Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) hits a two-run home run, scoring teammate Brandon Belt, not shown, against the Oakland Athletics in sixth inning American League baseball action in Toronto, Saturday, June 24, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker
TORONTO – Danny Jansen and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. each had a two-run homer as the Toronto Blue Jays bounced back with a 7-3 win over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.
Brandon Belt had a sacrifice fly and Matt Chapman added an RBI single a day after Toronto (42-36) lost to lowly Oakland.
José BerrÃos (8-5) struck out eight, allowing three runs – two earned – on six hits and two walks. Relievers Tim Mayza, Nate Pearson, Yimi Garcia and closer Jordan Romano of Markham, Ont., combined for three scoreless innings.
Seth Brown had a solo home run for the MLB-worst Athletics (20-59). Ryan Noda and Tyler Wade drove in runs with a double and a single, respectively.
Shintaro Fujinami (3-7) only pitched 2/3 of an inning, giving up two runs on four hits before being replaced by Hogan Harris.
Harris allowed four runs over 4 2/3 innings on five hits and four walks. Austin Pruitt and Sam Long also came out of Oakland’s bullpen.
Belt got Toronto on the board early when his sacrifice fly in the first inning gave George Springer more than enough time to score from second base. Two at bats later, Chapman singled to right field to cash in Bo Bichette for a 2-0 Blue Jays lead.
Brown replied in the top of the second, muscling an 0-1 pitch from BerrÃos 414 feet to deep centre field. His fifth homer of the season came off of a 78.9 m.p.h. slurve.
Toronto manufactured another run in the bottom of the inning. Fujinami loaded the bases and then hit Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a pitch to push Santiago Espinal across home. That gave the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.
Noda pulled Oakland back within a run when he doubled to deep right field. Tony Kemp, who had reached base after being hit by a pitch, scored on the play. Noda tried to stretch his hit into a triple but Bichette sent the relay throw to third to easily get the A’s first baseman out.
It didn’t take long for the Blue Jays to once again extend their lead.
Jansen put his 10th home run of the season just over the wall in left field in the third, with the police officer doing security for Toronto’s bullpen handing the ball to a fan. Jansen’s 378-foot shot also scored Daulton Varsho to make it 5-2 for the home side.
The A’s chipped away at Toronto’s lead in the sixth when Wade hit a bloop single between Espinal and Bichette to score Jace Peterson. The hit advanced Shea Langeliers to third but BerrÃos got out of trouble by striking out Esteury Ruiz to end the inning.
Guerrero had his second homer in as many days at Rogers Centre in the sixth inning. He rocked an 81.4 m.p.h. curveball from Pruitt 437 feet to dead centre. He brought home Belt with the blast to give the Blue Jays a commanding 7-3 lead.
The home runs on back-to-back days may be an indication that Guerrero’s pulling out of a power shortage. His three-run bomb in Friday’s 5-4 loss to Oakland was his first in the friendly confines of Rogers Centre and ended a 16-game drought for the all-star first baseman.
UNIVERSE BOSS – Legendary cricketer “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle threw out the ceremonial opening pitch. A cricket-style Blue Jays jersey was given away to the first 15,000 fans through the Rogers Centre turnstiles on Saturday to celebrate the appearance from the Jamaican all-rounder.
CIMBER OUT – Right-handed reliever Adam Cimber was placed on the 15-day injured list two hours before the game began. The sidearmer is out with a right shoulder impingement. Righty Bowden Francis was recalled from triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding move.
ON DECK – Yusei Kikuchi (6-2) gets the start as Toronto closes out its series with Oakland in a matinee.
Luis Medina (1-6) is scheduled to pitch for the Athletics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2023.
