By Canadian Press

Merrifield, Blue Jays top Diamondbacks 5-2 for third consecutive victory

Jul 15, 2023 | 4:07 PM

TORONTO — All-Stars Whit Merrifield and Bo Bichette both homered and the Toronto Blue Jays earned a 5-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.

Merrifield and George Springer each had two RBIs for Toronto (52-41), which extended its winning streak to three games.

Jays starter Chris Bassitt (9-5) had five strikeouts while surrendering seven hits and zero walks in six innings of action in front of a sellout crowd of 42,328 at Rogers Centre.

Nate Pearson, Erik Swanson and Yimi Garcia — who got the save — held the Diamondbacks scoreless in three innings of relief.

Jake McCarthy had two RBIs for Arizona (52-41), which dropped its third in a row.

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Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen (11-4) surrendered six hits and three walks, while striking out five batters in five innings of work. Relievers Miguel Castro, Andrew Chafin, Scott McGough gave up two runs in four innings.

It was Gallen’s first start since being the National League starter in Tuesday’s All-Star game.

The Blue Jay bats found their rhythm in the second inning. Merrifield produced the first hit of the game with a single. After Daulton Varsho struck out, Alejandro Kirk nailed a 93 m.p.h. fastball into right field for a double.

Gallen then walked Cavan Biggio to load the bases. Springer followed up with a two-run single into deep left field that scored Merrifield and Kirk.

In the fourth, former Blue Jay Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled, followed by a double from Emmanuel Rivera. With a full count, two outs and runners on second and third, McCarthy hit a two-run single and narrowly made it safe at first base.

To the dismay of the crowd, a review did not lead to the call being overturned and the game was tied at 2-2.

Those jeers quickly turned into cheers in the bottom of the inning. Merrifield cranked a 86.2 m.p.h change-up 372 feet into left field for his sixth homer of the season, with the ball bouncing off the top of the wall and over. 

Bichette tacked on another homer in the eight inning — his 16th of the season — with a shot to left centre field off McGough to make it a 4-2 game.

Merrifield picked up his second RBI when his sacrifice fly scored Brandon Belt in the eighth.

INJURIES

Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday due to discomfort in his left side. Bassitt stepped in to take the start.

The team said an MRI revealed no damage and that Gausman is day to day.

Meanwhile, reliever Jordan Romano was given the green light to return Saturday after he exited Tuesday’s All-Star game with left lower back tightness. However, he did not enter the game.

ON DECK

Yusei Kikuchi (7-3) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays in Sunday’s series finale. Tommy Henry (5-1) is set to take the mound for the Diamondbacks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2023.

Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press