Blue Jays beat A’s 7-1, improve to 5-0 vs Oakland this year
TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts in his second big league game, Brandon Drury had three hits a day after his winning ninth-inning home run and the Toronto Blue Jays extended their winning streak against Oakland to five with a 7-1 victory over the Athletics on Saturday.
Randal Grichuk and three hits and two RBIs for Toronto, which is 5-0 against the A’s this season.
A day after his going 1 for 4 with a ninth-inning double in his major league debut, the 20-year-old Guerrero took a called third strike in the first, lined out in the second, walked leading off the fifth, struck out swinging in the sixth and singled in the eighth on a ball up the middle that shortstop Marcus Semien was unable to handle.
After a pair of games at third base, Guerrero may be the designated hitter Sunday.
Brett Anderson (3-2) became the first pitcher to face Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Sr., who was 1 for 5 against him. He allowed six runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings, dropping to 0-3 in his career against Toronto.
Six days after leaving a last start with a broken fingernail, Aaron Sanchez (3-1) gave up an unearned run and two hits in five innings. Sam Gaviglio gave up two hits in three innings, and Daniel Hudson finished the four-hitter with a hitless ninth.
Guerrero was moved up a slot to cleanup and came to the plate with the bases loaded in the first. Teoscar Hernández grounded to third baseman Matt Chapman, who threw to second for a forceout, but second baseman Jurickson Profar’s throw to first trying for a double play was sailed to the home plate side of the base for an error that allowed a second run to score. Umpires originally called interference on Grichuk sliding into Profar, but the call was reversed on a video review.
Toronto doubled its lead in the second when Eric Sogard drove in Danny Jansen with a drag bunt and Grichuk hit an RBI single.
Nick Hundley hit into a run-scoring forceout in the fifth, but Toronto boosted its lead to 6-1 in the bottom half on Rowdy Tellez’s RBI single and Jansen’s sacrifice fly.
Grichuk hit an RBI double off Liam Hendriks in the sixth.
UP NEXT
RHP Chris Bassitt (1-0) starts Sunday for Oakland and RHP Trent Thornton (0-3) for Toronto. Thornton, seeking his first big league win, has allowed 13 runs in 12 2/3 innings.
