Tag: Toronto Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s Hall of Fame dad was the proudest on Twitter after son’s 3 HR night

“What a night for my boy.”

Vlad Guerrero Jr. is having a stellar start to 2021 after the night he had on Tuesday.

And his Hall of Fame father Vlad Sr. was loving the whole thing on Twitter.

Junior smashed three home runs against the Washington Nationals in a 9-5 win (fun fact: did you know Vlad the Elder didn’t ever do that in his career? So says MLB.com).

What’s even better is Guerrero Sr. was tweeting about his son throughout the night, a proud father gushing about his kid doing amazing things.

Here are the highlights from the amazing performance followed by the tweets from the proud papa:

Love all of it.

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Blue Jays sign top free agent George Springer to $150 million deal

USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale breaks down top free agent George Springer to $150 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale breaks down top free agent George Springer to $150 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays offered a look at their transformed home stadium in Buffalo

They changed a lot.

In the days leading up to MLB’s restarted season, the Toronto Blue Jays were essentially left without a home park. The Canadian government denied the team’s request to play in Toronto amid the pandemic (out of concern over teams traveling to the U.S. and back), so the Blue Jays scattered to find an MLB-quality park.

After issues with Pennsylvania, the Blue Jays eventually had to settle on the home of their Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons at Sahlen Field. But to get the park ready to host an MLB team, it needed to undergo extensive — and accelerated  — renovations.

Just a day ahead of the Blue Jays’ Tuesday “home opener” against the Marlins, the team offered a look at the revamped ballpark. And MLB really did do its best to make Sahlen Field look like the Blue Jays’ home.

According to The Buffalo News, Blue Jays staffers teamed up with MLB and BaAm Productions (the firm behind the Field of Dreams Classic) to make the Triple-A park look like a suitable home for the Blue Jays.

The project included expanding the clubhouse into hallways for social distancing, upgrading the batting cages, workout areas, dugouts and the entire infield turf was replaced. The stadium — as you can see — got painted with plenty of Blue Jays branding throughout.

The visitors clubhouse will be in an auxiliary tent just off the stadium property.

It’s too bad that the Blue Jays couldn’t get the stadium rotated to face the city skyline, though. They’ll be stuck with a view of a highway and parking structure instead. That’s a Guaranteed Rate Field-esque failure in urban planning.

They probably just ran out of time for that project.

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Accidental bat to head bloodies umpire Joe West

Veteran MLB umpire Joe West was bloodied and had to leave the Nats-Blue Jays game after being hit in the head on a backswing of a bat.

Joe West is probably the one umpire who spends the most time in the headlines. The veteran added another one Thursday, one he would certainly rather forget.

While behind the plate in the Nationals-Blue Jays game, West took a shot to the head off the bat of Bo Bichette.

Everyone reacted with speed and panic as the blood started to stream down the side of West’s head.

PODCAST: Bills training camp preview, Buffalo Blue Jays talk

Kyle Silagyi, McKenna Middlebrook, and Justin DiLoro preview Buffalo Bills’ training camp and also geek out over the ‘Buffalo Blue Jays.’

July 24, 2020, will likely go down as one of the brightest – and strangest – days in the history of Buffalo sports.

On the same day that the NFL announced that its 2020 regular season will go on despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays announced their decision to play the majority of their 2020 home games at Buffalo’s Sahlen Field.

In the span of a few hours, not only did Buffalo fans receive word that their beloved Bills would play this season – they also (at least temporarily) received another professional sports team.

On this episode of The Kyle Silagyi Variety Hour, host Kyle Silagyi is joined by BillsWire staff writers Justin DiLoro and McKenna Middlebrook to preview the Bills’ now confirmed training camp. They also talk about their excitement surrounding the ‘Buffalo Blue Jays.’

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Where is the Toronto Blue Jays’ home stadium for the 2020 season?

The Blue Jays have finally figured out where they’ll be playing in 2020.

Just 11 days before the Toronto Blue Jays were scheduled to play their first home game of the 2020 regular season at the Rogers Centre, the team was denied a federal government exemption to stage MLB games at home by the Canadian government, forcing the organization to scramble to find a home field.

Early reports indicated that the Blue Jays were likely to settle in either Buffalo – the home of the teams’ Class AAA affiliate – or Dunedin, Florida, its spring training location, but players reportedly preferred playing in an actual MLB stadium.

The Blue Jays then seemed close to working out a deal to play in Pittsburgh for 2020. The Pirates offered the Blue Jays the use of PNC Park as a home location, but the Pennsylvania Department of Health stepped in to deny the Blue Jays, citing the risks of constant travel in and out of Pittsburgh during a pandemic.

The Athletic then reported that the Blue Jays were in talks with the Baltimore Orioles about potentially using Camden Yards in 2020, pending the permission of Maryland government officials.

Instead, with five days to go until the home opener, the Jays announced on Friday that they will play the “greater part” of their home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo. The dimensions of the field are very close to those of the Rogers Centre, so there shouldn’t be a great impact on the on-field performance.

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Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays sports betting odds and lines, with MLB betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Toronto Blue Jays visit the Tampa Bay Rays Friday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., for a 6:40 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Blue Jays-Rays MLB betting odds and lines, with betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Blue Jays at Rays: Projected starting pitchers

LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. RHP Charlie Morton

Ryu went 14-5 and led all of baseball with a 2.32 ERA across 29 starts and 182 2/3 innings pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019.

  • Joins the American League after signing a four-year, $80 million deal with the Jays in free agency.
  • Has fared better against right-handed hitters over his career while holding them to a .243/.287/.372 slash line over 2,278 plate appearances.

Morton went 16-6 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.084 WHIP across 33 starts and 194 2/3 innings last season.

  • Finished third in AL Cy Young voting in his first season with the Rays.
  • Went 8-3 with a 2.59 ERA and 0.958 WHIP over 17 starts at Tropicana Field.
  • Was 0-1 with a 3.06 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays.

Baseball season is finally here! Get some action on the 2020 season with an MLB bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!

Blue Jays at Rays: Key injuries

Visit sportsdata.usatoday.com to track all MLB injuries leading up to game time.

Blue Jays

  • OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (upper body) probable
  • 3B Travis Shaw (groin) questionable

Rays

  • 1B Jose Martinez (illness) probable
  • OF Austin Meadows (illness) out

Blue Jays at Rays: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Thursday, at 11:35 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Blue Jays 4, Rays 3

Moneyline (ML)

Take the value with the BLUE JAYS at +145 in the season opener for the two AL East rivals. The Blue Jays’ addition of Ryu as the ace of the staff this offseason should pay instant rewards in the division-heavy 2020 schedule, as their opponents haven’t seen a whole lot of the former Dodgers star.

The Rays are also entering the season without their top hitter in Meadows, and Martinez will be behind early in the season after being sidelined by COVID-19 through the latter stage of summer camp.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Blue Jays to win would return a profit of $14.50.

Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

The safer but less rewarding play for the Blue Jays is to back TORONTO +1.5 (-154) to lose by no more than one run.

The Jays’ bullpen ranked 15th in baseball with a 4.35 ERA last season, but closer Ken Giles was one of the best late-inning relievers in MLB and Ryu should be able to get most of the way there with a 7- or 8-inning outing Friday.

Toronto went 9-10 against the run line against Tampa Bay in 2019 while going 6-13 straight up.

Over/Under (O/U)

While I’m predicting seven total runs to be scored, err on the low side and bet the UNDER 7 (-110) in a battle of aces on Opening Day.

Pitchers typically have the edge over hitters early in the MLB season and that will be even more emphasized in this delayed start. Expect a push as a worst-case scenario and your wager will be refunded.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Toronto Blue Jays forbidden from playing in Canada due to COVID-19

The Toronto Blue Jays will have to find a new home for the 2020 MLB season.

The Toronto Blue Jays will have to find another place, another land to play their “home” games in the 2020 MLB season.

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced Saturday the Blue Jays will not be able to use Rogers Centre due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

“Unlike preseason training, regular-season games would require repeated cross-border travel of Blue Jays players and staff, as well as opponent teams into and out of Canada,” Mendicino said. “Of particular concern, the Toronto Blue Jays would be required to play in locations where the risk of virus transmission remains high.

“Based on the best-available public health advice, we have concluded the cross-border travel required for MLB regular-season play would not adequately protect Canadians’ health and safety. As a result, Canada will not be issuing a National Interest Exemption for the MLB’s regular season at this time.”

The Jays had previously received clearance from the Ontario provincial government and the City of Toronto but the federal government in Canada has the final say on border issues. The Blue Jays’ home opener was set for July 29 against Washington.

The team released a statement after learning of the government’s decision via a phone call.

2020 MLB Futures Odds: How many games will the Toronto Blue Jays win?

Looking at 2020 MLB futures odds for the Toronto Blue Jays, including their 2020 World Series odds and win total.

How many games will the Toronto Blue Jays win in the 60-game 2020 MLB season? We look at the Blue Jays’ MLB futures odds, including their projected 2020 win total and Over/Under odds at BetMGM, and make our best bet.

Toronto Blue Jays’ 2019 recap

The Blue Jays continued a rebuild under president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins in 2019. Their 67-95 finish was disappointing to fans but not overly surprising. They finished fourth in the American League East and short of the postseason for the third year in a row.

The success was in having top prospects SS Bo Bichette, 2B Cavan Biggio and 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. make their MLB debuts, providing hope for the fanbase moving forward.

The Jays went 78-84 against the run line with a 75-80-7 Over/Under record in 2019. They went 33-43 against the tough AL East and a miserable 3-17 in interleague play. They ranked just 23rd in baseball with 726 runs scored and 21st with 828 runs allowed.

Toronto Blue Jays’ offseason

The Blue Jays made a long-awaited splash in free agency by luring SP Hyun-Jin Ryu away from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chase Anderson and Tanner Roark were also added to boost the rotation. Shun Yamaguchi was brought over from Japan to join the bullpen.

1B/3B Travis Shaw was the biggest add to the offense and provides some experience for the young core.

Also see:

Toronto Blue Jays’ 2020 schedule

The Blue Jays open their season Friday, July 24, against the Tampa Bay Rays. They’ll play 10 games against each against the AL East rival Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees this season.

They’ll play 20 games against the National League East, including six against the “rival” Philadelphia Phillies. The season ends Sunday, Sept. 27, with a seven-game homestand against the Yankees and Orioles.

Baseball season is finally here! Get some action on the 2020 season with an MLB futures bet at BetMGM in CO, IN, NJ and WV. Bet now!

How many games will the Toronto Blue Jays win in 2020?

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, July 8 at 6:15 p.m. ET.

The Blue Jays win total is set at 27.5. With a young but strong offensive core and improved starting rotation, the OVER (+100) is well worth taking at even money.

The schedule is tough, but the Blue Jays have plenty of talent and their young players should excel in the shortened season without fear of burn out. They’ll feast on the Orioles and Miami Marlins, and should at least challenge the Red Sox for third in the division.

Toronto Blue Jays’ World Series odds

The Jays are getting +10000 odds to win the 2020 World Series. While the chance of a $1,000 return on a $10 bet is tempting, Toronto ultimately doesn’t have a strong enough top-three group of starters to contend when games become more meaningful. PASS.

Toronto Blue Jays’ playoff odds

While the AL East crown will be well guarded by the Yankees and Rays, the Jays could hang around long enough to contend in the wild-card race.

With +750 odds to make the postseason, this is the best 2020 futures bet for the Blue Jays. PASS on the +3500 odds to win the division.

Toronto’s odds to win the AL pennant is +5000.

Want action on any 2020 MLB futures? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Two sons try and go yard off Texas Legend Roger Clemens

COVID-19 has postponed baseball, leaving players to work out on their own. The Clemens family has been working out together to stay in shape.

The coronavirus has taken its toll on athletes across the country, whether their sport was in season or out of season. Baseball was just getting started, with all teams in spring training before the season getting delayed.

For former Longhorn Kacy Clemens, he was entering his fourth season in MLB’s minor league system with the Toronto Blue Jays. Spanning from low A ball to AA, the lefty is hitting a career .226 with 26 home runs and 115 RBIs.

A more recent UT grad in Kody Clemens would have been in the middle of his third professional baseball season with the Houston Astros organization. Kody has hit a career .248 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs.

Despite the shut down of baseball, Kacy and Kody have been staying in shape with the help of their 7x Cy Young-winning father, Roger Clemens.

The family even participated in the Texas virtual tailgate, with Kody and Kacy trying to hit home runs off their father.

Soon enough, both Clemens brothers will be back on the field playing for their respective minor league baseball teams. With the Blue Jays and Astros have great minor league systems, both were on the edge of making the AA squad in 2020.

Until then, Roger will be pitching to them in a virtual ballpark, hopefully not giving up too many more home runs in Fenway Park.

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