[July 09, 2014]Blue Jays 4, Angels 0: Jose Reyes
went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs to back seven strong innings
from R.A. Dickey as Toronto halted a five-game skid and snapped Los
Angeles' 11-game home winning streak.
Dickey (7-8) stopped a four-start losing streak by scattering
four hits and striking out five in his first victory since June 4,
ending the Angels' overall winning streak at five games and denying
their bid to match a franchise record for consecutive home
victories. Munenori Kawasaki recorded two hits and scored twice for
the Blue Jays, who had put up only six runs in dropping the first
five games of their road trip.
Tyler Skaggs (4-5) fell to 0-4 over his last five starts, permitting
three runs on a season-high 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings. Erick Aybar
notched a pair of hits for Los Angeles, which was shut out for the
first time since May 16.
Toronto wasted some chances before breaking through in the fifth,
when Reyes followed one-out singles by Kawasaki and Josh Thole with
one of his own to end the team's 0-for-25 drought with runners in
scoring position. Dickey retired 12 in a row until Mike Trout
doubled with two outs in the sixth, but he was gunned down at third
by left fielder Melky Cabrera attempting to stretch it into a
triple.
Kawasaki sparked another rally with a one-out single in the seventh
before Reyes launched a shot off Skaggs into the Blue Jays' bullpen
in left for his seventh homer, giving Toronto its first inning on
the road trip with multiple runs. Dioner Navarro singled home Jose
Bautista for an insurance run in the eighth before Dustin McGowan
and Aaron Loup worked one inning apiece to complete the shutout.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The consecutive singles by Kawasaki, Josh Thole and
Reyes in the fifth inning marked the first time Toronto had three
straight hits in a game since June 23, a span of 14 contests. ...
Angels RHP Jered Weaver, who left Monday's start after two innings
due to lower-back tightness, played catch Tuesday and said he felt
better, but the team is undecided on whether or not he will make his
next scheduled start on Saturday. ... Blue Jays 1B Bautista, the
captain of the American League squad for the Home Run Derby on
Monday, selected defending champion Yoenis Cespedes of Oakland,
Minnesota's Brian Dozier and Baltimore's Adam Jones to his team,
with a fifth member to be named Thursday.
