07-18-2019, 12:44 AM
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The Toronto Blue Jays went limping home from their long, losing road trip. The struggling AL East leaders lost infielder Brett Lawrie and right fielder Jose Bautista with injuries and fell to the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 Sunday. Toronto was 3-7 on its visit to Baltimore, Yankee Stadium and Cincinnati. Lawrie, twice hit in the left hand by pitches earlier in the week, sustained a broken right index finger when he was hit by a pitch from Johnny Cueto in the second inning. The team didnt immediately announce how long he would be out. "Its definitely tough," said Lawrie, who said he expects to be placed on the disabled list. "Were big pieces of the puzzle, especially (Bautista). Its tough on the team to not have all its bullets. We just have to keep on grinding." Bautista left because of tightness in his left hamstring, manager John Gibbon said. The All-Star outfielder had a single and a sacrifice bunt before leaving. Cueto pitched eight effective innings and Todd Frazier broke a 2-all tie in the fifth with a two-run homer off R.A. Dickey (6-6). Toronto has lost five of six, and has dropped five straight series. Cueto (7-5) gave up three runs -- one earned -- and leads the NL with a 1.86 ERA. He gave up seven hits and struck out eight while winning his third straight start. Gibbon became just the latest opposing manager to be dazzled by Cueto, though he also was impressed by his own starter, who got two extra days of rest after his last start because of a sore groin. ""I thought (Dickey) was pretty good, except for the home-run ball," Gibbon said. "Thats been his nemesis. It was a hot day, but he stayed out there. Cueto was just a little bit better. Hes good. Hes in a different class." Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth for his 13th save. Cueto led off the fifth with a bunt single. One out later, Frazier lined his team-leading 17th homer of the season, and the sixth allowed by Dickey in his last four starts. "I felt good," Dickey said. "I gave up nine hits, but I think only two or three of them could be described as hard-hit. I think all but one of my earned runs over my last four or five starts have come on home runs. Thats tough to overcome, especially against a guy like Cueto. I knew it was going to be a scrappy game from the beginning." The Reds had their own injury concerns. Second baseman Brandon Phillips left the game in the middle of the fifth with a bruised right heel, and Cueto had to shake off a hamstring cramp to stay in the game. "When Frazier hit that ball, I went back to tag and I felt it," Cueto said through a translator. "It was just a cramp." Frazier is tied with Pittsburghs Andrew McCutchen and Baltimores Adam Jones for the most home runs in the month of June, each with seven. Edwin Encarnacion led off the Toronto eighth with his 24th home run, connecting against his former team. He hit a pair of three-run shots Friday night while Toronto was coming back from an 8-0 deficit to grab a 14-9 win. The Reds used Encarnacions error at first to take a 1-0 lead in the first. With Frazier on first and two outs, Phillips was safe when Encarnacion couldnt handle third baseman Juan Franciscos throw on a chopper. Jay Bruce converted the error with an RBI single. The Blue Jays got help from two errors to take a 2-1 lead in the third. Munenori Kawasaki reached on first baseman Joey Vottos throwing error, Melky Cabrera singled and Toronto loaded the bases on Cuetos misplay of Jose Bautistas bunt. One out later, Colby Rasmus lined a two-run single. The Reds tied the game in the fourth on Bruces leadoff double, Ryan Ludwicks single and Brayan Penas run-scoring double-play grounder. Encarnacion homered off Cueto into the left-field seats. NOTES: Bautista was scheduled for an MRI on Monday. He left for pinch-runner Jose Reyes, who didnt start after fouling a ball off the side of his left knee on Saturday. ... Toronto is scheduled to open a seven-game homestand with the first of three against the Yankees on Monday. ... The Reds are due to open their second 10-game road trip of the season with the first of three games against the Cubs. Melvin Ingram Jersey . Make that, almost always subjective. Saturday at Carrow Road, the spirit of fair play trumped the rulebook, costing Norwich City three points. Mike Williams Chargers Jersey . The Maple Leafs handed their embattled head coach a two-year contract extension on Thursday, while at the same time announcing that assistants Dave Farrish, Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon will not be back. http://www.prochargersteamstore.com/Yout...te-Jersey/. -- Pinch-runner Rajai Daviss decision to steal third base just as Oakland catcher Derek Norris was throwing the ball back to the pitcher caught most everyone by surprise -- including several of his Detroit teammates. Philip Rivers Jersey . Maria Silvia Bastos Marques, president of the EOM (Municipal Olympic Company), will be leaving her post but will remain as an advisor, a city hall statement said Tuesday. Dan Fouts Youth Jersey .com) - The Los Angeles Kings peppered Ryan Miller with shot after shot.Each year the NFL Combine – the annual prospect Olympics – marks the time when all draft speculation, and of course smokescreens, kick into high gear. 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