Black- and Whitelist » Athletics open a 10-game homestand

CLEVELAND – Ask a Blue Jays fan still hesitant to believe in the team whether a 5-4, nine-game run through Baltimore, Minnesota and Cleveland would be satisfactory early in the season, and the answer likely would be in the affirmative. Yet its those defeats, snatched from the jaws of victory, which sting the most and Toronto had two of them on the trip. The Jays led 4-2 in the sixth inning when Aaron Loup walked the bases loaded and gave up a bases-clearing, three-RBI double to the Indians David Murphy. Cleveland had a lead it wouldnt relinquish, ultimately winning the game 6-4. The meltdown was relatively minor compared to Thursday nights eighth inning debacle in Minnesota, which saw three relievers give up six runs on just one hit and an unseemly eight walks in a 9-5 loss to the Twins. Its jarring because the Blue Jays bullpen has been consistently reliable. It raises two concerns about the pitching staff. First: the walks. Six more on Sunday afternoon for a season total of 81, which pending the behaviour of Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers in their game against the Dodgers later Sunday, ranks second-most in baseball. "The walks have killed us so far," pitching coach Pete Walker told TSN.ca before Sundays game. "I think its cost us a couple of ballgames." Walks just cost them another one. Second: with the exception of Mark Buehrle, the starting staffs inability to pitch deep into games. "Bottom line, weve got to get some innings out of our starters or our bullpen will be dead come May," said manager John Gibbons after Sundays defeat. Such was the dichotomy of Brandon Morrows performance on Sunday. His six strikeouts over five-plus innings belied the fact Indians hitters battled him throughout. Michael Bourn led off the game with a nine-pitch at-bat. He struck out. In the second, Michael Brantley put the Indians ahead 1-0 with a solo home run on the ninth pitch. An inning later, in the third, Jason Kipnis worked a full-count, 10-pitch walk. Morrow was done at 95 pitches one hitter into the sixth. He threw almost 30 per cent of his pitches (28 of 95) in those three plate appearances alone, leaving Gibbons to wish for more efficiency. "I havent been able to do it as much as I would like to," said Morrow of pitching into the sixth and seventh innings. "Today it was one long inning in the middle; without that I would have been in a better position to finish that sixth." Walker is preaching contact early in counts. He doesnt want pitchers worried about strikeout totals. He wants aggression and laments that radar gun readings are posted on electronic scoreboards. "Its trusting your stuff and really believing that your fastball is good enough that day," said Walker. "I think a couple of our guys might be down in velocity and sometimes that affects your approach. You dont see that 97 on the board and its 92, 93 and all of a sudden you dont trust that fastball in as much as you did last year." Its easy to fall in love with the radar gun and easy to forget that the Blue Jays best pitcher to this point, Mark Buehrle, no longer tops 84 miles per hour with his fastball. "I think it comes down to realizing its not the velocity, its the location," said Walker. "Your fastball is your fastball that given day and it needs to be located regardless. I think, for the most part, thats what we need to get back to and thats something were focusing on is fastball command and pitching inside a little more aggressively." Through 19 games Blue Jays starters have pitched 103 2/3 innings, averaging less than 5 2/3 innings per start. A team with playoff aspirations needs more. R.A. Dickey is presented with the next opportunity to join Buehrle in bucking the troubling trend. He starts Tuesday nights series opener at home with Baltimore. NAVARROS STRANGE ALLERGY If youve been to a Blue Jays game and noticed that Dioner Navarro kicks away the catchers box chalk outline before kneeling for first inning warm up pitches, theres a good reason. Navarros allergic to chalk. The problem dates back years to Navarros minor league days. He would come home after games with skin cracks on his hands. His wife put two and two together since Navarro would always swipe at the dirt to improve his grip, and she suggested he be tested for allergies. Now its habit for Navarro to kick away the chalk before the game begins. Joe Smith Jersey . Sources tell TSN that union executives travelled to select CFL cities Monday to open dialogue with players and answer questions. After the tentative deal was reached Saturday night, several players posted messages of frustration and disappointment on social media - and that carried over into Sunday on both the web and the field. Jack Mayfield Jersey . -- Thirty years ago, the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, a game that remains the highest scoring in NBA history. https://www.cheapastros.com/2423o-j-r-ri...sey-astros.html. LUCIE, Fla. Derek Bell Astros Jersey . -- Peyton Manning is the only player in this Super Bowl who has won the big game. Carlos Correa Astros Jersey . The matchup will be made up in Minnesota at a later date. The arena was evacuated about 45 minutes before the scheduled 9:30 p.m. EST tipoff when a generator malfunction outside the arena sent smoke pouring into the building, according to NBA spokeswoman Sharon Lima.BOSTON -- Daric Barton didnt bat and barely got on the field. He still made the game-saving play. Yoenis Cespedes drove in the go-ahead run on an infield single with the bases loaded in the 10th and Barton, playing first, cut down the potential tying run at third in the bottom of the inning as the Athletics averted a three-game sweep with a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. "He made a terrific play," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "Thats a gutsy play. Thats a play that if the runner gets over, they can win the game with a hit. A gutsy play." Bostons Will Middlebrooks opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on the hit when centre fielder Coco Crisp had the ball bounce away for an error. With Barton playing in, guarding for a bunt, Jackie Bradley Jr. bounced it to first. Barton fired to third, cutting down Middlebrooks. "My whole goal was obviously to get the guy at third whether it was a bunt or a ground ball to me," Barton said. "It feels good. Ive learned to be ready. Anything can happen at any time, but Ive learned to be ready when they call my name and go out there and do my job." Barton came in when Josh Reddick left with a sprained ankle in the ninth. Jim Johnson (3-2) then got Dustin Pedroia to bounce into a game-ending double play. Middlebrooks was somewhat surprised and impressed by the play. "I was breaking off the bat. I didnt know it was to his right, to his left or right at him. Unfortunately it was right at him," he said. "This is the big leagues. People are supposed to make plays like that. Normally you dont see a first baseman that far in, but he made a good play. Hats off to him." Oakland closed a 10-game road trip 5-5 and avoided its second three-game sweep in its last four series. The Athletics were swept at home by Texas April 21-23. "Barton makes a heck of a heads-up play to cut down Will going to third," Boston manager John Farrell said. "Theyre playing in. Hes got to trust in his abilities. He throws a strike across the diamond to cut down Will." A.J. Pierzynski hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who failed to reach .500 for the first time since the fourth game of the season. Jed Lowrie had a two-out double off Chris Capuano (1-1) and after the bases were loaded with an intentional and regular walk, Cespedes beat out a slow roller to third against reliever Burke Badenhop.dddddddddddd Johnson also got a double-play grounder by Jonny Gomes to end the ninth. With the Red Sox trailing 2-1 in the seventh, Pierzynski homered into Bostons bullpen. It could have been worse for the Athletics when right fielder Reddick had trouble with pinch hitter Gomes fly ball in the wind. He was charged with an error, allowing runners to reach second and third with one out. But reliever Fernando Abad got Bradley Jr. out at first on his attempted safety squeeze and Luke Gregerson retired Pedroia. Boston starter John Lackey gave up two runs on five hits in six innings, walking three and striking out four. Oaklands Sonny Gray also pitched six, giving up two runs and six hits, walking two with three strikeouts. Cespedes gave Oakland a 2-1 edge in the sixth with an RBI double off the Green Monster. The Athletics grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on Brandon Moss two-out RBI single. Grady Sizemores RBI double tied it in the fifth, but Gray escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam when Bradley bounced into a 1-2-3 double play. In the third, Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts relay from shallow left cut down Donaldson trying to score. Crew chief Jeff Kellogg requested a replay review to see if catcher Pierzynski was illegally blocking the plate. Replays showed he moved his foot and blocked the corner just before he caught the throw, knocking Donaldsons foot away as it attempted to reach home. The play was upheld. Melvin challenged a call on the first pitch of the game -- when Crisp was called out on a 5-6-3 grounder. Replays were ruled inconclusive. NOTES: Reddick limped off after grounding into a DP. ... Boston DH David Ortiz played in his 1,999th career game. ... The Athletics open a 10-game homestand Monday when left-hander Scott Kazmir (4-0, 2.11 ERA) faces Seattle right-hander Chris Young (1-0, 3.04). ... The Red Sox are off Monday before beginning a two-game series on Tuesday against Cincinnati when lefty Felix Doubront (1-3, 5.70) goes against the Reds Homer Bailey (2-2, 5.50). ... Sizemore went 2 for 2 before being pinch hit for, raising his career average to .321 (59 of 184) against the As, his best against any AL team. ' ' '