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Author: Dave Riggert

Royals lose both games at Toronto Tuesday

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TORONTO (AP) — Luke Maile singled down the right-field line with the bases loaded in the 10th inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays walked off with a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night to sweep a rare doubleheader at Rogers Centre.

Toronto won the opener 11-3 and has swept all three doubleheaders at its retractable-roof stadium, which opened in 1989.

The Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out in the tenth. Kevin Pillar singled off Brian Flynn (0-1) before Aledmys Diaz walked and Randal Grichuk was hit by a pitch.

Maile then drove the second pitch he saw from Flynn down the right-field line, driving in his third run of the game and handing the Royals their seventh straight loss. Tyler Clippard (2-0) worked a scoreless 10th for his 50th career victory.

Danny Duffy allowed two hits in six scoreless innings, striking out eight in his longest outing of the season, before Toronto rallied off Kansas City’s bullpen.

After Justin Grimm walked the bases loaded to open the seventh, Maile drove a pitch from Brad Keller down the right-field line to score two runs. Pinch-hitter Devon Travis tied the game at 3 with an infield single, a grounder that third baseman Mike Moustakas couldn’t get out of his glove in time.

Steve Pearce singled up the middle to score Maile and put the Blue Jays ahead.

The Royals tied it on Alcides Escobar’s homer in the eighth, his first this season.

Toronto had runners at second and third with one out in the ninth, but Kevin McCarthy struck out Curtis Granderson and Justin Smoak in succession to end the threat.

Making his first start of the season, Joe Biagini allowed three runs on six hits, striking out four, in 5 2/3 innings. He plunked Lucas Duda to force in a run in the first.

Abraham Almonte homered in the sixth, the first home run this season from a Royals player other than Moustakas or Duda.

In the first game, Yangervis Solarte homered and drove in four runs and Grichuk went deep for the second time this season.

Solarte’s third homer of the season was a two-run shot off Erik Skoglund (0-2) into the second deck in the first inning.

Jaime Garcia (2-0) allowed back-to-back homers by Moustakas and Duda in the third. He gave up three runs on eight hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: C Russell Martin and 2B Devon Travis started the opener but sat out the nightcap, the only two changes Toronto made to its lineup. … DH Kendrys Morales (right hamstring) is not expected to require a rehab assignment before rejoining the team. Morales went on the disabled list April 10.

ICED OUT

The Blue Jays were rained out twice in Cleveland over the weekend and then faced the first streak of three consecutive postponements in franchise history after chunks of ice fell from the adjacent CN Tower, puncturing several holes in the Rogers Centre roof. The biggest hole, over right field, was roughly 3 feet by 5 feet.

Roads, sidewalks and entrance gates on the east side of the stadium, next to the tower, remained cordoned off Tuesday, forcing detours for fans on foot. The tower itself and several nearby restaurants and attractions were also closed.

Kansas City was also the opponent for the only previous cancellation at Rogers Centre. That happened on April 12, 2001, after a collision between two panels of the stadium’s moving roof.

In the previous doubleheaders at the stadium formerly known as Skydome, Toronto swept the Los Angeles Angels on July 17, 1989, and the Cleveland Indians on Oct. 5, 2001.

DOUBLED UP

Kansas City has two more doubleheaders scheduled this month — Saturday at Detroit and on April 28 against the Chicago White Sox.

UP NEXT

Kansas City right-hander Ian Kennedy (1-1,1.00 ERA) starts Wednesday’s series finale. He won his previous road start this season, at Cleveland on April 7. Toronto turns to left-hander J.A. Happ (2-1, 3.94), who was originally supposed to start Tuesday’s second game. He gets an extra day of rest after his last start, a 7-1 win at Baltimore on April 9.

— Associated Press —

MWSU men’s golf wins at Central Oklahoma; McCarthy wins individual title

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EDMOND, Okla. – Griffon men’s golf won the Broncho Stampede with an 865 over three rounds at the Rose Creek Golf Course. Patrick McCarthy claimed the individual championship with a 3-under-par 213. It is the second championship of the season for both Missouri Western and McCarthy.

Tom Buffington trailed McCarthy by just three strokes with an even-par 216 and tied for third place. Kevin Kim finished tied for 12th place with a 4-over-par 220. Cole Roberts shot a 68 in the final round and ended the tournament tied for 18th with a 223. Lucas Horseman tied for 27th and carded a 227 to round out the MWSU scorecard.

Missouri Western beat Central Missouri by 14 strokes for the tournament title. McCarthy edged out UCM’s John Bonaobra by a stroke for the individual honor. MWSU is in action next at the MIAA Championships on April 23-25 at Sycamore Ridge Golf Course in Kansas City, Missouri.

— MWSU Athletics —

Bearcats complete season sweep of Nebraska-Kearney

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The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team picked up a sweep over the University of Nebraska Kearney on Tuesday in Kearney, Ne.

The Bearcats improve to 22-18 overall, 17-8 in conference, while the Lopers fall to 22-18 overall and 15-10 in conference play.

Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 9, Nebraska-Kearney 8)
– Northwest scored one in the first, seven in the sixth and one in the ninth inning. The Lopers got two runs in the first, third, fourth and eighth innings.
– The Bearcats had nine runs on ten hits with one error. UNK had eight runs on 14 hits with four errors.
– Mondesi Gutierrez went 2-for-5 with one stolen base.
– Landon Figg finished 2-for-5 with one run scored, four RBIs, a double and a grand slam.
– Luke Hassman was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, one run scored, a stolen base and drew two walks.
– Hudson Bilodeau went 1-for-4 with a stolen base, three runs scored and drew a walk.
– Aaron Barratt was 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, one RBI, and a run scored.
– Matt Schingel finished 1-for-5 with one RBI.
– Derek Hussey was 1-for-3 with one RBI and a run scored.

Game One Key Innings
– To get the Bearcats on the board, Bilodeau reached first after being hit by a pitch and was moved in to scoring position by a sacrifice bunt by Gutierrez. Figg reached safely on a hit by pitch to put runners on first and second. Hassman brought in Bilodeau to score with one out, and conclude the scoring for the Cats.

– After an out, Hussey reached safely after being hit by a pitch and Rycraft reached on a fielder’s choice. Bilodeau singled to center field to load the bases for the Cats. With two outs, Figg launched a grand slam over the center field fence to clear the bases and put the Bearcats within one. Hassman would then get hit by a pitch and promptly steal second. Handzlik drew a two out walk and Barratt doubled to right center to bring in Hassman and Handzlik on a fielding error. Schingel then hit a single to left field to score Barratt and put the Bearcats ahead 8-6.

– With a tie game going in to the bottom of the ninth inning, Bilodeau walked and stole second. Gutierrez would move him to third on a single to left field and then steal second. Hassman singled to right field to bring in Bilodeau to give the Bearcats a 9-8 walk-off win.

Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 13, UNK 4)
– The Bearcats scored four in the first, one in the second and third innings, two in the fifth, one in the eighth and four in the eighth inning. UNK scored two in the first and seventh innings.
– Northwest had 13 runs on 20 hits with one error. The Lopers scored four run on eight hits with four errors.
– Barratt finished the game going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
– Bilodeau went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two doubles and a walk.
– Hassman was 3-for-6 with one RBI and he scored two runs.
– Gutierrez finished 2-for-6 with one RBI and one run scored.
– Handzlik went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.
– Hussey was 2-for-5 with one RBI, a double and a run scored.
– Logan Rycraft finished 2-for-5 with one RBI, a run scored and a double.
– Figg went 1-for-6, scored two runs and had one RBI.
– Matt Schingel was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
– Nathan Russell picked up the win after throwing five innings, only allowed four hits and he struck out three batters.

Game Two Key Innings
– Bilodeau started the second game of the day with a double down the left line and advanced to third on a single by Gutierrez. Figg would then come up and hit a single to left field to score Bilodeau and put runners on first and third. Hassman followed it up with a single to right center to score Gutierrez and place Figg in scoring position. Handzlik kept the hitting going with a double to left center to score Figg and put Hassman on third. Barratt fin a grounder to second base to score Hassman and give the Bearcats a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

– After an out, Bilodeau would hit his second double of the game and then come around to score on a single to left field by Gutierrez.

– Handzlik and Barratt started the top of the third with a pair of singles and after an out, Hussey reached safely on an error to load the bases. Rycraft reached on a fielder’s choice to move all runners and score Handzlik from third to put the Cats up 6-2.

– Barratt began the fifth inning with a single to center field and quickly moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Schingel. Hussey would then single to left field to move Barratt to third and then bring him home on an error. Rycraft continued the scoring after he doubled to left center to bring in Hussey and conclude the scoring for the Bearcats.

– Barratt would again start the inning with a single to left field and move to second on a bunt by Schingel. Hussey brought him in to score on a double down the left field line and put the Bearcats up 9-2.

– In the top of the eighth, Figg reached on a fielding error and moved to second on a single to the shortstop by Hassman. Handzlik would lay down a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher and reach safely to load the bases. Barratt would bring in Figg with a single to left field and to keep the bases loaded. Schingel singled to right field to score Hassman and Handzlik, and put runners on the corners. On a ground ball to the infield, Barratt was able to score and give the Bearcats a 13-4 lead.

Up Next
– Northwest will take on Missouri Southern on Thursday, April 19 at 4 p.m. in Joplin, Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

Missouri Western softball splits doubleheader with Pitt State

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ST. JOSEPH – It was a tale of two games, once again on Tuesday for Griffon Softball (23-24, 14-8) as the team ran away with game one of a doubleheader before falling in game two to Pittsburg State (19-30, 9-11).

The Griffons used seven-run sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie and run away with game one, 11-4. Shelby Uhl lit the sixth inning fire with her eighth home run of the season, a three-run blast to center. In game two, the offense was held off the board in a 5-0 loss that ended the home portion of the 2018 season.

NOTABLES

  • Missouri Western went 15-9 at home overall, going 9-3 in MIAA games played at the Spring Sports Complex
  • Kaili Hinds had her scoreless innings streak stopped at 29 in game two. After holding the Gorillas off the board for the first three innings, a solo home run to right in the fourth was the first run scored off the freshman since the fifth inning at Central Missouri on March 30
  • Morgan Frost and Rebekah Mueller each had three hits in game one. Both were 3-for-4. Mueller scored two and drove in two. Frost also had a hit in game two.
  • Uhl and Lonnie Groves each drove in three runs in game one
  • The Griffons had five hits in game two and left eight runners on base
  • Missouri Western ended the night tied for fourth in the MIAA with Central Oklahoma. The Griffs were two games back of Northwest Missouri and Central Missouri, which were tied for second.

UP NEXT
The final regular season series come later this week. As most of the season has went, those final four games will not be played as regularly scheduled. The doubleheader at Washburn was moved up to Thursday, April 19 and the Griffs will close the regular season Friday at Emporia State.

— MWSU Athletics —

Mizzou defeats Chicago State for 15th straight non-conference home win

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – On a beautiful Tuesday evening at Taylor Stadium, Mizzou Baseball handled Chicago State in a 5-3 victory. The Mizzou victory was the 15th straight win against non-conference opponents at Taylor Stadium. Senior RF Trey Harris cranked his sixth home run of the season, a two-run blast over the left field fence in the bottom of the third that sparked Mizzou’s offense. The Tigers plated a pair in the fourth and a lone run in the fifth, building a 5-2 advantage after five innings.

The Mizzou bullpen backed up junior RHP Brian Sharp who worked 4.0 innings of two-run ball. Seven Tiger hurlers combined to toss 5.0 innings while allowing only three hits and one run. Mizzou’s collective effort out of the pen held off Chicago State

TURNING POINT

With the game knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth, Mizzou took advantage of a two-out Cougar error and scratched across a pair of runs. 3B Alex Samples dribbled a ball to the right side and Chicago State 2B Daulton Ryans botched his throw to first, allowing the Mizzou inning to continue. Following the error, Harris and LF Zach Hanna drew back-to-back bases loaded walks, giving Mizzou a 4-2 lead.

QUOTING MIZZOU

Head Coach Steve Bieser

“It is simple, we just have to be better. We were not very good offensively today. We were fortunate that we were able to draw some walks and we took advantage of an error – we scored a couple runs there with one hit. There are two innings where we scored two runs with just one hit. We just have to be better offensively.”

TOP TIGERS

  • Trey Harris led the way offensively for Mizzou, ripping a two-run shot and also smacking a first inning single. Harris now has 13 multi-hit games this season and eight multi-RBI performances. The right fielder also made a web gem on a slick sliding play in the sixth inning.
  • Junior LF Zach Hanna reached base four times, twice with a single while also drawing a walk and reaching on a hit by pitch. Hanna is now 7-for-his-last-15 and has seven multi-hit games this season. Hanna also swiped a bag, his fourth of the year.
  • Senior RP Andy Toelken capped the ballgame with a four-out save, his second save of the season. Toelken held the Cougars hitless and picked up a strikeout. He has now allowed only 13 runs over 38 innings of work this season.

NOTES

  • Mizzou is now 6-0 vs. Chicago State all-time.
  • Mizzou is now 27-2 against non-conference opponents at home under head coach Steve Bieser.
  • Mizzou has extended their non-conference home win streak to 16 games.
  • Mizzou has improved its record to 17-5 when they hold their opponents to three or fewer runs.
  • All nine of Mizzou’s starters made it safely on base during the game.
  • Senior OF Trey Harris hit his team-leading sixth home run in the third inning, a two-run shot.
  • Harris also recorded his eighth multi-RBI game of the season, the most on the team.
  • Junior OF Zach Hanna recorded two hits in the game, his seventh multi-hit game of the season.

UP NEXT

Mizzou hosts Vanderbilt in a three-game, Thursday-Saturday series this weekend at Taylor Stadium.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Cardinals defeat Cubs for fifth straight win

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CHICAGO (AP) — Adam Wainwright outpitched Tyler Chatwood in frigid conditions at Wrigley Field, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-3 on Tuesday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

The gametime temperature was 35 degrees, and a 10 mph wind made it feel like 29. There were heaters on in each dugout, and the announced crowd of 35,103 bundled up in winter coats, hats and blankets.

Matt Carpenter had two hits and three RBI for St. Louis in the first meeting of the season between the longtime rivals. The Cardinals went 5-14 against the NL Central champion Cubs last year, including just one win in nine games at Wrigley.

Each starting pitcher struggled with control, but Wainwright (1-2) deftly navigated his way through five effective innings. The 6-foot-7 right-hander allowed an unearned run and four hits, struck out five and walked four while improving to 11-2 in 24 career games at Chicago’s iconic neighborhood ballpark.

Chatwood (0-3) issued seven walks in 4 2/3 innings, one off his career high. He struck out seven and yielded two runs and one hit.

Javier Baez hit a two-run homer off Greg Holland in the eighth, but Chicago lost for the third time in four games. The Cubs hadn’t played since Saturday after their series finale against Atlanta and Game 1 against St. Louis were postponed due to lousy weather.

Chatwood’s wildness caught up to him in the third. After Dexter Fowler and Tommy Pham opened the inning with consecutive walks, Carpenter hit an RBI double off the base of the wall in right. Marcell Ozuna then drove in Pham with a grounder to shortstop.

The Cardinals added three more after Pedro Strop retired the first two batters in the eighth. Paul DeJong drove a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left for his fifth homer, snapping a 1-for-16 slide, and Carpenter added a two-run single.

After Holland faltered in the bottom half, leaving with no outs and a runner on first, Tyler Lyons got Jason Heyward to pop out before Bud Norris finished for his fourth save. Willson Contreras singled with two out in the ninth, but Norris struck out Kyle Schwarber looking to end the game.

RIZZO RETURNS

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was hit by Wainwright’s first pitch to him in his return to the lineup after being sidelined by lower back tightness. He went 0 for 3 with a walk.

Infielder/outfielder Efren Navarro was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to make room for Rizzo on the roster.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Jose Martinez started at first after he left Sunday’s 3-2 victory at Cincinnati following a collision with Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart. He went 0 for 4 with a walk.

Cubs: RF Ben Zobrist was scratched with back tightness. Ian Happ replaced Zobrist in the leadoff spot and started in center field. Jason Heyward moved from center to right.

UP NEXT

Cardinals right-hander Luke Weaver and Cubs left-hander Jon Lester are slated to pitch Wednesday afternoon, but there is more inclement weather in the forecast. Weaver (2-0, 2.08 ERA) made his major league debut at Wrigley Field on Aug. 13, 2016. Lester (1-0, 4.40 ERA) went 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA in five starts against St. Louis last year.

— Associated Press —

MWSU assistant Aaron Coombs named head men’s basketball coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State

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ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western assistant men’s basketball coach Aaron Coombs has accepted the head coaching position at Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

“The last five years at Missouri Western have been some of the best years of my life,” Coombs said. “The people of St. Joseph and Missouri Western are nothing short of extraordinary. Through the ups and downs, my family has always been treated with respect and love.”

“I want to thank director of athletics Josh Looney for believing in me and giving me a chance to stay on during the transition of coaches. I would like to thank all the players that gave everything they had to our program and to Griffon Nation. Lastly, I would like to thank coach (Brett) Weiberg and coach (Sundance) Wicks for allowing me to work with them and help build their programs. Missouri Western will always have a special place in my family’s heart and we will forever be Griffons.”

Coombs spent five seasons (2013-18) as the top men’s assistant at MWSU. He came to Missouri Western after one season as assistant coach at Missouri S&T. Prior to Missouri S&T, Coombs spent two seasons as Brett Weiberg’s assistant at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. Coombs’ wife, Signe, has been the director of athletics academic services at MWSU since 2016 and was recently named MWSU’s senior woman administrator.

“Griffon Athletics is thrilled that the Coombs family has received this exciting new opportunity. Aaron’s integrity, loyalty and steadiness were constant during the recent leadership transition within our men’s basketball program,” Looney said. “Likewise, Signe’s elevation to senior woman administrator this academic year allowed her to lead several new projects and take on larger roles within the administration of our athletic department. Both Signe and Aaron have a special gift to connect with student-athletes in an incredible way. Oklahoma Panhandle State is adding a first-class athletics family.”

Oklahoma Panhandle State, and NIAIA member, is located in Goodwell, Oklahoma and plays in the Sooner Athletic Conference. A search for the Coombs’s replacements will begin immediately.

— MWSU Athletics —

Kansas women sign two from Highland Community College

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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas head women’s basketball coach Brandon Schneider and his staff added a pair of junior college transfers to their 2018 signing class after Mariane De Carvalho and Niccolly Ramalho signed valid National Letters of Intent to play for the Jayhawks.

As members of the 2018 signing class De Carvalho and Ramalho join Brooklyn Mitchell and Aniya Thomas as Schneider’s third recruiting class since taking over the KU women’s basketball program in 2015. Both De Carvalho and Ramalho are natives of Brazil and prepped at Highland Community College prior to signing with the Jayhawks.

“Nany (Mariane) and Nicci (Niccolly) led Highland Community College to a 63-5 record over the past 2 season,” said Schneider. “They definitely fit our recruiting profile in terms of recruiting competitors with a winning mentality.”

A 6-foot-2 guard/forward, De Carvalho was ranked the No. 6 junior college player of the 2018 class and No. 1 for her position by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. While at Highland, she earned two All-American nods for efforts on the hardwood. De Carvalho is the only player in women’s basketball history at Highland to score 1,000 career points.

“Nany (Mariane) is a long, athletic scorer,” Schneider said De Carvalho. “She has a quick first step and can deliver from every level offensively. She has a high basketball IQ and is very active defensively and on the glass. Her length and quick hands allow her to be very disruptive in a pressure scheme.”

De Carvalho, the nation’s top wing, averaged 19.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while connecting on 48 percent from the field. She also made 38 percent of her attempts from long range. De Carvalho was named Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) Player of the Year in 2018 and KJCC Freshman of the Year in 2017. Additionally, De Carvalho earned KJCCC All-Conference First Team honors along with Region VI All-Region First Team accolades.

The native of Araraquara, Brazil was a member of the 2015 U19 Women’s World Championship Team. She chose Kansas over South Carolina, Mississippi State, Kansas State and Creighton.

A 5-foot-5 guard, Ramalho led the Scotties to a 35-1 overall record in 2018 and earned first-team all-conference and all-region honors. She earned National Player of the Week honors after nearly recording a quadruple double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and nine steals.

“Nicci (Niccolly) is a very skilled, hard-nosed guard, said Schneider of Ramalho. “(If you) Glance at the stat sheet, you immediately see how many ways she positively impacts the game. We love her toughness and high energy approach to the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, she can hit the open 3-pointer and is a terrific passer, especially in an open court game.”

Ramalho averaged 12 points, five assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. Ramalho also averaged three steals per contest. She led the nation in steals with 131 and ended the year fourth in assists on the season, which helped her set the Highland single-season record for assists and steals.

A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ramalho chose the Jayhawks over Kansas State, Campbell, Saint Louis and San Francisco.

— KU Athletics —

Griffons, Buffington lead after day one at Central Oklahoma

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EDMOND, Okla. – The Missouri Western men’s golf team leads the Central Oklahoma Broncho Stampede after shooting a 573 in the first two rounds Monday at the Rose Creek Golf Course. Tom Buffington is tied for the lead at 6-under-par 138.

Patrick McCarthy is tied for fourth after the first day and trails Buffington by four strokes at 2-under-par 142. Tied for 10th place is Kevin Kim with a 1-over-par 145. Lucas Horseman was 4-over-par 148 and ended the day tied for 18th. Cole Roberts rounded out the MWSU scorecard with a 155.

Missouri Western leads second-place Lindenwood by seven strokes. Buffington shares the lead with LWU’s Yente Van Doren. MWSU tees off in the final round Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals-Blue Jays opener postponed; doubleheader scheduled for Tuesday

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TORONTO (AP) — Even moving indoors couldn’t get the Blue Jays back on the field.

Toronto postponed Monday’s series opener against Kansas City after chunks of ice crashed down from the nearby CN Tower following a weekend of freezing rain, including one that punctured a hole in the Rogers Centre roof.

Andrew Miller, the Blue Jays’ executive vice president of business operations, was standing in the infield with two colleagues around 10:00 a.m. Monday, examining existing damage, when a falling piece of ice tore a hole about three feet by five feet in the PVC roof over right field, sending ice and pieces of insulation crashing onto the turf.

“We saw it happen,” Miller said. “It was pretty frightening. It was really loud. It sounded like fireworks or some kind of explosion going off.”

It’s the first postponement at Rogers Centre since a game against the Royals was called off following a collision between two panels of the stadium’s moving roof on April 12, 2001. The teams will play a doubleheader on Tuesday.

“If you come to a dome and get banged, something ain’t right,” Royals manager Ned Yost said about an hour before the game was called.

Monday’s starters, Kansas City left-hander Eric Skoglund and Blue Jays lefty Jaime Garcia, will start Game 1 on Tuesday. Game 2 will also feature a pair of lefties, with Kansas City’s Danny Duffy going against Toronto’s J.A. Happ.

Weather also wiped out Toronto’s game at Cleveland on Sunday, one of six games around the majors to be postponed. It was the second straight weather-related postponement for the Indians and Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays completed a two-year, $10 million mechanical upgrade of the retractable roof before the 2017 season, and this year are looking at replacing the roof cover, which dates from the stadium opening in 1989. The stadium’s artificial turf surface, one of two such fields in the majors, does not have drainage.

On Monday afternoon, light could be seen coming through the hole above right field, while tarps and batting practice screens surrounded the area on the turf below. Workers went on the roof and patched the hole around 4 p.m., and the Blue Jays said they still hoped to play. About an hour later, the game was postponed.

“We didn’t want to put players at risk, we didn’t want to put fans or employees at risk,” Miller said. “We just thought more information and more time would help us.”

Most of the outfield was cordoned off, and tarpaulins and buckets on both the infield and outfield were being used to catch leaks and drips.

Batting practice was also called off, but players from both teams played catch on the areas of the field that were still accessible.

The postponement came hours after a post on the Blue Jays’ official Twitter feed boasted the Rogers Centre was immune to weather woes. The since-deleted tweet, which included a winking emoji, read: “Weather update: Due to our stadium having a roof, today’s game will be … Played as expected.”

The Minnesota Vikings, who dealt with multiple roof collapses at their former home, the Metrodome, later tweeted a message to the Blue Jays saying “Been there, done that @BlueJays. We’re here if you need any support.”

Police blocked access to entrance gates on the east side of the stadium, next to the tower, because “relatively large” pieces of ice were falling onto streets and sidewalks below. Authorities said no injuries had been reported, but several windows in nearby office buildings were smashed and at least one car was struck.

Falling ice also made for a scary arrival in Toronto for the Royals, who flew in from Kansas City late Sunday after their game against the Los Angeles Angels was among those postponed. While the team was en route to its Toronto hotel, a flying chunk of ice broke the windshield of a team bus, showering the driver in glass. Reliever Blaine Boyer grabbed the wheel and helped bring the bus to a stop.

Rogers Centre wasn’t the only Toronto stadium affected by the weather. Water was leaking into the seating area at nearby Air Canada Centre about an hour before Monday’s NHL playoff game between the Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. That game began on time. Saturday’s NBA playoff game at the same arena between the Raptors and Washington Wizards was delayed by a leak along the baseline.

The weekend ice storm resulted in power outages, canceled flights and road collisions across Ontario. More than 120,000 customers remain without power.

— Associated Press —

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