Sunday Sports: Argos Trim Blue Bombers In OT

CFL

He’ll get credit for securing the Toronto Argonauts their third home win, but Lirim Hajrullahu certainly had plenty of help.

Hajrullahu’s 34-yard field goal in overtime earned Toronto a wild 16-14 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday night. But it was an Argos defence that anchored the win by scoring the team’s lone touchdown while forcing five turnovers and recording five sacks. 

Hajrullahu connected on his game-winning kick after Winnipeg’s Sergio Castillo missed from 41 yards out on the first overtime possession for a single.

Toronto (4-3) earned its second win in five games and only its third victory in nine matchups against Winnipeg. But the Argos’ offence struggled to muster any consistency, recording just 12 first downs and 205 net yards (including 96 yards rushing, 124 yards passing).

Cameron Dukes started at quarterback but after completing three-of-four passes for 34 yards was replaced by veteran Nick Arbuckle in the second quarter. Arbuckle finished 12-of-22 passing for just 87 yards.

“Awful,” Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said of his offence’s play. “We’re continuing to make the same mistakes on simple stuff … we’re just not clicking on offence.

“I have to look at what we’re doing correctly, what we’re not. Maybe it’s too much, do I have to simplify it? That was the worst performance offensively that I’ve been a part of.”

But Dinwiddie couldn’t say enough about Toronto’s defence.

“The defence, credit to them, saved our bacon offensively,” he said. “They made the plays and won the football game.”

Winnipeg (2-6) suffered a second straight loss and fell to 0-4 on the road. And the Bombers’ situation doesn’t get any easier hosting the rested B.C. Lions (5-2) on Thursday night.

After making four straight Grey Cup appearances (winning twice), Winnipeg finds itself in a very unfamiliar position.

“It’s up to us to win games and we’re all that we need in this room to get it done,” said veteran linebacker Adam Bighill. “We’ve had opportunities to do so and we’ve found ways to let them slip.

“That’s unacceptable and obviously not what we’re used to doing. It can’t happen, we have to get this thing going the right way.”

• The Edmonton Elks will be aiming to end their season-long losing streak Sunday when they face the 1-5 Hamilton Tiger-Cats in CFL action at Commonwealth Stadium. This will be the first game at home for Jarious Jackson since he was named interim coach of the 0-and-6 Elks.

OLYMPICS

• Paris Olympics organizers apologized Sunday to anyone who was offended by a tableau that evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” during the glamorous opening ceremony. Da Vinci’s painting depicts the moment when Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him. The scene during Friday’s ceremonyfeatured DJ and producer Barbara Butch — an LGBTQ+ icon — flanked by drag artists and dancers. The ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly had said it was meant to celebrate diversity and pay tribute to feasting and French gastronomy.
• Toronto swimmer Summer McIntosh won Canada’s first medal Saturday — a silver in the women’s 400-metre freestyle. It was just the second medal Canada has ever won in the women’s 400. In men’s gymnastics, Felix Dole of Laval, Quebec, and Rene Cournoyer of Repentigny, Quebec, qualified for the men’s individual all-around final yesterday. And Fares Arfa of Laval earned Canada’s best-ever Olympic result in men’s individual fencing by finishing eighth overall in men’s sabre.
• Canada was tested, but held on to win its first Olympic basketball game in 24 years. R-J Barrett scored 23 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 21 and Canada survived a big effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo to beat Greece 86-79 in the Paris Olympics opener for both teams. France, Australia and Germany also won their openers on Saturday.

MLB

The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to make it three-for-three against the visiting Texas Rangers today. Right-hander Jose Berrios will be on the mound today for the Jays, who beat the Rangers 6-3 yesterday and 6-5 on Friday. Right-hander John Gray will start for the Rangers. Yesterday the Jays traded longtime catcher Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox for three prospects, and pitcher Nate Pearson was dealt to the Chicago Cubs for two prospects.

WCBL

Regina 11 Moose Jaw 7
Okotoks 5 Saskatoon 2
Medicine Hat 18 Brooks 6
Swift Current 6 Weyburn 4
Lethbridge 12 Edmonton 7
Sylvan Lake 5 Fort McMurray 2

GOLF

Mao Saigo of Japan emerged from the smoky haze yesterday at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary with the lowest round in CPKC Canadian Women’s Open history. Five hours later, Haeran Ryu of South Korea and American Lauren Coughlin found themselves well clear of the rest of the field. Saigo shot an 11-under 61 to jump from a tie for 46th to a tie for third — five strokes behind Ryu and four back of Coughlin. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ontario, is tied for 18th and 11 shots behind Ryu.

(Canadian Press)