Chapman homers and Gausman throws 6 solid innings as Blue Jays beat Marlins 6-3

By The Associated Press on June 21, 2023.

MIAMI (AP) – Matt Chapman homered and doubled, Kevin Gausman pitched six-plus innings of three-run ball and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Wednesday.

Cavan Biggio stepped in for late scratch Bo Bichette and doubled and singled for the Blue Jays. Bichette, who leads the American League in hits with 101 and had played in Toronto’s first 75 games, sat out because of left thumb discomfort.

Luis Arraez went 2 for 5 for the Marlins and is now hitting a major league-leading .398.

Gausman (7-3) scattered eight hits and struck out six in his 12th start of six or more innings. Jordan Romano picked up his 22nd save.

Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara had another rough outing in a difficult first half of the season. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner gave up five runs and 10 hits over seven innings as his ERA increased to 5.08.

Alcantara (2-6) has allowed double-digit hits in each of his last two starts.

Consecutive doubles from Chapman and Biggio began a five-run second inning. Biggio scored on Kevin Kiermaier’s single. George Springer hit a two-run single and raced home on Whit Merrifield’s single for a 5-0 lead.

Garrett Cooper’s two-RBI double in the fourth helped Miami reduce the early gap.

The Marlins ended Gausman’s outing after Garrett Hampson’s RBI single in the seventh made it 5-3. Erik Swanson relieved Gausman and induced a double-play groundout from Arraez and retired Jorge Soler on a groundout.

Chapman homered on the first pitch from Marlins reliever Steven Okert to lead off the eighth.

Trevor Richards pitched a perfect eighth. Romano gave up a single and a walk in the ninth before retiring Arraez on a force play at second for the final out.

ROSTER MOVE

The Blue Jays activated Brandon Belt from the injured list and optioned OF Spencer Horwitz to Triple-A Buffalo. Belt started at DH and singled in four at-bats.

CAMP OUTING

The first day of summer coincided with a common feature in weekday Marlins afternoon games. Children, clad in brightly-colored T-shirts and representing South Florida summer camps, sat in different sections of loanDepot Park. The club has another weekday afternoon game on Aug. 3 before school resumes in the fall.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: C Rob Brantly had imaging Wednesday, a day after sustaining a left elbow contusion during an at-bat in Buffalo’s game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Manager John Schneider said initial tests have been promising.

Marlins: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (turf toe) walked in three plate appearance in a rehab game with Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: Have not announced a starter for the opener of a three-game home series against the Oakland Athletics on Friday.

Marlins: LHP Braxton Garrett (3-2, 3.88) will start the opener of a four-game home set against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.