By Canadian Press

Guerrero’s seventh inning lifts Blue Jays over Padres 4-0; Toronto avoids sweep

Jul 20, 2023 | 2:08 PM

TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made a sharp defensive play and hit a home run in the seventh inning as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the San Diego Padres 4-0 on Thursday afternoon to avoid a three-game sweep.

Alejandro Kirk added a two-run homer after Guerrero’s blast for Toronto (54-43). Jordan Luplow’s RBI single in the second gave the Blue Jays their first lead of the three-game interleague series.

Chris Bassitt (10-5) struck out five, issuing a walk and four hits over six scoreless innings.

Tim Mayza, Erik Swanson and Jordan Romano of Markham, Ont., came out of the Blue Jays bullpen to preserve Bassitt’s win. Romano earned his 27th save.

Blake Snell (6-8) allowed just one run despite giving up five hits and seven walks over five innings for San Diego (46-51). He struck out four. Steven Wilson, Luis Garcia, Tom Cosgrove and Alek Jacob came on in relief.

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The Padres won the first two games of the series 9-1 and 2-0.

Luplow gave the Blue Jays their first lead of the series with a single to left field in the second that drove in Santiago Espinal and advanced Kirk to third. Called up to Toronto from triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, it was Luplow’s first hit of the season in four appearances in the bigs.

The Blue Jays had an opportunity to blow the game wide open in the fourth inning when singles by Whit Merrifield and Kirk as well as a walk to Luplow loaded the bases with one out. But Kevin Kiermaier struck out and George Springer had a flyout to keep Toronto’s narrow lead at 1-0.

Bo Bichette and Guerrero led off the next inning with back-to-back walks, but again the Blue Jays couldn’t capitalize. Matt Chapman and Merrifield both struck out, but Bichette and Guerrero advanced a base on a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position. Espinal groundout to again end the threat.

Toronto has left an average of 3.66 runners in scoring position per game this season heading into Thursday’s matchup. That’s fifth worst in Major League Baseball behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia, Boston, and Texas.

Guerrero made a heads-up defensive play in the seventh inning. With one out he caught a popup from Alfonso Rivas and then made a quick throw to Mayza, who was covering first base to force out Trent Grisham who had wandered off the bag. 

The double play was so fast that it took the 43,196 at Rogers Centre a replay up on the Jumbotron to give Guerrero’s quick thinking a proper cheer.

There was no delay on the ovation in the bottom of the inning when Guerrero smashed a solo home run into the visitor’s bullpen. His 15th of the season came on a 98.5 m.p.h. slider from Garcia that travelled 370 feet for a 2-0 Toronto lead.

Kirk piled on the eighth, hitting just his fourth home run of the season to deep left field. It was his first homer since June 5, a drought of 22 games. His 370-foot bomb also scored Espinal who had led the inning off with a single.

GAUSMAN RETURNS — Ace Kevin Gausman (7-5) will return to Toronto’s rotation on Saturday in the second of three games in Seattle. Gausman was scratched from a start last weekend because of discomfort in his left side.

ON DECK — Yusei Kikuchi (7-3) will get the start against his former team on Friday as the Blue Jays travel to Seattle.

Bryce Miller (6-3) will take the mound for the Mariners.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2023.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press