The Toronto Blue Jays hit the West Coast to start the second half following the All-Star Game break. The Blue Jays are in Oakland and Arizona for the first week.
Regular readers know that the week after the All-Star Game means a free MLB Extra Innings preview. Depending on your logistics, you might get home feeds for the game. Typically, your humble narrator is limited to home feeds, so no cool Canadian ads in this run. Still, even with a road feed, those games will be available.
Truthfully, the ads on Blue Jays games aren't that interesting. A lot of promos for in-demand movies I would never watch. But here is the schedule in case you have a better setup.
15 @ Oakland 10:05p
16 @ Oakland 4:05p
17 @ Oakland 4:05p
19 @ Arizona 9:40p
20 @ Arizona 3:40p
The Blue Jays are back home at Rogers Centre starting July 22 and will host Seattle, San Diego, and Baltimore in the homestand.
If you are feeling homesick for Canadian ads that run during sports events, click our back catalogue here.
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Fox hates running O Canada during the All-Star Game coverage, but 2016 will go down as the year Fox should have carried O Canada.
The Tenors suspended Remigio Pereira after he went rogue, slipping in "all lives matter" into the anthem. The phrase is seen as being against Black Lives Matter.
As the singers were launching into the French part in the middle, Pereira took over and sang, "We're all brothers and sisters/All lives matter to the great."
Even if you agree with the message (and you shouldn't), wrong place, definitely wrong time.
As for the game highlights, Aaron Sanchez pitched the 4th inning and gave up a run-scoring single to Marcell Ozuna. Edwin Encarnacion went 0-for-1, pinch running for David Ortiz in the 3rd inning. He scored a run and drew a walk. Josh Donaldson and Michael Saunders each had an at bat without a hit. Saunders played right instead of left for the AL. Bartolo Colon didn't pitch for the NL.
The Blue Jays finished the first half at 51-40. The team is tied for the top wild card spot with Boston, though the Red Sox at 49-38 have played 4 fewer games. The teams trail Baltimore by 2 games; the Orioles at 51-36 have also played 87 games, same as Boston and 4 behind Toronto.
The 51 wins ties the team's best mark at the break set in 1992.
The team only has a single hitter over .300: Josh Donaldson leads the time with a .304 batting average, though Michael Saunders is at .298. Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion each lead the time with 23 home runs, though Encarnacion has 80 RBI at the break to 63 for Donaldson. Encarnacion's 80 RBI puts him in the Top 5 in team history for RBI by the All-Star Game break.
Devon Travis has come back healthy and has helped shore up the infield. Jose Bautista is currently injured but has a slow first half (for him) at .230 with 12 HRs.
2 years ago, the team faded early in the second half. Last year, the team played extremely well. August 2016 will likely determine the fate of this team.
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American players have to get used to certain differences in Canada, e.g., dollar and 2-dollar coins.
Mark Buehrle had to adjust to the fact that Ontario bans pit bulls, and Buehrle had a pit bull.
J.A. Happ is in his second stint with the Toronto Blue Jays. In this Sportsnet interview, we find out that Happ still hasn't adjusted to bagged milk.
No one explained the milk jug to Happ. You buy the milk jug, put the milk bag in the jug, and then cut off the corner.
There is a learning curve to the bagged milk. But I've never lived in Ontario.
For the record, you can buy regular milk in its traditional jug in Ontario. The bagged milk has advantages once you get the concept.
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On Sunday, the Blue Jays hosted the second of 3 games this season to honour its 40th anniversary with players and managers that made an impact on the franchise. The final celebration will be on August 14.
photo credit: Toronto Blue Jays/MLB
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