TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays Oscar Klefbom Jersey , who have had trouble winning at home for stretches this season, have a chance for their second consecutive series sweep at the Rogers Centre,
The Blue Jays defeated the Washington Nationals 2-0 on Saturday afternoon and have won the first two contests of the three-game interleague series.
It was Toronto’s first shutout since Aug. 10, a stretch of 117 games.
Toronto (32-38) will send out right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-2, 3.66 ERA) to try for the sweep Sunday afternoon. Washington (37-30) will counter with right-hander Tanner Roark (3-7, 3.63).
The Blue Jays swept the Baltimore Orioles in four games in their previous home series June 7-10 before dropping three in a row to the Tampa Bay Rays from Monday through Wednesday at Tropicana Field. Their home record for the season is 18-19.
Toronto’s six-game win streak at home followed an 1-10 drought at the Rogers Centre. The six-game win streak is their longest at home since they won seven in a row July 2-8, 2016.
The Nationals, meanwhile, have been shut out three times in their past five games and are in a 2-5 funk after an 11-4 surge.
“We’ve had some pitches to hit, we just didn’t hit them,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It’s surprising, but it happens. You run into good pitchers.”
Washington outfielder Bryce Harper was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Saturday and is in a 1-for-11 drought with three walks. He also has been hit twice by pitches.
“I watch him and he gets a little frustrated,” Martinez said. “The biggest is just to keep him level-headed and let him go out there and just do his thing. He is one of the best players in the game, he’s going to carry us, I know he is.
“He had a couple of pitches to hit (Saturday) and fouled them back. Usually, he typically hits those pitches http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-taven-bryan-jersey , and hits them really hard and really far.”
Said Harper: “They’ve thrown a lot of heaters the past two days, more than I think as a team we’ve generally seen. But you’ve got to make adjustments and get pitches we can hit and not miss them.
“Good pitching beats good hitting any day of the week. That’s baseball … just have to keep grinding, keep going. I’m feeling great, just missing pitches.”
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, are getting production from second baseman Devon Travis, who hit a two-run homer for the second game in a row Saturday. He was coming back from knee surgery last season and was being given one day off every three games.
“The plan was going into the season that we’d protect his knee a little bit until he started feeling good and we could extend that a little bit,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “We’re at that point now. The kid has always hit, he’s a real good hitter, everybody knows it’s just a matter of time. He might have been a little tentative early in the year, too, conscious of his knee a little bit. But two big games in a row here and he’s been really good since he’s come back.”
He had been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on April 29 as he struggled and returned May 22. In his past 18 games, he is batting .333 with one double, one triple, three home runs and eight RBIs.
Roark allowed three runs, six hits and two walks in six innings in a 3-0 loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday. He has never faced the Blue Jays.
Gaviglio gave up five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings Monday in a loss to Rays after shutting out the Yankees in seven innings of a no-decision June 6. He has one career start against Washington and took the loss on May 24 http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-minkah-fitzpatrick-jersey , 2017, when he was with the Seattle Mariners. He allowed five runs (one earned) and six hits in six innings in the game at Washington.
Belgium reached the World Cup semifinals for the first time in 32 years by holding off five-time champion Brazil 2-1, sending Neymar home without living up to the expectations of being soccer’s most expensive player.
Belgium scored the decisive goal on a counterattack just after a corner had been taken by Neymar. Romelu Lukaku surged forward with the ball and Kevin De Bruyne put it in the net to give Belgium a 2-0 lead in the 31st minute.
Fernandinho’s trailing arm inadvertently helped Belgium captain Vincent Kompany’s header land in his own net in the 13th minute.
Renato Augusto reduced the deficit in the 76th with a header.
But it was too late for Brazil.
NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia (AP) – Antoine Griezmann’s fluke goal helped France earn a place in the World Cup semifinals.
Griezmann scored with a shot that bounced off the hands of the opposing goalkeeper and into the net, giving France a 2-0 victory over Uruguay.
The 1998 champions will next face Belgium on Tuesday in St. Petersburg.
Griezmann’s shot in the 61st minute went right into the hands of Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. But the ball popped off his palms and looped over his head and into the net.
Raphael Varane gave France the lead with a header in the 40th minute.
NBA
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Tony Parker is done in San Antonio.
Parker agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets, ending a 17-year run with the Spurs. And he’s not the only veteran on the move, with Oklahoma City and Carmelo Anthony having mutually agreed they will part ways and Dwight Howard set to sign with the Washington Wizards once he clears waivers.
All of those deals were confirmed to The Associated Press by people involved in the negotiations. Each of the people spoke on condition of anonymity because none of the moves were finalized – but the Parker move was confirmed by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who thanked his now-former point guard in a statement released by the team.
Anthony has likely played his last game for the Oklahoma City Thunder – with the sides having mutually decided that he will not be on the team next season. It remains unclear how that departure will actually happen, as in whether it will be through a buyout, the Thunder waiving him or a trade.
Howard started the day on Charlotte’s roster, then was traded to Brooklyn – a deal agreed to days ago, but one that couldn’t be completed until the league’s offseason moratorium on player movement ended. The Nets will buy him out, which will pave the way for Howard to eventually sign with the Wizards.
BASEBALL
DETROIT (AP) – Jordan Zimmermann denied Bartolo Colon’s bid at baseball history, striking out 11 batters in eight innings as the Detroit Tigers beat the Texas Rangers 3-1.
Colon was trying to become the winningest Latin-American pitcher in major league history. He remains tied with Dennis Martinez with 245 career victories.
He pitched well, allowing three runs – including homers by James McCann and JaCoby Jones – in an eight-inning complete game http://www.saintsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marcus-davenport-jersey , but Zimmermann was better. The Tigers’ right-hander allowed one run and four hits and struck out 10 or more for the first time since his no-hitter for Washington against Florida on Sept. 28, 2014.
AUTO RACING
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Justin Haley started last and crossed the finish line first.
It would have been a stellar run in just his second Xfinity Series race – if only he could have kept two tires above the double-yellow line at Daytona International Speedway.
Kyle Larson was declared the winner of the Firecracker 250 when Haley’s late pass in overtime was ruled illegal.
A full-time driver in the Trucks Series, Haley used an aggressive and impressive move to complete a stunning pass that looked as if it would lead him to victory lane. But Haley inadvertently crossed the yellow line around the inside of the famed track, and NASCAR ruled it improper. up 18th.
Larson edged Elliott Sadler at the line, giving the Cup Series regular three wins in four starts this year in the second-tier series.
GOLF
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) – Kelly Kraft shot a 7-under 63 in the second round of A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier to take a one-stroke lead over first-round leader Webb Simpson and Anirban Lahiri.
Kraft posted his career-best round at the Old White TPC in West Virginia. He was at 13-under 127.
Lahiri overcame poor play off the tee to shoot a career-low 61. Simpson made five birdies after a lousy start and shot 3-under 67. Both were at 12 under.
Jason Kokrak shot 64 and was at 11 under. Whee Kim of South Korea and Harold Varner III were at 10 under. Kim shot 68 and Varner shot 64.
ONEIDA, Wis. (AP) – Sei Young Kim birdied her first four holes to shoot a 7-under 65 and surge to the lead after the second round of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
Kim was at 16-under 128 – tied for the tour’s lowest of the season – and four shots ahead of Yu Liu.
Jump-started by an eagle on the par-5 third, Liu made a big move with the day’s best round with a 63 to get to 12 under and grab sole possession of second place.
Defending champion Katherine Kirk, who led after shooting 10-under 62 in the first round, couldn’t get her putting going, though, and settled for 71. She is one of five players who are five shots off the pace at 133.
Sung Hyun Park, who won her second career major at last week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and could have moved to No. 1 in the world rankings with a win, missed the cut by five shots at 1-over 1