Marcus Stroman is likely to miss the rest of the 2018 season as he continues to deal with a nagging
blister injury on his throwing hand
Jack Morris Jersey , per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith.There are only18 games left in the regular season, and the Blue Jays are out of the
playoff race, so it wouldn't make sense for Toronto to rush Stroman back and
thus jeopardize his long-term health.2018 was an extremely disappointing season
for Stroman, who was coming off a career season. After finishing with 13 wins,
an ERA of 3.09 and 164 strikeouts in 2017, everything fell apart for Stroman in
2018. Injuries limited Stroman to just 19 starts this season, and he finishes
with a disappointing 4-9 record, 5.54 ERA and just 77 strikeouts in 102.1
innings pitched.advertising Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY SportsStroman also
made headlines when he snapped at reporter Arash Madani, calling the Blue Jays
"f??€? terrible," following an ugly loss to the Boston Red Sox in July. It was
just one of the many things that went wrong for the rebuilding Blue Jays in
2018.Aaron Sanchez, the 2016 AL ERA leader, has been limited to 18 starts this
season. He missed most of 2017 with a nagging blister injury, and Sanchez has
struggled this year with a 5.17 ERA and 1.606 WHIP.The Blue Jays were hoping to
compete for a playoff spot in 2018, a key reason why they didn't trade Josh
Donaldson in winter. But Stroman and Sanchez have been injured aplenty and
ineffective while on the mound.advertisingShortstop Troy Tulowitzki didn't play
at all this season, and Donaldson missed three months with a calf injury before
getting traded to the Cleveland Indians two weeks ago. Closer Roberto Osuna was
traded to the Houston Astros following an arrest for domestic violence.
Now
http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-aledmys-diaz-jersey , very few pieces remain from the team that reached the ALCS in 2015 and 2016.The
goal for Stroman, Sanchez and the 2019 Blue Jays is to regroup, refocus and stay
healthy for what's expected to be a painful year of rebuilding. ATLANTA (AP) —
The Los Angeles Dodgers went through all the expected motions after winning a
playoff series.They broke out T-shirts and caps. They posed for pictures in the
middle of SunTrust Park. They doused each other with beer in the clubhouse.Then,
just like that, their focus turned to bigger goals ahead.For a power-packed team
that hasn’t won a World Series since 1988, nothing less will do.“We all know
that there’s a lot more work to be done,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said
after his team finished off the Atlanta Braves with a 6-2 victory Monday in the
NL Division Series. “We have eight more wins to go.” Manny Machado hit a
three-run homer and David Freese came through again in the postseason to lead
the Dodgers into the NL Championship Series for the third year in a row. Los
Angeles moved on to face the Brewers after taking out the Baby Braves 3-1 in the
best-of-five series.Game 1 is Friday night in Milwaukee, the Dodgers’ fourth
championship series in six seasons.“We prepared ourselves to get here,” Machado
said, “and we’re not going to stop till we get what we want.”Of course, this is
just what the Dodgers had in mind when they bolstered their already power-packed
lineup by acquiring the slugging shortstop — and free agent-to-be — from lowly
Baltimore back in July.Machado had only three hits in the series, but two of
them were homers to go along with six RBIs. He got the Dodgers going in Game 4
with a run-scoring double in the first , and effectively wrapped up the series
with his seventh-inning shot off rookie Chad Sobotka that cleared the Dodgers’
bullpen in left.“There are so many expectations put on him,” Roberts said. “We
have a lot of good players, but I can’t say enough about his focus and
preparedness.”Coming off a tense victory in Game 3
http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-aaron-loup-jersey , the Baby Braves grabbed the lead on pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki’s two-run single in
the fourth.But Freese, the 2011 World Series MVP with St. Louis, countered with
a pinch-hit single of his own in the sixth off Brad Brach , driving home Cody
Bellinger and Yasiel Puig for a 3-2 lead.“You just gotta be ready,” Freese said.
“Whether you’re in high school, college, whatever, just be ready. You don’t have
to be the best player in the world, you don’t have to make the most money, but
you’re going to have a shot to do something cool. I learned that early in my
career. I just try and stick with it.”Ryan Madson earned the win by getting the
final two outs in the fifth to escape a bases-loaded jam. The Braves’ final gasp
came in the eighth, when Lucas Duda’s drive into the second deck in right
drifted foul with two on against Kenta Maeda. Duda flied out to end the inning,
and Atlanta went down quietly in the ninth.The Braves’ return to the postseason
for the first time since 2013 yielded a familiar result.Atlanta has lost nine
straight playoff appearances, their last victory coming 17 long years ago
against a team that is no longer in the National League. Since a sweep of
Houston Astros in the 2001 NL Division Series, October has been a month of
misery for the Braves.Getting back to the playoffs ahead of schedule after a
massive rebuild, Atlanta simply didn’t have the experience
Matt Adams Jersey , depth or power to stick with the power-packed Dodgers. Los Angeles had a franchise-record 235 homers during the regular season and eight
more against the Braves, accounting for 14 of its 20 runs.Tinseltown has become
Boomtown.“They’re a very powerful team,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
“It’s what they’ve done all year is hit home runs. We’re not built like that
yet.”Los Angeles also benefited from some shaky Atlanta defense during its
go-ahead inning. Puig kept the sixth going with a popup down the line off loser
Jonny Venters that fell between second baseman Ozzie Albies and right fielder
Nick Markakis .Puig stole second without drawing a throw and came home when
backup shortstop Charlie Culberson failed to knock down Freese’s sharp grounder
up the middle. A super sub during the regular season, Culberson had to start in
the playoffs because of an injury to regular Dansby Swanson.“They played better
baseball than we did,” Culberson said.WILD STARTERSRich Hill of the Dodgers
walked five in 4 1/3 innings, including a pair leading off the fifth that set up
Suzuki’s two-run single. Atlanta’s Mike Foltynewicz walked four (one
intentional) in four innings before he was lifted.TOUGH OUTHill isn’t much of a
hitter, but he sure made Foltynewicz work for an inning-ending strikeout in the
fourth.After falling behind 0-2 in the count, Hill fouled out five straight
pitches.Finally, Foltynewicz blew a 97 mph fastball by the .107 career
hitter.FIRST PITCHThe Braves brought out another Hall of Famer to deliver the
ceremonial first pitch.Former Atlanta manager Bobby Cox one-hopped his toss to
the plate but still received a big ovation from the Atlanta crowd.Chipper Jones
threw out the first pitch before Game 3.SMALLER CROWDThe announced crowd of
39,586 was nearly 3,000 smaller than the previous night’s record SunTrust Park
turnout, perhaps because of a 4:30 p.m. start time that coincided with Atlanta’s
notorious rush hour.UP NEXTThe Dodgers beat Milwaukee 4-3 in the season series.
Both teams won division titles with one-game playoff victories the day after the
regular season.Atlanta opens the 2019 season at Philadelphia on March 28.
