JMM » Discussions » It was Rasmus 20th homer

  • Posted July 9, 2019
    TORONTO -- Even in a season filled with potholes, the Toronto Blue Jays have occasionally found their way. Vans Shoes Wholesale . Some may float the blind squirrel explanation but the underachieving American League East team got the job done Saturday. Colby Rasmus homered for the second day in a row since returning from the disabled list, starter Esmil Rogers handcuffed the hard-hitting Orioles for six innings and the Toronto bullpen did its job in a 4-3 win over Baltimore. With Toronto trailing 3-2 in the seventh inning, Rasmus drove in Moises Sierra with a majestic shot off the second deck in right field to give the Jays the lead. Baltimore ace Chris Tillman (16-6) had walked Sierra to open the inning. It was Rasmus 20th homer of the season and his second in as many games since returning to action Friday after being out since Aug. 11 with an oblique strain. "Im just happy to be here. Just glad to be back," Rasmus said in his southern drawl. "And happy to be able to give us a chance to win." "He looks good," manager John Gibbons said of his centre-fielder. "That doesnt always happen when youre out for that long and you dont get a whole lot of work in." Rasmus moonshot off a Tillman change-up also made the Blue Jays the first team in the majors this season to boast five players with 20 homers, as Rasmus joined J.P. Arencibia, Jose Bautista, Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion. On Friday, Rasmus celebrated his return to action by slamming a fastball into the Baltimore bullpen. "Hes a good player, hes well rounded," said Tillman. "He hit a homer last night on a fastball in, tonight he hit one on a change-up. That goes to show you hes got a good game plan right now. Hes swinging the bat well." The Jays (68-80) snapped a four-game losing streak while the Orioles (78-70) lost their fourth in five outings as their wild-card charge continues to wobble. Baltimore outhit Toronto 8-6. The win was especially sweet coming against a Baltimore team bristling with big bats, including a MLB-leading 198 homers. And against its ace. "They may have the best offence in baseball, at least one of the top ones," said Gibbons. "So they keep coming at you. Its never easy. They hit home runs. You always feel on edge, especially when they get guys on base because most of those guys in that lineup can pop one on you. So its never easy facing those guys. And Tillman was great today too. Colby ended up getting to him late but other than that, he was dynamite too." The late-afternoon game opened in sunlight, 15-degree temperatures and the roof open for the crowd of 29,942. It was a happy Junior Jays Saturday all around with young Jays fans allowed to run the bases after the game. Tillman, in his 30th start of the season, gave up two runs in the first inning before settling down. Combined with the Orioles stingy defence, it made for slim pickings for the Jays until Rasmus found the fence. Tillman was bidding to become the first Oriole to get 17 wins since Mike Mussina won 18 in 1999. But two swings of the bat -- the Rasmus homer and a first-inning two-run double by Sierra -- cost him. Tillman, who gave up four runs on six hits over eight innings, probably deserved better. He struck out four and walked two in the first complete game of his career as his career record at the Rogers Centre dropped to 1-3 in six starts. "He was solid, just got a couple of change-ups up," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. "Its been a big pitch for him all year. Just elevated a couple and they made him pay for it." Rogers matched a career high with seven strikeouts in six innings but made life difficult for himself when he wasnt on point. He gave up three runs on five hits, walked two and threw 101 pitches, including 59 strikes. Despite a matchup of two hot pitchers, the teams combined for four doubles in the first inning. Rogers took the mound on the heels of a career-high 15 scoreless innings covering his last three starts. That streak lasted less than an inning as Manny Machado and Chris Davis delivered back-to-back doubles with one out. For Machado, it was his 50th double of the season. Left-fielder Anthony Gose launched himself at Davis swerving fly ball and got his glove to it but couldnt hang on. Toronto, 20-50 when the opposition scores first, pulled ahead with two outs in the first when Sierra doubled home Jose Reyes and Lind. It was Sierras 20th hit of the season and his 14th extra-base hit (including 12 doubles). Machado made it 2-2 with a two-out solo homer -- his 14th of the season -- to left field in the third. Rogers had retired seven in a row before being punished on an 0-1 pitch. Rogers lost the strike zone in the fourth, walking a pair before an RBI single by Matt Wieters gave the visitors a 3-2 lead. But he snuffed out the Orioles charge with two strikeouts, adding two more in the fifth. And the Jays starter escaped another jam in the sixth, leaving men on second and third. Jeremy Jeffress (1-0) came on in the seventh for Rogers to get the win, followed by Aaron Loup and Neil Wagner in the eighth when they faced the meat of the Baltimore lineup. Wagner stranded runners on first and a third by striking out Wieters. Casey Janssen, despite giving up a Nate McLouth single with two outs, closed out the ninth for his 30th save of the season. He finished it off with a lunging stab and throw to first base to throw out Machado. The teams wrap up their series Sunday with Mark Buehrle (11-8) starting for Toronto against Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (9-7). Cheap Vans Sk8 Hi Shoes . - The infectious smile was missing from Nam Nguyen last week. Vans Old Skool Pink . - Titans quarterback Jake Locker will miss the rest of the season with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, leaving Tennessee trying to rally with Ryan Fitzpatrick.MIAMI -- Steve Cishek said he felt fine even though he pitched poorly. The Miami Marlins closer rubbed his left shoulder several times between pitches during a dismal ninth inning Friday night, but he declined to blame any health issues after giving up four runs in a 9-5 loss to the Oakland Athletics. "I just didnt get the job done," Cishek (4-3) said. The right-hander retired only two batters while giving up five hits, including a single by Yoenis Cespedes that scored the go-ahead run thanks to a replay reversal. The Marlins trailed 4-0 but took a 5-4 lead into the eighth. They fell to 28-1 when leading after seven innings. With the score 5-all, Coco Crisp singled off Cishek to start the ninth and took second on Alberto Callaspos single. When Cespedes followed with a single, right fielder Giancarlo Stanton made a strong throw home, and Crisp was ruled out at the plate. After a review that took 3 1/2 minutes, the called was overturned, giving the As a 6-5 lead. Josh Donaldson hit a sacrifice fly for his third RBI, and Stephen Vogt and Josh Reddick followed with run-scoring singles. "With Crisp, that was a great job of hitting by him," Cishek said. "For some reason, things just unraveled after that. I thought I made good pitches, but once it got later the pitches stayed up, the slider was flat, and they were very comfortable." Cisheks ERA rose from 1.93 to 2.97. "It just wasnt his night tonight," manager Mike Redmond said. "He has been so good for us." Reddick had three of the Athletics 16 hits, including a two-out RBI triple that tied the game in the eighth. Luke Gregerson (2-1) pitched around a one-out double by Jeff Mathis in a scoreless eighth. Oaklands Jesse Chavez took a 4-0 lead into the sixth but couldnt get another out. Stantonss leadoff single was the first of five consecutive hits, and Donovan Solano greeted Dan Otero with an RBI double before pinch-hitter Jeff Bakers run-scoring single put Miami ahead. Cheap Vans Shoes. . Stanton, Casey McGehee and Garrett Jones had two hits apiece for the Marlins, who lost despite going 6 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Marlins rookie right-hander Anthony DeSclafani left the game after three innings with a bruised right forearm, putting further strain on a bullpen already taxed by a 14-inning loss at Philadelphia on Thursday. DeSclafani was hit in the arm by a line drive in the first inning by Brandon Moss that went for an infield hit, and his status is day to day. He said he expects to be able to throw on the side Saturday. He allowed two runs in three innings, leaving him with an ERA of 7.40 after five career starts. The Marlins arrived in Miami at 4:15 a.m. after the 14-inning loss at Philadelphia on Thursday, and they played as if short on sleep in the early going. They had Crisp picked off midway between first and second in the fourth inning, but when first baseman Jones glanced at another baserunner, Crisp ducked past him and got back to first. "Thats two pretty tough losses," Redmond said. "Thats pretty frustrating the way weve been losing games." NOTES: With the Marlins bullpen taxed by the marathon in Philadelphia, they recalled LHP Brian Flynn as a reinforcement and optioned INF Justin Bour to New Orleans. Flynn pitched three innings and allowed two runs, then was optioned back to New Orleans after the game. ... Callaspo batted second for the first time this season. ... The game was the Athletics first in Miami since 2003. ... Athletics RHP Sonny Gray (7-3, 2.91) is scheduled to start Saturday against RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-3, 3.52). Wholeslae Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap Baseball Jerseys ' ' '