkins said the team is looking beyond “moving a rental” and looking for some potential short-term gain.
“We’re mostly focused on how we make the organization better at the major league level and how we can continue to complement this group,” Atkins said.
That’s music to the ears of fans who have suffered through selloffs at the previous two deadlines. And music to the ears of the mostly young team in the Jays dugout which believes it can be playoff material sooner or later.
“You can definitely feel that there is momentum,” Atkins said of the trade discussions with fellow GMs. “The cadence of calls and the exchanges is much higher.”
GAME ON
The Jays jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, with a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. double leading the way. When they loaded the bases with one out in the second it looked like a potential rout was in the making. Instead, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded into a double play for the fourth time this season and that was that … Guerrero made up for it in his next at-bat — somewhat — singling between third and short to drive in a pair and bump the lead to 6-3. The timely knock extended Guerrero’s hit streak to eight games … Though he was touched for seven hits and three runs, at least Jays starter Chase Anderson got through five-plus and his team up by three runs. It was the plus that was going to start the trouble in the 82-pitch outing … The Jays couldn’t take advantage of the gift presented by the Sox of starter Kyle Hart, who brought his 11.12 ERA to the downtown ball yard … Travis Shaw left the game in the third inning after feeling some pain in his right knee. After the game, Charlie Montoyo said the veteran is listed as day-to-day … Montoyo hinted at a roster move, but with bullpen days likely on Wednesday and Friday, it will be difficult to bring in a position player. “We need the pitchers to cover innings,” Montoyo said.
SICK SIXTH
Though the Jays lead never felt truly comfortable, it came tumbling down in a disastrous sixth. Anderson started by issuing a leadoff walk to Mitch Moreland, which gave way to a particularly poor version of Wilmer Font.
When the carnage was done, the Red Sox had batted around, scored six runs and turned a 6-3 deficit into a 9-6 lead. The biggest damage came on a three-run, bases-loaded triple from Rafael Devers.
The low point might from Font may have been hitting Jose Peraza with a pitch to load the bases. Montoyo couldn’t get A.J. Cole in soon enough and the Red Sox romped.
The six-run outburst tied for the most by any team in an inning this season.
AROUND THE BASES
The longer this grind of a schedule goes, the more Montoyo is going to try to protect his players physically, starting with Wednesday’s second of three against the Red Sox. “What I’m trying to do the next couple of days is just show up and play, optional (batting practice) and keep them off their feet,” the manager said. “Playing so many games, nobody’s going to be 100 per cent, that’s a fact.” … Montoyo said that Guerrero had been taking some ground balls at third base over the past couple of days as a “just in case” precaution … Of the black holes offensively, the manager was honest about infielder Brandon Drury who is hitting a meagre .152. “He hasn’t done much offensively, that’s the best way I could put it. Offensively he hasn’t had many good at-bats up to this point … Teoscar Hernandez had his fourth homer in six games and team-leading 11th to pull the Jays within a run in the ninth.
INJURY UPDATES
While both starting pitcher Nate Pearson (elbow) and shortstop Bo Bichette (knee) are nowhere near returning both are hoping pick up in activity this weekend
Montoyo said that Bichette will resume “baseball activities” and Pearson will start tossing this weekend.
Bichette was originally pegged to be back in mid-September, that would be ideal for a Jays team in the midst of a Yankee-heavy conclusion to their schedule.
“We’re not going to rush him back,” Montoyo said. “Whenever the kid’s ready we will go. We don’t want to have a setback.”
Injured closer Ken Giles (right forearm strain) took a notable step forward throwing his first bullpen since suffering the injury in the first series of the season.
The prognosis for starter Trent Thornton (elbow inflammation) could be more concerning. Thornton is scheduled to get checked out by noted surgeon, Dr. James Andrews.
A year ago — well, a year and four-plus months ago — the upstart Clippers pulled off a euphoric comeback to even their first-round Western Conference playoff series against a heavily favored foe. In the heady days after that NBA-record 31-point comeback against Golden State in Game 2 of the series, the Clippers said all…
Clippers hope they can play to their capabilities, quell Mavericks’ momentum — Press Telegram
Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona will miss the club’s three-game series against Minnesota this week while he continues to deal with health issues.
Indians manager Francona to miss 3-game series against Twins — MLB | NBC Sports
Mike Trout’s outfield reads became somewhat of a trending topic among baseball fans and media on Twitter last Friday. Among those who were paying attention: Trout himself. According to MLB’s Statcast technology, Trout’s “jump” on balls hit to the outfield ranks among the bottom 1 percent of outfielders. Statcast divides “jump” into three components: reaction…
Mike Trout is working on his defense, thanks to Twitter — Daily News
The Oakland A’s played their final game of this home stand against the Los Angeles Angels Sunday afternoon despite Cal Fire evacuation warnings Saturday that included parts of parts of Alameda County. With hundreds of wildfires raging around the Bay Area, the air quality hasn’t been ideal at the Oakland Coliseum over the weekend. But,…
Despite evacuation warnings nearby, Oakland A’s play final game of homestand — Times-Standard
The San Francisco Giants cut ties with outfielder Hunter Pence, which ends a second stint with the fan favorite that didn’t go nearly as well as his first.
Giants designate Pence for assignment, get Rays’ Robertson — MLB | NBC Sports
Associated PressAug 23, 2020, 4:52 PM EDT
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants cut ties with outfielder Hunter Pence on Sunday, ending a second stint with the fan favorite that didn’t go nearly as well as his first.
Pence, 37, was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for utility man Daniel Robertson, who was acquired earlier in the day from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash or a player to be named later.
Pence was a fiery emotional leader for the Giants from 2012-2018, helping anchor teams that won the World Series in 2012 and 2014.
After making the All-Star team with Texas last season, he returned to San Francisco in February on a one-year, $3 million contract but hit just .096 with two homers and six RBI in 17 games.
Robertson will report to the Giants’ alternate training site in Sacramento. The team also reinstated reliever Sam Coonrod from the 10-day injured list.
The view from left field 