The Lead

Bieber and Three Homers Sink Tampa Bay

Shane Bieber retired the first nine Rays batters he faced and finished seven innings allowing four hits and no walks, and the Blue Jays backed him with home runs from Kazuma Okamoto, Nathan Lukes and Daz Cameron in a 5-1 win Thursday. Bieber's control was the story: seven strikeouts, zero walks, and a start that looked nothing like a pitcher easing back into a rotation.

The complication arrived in the fourth inning, when Andrés Giménez left the game with right hamstring tightness after stealing two bases earlier. Toronto's infield depth gets tested before it gets a break, and how the Jays handle the shortstop spot over the next few days is worth more attention than the final score.

The Rest of the Slate

BMW Championship

Rory McIlroy shot a bogey-free 6-under 64 to share the first-round lead at Bellerive, joined by Gary Woodland and two other U.S. Open champions. Scottie Scheffler, coming off an eight-shot rout last week, needed a rally just to post a 72, his worst opening round since the U.S. Open in June.

Cincinnati Open

Jessica Pegula outlasted Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 and Flavio Cobolli recovered from a dropped first set to beat Tommy Paul, both booking semifinal spots. Elena Rybakina retired from her quarterfinal against Iga Swiatek after an apparent injury, a development worth tracking through the rest of the North American hard-court swing.

The Number

Scottie Scheffler's opening-round score at the BMW Championship It's his highest opening round since the U.S. Open in June, a sharp comeback from last week's eight-shot rout of the field at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. One rough round rarely changes a season, but a second one this weekend would turn a blip into a genuine leaderboard problem heading into the Tour Championship.

What's On Tonight

            7:05 PM ET · Blue Jays @ Yankees · MLB.TV
10:00 PM ET · Toronto Tempo @ Portland Fire · TSN
BMW Championship, Round 2 continues from Bellerive Country Club
CPKC Women's Open, Round 2 continues from Royal Mayfair Golf Club
          

Top Dog — Betting Angle

The pick: Winnipeg Blue Bombers moneyline against Edmonton. Collaros back under center changes Winnipeg's offensive floor more than anything in Edmonton's game plan can offset.

“A shortstop's hamstring can undo a week of good pitching faster than any lineup slump”