CLEVELAND -- ?? All those big sluggers and not one timely hit.
Steve Grogan Jersey .For the Toronto Blue
Jays and their power-packed lineup, the first game of the AL Championship Series
was about wasted opportunities.The Blue Jays had runners in scoring position in
each of the first four innings but left them there as Cleveland Indians ace
Corey Kluber worked out of the jams . Toronto finished 0 for 5 in those
situations and stranded eight in all during a 2-0 loss Friday night.It wasnt
like we faced the average Joe out there and he struggled, manager John Gibbons
said. Kluber is one of the elite pitchers in the game.Francisco Lindors two-run
homer in the sixth was the difference as the Blue Jays lost for the first time
in five games this postseason.Toronto squandered a six-hitter from Marco Estrada
-- the teams first complete game all year.I dont think it was a lack of
something we did, Gibbons said. I just thought they pitched that well, as did
we.The Blue Jays will try to even the best-of-seven series Saturday when 20-game
winner J.A. Happ starts against Josh Tomlin.Toronto led all playoff teams by
hitting .478 with runners in scoring position during the Division Series, after
lacking that sort of production in the regular season. The Blue Jays batted .249
with RISP this year, which ranked 24th in the majors.Over the final eight
regular-season games, the Blue Jays were 13 for 66 (.197) with one double in
those situations. They couldnt move runners past second base on Friday either,
stranding six in the first four innings.Their best opportunity came in the first
inning when Josh Donaldson singled with one out and went to third on a double by
Edwin Encarnacion. Kluber then struck out Jose Bautista and got Russell Martin
to ground weakly to first.In the second, Devon Travis grounded into an
inning-ending double play with two on. Martin whiffed to end a threat with two
on in the third.You always have your work cut out for you when Kluber is out
there, Martin said. Even with guys in scoring position, if he makes his pitches
hes able to strike anybody out. Obviously we had our chances, we just didnt come
through.Toronto also put runners on in the fourth, sixth and eighth but couldnt
get anybody past second base.In the eighth, reliever Andrew Miller gave up a
single to Donaldson but then struck out the heart of the Blue Jays order:
Encarnacion, Bautista and Martin.I made some mistakes early on, and they were
able to take advantage of them with base hits, Kluber said. But its really
trying to stick with the same approach -- get ahead of them and put them in
defensive counts, so theyre not key-holing one pitch.Kluber struck out six while
scattering six hits over 6 1/3 innings. Cody Allen pitched the ninth for a
save.Kluber is pretty good, thats all I know, Gibbons said . Hes got arguably
the best right-hand breaking ball in the game. And he kept us honest with enough
fastballs. And hes got that razor-blade slider thats tough to do anything with.
A big strikeout pitch for him. He gets a lot of weak contact on them,
really.Kluber is 2-0 this postseason with 13 strikeouts in 13 1/3 shutout
innings.If youre a fan of pitching it was a dream game for you, Gibbons said. We
got some guys on base early, a lot of the innings, we couldnt get that big hit.
Lindor got the big hit.---Follow Mitch Stacy at
http://twitter.com/mitchstacyFor
some of his other recent stories:
http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mitch-stacy Rob Gronkowski Jersey . 10 Texas Rangers
jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after
returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13
major league seasons.
Drew Bledsoe Patriots Jersey . Colin Wilson
had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two
others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night.
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. The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while
second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of
France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month
ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. OAKLAND,
Calif. -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are doing the little things to win the close
games.Manager Clint Hurdle calls the first half two good months of baseball and
one that was complicated.David Freese hit a go-ahead single in the top of the
10th inning, and the Pirates beat the Oakland Athletics 4-2 on Saturday night
for their third straight win.Erik Kratz led off the inning with a single against
Daniel Coulombe (1-1), Jordy Mercer sacrificed him over and Freese singled to
left. As left fielder Coco Crisp threw out Freese at home on Adam Fraziers
single moments later, and the play was upheld on an umpire review.Gregory
Polanco added an insurance RBI single.I just like the grit in my club, Hurdle
said. Offensively, we scratched.Juan Nicasio (6-6) struck out two in the ninth
for the victory, then Mark Melancon allowed a pair of singles before finishing
for his 23rd save as the Pirates won for the sixth time in eight games after
dropping eight of nine.Pittsburgh also has won the last three meetings against
the As after losing the initial 11.As reliever Ryan Madson had runners on second
and third in the ninth following a double steal but retired Sean Rodriguez on a
popup and induced Josh Harrisons groundout. The Pirates challenged whether Danny
Valencias throw from third to first was in time, but the call was confirmed in 1
minute, 55 seconds.Jed Lowrie had a sacrifice fly and Josh Reddick an RBI single
in the third for Oakland, one of his career-high matching four hits. His double
in the fifth got stuck in the outfield wall and wasnt ruled a ground-rule
double, preventing a run from scoring.It was very frustrating. Could have won
the game, he said. Over the years Ive obviously seen (the hole) but never really
paid attention to it. After it happened I went out there and it was literally a
three-inch gap to put a baseball in. Never hit a hole in one before even in golf
so I guess this is going to have to count.Harrison hit an RBI double and
Starling Marte a run-scoring single in the fourth as Pittsburgh tied the game at
2.Mercer led off the game with a double on a ball that got lost in the sun and
dropped in shallow right field between three As players.Rich Hill came ooff the
disabled list to strike out six while pitching four-hit ball over six innings in
his first outing since May 29 after being sidelined with a strained left groin.
Julian Edelman Patriots Jersey. He had a
five-start winning streak since losing May 1 to Houston.Hill allowed two runs on
four hits and walked two, limited to 83 pitches based on how much time he
missed.Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl gave up seven hits and two runs, struck
out two and didnt walk a batter in six innings. It was his second major league
start after beating Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in his debut -- and he got
the nerves and any awe factor out then.Now it wasnt my first time anymore, he
said. Just another day at the yard.Crisp hit his 300th career double in the
third and extended his hitting streak to nine games.The As ended a stretch of
hitting a home run in a season-best 10 straight games, playing their first
extra-inning game at home after 60 without one since Aug. 18 last year against
the Dodgers.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: RHP Gerrit Cole (triceps strain) shadow threw
in the bullpen a day after a simulated game. ... The Pirates have gone a week
without a roster move. Shhh, shhh, Hurdle said. Its been welcome.Athletics:
Oakland agreed to terms with versatile, 17-year-old Cuban OF Lazaro Armenteros
on Saturday. He receives a $3 million signing bonus. The As also agreed to terms
with Dominican players 3B George Bell, SS Marcos Brito, SS Yerdel Vargas, and CF
Kevin Richards. All of the new acquisitions will report to the clubs Dominican
training facility and later to Arizona for instructional league this fall.
Organizationally, its a big day, manager Bob Melvin said.UP NEXTPirates: In his
last start against the As, Sunday starter LHP Francisco Liriano (4-8, 5.33 ERA)
pitched seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 win on July 10, 2013.Athletics: RHP
Daniel Mengden (1-3, 2.81) makes his fifth big league start and is coming off
his first major league win last Monday at San Francisco. He is the eighth
pitcher in Oakland history to allow three or fewer runs in each of his initial
four starts.
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