There was something a tad naive about the voracity with which Toronto FC fans greeted the final whistle Wednesday night, as their team triumphed 2-1 over the Whitecaps. If it was just an MLS regular season game, the reaction might have been warranted. Jermaine Defoe and Michael Bradley, Torontos two superstars scored on either side of half-time in top dollar fashion... with cool, composed precision. On any other day, that would have been three points with the two highest profile players justifying their worth. But this was not just a game, this was the first leg of two-game total goals series, in which away goals count as the first tiebreaker. And Torontos opponent wasnt a full-fledged MLS experienced squad, it was a team of kids including three 17-year-olds. A 19-year-old (Kekuta Manneh) came off the bench and bagged a critical goal in second half stoppage time, that puts the Whitecaps in pretty good shape heading home for that second leg next Wednesday at BC Place (7:30pm pt). It was a Whitecaps team that averaged just over 22 years of age, or about five years younger per player than those in red. The average salary per player, well... that was about a 15-1 difference favouring TFC on the night. And so the context of Wednesdays win should have garnered a different reaction from the home faithful. They should have been annoyed that TFC didnt capitalize on some of its gilt-edged chances in the first half, which might have seen a much wider scoreline at the break. And they should have been devastated at conceding a goal in the dying embers of the second half, having just been put in a great 2-0 position by Michael Bradleys marauding run and clinical finish minutes before. And all of that occurring at home, against a team that is still learning how to shave! The combatants Wednesday gave us an interesting illustration of two entirely different approaches to building a club. I, for one, have absolutely no problem with a team in Canada executing arguably the biggest off-season double swoop in MLS history. Its a top-down approach which has (its early, yes) seemingly paid off already. Interest has been renewed along with many season tickets, in a market that has been exceedingly tolerant of rebuilds. But theres a temporary feeling to that philosophy, much like BMO field itself. Built for today, not for tomorrow. (That, by the way, will change upon approval of an ambitious $100 million redesign to TFCs home.) To use a Mothers Day example, is it better to give Mom a beautiful store-bought bouquet or pick the ones you grew in your garden? If Moms happy either way, does the method matter? The Whitecaps are committed to growing their own. Perhaps thats the reason for so much enthusiasm in Vancouver right now; the sense of sustainability from a foundation built on youth. The tangible potential was there for everyone to see, even though the end product wasnt. Time will tell which supporters will be cheering the loudest on final whistles to come as two Canadian clubs chart their courses into the future. But I get the feeling after Wednesday, Whitecaps fans are pretty optimistic about the ship theyre sailing on. Custom Kansas City Royals Nike Jerseys . The rest of the team was already on the field stretching before batting practice while Puig was getting dressed in the clubhouse. He had been slated to start in right field for the afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants, who beat the Dodgers 8-4. Custom Arizona Diamondbacks Nike Jerseys . Lost to Los Angeles in first round of playoffs. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.com/. First reported by FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal, its unknown if the impetus for the deferral proposal came from players or management, but it never left the preliminary stages. Custom Colorado Rockies Nike Jerseys . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. Custom Tampa Bay Rays Nike Jerseys .Bacca took advantage of Cristian Alvarezs hesitation to head a lobbed pass over the goalkeeper and then used his feet to roll the ball into an empty net in the eighth minute. The Colombia strikers 10th goal pulled him level with Lionel Messi as the leagues third-leading scorers, far behind Cristiano Ronaldos runaway tally of 23 goals.PHOENIX -- Edwin Encarnacion says Chase Field is "one of the best" places to hit in the majors. Of course he should feel that way. The Toronto slugger homered for a record fifth straight time at the Arizona ballpark to help the Blue Jays beat the fading Arizona Diamondbacks 10-4 on Tuesday night. "Eddie hits everywhere," Toronto manager John Gibbons said, "but he hits really well here." Rajai Davis, Adam Lind and Moises Sierra also homered for the Blue Jays, who jumped out to a 5-0 lead in two innings off Wade Miley (9-10). Toronto clinched its third straight series. The Blue Jays have won five of six and seven of nine. "Its been a tough year for us but were playing some good baseball right now," Gibbons said. "Weve got some young guys in there that are contributing, bringing some energy. The bottom line too is when you pitch, youve got a chance, and thats pretty much what weve been doing lately." The Diamondbacks have lost three straight and five of six, all at home. Adam Eaton, Didi Gregorius and Miguel Montero homered for Arizona, which fell eight games behind Cincinnati for the final NL wild-card spot. Washington moved ahead of the Diamondbacks in the wild-card chase. "We have to figure out how to get something going," Eaton said. "It is called a grind for a reason and we cant put our heads down and pout about it. We have to get something going, some way and somehow and figure it out." Todd Redmond (3-2) allowed three runs and four hits in five innings for his second win in a row. "The offence did a great job tonight. Hats off to them," he said, "and I was able to keep the ball down and throw strikes." Encarnacion also doubled, singled and walked twice. Going back to May 2010, he has seven home runs in his past five games at Chase. "It surprised me when they told me that, but its good," he said. "You can see the ball good here -- I can see it." Miley didnt make it out of the second inning, allowing five runs and eight hits in 1 2-3 innings. Eaton had two throwing errors in left field, one of which led to an unearned run. Toronto got one run in the first on Brett Lawries RBI single, then added four in the second to bring a quick end to Mileys night. Kevin Pillar doubled with one out, then Redmond walked. Jose Reyes followed with a single but was picked off first base. That saved a run for Arizona because Davis sent Mileys 3-2 pitch over the wall in left-centre, a two-run shot that made it 4-0.dddddddddddd Encarnacion doubled and Lawrie got another RBI single to put the Blue Jays up 5-0. Miley walked Mark DeRosa and the Arizona left-handers night was over. Josh Collmenter came on and retired J.P. Arencibia to end the inning. Redmond was perfect through three innings before Eaton led off the fourth with a home run to the swimming pool area in left field. The Diamondbacks went on to get runners at first and third with one out in the inning, but Aaron Hill grounded sharply to third and Toronto converted the inning-ending double play. The Blue Jays got a run off Collmenter in the fifth when DeRosa led off with a single and reached third when Eatons throw from left field after Arencibias fly out sailed into the Toronto dugout. DeRosa scored the unearned run on Sierras double off Eatons glove at the wall in left-centre. Arizona cut it to 6-3 on Gregorius two-run home run into the right field seats off Redmond in the fifth. Another leadoff homer, this one in the seventh by Montero off Neil Wagner, cut the lead to 6-4. Gerardo Parra followed with an infield single, but was erased when pinch hitter Willie Bloomquist grounded into a double play. Encarnacions towering home run off Will Harris in the seventh put Toronto up 7-4. Toronto blew the game open in the ninth. Linds pinch-hit home run off left-hander Eury de La Rosa made it 8-4, then Sierras two-run shot, his first homer of the season, put Toronto up 10-4. The shortstop Reyes threw A.J. Pollock out from his backside after knocking down a sharp grounder in the first inning. He said he had done that only once before, also in Arizona when he was with the New York Mets. Notes: The Diamondbacks recalled 3B Matt Davidson and C Tuffy Gosewisch and selected SS Chris Owings from Triple-A Reno. Owings was the PCL player of the year. LHP Matt Reynolds was transferred to the 60-day DL to make room for Owings on the 40-man roster. ... Owings grounded out as a pinch hitter in the fifth in his major league debut. ... Toronto recalled RHP Kyle Drabek from Triple-A Buffalo. The Blue Jays also selected LHP Ricky Romero, RHP Jeremy Jeffress and C Mike Nickeas from Buffalo. LHP Luis Perez returned from a medical rehab assignment and activated from the 60-day DL. ... Randall Delgado (4-5, 3.67 ERA) goes for Arizona and Mark Buehrle (11-7, 3.92) for Toronto in the series finale Wednesday afternoon. ' ' '