TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays
Khari Willis Jersey , who have had trouble winning at home for stretches this season, have a chance for their second consecutive series sweep at the Rogers Centre,
The Blue Jays defeated the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Saturday afternoon and have won the first two contests of the three-game interleague series.
It was Toronto’s first shutout since Aug. 10, a stretch of 117 games.
Toronto (32-38) will send out right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-2, 3.66 ERA) to try for the sweep Sunday afternoon. Washington (37-30) will counter with right-hander Tanner Roark (3-7, 3.63).
The Blue Jays swept the Baltimore Orioles in four games in their previous home series June 7-10 before dropping three in a row to the Tampa Bay Rays from Monday through Wednesday at Tropicana Field. Their home record for the season is 18-19.
Toronto’s six-game win streak at home followed an 1-10 drought at the Rogers Centre. The six-game win streak is their longest at home since they won seven in a row July 2-8, 2016.
The Nationals, meanwhile, have been shut out three times in their past five games and are in a 2-5 funk after an 11-4 surge.
“We’ve had some pitches to hit, we just didn’t hit them,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It’s surprising, but it happens. You run into good pitchers.”
Washington outfielder Bryce Harper was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Saturday and is in a 1-for-11 drought with three walks. He also has been hit twice by pitches.
“I watch him and he gets a little frustrated,” Martinez said. “The biggest is just to keep him level-headed and let him go out there and just do his thing. He is one of the best players in the game, he’s going to carry us, I know he is.
“He had a couple of pitches to hit (Saturday) and fouled them back. Usually, he typically hits those pitches
Josh Allen Jersey , and hits them really hard and really far.”
Said Harper: “They’ve thrown a lot of heaters the past two days, more than I think as a team we’ve generally seen. But you’ve got to make adjustments and get pitches we can hit and not miss them.
“Good pitching beats good hitting any day of the week. That’s baseball … just have to keep grinding, keep going. I’m feeling great, just missing pitches.”
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, are getting production from second baseman Devon Travis, who hit a two-run homer for the second game in a row Saturday. He was coming back from knee surgery last season and was being given one day off every three games.
“The plan was going into the season that we’d protect his knee a little bit until he started feeling good and we could extend that a little bit,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “We’re at that point now. The kid has always hit, he’s a real good hitter, everybody knows it’s just a matter of time. He might have been a little tentative early in the year, too, conscious of his knee a little bit. But two big games in a row here and he’s been really good since he’s come back.”
He had been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on April 29 as he struggled and returned May 22. In his past 18 games, he is batting .333 with one double, one triple, three home runs and eight RBIs.
Roark allowed three runs, six hits and two walks in six innings in a 3-0 loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday. He has never faced the Blue Jays.
Gaviglio gave up five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings Monday in a loss to Rays after shutting out the Yankees in seven innings of a no-decision June 6. He has one career start against Washington and took the loss on May 24
http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jawaan-taylor-jersey , 2017, when he was with the Seattle Mariners. He allowed five runs (one earned) and six hits in six innings in the game at Washington.
Clayton Richard says the San Diego Padres now have enough punch to make late-game comebacks.
That offense has the Padres playing like they can escape last place in the NL West.
Hunter Renfroe hit a go-ahead, two-run single in San Diego’s five-run seventh inning, Freddy Galvis had a three-run homer and went 5 for 5, and the Padres beat the Atlanta Braves 9-3 on Friday night.
”I think we have the ability to add late at the plate and that’s huge,” Richard said, adding newcomers Galvis and Eric Hosmer ”add such professionalism. They’re not going to give in. That definitely has carried over to other players.”
The Padres, who have split the first two games of the four-game series, are trying to win their sixth straight series.
Richard (6-6) allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits in six innings. Luis Castillo closed the game with two scoreless innings.
Freddie Freeman’s 15th homer gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Jose Pirela hit a two-run homer for San Diego in the first.
Sam Freeman (1-3) gave up three runs in the seventh.
Before Renfroe’s single, the Padres were on the verge of wasting a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity for the second time in the game.
Pirela grounded into a double play in which pinch-runner Cory Spangenberg was forced out at the plate.
Renfroe then hit Freeman’s 1-2 pitch up the middle , driving in Travis Jankowski and Eric Hosmer.
Galvis added a three-run homer just beyond the reach of leaping centerfielder Ender Inciarte, off Peter Moylan.
”We walked too many guys in that inning,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker
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Galvis had a run-scoring single, giving him four RBIs, in the ninth. The five hits were a career high.
Brandon McCarthy allowed two runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Home plate umpire Joe West ejected Padres manager Andy Green in the fourth after arguing West’s changed call on an apparent strikeout by Ozzie Albies. West initially clinched his right fist as if to call Albies out. He then changed his mind, apparently thinking Albies tipped the ball – which was not caught by catcher Raffy Lopez before it hit the dirt.
Green argued and was headed back to the dugout when he was tossed by West. Green then turned back toward the plate and threw his cap in the general direction of West before engaging the umpire in a more spirited argument. First-base umpire Doug Eddings eventually stepped between Green and West and helped to point the manager back toward the dugout.
”I think I’ve said absolutely everything I want to say about umpires,” Green said.
It was the second straight game Green had issues with an umpire’s call. He was upset after a video review confirmed Tyler Flowers was hit by a pitch in the Braves’ 4-2 win on Thursday night.
It was the Braves’ turn to complain in the ninth when a video review failed to overturn a safe call on Renfroe’s slide at second base. Umpires ruled shortstop Dansby Swanson failed to touch second base before throwing to first on Castillo’s grounder.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: After throwing four hitless innings in a rehab start Thursday night for Class-A Lake Elsinore, LHP Joey Lucchesi (right hip strain) will throw a bullpen session on Saturday which will determine if he’s ready to come off the DL. Lucchesi, who has been out since May 15, could start on Tuesday or Wednesday against Oakland, or he could make another rehab start.
Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz, who left Saturday’s start with triceps tightness, felt good after playing catch. The team won’t make a decision about his next start until he throws off a mound. … OF Ronald Acuna Jr. (left knee sprain) ran the bases and took grounders and fly balls in left field. He will test the knee by running harder on Saturday.
HOT HITTER
Freddie Freeman’s homer gave him hits in 25 of his last 26 games. He leads the NL with his .342 batting average and 90 hits. He also ranks among the league leaders with his 15 homers and 49 RBIs. He has hit eight homers off left-handers.
FULL HOUSE
Attendance was 41,497, Atlanta’s fourth sellout of the season.
UP NEXT
Padres: RHP Jordan Lyles will make his eighth start of the season – his high mark since 10 starts with Colorado in 2015 – as the four-game series continues on Saturday.
Braves: LHP Sean Newcomb will look for his eighth win as he makes his second start of the season against the Padres. He pitched six scoreless innings in a 14-1 win at San Diego on June 5.
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