안전놀이터The good momentum ahead of the return of the ‘Korean Monster’ Ryu Hyun-jin (36) was quickly snuffed out. Victim of a no-hitter, the winning streak is over.
The Toronto Blue Jays continue to be hot and cold at the end of the first half. First, they were swept by the Boston Red Sox in their final home three-game series of the first half. Needing to rack up wins for a second-half comeback, they were swept by Boston in their own division three times. Even more disappointing was the fact that they were swept in six meetings with Boston this season.
Right out of the cold water. In their final six-game road trip of the first half, they first won four straight. They swept three games from the Chicago White Sox and then came out firing on all cylinders on the eighth, blasting the Detroit Tigers 12-2. They leapfrogged the New York Yankees and moved into sole possession of third place in the American League East.
But within a day, they went from hot to cold again. On the 9th, the team lost a no-hitter against Detroit, falling to 0-2. They were shut out by three different pitchers. Failed to get a single hit off Matt Manning (6.2 innings), Jayson Polley (1.1 innings), and Alex Ranji (1 inning). They drew five walks, but to no avail.
The humiliating loss dropped them from sole possession of third place in the American League East to a tie for third. They are tied with the New York Yankees, who beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 on the same day. They are separated by just two games from the last-place Boston Red Sox (47-43). They are also tied for third place with the Yankees in the wild-card race.
Meanwhile, the American League East, dubbed the “dreaded alcove,” is turning into a dogfight, with leader Tampa Bay suddenly going into a slump in the last half of the first half. The Rays have now lost seven straight games. They still lead the division with 57 wins and 35 losses, but their winning percentage of more than seven has dropped to .620. They now trail the second-place Baltimore Orioles (53-35) by two games.