The Lead

Blue Jays End Skid, Offense Questions Linger

The Blue Jays ended a three-game skid Tuesday night, beating the Giants 9-3 behind a five-run third inning and Jonatan Clase's first home run of the season. Jonatan Clase hit his first home run of the season, Ernie Clement had three hits, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the San Francisco Giants 9-3 on Tuesday night, as Sean Keys drove in two runs during a five-run third inning to help the Blue Jays end a three-game skid.

One outburst does not rewrite a season-long scoring problem. Toronto entered the series as the American League's lowest-scoring club, and a 92 wRC+ ranked 23rd in baseball, with the club second to last in runs scored. The signal here is Dylan Cease's continued excellence on the mound, not a lineup that found itself in one night.

The Rest of the Slate

Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs added Daniel Alfredsson as associate coach, with the Senators legend joining the rival organization Tuesday. Senators legend Daniel Alfredsson is leaving to join the rival Maple Leafs as an associate coach, the Leafs announced Tuesday. It is another example of Toronto's front office collecting name-brand hires this offseason, a pattern worth tracking once the actual roster construction gets judged in October.

Raptors

Kawhi Leonard has hired a new agent to lead extension talks with the Raptors this week. Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors are expected to start contract extension talks this week in Toronto after his trade becomes official, and the two-time Finals MVP will do so with new representation, hiring Harrison Gaines of SLASH Sports as his new agent. The two-year, up to $123.7 million ceiling on that extension will shape how much cap flexibility Toronto has left to build out the rest of the roster around him.

World Cup

Argentina survived Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16, with Lionel Messi scoring in a record ninth straight World Cup match. Argentina scored three unanswered goals from the 79th minute on to beat Egypt 3-2, and Lionel Messi scored his eighth goal of this World Cup, the most of any player in the tournament. The defending champions needed a stoppage-time rally to survive, which says more about their vulnerability than their pedigree heading into the quarterfinals.

The Number

Consecutive World Cup matches in which Lionel Messi has scored Messi has scored in a record nine straight World Cup matches, dating back to Argentina's 2022 title run. That streak now spans two tournaments and puts him in outright control of the Golden Boot race heading into the quarterfinals, and it's the number that will decide whether this World Cup gets remembered as Messi's final victory lap or somebody else's coronation.

What's On Tonight

            3:45 PM ET · Blue Jays @ Giants · Sportsnet
6:40 PM ET · Yankees @ Rays · Amazon Prime
7:00 PM ET · Toronto Tempo vs. Golden State Valkyries · TSN
          

Top Dog — Betting Angle

The pick: Blue Jays moneyline vs. Giants this afternoon. Dylan Cease carries a 2.79 ERA into the rubber match, and Toronto's bullpen won't need to cover much after Tuesday's breakout inning.

“Nine runs in one game is either a turnaround or an outlier, and this Blue Jays season has taught everyone to bet on the outlier”