What the Justin Smoak Extension Could Mean — Blue Jays

But right now, if it comes down to a choice between the two of them, there’s only one way to go.

They entered the night with just six home runs in July, tied for the fewest in the majors for the month. “We wanted to stay here for as long as we can and I’m just happy to get something done.”. Hill began his baseball career in Chicago with the Cubs, but has bounced around, playing for seven different MLB teams in his career, but age seems to fit the lefty as the last three years have been the best in his career. Stephen Vogt followed with a sharp single up the middle before center fielder Kevin Pillar appeared to throw out a sliding Reddick at the plate. After a review of 2:56, the call was overturned and Reddick was ruled safe. The general return to health up and down the lineup is one reason he said he is “hopeful and positive” heading into the second half.

“I thought I got in pretty good, but I’m not the guy that’s going to look back in the dugout and do the headset movement”, Reddick said.

Justin Smoak hit a solo homer, his 10th, off A’s closer Ryan Madson, who pitched the ninth for his 19th save. They now hold the second wild card spot in the American League along with the division foe Boston Red Sox and are only two games back in the East. They couldn’t hold leads of 3-2 and 7-3. Then Davis would muscle up in the sixth, hitting a floating knuckleball over the wall to the opposite field, a solo homer that reached the seats in right-center and made the score 5-3.

Morales extended his hitting streak to eight consecutive games with a second-inning homer.

While some moves seem inevitable – left-hander Rich Hill, scratched from Friday’s start against Toronto because of a blister, is the most impactful starting pitcher now available – other trades that A’s fans debate with the most fervor are unlikely to come off.

Stroman, who very almost pitched his way to an assignment to Buffalo back in June, had seemed to shake off that slump his last couple of times out, but against an Oakland Athletics team not known as an offensive juggernaut, the righthander was raked over the coals, unable to get out of the fifth inning on the way to an 8-7 Oakland victory. Toronto RHP Marco Estrada (sore back) will be activated from the disabled list and return to the rotation July 22 when the Blue Jays host Seattle, manager John Gibbons said. “You’ve got to get ahead”. “He had everything working, really sharp”. He allowed a sacrifice fly in the first inning but nothing after that, with only one Milwaukee runner reaching scoring position in his final five innings.

First baseman Yonder Alonso, one of the A’s hottest hitters before the break at.309 in his past 33 games, is hopeful about Oakland’s second half after what he admits was a first half “full of missed opportunities”.

“Just play, ” he said.

The Blue Jays dropped to 8-10 as they were slow out of the gate in defense of their American League East title. Bautista has been hitting off a tee.

With the recent optioning of Billy Burns, Semien (5) and Reddick (4) are the only A’s with more than two stolen bases.

To make room for Healy on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Nick Tepesch was designated for assignment.

This offseason, in addition to Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, R.A. Dickey, Drew Storen and Jesse Chavez, among others, can all become free agents, creating a hard situation for the Blue Jays that will be exacerbated by a relatively thin free agent market. The knuckleballer has allowed six earned runs over his last 21 innings.

Sonny Gray (3-8, 5.16) looks to turn the page from a rough first half when he takes the mound in Saturday’s 1:05 p.m. game.