The visiting Toronto Blue Jays, hitless for six innings, clubbed four homers in an 11-run seventh inning to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 11-2 Saturday night, completing a doubleheader sweep.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit the first pitch of the seventh inning for a single to right center off Baltimore starter Keegan Akin and Bo Bichette followed with a homer to left on a 2-1 changeup.
After Teoscar Hernandez singled, Tanner Scott replaced Akin, but Alejandro Kirk homered to right on an 0-1 pitch to make it 4-1. Another run scored on Breyvic Valera’s sacrifice fly before Marcus Semien and Hernandez continued the rampage with a pair of three-run homers off Scott and Manny Barreda, respectively.
George Springer hit a two-run homer in the seventh as the Blue Jays scored four runs to rally for a 11-10 win in a wild opener that featured eight home runs.
Trevor Richards (7-2) pitched a scoreless sixth inning with two strikeouts in the night cap. Toronto (79-63), chasing the New York Yankees for the second American League wild-card spot, has won 13 of 15.
Blue Jays starter Thomas Hatch allowed a run on three hits in four innings.
Akin (2-9) allowed three runs on three hits in 6-plus innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Cedric Mullins homered for Baltimore (46-96), while Austin Hays (0-for-3) saw his 17-game hitting streak end.
Akin walked Springer to open the game and then retired the next 15 hitters before Randal Grichuk walked to start the sixth. Valera sacrificed Grichuk to second, but Akin retired Springer and Semien.
DJ Stewart singled leading off the Baltimore second and Kelvin Guttierez drew a two-out walk, but Hatch retired Austin Wynns to end the threat.
The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the third when Mullins fell behind 0-2 but then sent a Hatch fastball out to right for his 29th homer of the season.
Baltimore added a run in the seventh on Bichette’s throwing error.
–Field Level Media