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Jays’ depth contributing to hot streak
TORONTO – Neither Addison Barger nor relievers Lazaro Estrada and Braydon Fisher were on the Toronto Blue Jays’ 26-player opening day roster.
But all three played significant roles in the Blue Jays’ 4-3 extra-inning victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday that extended Toronto’s win streak to a season-high seven games.
Barger smacked a two-out, walk-off single in the 11th inning, while Estrada and Fisher pitched brilliantly in the final six innings before 37,269 at Rogers Centre.
Toronto has gone from eight games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East on May 28 to now leading the second-place Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays by three games.
“I think our depth is really good, and I think that the standard and the culture that we’ve set here in that (clubhouse) rubs off on other people,” Toronto manager John Schneider said.
“You’re going to need a lot of people. You’re going to need 40 out of your 40-man (organizational) roster over the course of the year. And sometimes all 26 on a given day. It kind of feels like we’re doing that right now.”
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The Blue Jays (51-38) have put together their first seven-game win streak in three seasons. With seven games remaining before the All-Star break, if they win four more times they will set a club record for this point in the season. In 1985 and 1992, Toronto won 53 games before the break.
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“We’re in this win streak and it has been everybody (contributing),” Toronto’s 41-year-old pitcher Max Scherzer said. “Everybody has had a chance to shine.”
Barger’s clutch hit with the bases loaded gave the Blue Jays a seventh walk-off win in 2025, which ties them for most in the American League.
In the first inning, Barger threw out a tagging Mike Trout at home plate to end the Angels (43-45) rally. It was Barger’s sixth outfield assist this season.
He also broke his bat over his knee when he struck out in the ninth to end the inning.
The 26-year-old Estrada gave up a run in the seventh inning to allow the visitors to tie the game. But his Major League Baseball debut was impressive, becoming only the 12th in franchise history to toss four or more innings of relief in his debut.
“Unbelievable debut,” Schneider said.
Estrada was the second this season after Paxton Schultz’s memorable 4 1/3 innings on April 20.
“Very happy, very grateful,” Estrada said through an interpreter. “I’ve waited eight years to get here.”
Schneider replaced Estrada with Fisher (3-0) to begin the 10th inning. All Fisher did was throw two innings of no-hit baseball as Toronto improved to 31-16 at Rogers Centre. Only the Houston Astros have a better home record in the AL at 32-14.
The Blue Jays also have won 10 of their last 12 series.
SCHERZER STRUGGLES
Scherzer lasted only four innings in his third start since three months off to deal with a nagging thumb injury.
He revealed inflammation in his troublesome right thumb after his last start prohibited him from partaking in his between-starts routine. He couldn’t lift weights or throw a bullpen session.
ALL-STAR SPRINGER
Schneider started a campaign to get his 35-year-old outfielder/designated hitter George Springer on the AL all-star team.
Springer smacked a two-run homer in the third inning to put Toronto in front 3-2 for his sixth homer and 20th and 21st RBIs in his last 13 games.
“He’s still showing the league he can do this kind of stuff,” Schneider said. “I think he should be an American League All-Star, no doubt.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
TORONTO – Blue Jays slugger George Springer has been cleared to return to game action after suffering a concussion over two weeks ago, Toronto manager John Schneider said Wednesday.
The 35-year-old outfielder/designated hitter hasn’t played since July 28 when he was hit in the helmet by a fastball thrown by Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kade Strowd.
Springer, who was on hand for batting practice before Toronto’s game against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, was expected to play for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons on Thursday.
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“Play DH tomorrow and then see if he needs a game in the outfield to see how he feels,” Schneider said in his pre-game availability. “But he’ll be doing that tomorrow.”
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Springer has been one of the top offensive performers this season for the Blue Jays (70-50), who had a 4 1/2-game lead on the Boston Red Sox in the American League East standings entering play Wednesday.
Over 101 games, Springer has a .291 average, 18 homers, 57 RBIs and an on-base and slugging percentage of .889.
Strowd’s 96-m.p.h. pitch appeared to hit Springer’s shoulder before making contact with his helmet near the ear flap. After laying prone for a moment or two, Springer got up slowly and left the field with some assistance.
He was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list on July 29.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Two delightfully shaggy new faces will be on display at the Toronto Zoo starting on Friday.
The nine-month-old brothers are Scottish Highland cattle, with long, woolly, reddish coats and fringe over their eyes.
The zoo’s manager of wildlife care, Marc Brandson, says the two were born and raised at a local Ontario farm before moving to the zoo about a month ago.
He says they completed a quarantine period and now live just outside the Eurasia Wilds area of the zoo.
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Membership holders can visit the brothers at a pre-screening on Thursday, while other visitors can see them starting Friday.
Brandson says there is “a lot of excitement” around the pair because of how popular the Highland breed already is.
He says the zoo is hoping to have the brothers walk through the public area of the zoo as part of its animal ambassador program, which can give visitors a closer look at certain animals.
“Each and every day, our outreach and discovery staff are working to get them to that level,” he said.
“Having a bonded pair is a really great social situation for Highland cows. These brothers are very calm and they are gaining confidence each and every day that they interact with their caregivers.”
The brothers don’t have names yet, and Brandson says the public should stay tuned on ways to contribute naming ideas.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner says the federal government needs to do more to fight Canada’s devastating forest fires.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday in Ottawa, the Alberta MP accused Ottawa of “inaction” on wildfires. She also blamed that lack of action for new measures restricting activities in the forests of two provinces — even though those bans were imposed by the provinces themselves.
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick last week banned hiking, fishing, camping and the use of vehicles in its forests in response to the heightened wildfire risk.
Rempel Garner said that while she understands the fear Maritimers feel, restricting individuals’ movements is “not right.”
“Whenever there’s a major crisis, what the Liberal government has done by their inaction has conditioned Canadians to expect that the only response they can see out of their federal government is to restrict their movement,” Rempel Garner told reporters.
“We’re calling on the federal government to actually get serious about this issue.”
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Conservative MP Marc Dalton presented a bill last year to stiffen penalties for wildfires caused by arson. It never made it past first reading and died when Parliament was dissolved ahead of this year’s election.
Rempel Garner said that’s one area where the Liberals could have taken action on wildfires. She also called on the federal government to dedicate more resources to wildfire control.
In its 2021 election platform, the Liberals promised to train 1,000 community-based firefighters to fight wildfires and to work with provinces and territories to get them more firefighting planes.
Last month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters that Alberta-based water bomber manufacturer De Havilland was facing a four-year backlog of orders.
“Four full wildfire seasons ago, the Liberals promised more water bombers, more firefighters,” Rempel Garner said. “Where are they?”
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston brushed off the criticisms of the forest entry ban at a press conference later Wednesday.
“I find it remarkable, the interest in travelling in Nova Scotia woods by people who aren’t in Nova Scotia and probably haven’t been here much in their life,” Houston told reporters.
“We’re only concerned with keeping people safe. We’ll do what’s necessary to protect lives, and that’s what we’re doing in this case.”
So far this season, the total area of the country burned by wildfires is nearly the size of the entire province of New Brunswick.
— With files from Sarah Ritchie.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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