Hyun Jin Ryu pitched six scoreless innings, George Springer and Bo Bichette drove in fifth-inning runs and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Cincinnati Reds 2-1 on Friday night.
Bradley Zimmer had two doubles and scored a run for the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series. Santiago Espinal added two singles to extend his hit streak to a career-best 13 games.
Ryu (1-0) gave up six hits and no walks while striking out three. The left-hander allowed a hit in each inning, including doubles in five straight innings.
Jordan Romano pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his 13th save of the season,
Cincinnati starter Luis Castillo (0-2) allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out five without issuing a walk.
Matt Reynolds went 3-for-4 with a RBI and Kyle Farmer added two doubles for the Reds.
Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0-for-4 to end his career-best 15-game hit streak.
The Blue Jays won for the third time in four games while the Reds saw their two-game winning streak end.
Toronto got the game’s first runs in the fifth inning. Zimmer doubled with one out and scored on Springer’s bouncing single up the middle. Bichette followed with an RBI double to left.
Joey Votto had Cincinnati’s fifth double of the game with two outs in the sixth inning. He was stranded when Farmer, who had doubled in his first two at-bats of the game, lined out to left.
Ryan Borucki replaced Ryu in the seventh and hit Mike Moustakas with a pitch. Moustakas took second on Taylor Motter’s single to center. Tyler Naquin forced Motter at second with a grounder to shortstop.
With runners at the corners, Adam Cimber replaced Borucki and struck out pinch hitter Colin Moran. Reynolds then came through with an RBI single to center.
Hunter Strickland replaced Castillo in the seventh and overcame Zimmer’s double and a hit batter.
Toronto’s Yimi Garcia pitched a perfect top of the eighth with two strikeouts.
Cincinnati put outfielder Albert Almora Jr., infielder Brandon Drury, and pitchers Tyler Mahle and Joel Kuhnel on the restricted list on Friday. Utility player Motter, outfielder Aristides Aquino and pitcher Graham Ashcraft joined the active roster as replacement players.
Votto was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list.
–Field Level Media