Tulowitzki powers Jays in Toronto debut
Harper goes deep twice in Nationals' victory • Tigers' Verlander notches first victory of the season
Philadelphia Phillies starter Jerome Williams’ 0-2 fastball crossed the plate belt high and the newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays jumped all over it. Troy Tulowitzki sent the ball way out to the second level in left-center field at the Rogers Centre, a section over from where a giant white and blue “WELCOME TULO” sign was displayed, and a half-dozen rows deep.
Tulowitzki’s third-inning bomb set the tone for his incredible Toronto debut Wednesday night. The Phillies took the brunt of it in an 8-2 loss that was only their second defeat in 11 games since the All-Star break.
Tulowitzki, the centerpiece of this week’s blockbuster trade that sent Jose Reyes and three prospects to Colorado, doubled in the fifth and sixth innings. The fivetime All-Star, who drew a standing ovation before his first at-bat, drove in three runs on the night.
“It couldn’t have gone any better, really,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.
Of Tulowitzki’s five career hits at Rogers Centre, three have been home runs.
The two-time Gold Glove winner showed off his defense, making a strong throw from the hole to retire Andres Blanco at second base in the third inning.
“On both sides of the ball he looked really good,” Gibbons said. “But he is really good.”
The Blue Jays snapped Philadelphia’s winning streak at five games and handed the Phillies just their second loss in 11 games since the All-Star break. Toronto has won nine of the past 10 meetings with Philadelphia.
R.A. Dickey (5-10) allowed two runs, none earned, and seven hits in eight innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season.
(Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)
Nationals 7, Marlins 2
Bryce Harper hit a three-run, tiebreaking home run and added a second upper-deck blast, leading Washington over host Miami.
Harper, who drove in four runs, has a career-high 29 homers this season. Nationals centerfielder Michael Taylor hit a solo homer in the eighth.
“He’s got such a forceful, violent swing,” Marlins manager Dan Jennings said of Harper. “He’s now learning to control that even more.
“I remember when he first came up, a lot of people compared him to a young Mickey Mantle – that type of thunder. [Harper] is a special hitter.”
Harper, 22, now has 84 career homers. Mantle, the former New York Yankees great, had exactly 84 homers at the end of the 1954 season, when he was also 22 years old. He finished with 536 homers for his career.
Wednesday’s game-winning homer, in the fifth, was Harper’s fourth this season off Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler. Three of those four homers were hit to the upper deck in right field.
Harper, who entered the game leading the majors in slugging percentage and on-base-plus-slugging percentage, has reached base in 44 consecutive road games, the longest streak in the big leagues this season.
The win went to Washington starter Doug Fister (4-6), who allowed four hits, one walk and two runs in six innings.
Miami opened the scoring with a run in the second inning. With two outs, Derek Dietrich was hit by a pitch. He scored from first on an opposite-field double by Ichiro Suzuki, who got career hit No. 2,900.
Suzuki became just the eighth player in major league history to reach 2,900 hits and 500 steals, joining Ty Cobb, Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock, Barry Bonds, Honus Wagner, Paul Molitor and Eddie Collins.
Tigers 2, Rays 1
Justin Verlander (1-3) struck out 10 batters without a walk in eight innings for his first win in eight starts this season as Detroit recorded a narrow road victory at Tampa Bay.
Tigers trade Price to Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays, who fortified their impressive offense earlier this week, added a big weapon to their pitching staff by trading for Detroit Tigers left-hander David Price on Thursday.
The Blue Jays, who at 51-51 are two games out of the American League’s second Wild Card playoff spot, took a big step toward returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1993 with the deal. The Tigers, meanwhile, look to be in rebuilding mode.
Toronto is sending its top pitching prospect, left-hander Daniel Norris, and two other promising lefties to Detroit for 2012 Cy Young winner Price, who is 9-4 record with a 2.53 ERA this season.
The deal came one day before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, which this season has produced a string of dynamic deals.
Rangers snag Hamels
The Texas Rangers acquired starting pitcher Cole Hamels in a multi-player trade with the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
The Rangers will also receive left-handed reliever Jake Diekman in exchange for pitcher Matt Harrison, catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, outfielder Nick Williams and minor league pitchers Alec Asher and Jerad Eickhoff.
Hamels, 31, has spent his entire career with the Phillies, helping the team win the World Series in 2008 when he was named MVP.
Hamels threw a season-high 129 pitches in Sunday’s no-hitter over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in his final appearance for the Phillies.