TORONTO – Pitcher Eric Lauer has done a little bit of everything for the Toronto Blue Jays since his season debut seven weeks ago.

The 30-year-old left-hander has worked in short relief, served in a bulk role and is now used as a spot starter.

He has been getting results every step of the way.

Lauer was in top form Wednesday night, allowing one earned run over five-plus innings in an 8-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Rogers Centre.

“He has been really damn good,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider.

Lauer (3-1) had a season-high eight strikeouts and allowed four hits and a walk. Over his last five appearances, he has given up three earned runs over 19 innings and held opponents to a .136 average.

He credits fastball command for his solid performance this season.

“Speeding guys up, slowing them down, moving them in and out and up and down — that’s pitching to me,” Lauer said. “To me, I’m a pitcher. I’ve never been an overpowering guy. I’ve never been just a stuff guy. I’m not going to out-stuff people.

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“But I think I can make my pitches play up better than they actually are based on how I can throw my fastball.”

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Bo Bichette hit a leadoff homer off Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in three runs for the Blue Jays (40-33), who will go for a three-game sweep Thursday afternoon.

Bichette and Addison Barger had three hits apiece while Guerrero reached base five times. He had a single, double and three walks.

Toronto has won 11 of its last 12 home games and earned 14 victories over its last 19 games overall.

Lauer threw five shutout frames before he was pulled after giving up a leadoff triple to Corbin Carroll in the sixth.

With Yariel Rodriguez on in relief, Carroll scored the lone run for Arizona (36-37) on a groundout by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Toronto answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and broke the game open with a three-run seventh. The Blue Jays improved to 15-8 in interleague play.

Lauer has made four starts this season in a rotation anchored by veteran right-handers Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt.

Max Scherzer made only one start due to a thumb issue and Bowden Francis was mostly ineffective before landing on the IL this week due to a shoulder impingement.

Lauer has filled in admirably when needed and has likely earned himself a temporary spot in the five-man mix.

“Over the course of the year, your depth is going to get tested,” Schneider said. “So to have a guy like him step up has been awesome.”

A first-round pick (No. 25 overall) by San Diego in 2016, Lauer made his big-league debut with the Padres in 2018.

He later spent parts of four seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers before splitting last year between Triple-A and the Korean league.

Lauer signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays last December and his contract was selected from Triple-A Buffalo on April 30.

Since then, he has posted an impressive 2.29 earned-run average over 10 appearances with 36 strikeouts against just 11 walks.

“Your best ability is availability,” Lauer said. “So I just try to go out there and do my job every time I’m called.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.

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TORONTO – Bo Bichette homered and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays rolled to an 8-1 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

Bichette and Addison Barger had three hits apiece while Guerrero reached base five times. He had a single, double and three walks.

Toronto starter Eric Lauer (3-1) had eight strikeouts over five-plus innings to help the Blue Jays win for the 11th time in 12 games at Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays (40-33), who have won 14 of 19 overall, will go for a three-game sweep on Thursday afternoon.

Bichette hit a leadoff homer off southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4). It was his 10th homer of the season.

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Lauer threw five shutout frames before he was pulled after giving up a leadoff triple to Corbin Carroll in the sixth.

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With Yariel Rodriguez on in relief, Carroll scored the lone run for Arizona (36-37) on a groundout by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Lauer allowed one earned run, four hits and a walk.

Guerrero hit a two-run double as the Blue Jays scored three times in the bottom half of the inning. He added an RBI single in Toronto’s three-run seventh.

Announced attendance was 27,635 and the game took two hours 44 minutes to play.

STRAW SITS

Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw was considered out on a day-to-day basis after suffering a right ankle sprain Tuesday, manager John Schneider said before the game.

Outfielder Jonatan Clase, who bruised his right knee when he was hit by a pitch in the series opener, didn’t start but was available if needed.

SCHERZER START

Right-hander Max Scherzer (thumb) threw 75 pitches in his start for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Wednesday night at Worcester.

Scherzer threw into the fifth inning and allowed one hit and two walks while striking out eight. It’s possible he could return to the big-league club next week.

“It would be huge just to have him, knowing that you have that calibre of pitcher waiting on your staff every fifth day,” Schneider said. “It would a nice shot in the arm.”

COMING UP

Toronto’s Kevin Gausman (5-5, 4.08 ERA) was scheduled to start the series finale against fellow right-hander Ryne Nelson (3-2, 4.14).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.

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Daniel Hoffmann’s grief-stricken mother appeared virtually from Windsor, Ont., in a Toronto courtroom Wednesday and recalled the terrible day, three years ago, when her husband drove to their son’s apartment to find him dead.

“When he found Daniel that fateful day, he was changed forever. How could he not be, seeing what he saw? The sound of his voice when he called me to tell me what had happened to Daniel was filled with sheer agony and grief, a tone I will never forget,” said Wendy Hoffmann, describing her only child as the centre of their family.

Last month, 23-year-old Adrian Desario, 25-year-old Dawson Aguilera Jimenez and 21-year-old Nikki Karimi, who were all facing a charge of first-degree murder re-elected to be tried by judge alone. Aguilera Jimenez and Karimi then waived their right to a trial and both pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of second-degree murder, while Desario pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Desario was a friend of Hoffmann’s, Aguilera Jimenez was Desario’s boyfriend and knew Hoffmann through Desario, and they were acquaintances but not friends. Karimi was a friend of Desario and Aguilera Jimenez, who had only become newly acquainted with Hoffmann.

On the night of April 12, 2022, Desario went to Hoffmann’s residence with Karimi. In the early morning hours of April 13, Aguilera Jimenez arrived at the building and was denied entry by Hoffmann. Desario went to the lobby and brought Aguilera Jimenez to the apartment, knowing Hoffmann did not want him there.

Around 4:20 a.m., Aguilera Jimenez arrived in unit 2006. Hoffman pulled a knife on Aguilera Jimenez and threatened to have his friends attend the apartment to “back him up”.

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After some discussion, the situation de-escalated. Aguilera Jimenez and Hoffmann shook hands, and the four drank alcohol and consumed drugs.

At approximately 5:30 or 6:00 a.m., Aguilera Jimenez and Hoffmann got into an argument, which turned physical. Hoffmann was unarmed at the time of the altercation. Aguilera Jimenez and Karimi stabbed Hoffmann with a knife. He succumbed to his injuries a short time later. Hoffmann sustained nine stab wounds, including three to the chest.

Desario did not stab Hoffmann, but admits she verbally engaged and encouraged the altercation as it turned physical. She was a party to the initial assault but did not know there would be injuries likely to cause or materially contribute to his death.

All three accused were taunting Hoffman while he was being stabbed. Eight videos were made during the attack, including some that Karimi shared through social media.

After the stabbing, Karimi and Aguilera Jimenez cleaned up the crime scene and removed a knife from the apartment and discarded it to avoid detection.

Desario took Hoffmann’s cell phone and credit card. She used the credit card at Shopper’s Drug Mart to buy gift cards. The credit card was found in Desario’s possession after her arrest.

Desario drove her mother’s car with her two co-accused to Niagara Falls, where they rented a room. It’s there where they were arrested by Niagara Regional Police.

Later that afternoon, around 5 p.m., Hoffmann’s father discovered his son’s lifeless body in the apartment.

During the search of the apartment, four knives were missing from the knife block. One loose knife was found at the base of a coffee table near Hoffmann’s body. Another was found on the kitchen counter.

Two videos were recovered from Karimi’s phone, which showed Aguilera Jimenez burying an object in a construction area near his home after the stabbing.

Hoffmann’s mother finished her victim impact statement by telling the court that she mourns the lost possibilities of what could have been. Marriage, grandchildren, a successful career and happy visits with their only child.

“We can’t help but wonder, did he suffer? Was he scared? Did he think of us? The biggest hurt is he died alone, we never got to say goodbye,” she added.

The sentencing hearing will continue in September with submissions from Crown and defence.

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