The Toronto Blue Jays are cold but not concerned. Los Angeles has had a down year and won’t be going to the playoffs but they have gotten a strong season out of both Mike Trout and Albert Pujols and speculation on whether they can move forward with this core continues to heat up.
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Gibbons considered removing Roberto Osuna after the Blue Jays rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning to extend their lead to 5-0 on Friday night but thought better of it.
“They’re all aware of where we’re at and nobody likes what’s happening right now”, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.
“As big as this series is (in Anaheim) for us, it looks to me like Seattle is going to be even more important”, he said. “What was really good to me was he hadn’t pitched in a while. And if we’re not, we won’t”.
The Jays are 8-0 in their last eight during game four of a series, 0-5 in Stroman’s last five road starts, and 8-3 in their last 11 against the AL West while the Angels are 4-0 in their last four Sunday games, 2-8 in their last 10 games overall, and 1-6 in their last seven against a righty. The Blue Jays will most likely need to hit their way to a victory tonight, as Liriano has been pretty bad this season as well.
“It was awesome, it’s something that you think about for a long time”, Meyer said.
“It’s a very tough lineup to face and I didn’t want to face them with guys on base right from the get-go, but that’s how it was”, Nolasco said. “I’m really happy to be part of that group”. “His stuff out there today was explosive”. He’s got good life on it and he has good movement, and he spins the ball well. Stroman was roughed up in his only two appearances (one start) versus the Angels in 2014, surrendering nine earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.Meyer suffered his second setback in as many starts since arriving from Minnesota in the Hector Santiago trade on August 1, allowing four runs – including a pair of homers – over as many innings in a home loss to Seattle on Tuesday.
The game was delayed for 13 minutes in the bottom of the third inning due to bees on the field.
The Angels added two more unearned runs in the seventh.
“They’re gutting it out but they’re all getting exhausted”, Gibbons said of his pitchers. “I made some mistakes to get those leadoff guys on, and I tried to bear down and make some good pitches after that”.
Trout went from first to third on Pujols’ single in the seventh and came home on C.J. Cron’s sacrifice fly.
Biagini walked Andrelton Simmons, the first man he faced, to load the bases, still with nobody out. C Jett Bandy left the game after the first inning with back spasms.
Josh Donaldson, after two games at DH, was back at third base Saturday, six days after leaving a game against Tampa with a hip injury.
WIN A SERIES: The Blue Jays have guaranteed themselves at least a series split in Anaheim, which ends a run of four straight series losses.
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Nolasco was charged with the loss in his last start Monday against the Seattle Mariners, working six innings and giving up four runs, six hits with three strikeouts and a walk. The 25-year-old Duke product, who issued more than two free passes for the first time in 13 trips to the mound, has given up three earned runs or fewer in four of the outings since getting his last victory on August 14. But from July 1 through August 21, the right-hander compiled a 3.02 ERA.
