Varsho’s three-run homer keys Blue Jays’ 5-2 road win over Padres

By Richard J. Marcus, The Associated Press on April 20, 2024.

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Daulton Varsho hit a three-run homer and José BerrÃos pitched six scoreless innings to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night.

BerrÃos (4-0) allowed six hits, struck out six and lowered his ERA to 0.85. He has won all four of his starts for Toronto, which has six victories in its last seven games.

Jordan Romano pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.

Varsho’s home run off Randy VÃ¡squez (0-1) capped a three-run first inning for the Blue Jays, with all the runs unearned after a throwing error by Padres’ third baseman Graham Pauley. It was Varsho’s third homer in the last three games. He homered, doubled and singled in four at-bats.

VÃ¡squez, who was added to the roster Saturday from Triple-A El Paso, allowed four runs – one earned – and four hits in four innings in his first big-league game of the season.

The Padres, who have scored just four runs in the past three games, trailed 4-0 in the fifth inning. San Diego had a prime chance against BerrÃos, but Manny Machado hit a first-pitch infield pop-up with two outs and the bases loaded to end the scoring opportunity.

Erik Swanson gave up a run in the eighth, but quelled the Padres’ rally by inducing Eguy Rosario into a groundout with two outs and runners on second and third to preserve the Blue Jays’ 4-2 lead.

Padres manager Mike Shildt and left fielder Jurickson Profar were both ejected in the first by plate umpire Ramon De Jesus. Profar threw his bat down violently after being called out on a third strike, which led to the ejection. Shildt came out to argue and got in a shouting match with De Jesus and was subsequently tossed.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: RHP Chad Green was put on the 15-day IL, retroactive to April 17 “¦ RHP Nate Pearson was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo.

Padres: VÃ¡squez filled in for Yu Darvish, who was placed on the IL with neck tightness. “¦ RHP Logan Gillaspie was optioned to El Paso. “¦ Pauley was recalled from El Paso, while IF Matthew Batten was sent down.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (2-2, 4.03) takes the mound on Sunday in the final game of the three-game series against RHP Joe Musgrove (2-2, 6.29).