July 28, 2024

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

-Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) has been red hot. In his past seven games, he has gone 14-for-30 (.467 batting average) and has three, two-homer games to give him 22 home runs on the campaign. That marks the second time he has reached 20 home runs in a season in his big-league career. He clubbed 34 home runs in 2021. His second home run yesterday also gave him 100 for his major league career, which made him the 11th Canuck to reach this milestone, according to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. In 75 games this season, the Langley Blaze and Junior National Team alum is batting .275 with a .926 OPS. He ranks second on the Red Sox to Rafael Devers in home runs and OPS.

-In case you missed it, Bob Elliott, editor in chief of the Canadian Baseball Network, caught up with Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) in Buffalo on Friday. Yes, it’s nearly August but Votto is still aiming to play for the Toronto Blue Jays this season. On July 19, Votto was promoted to the triple-A Buffalo Bisons for the latest stop in his rehab assignment. Unfortunately, on his first day with the club, he stepped on a ball during a pre-game fielding drill and sprained the same ankle that he has been rehabbing since March. Votto told Elliott he still doesn’t have a set time frame for when he wants to be in the big leagues. “Not a minute do I regret this season,” Votto told Elliott. “My goal is still to play for the Toronto Blue Jays. To play in front of my family, my friends, my city and my country. I want to do the best I can chugging forward.” You can read the full article here.

-It was Colorado Rockies right-hander Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) who emerged with the win in the latest big-league battle between two Canadian starting pitchers. The Terriers and Junior National Team alum allowed just two earned runs in six innings against the Red Sox and their starting pitcher, Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.), on Wednesday at Coors Field. Pivetta, also a Junior National alum, was hit hard by the Rockies, permitting seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. The Rockies eventually won 20-7. With the win, the 29-year-old Quantrill evened his season record at 7-7 and lowered his ERA to 4.09 in 21 starts. Pivetta dropped to 4-7 in 16 starts and saw his ERA rise to 4.50.

-Speaking of Canadian pitchers starting against each other, it was 51 years ago today that Canadian Baseball Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) and Reggie Cleveland (Swift Current, Sask.) faced off against each other for the first time in their big league careers. Pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland allowed two runs in six innings to best Jenkins (five runs, five innings) to lead the Cards to a 7-2 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

-Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) picked up his fifth win of the season on Tuesday when he struck out three batters in 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the Guardians’ 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. The rookie right-hander has been outstanding out of the Guardians’ pen this season. In 47 games, the Junior National Team and Abbotsford Cardinals grad is 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA. He has struck out 67 in 48 innings.

-Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Rob Zastryzny allowed his first big league earned run this season in his ninth appearance when he started against the Cubs on Wednesday. Since being called up on Canada Day, the 32-year-old southpaw has made three starts and six relief appearances for the Brewers. He owns a 1.17 ERA and has five strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. Prior to his promotion, Zastryzny was 4-0 with a 3.18 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings in 28 appearances in triple-A. Last season, the Edmonton, Alta., native posted a 4.79 ERA in 21 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A second-round pick of the Cubs in 2013, Zastryzny recorded a 4.41 ERA in 18 relief appearances with the Cubs from 2016 to 2018 and earned a World Series ring in 2016.

-The Oakland A’s activated infielder Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) from the 10-day injured list last Sunday. He had been sidelined with a strained right hamstring since June 22. In six games since his return, he is 3-for-19 with a walk, a stolen base and an RBI. In total in 79 contests with the A’s this season, the 27-year-old Canuck is batting .253 with six home runs, 25 RBIs and a .668 OPS. He is currently third on the A’s with 75 hits. Now in his sixth MLB season, the versatile ABC alum has been used at first base, second base, third base and in the outfield by the A’s.

-Thirty-one years ago today, Joe Siddall (Windsor, Ont.) made his MLB debut with the Montreal Expos. He entered the game as a defensive replacement for catcher Tim Spehr in the bottom of the ninth in the Expos’ 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

-It was 33 years ago today that “El Presidente” was “El Perfecto.” That was how legendary broadcaster Dave Van Horne poetically summarized Expos ace Dennis Martinez’s perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 28, 1991. It was the 13th perfect game in major league history. The 36-year-old Martinez was emotional after he retired Dodgers pinch-hitter Chris Gwynn on a fly ball to centre fielder Marquis Grissom for the final out. “Joy, happiness . . . thanks to God that He gave me this opportunity so late in my career,” Martinez, who had gone to Mass that morning, told reporters after the game. “Mostly though, I was happy to have my people around me. To have them hugging me and celebrating with me. To tell you the truth, there was a second there where I didn’t know whether it was me. I thought I was dreaming.” I wrote about the 30th anniversary of Martinez’s perfect game a few years ago and you can read that article here. You can also listen to Van Horne’s famous call of the last out here:

-Eleven years ago today, legendary Blue Jays broadcaster Tom Cheek was honoured posthumously with the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award, which is presented annually to a broadcaster for major contributions to baseball, in Cooperstown. Shirley Cheek gave a wonderful and moving speech in honour of Tom.

-Who was the first Blue Jays pitcher to record 100 wins for the club? The answer is Jim Clancy. The workhorse right-hander earned his 100th win as a Blue Jay when he pitched a four-hit shutout against the Kansas City Royals at Royals Stadium 38 years ago today. Dave Stieb would collect his 100th win as a Blue Jays less than five weeks later. Jimmy Key, Pat Hentgen and Roy Halladay are the only other members of the Blue Jays’ 100-win club.